[Yamamoto Shosuke]

It was difficult, having friends you only got to see every so often. Though Shosuke and Atagi had "exchanged letters", the truth was that they had sent maybe one in the entire year that they had been apart and Shosuke hadn't even been able to reply directly to it due to being blind. Add onto that the awkwardness that had come about as a result of their mission in Hirata...

Well, as well as Atagi and Sho had hit it off the previous year, it was clear that things had changed since then. Not that either of them wanted to, but the simple fact was that time changed people. It was an inevitable part of growing older, and it was something that everyone had to deal with to a certain degree.

Still, Sho had to hope that there was enough of a bond of friendship there for Atagi to listen to a request that he was hoping to make of him. After all, Atagi had always seemed like the kind of person to give others the shirt off of his back, whether or not they asked for it. He just had to hope that that was still the case.

Shosuke was the kind of person who had never been able to rest on his laurels. The moment that he had become a chuunin, he had accepted missions without requesting any time to rest or recuperate. Even when he was healing, he had trained and focused his time into something productive rather than truly being able to take some weight off. But, ever since the incident on the island, it had seemed all the more pressing. It felt like there was a raw spot, a blindspot in his abilities.

The memories of the lion jumping at him played over and over in his head, the way that he had just stood there dumb as a post as it thrust itself towards him and he had no way to respond to it after it had broken through his barrier. It made his heart hitch in his chest, but more than anything else it pissed him off. It was a weakness, a vulnerability in his defenses, and he wanted to take care of it sooner rather than later. He needed to train his reaction speed so that nothing like that ever happened again.

That was why Sho had sent a message through some of the other Kusa-nin present at Azakaya for the exams. Atagi was a taijutsu specialist, he was someone who dealt with stuff like this on the daily. If anyone knew how to deal with something like this? Well, it was going to be him.

Or, at least, such was the hope.

That was why Shosuke was waiting in the training area, the same training area that not a few days before he had fought Hotarubi to a stand-still in. Rather than wearing his kumo flak-jacket, he was wearing a t-shirt and a pair of tight fitting pants. Ignoring rank, ignoring village loyalty, he just wanted to bond with someone he had once considered a genuine friend. Hopefully, that would make up somewhat for what had happened in Hirata.

528 words | Uzumaki Atagi

SPOILER: Click to show

C-Rank EXP: 1/9
Jutsus Used: None

[Uzumaki Atagi]

The usefulness of the cup is in its emptiness

For Atagi’s part, there had been no lost love between him and Sho. At times, he was straightforward to a fault, his mind lacking much of the ‘static’ or ‘noise’ that littered Sho’s own. This was not always for the better, naturally. The zen that came from not thinking too much about the future and taking the world as it came, when it came, and trusting oneself to be able to react, to handle it, to come up with something on the fly or have an intuitive answer…well. At times it would be better to have thought, planned, and obsessed over what might happen or what could be. Azarea was like that too, wasn’t she? Perhaps that was something which naturally came with being a cloud-nin.

Whatever awkwardness there might have been in Hirata, the Uzumaki hadn’t taken it personally, nor had he let it dampen his spirit or his image of Shosuke. It might be difficult for anything at all to dampen him, all problems and worries big or small boiled away into steam by his radiance. Of course he wanted to help! Shosuke’d help him so much, and the two of them were friends for life, or so was Atagi’s impression. Even if they weren’t, and it was a stranger, or hell, even an enemy asking, though, it’s likely he would’ve helped anyway. That’s just the sort of person he was, wannabe-messiah or hero-complexed fool or whatever else people might see him as.

Besides, it wasn’t entirely selfless, though he certainly strove to be. Atagi was also driven by a sort of practical optimism, the type who, by treating every experience as an opportunity for growth, would learn and propagate and become all the better for it. Many things were dictated by his sense of ego, a cultivated confidence that was probably too big, all told…but he had to believe in himself, there was no other option. All people are paradoxes, he had once been told, and he was no exception. The parts of him that wanted to be kind and the parts of him that insisted on consideration and softheartedness and the parts of him that were strong, like his will and sense of self…one would think they might contradict one another, but in his case, somehow they seemed to feed into each other, a recursive loop on his proverbial path to greatness.

Walking on over to the training grounds, Atagi waves grandly and calls out to Shosuke well before he’s even set foot on it, picking up the pace a little and starting to jog over. ”Oi!” He’s dressed similarly, if more flamboyant, strawberry-coloured shorts that were probably just a little too small (he’d grown stronger since last year, after all) an an apricot tee…and his packs of training weights, something that the Uzumaki had only begun regularly wearing after the exams had ended and he was back home.

Coming to a stop in front of the Yamamoto, Atagi beams bright, good nature practically rolling off of him. ”Even if the gap between our meetings was shorter, this time, it’s still been far too long!” Moving on up besides the good wood doctor, the genin from the grass reaches out to clap at his back. ”I see you dressed down for the occasion, bahaha. You look good even in casual clothing, though.” A little purse of the lips, eyes flitting from Shosuke’s head to his feet, the back up and down once, twice, before a small, reaffirming nod and a little noise of approval from the throat.

”What’s on the docket for today, praytell? If it’s something that I specifically can assist with, I presume it’s about martial arts.”

(Yamamoto Shosuke)

aeron at thq

[Yamamoto Shosuke]

It was true, the two's internal dialogue couldn't be more different if they were trying. Honestly, it sometimes seemed like Atagi didn't have an internal dialogue at all, he was so earnest and surface-level that it was hard to imagine him having some sort of deeper thought process, as insulting as that might sound.

Sho, on the other hand, was someone who couldn't make any decision at all without thinking about it first. There were variables to consider, a larger impact to think about, a context to understand. Nothing ever happened on its own, everything led from something and to something, and so acting without thinking was liable to cause a much bigger mess than any you were trying to fix for yourself.

Or, at least, so was Shosuke's calm rationale. It felt different when he got into battle, the deep consideration of every action he took seemed to grow quiet and his instincts came to the fore. That was why his hesitation in the fight against the lion, in his duel against Hotarubi, had been so aggravating to him. Without the internal monologue, without his instincts, there was simply nothing.

As a wise man once said, fear was the mind killer - the little death that brought true death. He wasn't ready to succumb to either death, and so he would take whatever opportunities he could to prevent such things from hampering him further.

---

Shosuke couldn't even begin to describe how glad he was that the awkwardness, the tension between the two of them that had been present at Hirata, had seemingly vanished. He felt his heart skip a little beat as he felt the other man's hand on his back, although he wasn't sure if it was the little crush he'd had on the man a year ago reigniting or if it was just the relief that things were back to some concept of normalcy.

"Well, you can't really expect to learn in full flak armour, right? If you have something to protect you, you're going to naturally use it as a crutch. If I get hit, I wanna feel it, not just have it thud pointlessly against my equipment. Ya know?"

That flak jacket... it was what had divided the two of them in Hirata. Shosuke still found it hard to believe that he had been chosen to become a Chuunin after but a year of active service, but he definitely wasn't complaining. Besides, other people had made Chuunin even earlier, like Miroru. Now if only Atagi would be able to graduate during these exams, perhaps things could stay like this a little longer.

"Right - So, it's like this..." Sho began, explaining the situation. Of course he couldn't mention a lot about what had happened on the island, the nature of that mission was strictly confidential, but he could explain that he had panicked in the moment of being attacked by a predatory beast. More of the attention, however, was focused on his recent fight with Hotarubi, how it had had to be his clones acting for him that stopped him eating a rock gun to the face.

Of course, the fact that he had won that little fight and knocked Hotarubi on his ass into a puddle of mud may or may not have ben dropped casually. He didn't explicitly say it was to pay that thug back for what had happened to Atagi, but the undertone wasn't exactly subtle either.

574 words | Uzumaki Atagi

SPOILER: Click to show

C-rank EXP: 2/9
Jutsus Used: None

[Uzumaki Atagi]

The usefulness of the cup is in its emptiness

Even while he’s listening, the kusa-nin can’t help but move, pacing animatedly within Shosuke’s general personal bubble, and even if he’d decided to stand still for a few moments, it was only to nod or gesture affirmatively his companion’s way. There’s an almost coy look playing at his features at Sho’s remark about really wanting to feel it when Atagi slugs him, just…in not so many words. ”You almost sounded like me when you said that, yeah? Masochistic as it might sometimes seem, pain nourishes courage, and failure leads to growth, that’s right.”

As the story of the mission(even sans details), and the Yamamoto’s encounter with the lion, the Uzumaki clearly takes a great interest, but curbs his usual instinct to fire every question that gets loaded into the cannon of his mouth, instead just listening, processing, and considering what it meant, and how to move forward. Then, at the further regaling of Sho’s spat with Hotarubi, of all people, brows raise and there’s a sudden uptick in Atagi’s pulse from the surprise, a little hitch of breath, like the mere mention of the Takigakure shinobi was enough for his body to prime for roughhousing or running, whichever seemed like the best idea at the time.

Not that the rest of Atagi Uzumaki would allow for running away, if it came down to it.

Tongue pokes from the lips, and he can’t help but let a laugh bubble out, ultimately. ”Awh, you laid out that guy just for me? I’m touched, Sho.” Of course, there was more to it than that, but beauty in simplification, wasn’t it? Anyway, even if he was still scared of Hotarubi, had the fear drilled into his body, really…part of him perks up at hearing that the rockman is here in Azakaya. He knew they had to meet again– even if he still wasn’t sure what would happen when they did. Maybe just to talk. That was one of his specialties, after all.

At any rate, the problem is presented, and Atagi’s already cracking away at a solution, before the dust of his mind’s really even had enough time to settle. ”It sounds to me like your reactions are a little dull, yeah? So we’ll have to sharpen them, mn.” A pause, forefinger touching at the spot just under his lower lip in clear thought, then tilting Sho’s direction. ”Well. There are two ways to go about it, technically.” His middle finger lifts to join the index, his point now resembling a lopsided peace sign.

”I’ve always trained to make my reflexes better, personally. Movements which are less than entirely conscious, let the body do as it will, no time for thinking– so on and so forth. But then there’s reacting, and people might conflate the two, but the latter is more conscious– and therefore you’re likely to make a better decision in terms of the optimal defense or offense or whatever, but they’ll always take more time as a matter of course, even if you’re not freezing up. I can help with either, but the method and mindset’ll be different depending on which you think would work best for your mind and body.” Sho was in the right place– not only was this Atagi’s bread and butter, but he’d been tutored by someone who was even more of a physical beast than himself, not even a year prior. And Yusei, too, more recently.

(Yamamoto Shosuke)

aeron at thq

[Yamamoto Shosuke]

There was something almost endearing about the fact that Atagi seemed almost physically incapable of standing in place for more than a second. He was like a dog, walking around in circles waiting to go out into the backyard. The very notion of stability, of remaining still for even a few seconds, seemed anathema.

"It's not masochism, Atagi, it's common sense." Sho replied, shutting the man off in his tracks. It was true; if anything, Sho was far more of a sadist than anything. The underlying satisfaction he got from saving other people, from stopping those who sought to harm them, from making sure they couldn't hurt anyone else. They were more of a problem for Sho than anything even remotely oriented towards enjoying his own pain.

No, no, pain was an important learning tool, it was a method for survival. People felt pain to let them know what was happening was wrong and that it needed to stop. It was not something to luxuriate in but something to learn from. He wasn't about to just put his hand on the stove and let it cook no matter what Atagi's personal feelings of the ins and outs of pain were.

Though, perhaps Atagi wasn't all that attached to pain either, as Sho could tell the way the man reacted to the mere mention of Hotarubi's name. Even though there was no opportunity for Hotarubi to pop up, to make his existence other people's problem, it no less resulted in an elevation of Atagi's heart rate, the way his body seemed to tighten, Atagi's fight or flight response triggering.

Despite the way that Atagi had spoken about Hotarubi, how he had made it seem as if the boy was just doing his duty, it was clear - there was fear there, a certain trauma that he simply wasn't willing to divulge. Had it been there the last time the pair had spoken about him? It was possible but Sho couldn't be sure.

"I'm not sure I understand the difference." Sho admitted, as Atagi began to go off on a lecture about responses. "Beyond the basic difference of pure instinct and muscle memory versus being able to think faster, you would assume improving one would improve the other. I mean, it'd be like saying you don't learn muscle memory whilst performing an exercise over and over. If I learn to improve my ability to react, then I'll be able to think quicker too, no?

Whatever the case, I'll take whatever you can teach me. I just need to ensure that when the time comes, when I'm next in the heat of battle there's no pause, I don't freeze like I did against that bastard back on the island. Whatever it takes to get there, I'm in."

463 words | Uzumaki Atagi

SPOILER: Click to show

C-rank EXP: 3/9
Jutsus Used: None

[Uzumaki Atagi]

The usefulness of the cup is in its emptiness

Well, that was a first, wasn’t it? Sho not understanding anything, that is. The guy was smart as hell, too smart for his own health, sometimes, so Atagi’s ever-active pride centers fire up at this revelation, even if only briefly. What Shosuke is saying is mostly true, but it’s also easier said than done to just think and move quicker. At any rate, when Atagi thinks about it for a little bit, he comes to the conclusion that it’s a moot point, anyway– whatever ‘type’ Shosuke is will be found by experience and repetition, not by standing still…in the most literal sense, in this case.

Stretching his arms up over his head with entwined fingers, the Uzumaki lets out a good natured laugh, then nods twice. ”It’s good to be open to all possibilities, yeah? The most useful container is one ready to accept, as the saying goes.” Well, he probably butchered that one a little bit, but it was all the same. He slowly starts to back up, ‘till it’d take about four or five good, strong paces to actually reach his friend. ”Let’s just do this the old fashioned way then, yeah? I’ll treat you like one of our training dummies. Deflect, defend, or avoid to your heart’s content– I’ll start slow, but we should ramp up quick enough if you’re as competent as I know you are. And if I do hit, well. Pain is a great teacher and motivator, bahaha. I won’t go hard enough to really hurt, don’t worry.” Not yet, anyway. Shosuke’d likely take offense to that and insist he do, anyway. A bright smile’s given the cloud-nin’s way, and Atagi adopts his oft-taken battle stance, right shoulder angled towards his opponent, right leg forward, slightly bent. The back leg is mostly straight, weight balanced on the ball of his foot, heel marginally off of the ground. Arms come up, hands raised in loose not-quite-fists– he plans on striking Sho with his palm, for the most part, even if it comes off like he’s just poorly imitating your average Hyuuga.

”You ready?” He’s obviously raring to go. The genin from the grass doesn’t take much longer than Sho’s confirmation to start off, darting forward with the speed Shosuke had doubtlessly come to expect from him (even if a little hampered by those weights that he hadn’t quite gotten fully used to hauling around) and throws a one-two, a jab with the left followed by an immediate strike with the right, for his chest and head respectively. They’re not as quick as Atagi’s thrown them before in their spar even a year ago, but they’re only just starting, so light work seems appropriate. ”You’ve been busy as hell in only a year, yeah? Sometimes I’m astounded by the breakneck pace at which we shinobi evolve.”

(Yamamoto Shosuke)

[Yamamoto Shosuke]

Ah, how ignorant that point really was - Shosuke not understanding something was far from a first, it was an almost daily occurrence at this point. The difference was between what got Shosuke confused and what got others confused.

Shosuke was... well, he would hesitate to consider himself a "genius" but as Atagi pointed out he was definitely a very smart person. As such, he often found himself contemplating big issues like how to cure his eyes on his own without outside help, how to help improve the village, what it would take to ensure peace, how to disrupt the control of the daimyo, all sorts of larger concepts. It was easier to avoid being confused when you only considered things like "when's your next meal" or "how to punch harder" like Atagi seemed to at times.

_{"... I don't think that's how containers work."} Sho murmured in a quiet little voice, trying not to point out the ludicrousness of considering packing boxes or tupperware based on whether or not they were 'willing to receive' their new contents. He got the point but, really, it was a terrible analogy.

Whether or not Shosuke took offense to the other man's point remained unspoken, as Sho merely nodded, moving into a position to be able to do this properly. He was probably going to make a fool out of himself one way or another, but that was just how these things went. One couldn't worry about little things like pain or embarrassment when one wanted to improve oneself, and getting hurt now meant he might avoid dying later.

Ultimately, when Atagi moves, Sho is ready to receive him.

The pair had fought before, and in fact were quite familiar with each other's bodies (as lewd as that might sound out of context) so Sho was able to predict him fairly well. A simple muscle twitch was enough to see where the boy was moving, and Sho was able to respond in kind. With the first strike, Sho stepped back, allowing the strike to his stoamch to whiff, passing through the air. However, the second moved to his face, and this time he brought his arms up, serving as a guard to absorb the strike of the punch.

It was a strange thing, to not even consider fighting back. His adrenaline was up and his hands stung, and usually that signaled that it was time to strike back, to overwhelm and outthink the opponent, but that would do very little to help his reflex training. After all, Atagi needed to remain in good enough health to be able to keep training him, no point knocking him out whilst he was still mid-lesson.

"... A year?" Shosuke asked, his tone a little incredulous, moving to redress his footing and keep on a stable platform. "Atagi, I lost my eyesight almost ten months ago and I was crippled in the hospital for six months. All this, the Chuunin promotion, the new jobs? That's been barely four months. When we met in Hirata, I'd barely been Chuunin for a week.

You're not wrong about things evolving but... do you think maybe you've stagnated a little? I mean, we both lost the exams and we've both been crippled, but it feels like I'm starting to leave you in my dust. What happened to the big hero that would save the ninja world?"

Shosuke felt bad, his words were almost certainly going to wound Atagi's spirit, but it felt they had to be said or they would continue to simmer away in the background.

593 words | Uzumaki Atagi

SPOILER: Click to show

C-rank EXP: 4/9
Jutsus Used: None

[Uzumaki Atagi]

The usefulness of the cup is in its emptiness

Something about the whole thought process of receiving or not in a metaphorical sense may’ve broken down, but thankfully enough, in the most literal sense, Atagi is ready to sow and Shosuke is ready to reap, which is all that really matters at the end of the day, the two of them in their own little garden of continued growth and evolution. The smile at his features manages to find a little more real estate at his features in order to widen a hair when Sho easily dodges the first blow and blocks the other. The Uzumaki is about as in tune with his body at anyone of his level could be, and as such is effortlessly flowing into the next sequence of action, pressing Shosuke back and stealing away a little more space in their spar, keeping almost suffocatingly close so that the doctor couldn’t have too much runway to think about how to react to every individual strike– that’d defeat the purpose of their exercise, after all.

That being said, there’s always time for chatter between men, doubly so for shinobi and triply so for the redheaded Kusa-nin. ”A third of a year, then. Breakneck pace seems almost too blase, that considered! Maybe your pace is more spine-twisting or sommat, instead?” An ever good-natured tongue sticks from his lips in the universal sign of monkeying about. There’s another strike, a little faster this time, aimed straight for the Yamamoto’s shoulder, but doesn’t continue the assault until he’s fully heard out the other and what should’ve been hurtful words. A neutral expression with piercingly thoughtful and probing aureate irises takes position at his features, looking not solely at Shosuke but also into him. The smile returns, with perhaps the tiniest bit of irony touching it.

”Folk move at their own pace, even our kind. Someone like me has a hard time ceasing my momentum, but I s’pose I challenged myself, a little– this year’s the first time I’ve taken anything close to a ‘break’, yeah?” Voluntarily, that is. He’d be remiss to forget his suspensions for sneaking out of the village in his youth, which seemed so, so long ago, at this point.”Not that it lasted long, but nearly walking all the way down the path to the other side of the clearing has a way of making you think about your priorities a little, stop and smell the freshly grown grass. I thought to myself, y’know, what’d my legacy actually be if I expired at the hands of Hotarubi– still living alone, no family to speak of, and even the ones that I did have wouldn’t recognize me if they saw me, in pieces or otherwise? That’d be too sad! Even if my closest friends like you’d never forget me, I wanna leave behind more than just fleeting visions of what could’ve been in the hearts of those who adore me. It’d be pathetic to kick it before them, after all.” It was earnest, and open– some men might’ve been insecure about sharing such vulnerability, but the two of them were supposed to be thick as thieves, weren’t they?

Atagi whirls around suddenly, and sharply, throwing a clearly practiced roundhouse kick for Sho, even as they continued their conversation. Whether he blocks or dodges, Atagi takes the opportunity of his hands being free to quickly weave through three seals, focusing the maelstrom of chakra in his core and focusing it into a jutsu, coercing it out to each of his limbs where they’re coated by a layer of swirling futon that was just barely perceptible even without the assistance of chakra-seeing/hearing/smelling abilities.

The next strikes are quicker, both as a result of the technique and from Atagi consciously speeding up, throwing out three rapid jabs with the same hand and holding one back in order to take advantage of any perceived gaps in Sho’s defense. ”But! Ultimately I ended up in the same place, just with a little more on my plate, bahaha!” he finally arrives at the endpoint of his response, joy and optimism blooming at those features which’d laid dormant. ”I’m still gonna become an amazing hero who saves and charms and wins over and does as much good as humanly possible with these two hands, but I’m also going to do even more, yeah? After all, someone as amazing as Atagi Uzumaki can do it all, if he really sets his mind to it. So here I am again– this exams’ll be different. And after that? Pace’s only going up from there.” It’s a declaration, and an absurd one, but in true Atagi fashion every word is not only believe, it’s spoken truth to, as if remarking that it was as set in stone as the sun rising tomorrow.

(Yamamoto Shosuke)

aeron at thq

Jutsu used:

SPOILER: Click to show

NAME: Rasshusutansu [Rush Stance]
RANK: C
CHAKRA USAGE: Very Low [Very Low to maintain]
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu
ELEMENT: Fuuton
HANDSEALS: 3
DESCRIPTION:
This stance requires the user to use fuuton to generate a small current of wind around the body that is condensed into a visible form around the hands and feet. Activating this stance allows the user to increase the speed of their strikes and attacks, specifically for this style.

[Yamamoto Shosuke]

The idea of taking a break seemed strange to Shosuke. Even whilst being crippled and in the hospital, he continued to train and improve, to get stronger, to make his abilities go that little bit further. At the time, it felt like he was driving himself mad, but he had recovered and only gone from strength to strength since. To accept anything else seemed wrong, like there was so much space between where he was and where he wanted to be that to run at anything less than full tilt was an insult to those he cared about.

Still, he supposed he hadn't had the experiences that Atagi had had in the last year either. If he had been at death's door, would he too have wanted to stop and smell the roses for a bit? Or would it have only further fueled his relentless drive for improvement. It was hard to know without being in that situation himself properly.

"Pathetic?" Sho asked, his tone quieter than it had been before, as if he was mulling over the other man's words properly. "I don't think that would be pathetic, Atagi, I think that'd be honorable - Even with the best of intentions, people die every day. Those in our line of work especially. Do you think everyone who dies in service of their village before they get to their full potential is pathetic?"

Atagi moved forwards to strike Sho's shoulder, and Sho responded by meeting him pace for pace. Every time Atagi came forwards, Sho backed away, making sure to keep a good distance between the two of them. When he stroke, Sho aimed to take advantage of his natural lithe frame, aiming to dodge what he could and parry what he couldn't. Once or twice, Atagi got a glancing blow, but nothing substantial. But then, it seemed Atagi wasn't trying fully yet.

"I understand where you're coming from; I chose to rejoin the shinobi corps cos I felt I couldn't just sit back and watch other people get hurt and die needlessly. I certainly don't want to see you get hurt, especially not after what happened in last year's exams, but to call such things pathetic... Isn't that a little cold?"

This time, as Atagi spins around with a roundhouse kick, Sho finds himself suddenly having to throw himself backwards, the foot striking the air with but a centimeter or two of space between the two of them. However, in so doing, Sho finds himself stumbling, falling onto his back on the floor of the training arena with a hard thunk. Fortunately, the damage is minimal and Sho is able to quickly pick himself back up, but doing so seemed to dislodge his glasses, causing them to slide down a little on his nose, giving a momentary glimpse at the damage that lay behind.

By the time that Sho has picked himself back up, Atagi had wrapped his limbs in futon - it felt like Sho had been struggling beforehand but now he was going even harder? That wasn't exactly great, but he supposed it was his fault - he had clearly hit a nerve in the other shinobi.

"Maybe focus on what lies immediately in front of you." Sho said, trying to give one last sage piece of advice before his own hands wove into a series of handsigns. If Atagi was going to "cheat", then so would Sho. In a brief moment, his hands seemed to become clad in wicker-like gloves, enormous tendrils of plantmatter forming around his hands to protect him from the swirling vortexes of wind that Atagi had chosen to wield.

"Win the exams, then brag about everything that comes afterwards. We don't want another repeat of last year."

621 words | Uzumaki Atagi

SPOILER: Click to show

Jutsus Used
NAME: Mokuton: Budōnoki no Te [Wood Release: Vine Hands]
RANK: B
CHAKRA USAGE: Medium, Low Drain
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu
ELEMENT: Mokuton
HANDSEALS: 6
DECRIPTION:
By using kneading the chakra, the user is able to transform his tissues into vine-like constructs. Then, by activating the vines, stimulating them to grow rapidly, they lengthen at high speed ending in hands composed by durable vines that can be manipulated as if they were composed of actual digits, with this the user is able to use the wine-arms like whips or by even grasp objects with finesses as well swing themselves from above the ground. If the technique receives damage at the base of the technique below the elbow, the damage is transferred to the user.

[Uzumaki Atagi]

The usefulness of the cup is in its emptiness

‘Taking a break’ was a way of putting it that might’ve downplayed what Atagi’d been doing, as he couldn’t really neglect his training even if he wanted to– but that was as much apart of his life as breathing, so even on ‘vacation’ he was liable to constantly keep up the honing of his body’s physical form. The defeat, and a crushing, humiliating one to boot, had made him realize the limitations of his own body more than ever. Once his arms were reformed, they needed a little encouragement and education, so to speak, in acting as his limbs once more, which is a sentence that even with context seems completely ludacris. Truth is stranger, one supposes…

It might’ve been a bit too far, that much was true, and honestly speaking? If it was someone else saying it about themselves, or another, Atagi would’ve snapped up to defend them just as quickly, a quick reprimand and a ‘don’t say that you’re pathetic! It’s not true!’ or something equally cheesy and forward, along with a similar reprimand about how nobody gets to choose when they die, how sometimes it just happens and that to blame anyone for it would be unfair and foolhardy. It was a blindspot, perhaps, that even someone who was as much of an egoist as him was perfectly fine with a little self-deprecation, from time to time. It’s apparent that he realizes this, too, from the sheepish expression at his features and the brief aversion of the eyes– he might’ve stated it like it was an absolute truth, but he’s never too abashed, too proud, or too shy to walk it back if the scenario dictates that he ought to.

The man doesn’t drop the battle stance, but he does raise up his brows and look down at the med-nin with concern after having bowled him over, blinking rapidly and throwing up a hand in the universal sign for ‘my bad’, a hand turned in front of his features and a winning smile. ”Apologies, apologies. Good reaction nonetheless, though, yeah?” A sprinkle of apology, a dash of praise, and all was well. It was funny; he knew he wasn’t supposed to be bothered by the implication that he’d lost his drive, but even the great and all-loving Atagi Uzumaki can’t help it when his ego and self-images gives an inner huff and an outer response. It’s good, though, to be reminded of what ought to be important t’you every now and again.

He begins to slowly circle around Sho, maintaining a careful distance which he could strike from, like a snake coiling around prey. Adjusting the tempo up and dow was important for this type of training, too, so he didn’t get familiar and even used to only being able to anticipate and respond to only one type of attack. ”You’re right, ultimately. If anyone can call what happened to me pathetic it ought to be me, but even then sometimes things just– happen, yeah? Nobody is pathetic whose thrown everything he has into living every day with vigour or passion or grace or humility or whatever they value most. Nonetheless, I’ll hold myself to an unreasonable standard ‘till the day I die.” It seemed like that last part was only supposed to be mostly serious from the great deal of mirth that infected his tone, but gods knew he was also the type to really, honestly insist that anyone ‘make their dreams reality’.

Part of him considers layering further techniques together to up the proverbial difficulty setting for Shosuke even more- but that’d be getting ahead of himself, when they were supposed to be drilling the basics. Thankfully for his compatriot, the futon about his limbs did little on their own- they’d make his strikes faster, sure, but they wouldn’t cut him up, or anything.

Unless, of course, I willed them to. Better safe than sorry either way, though. he thinks to himself, giving an approving nod twice upon seeing Shosuke ‘glove up’ as well. Now the two of them looked like real shinobi instead of two regular hooligans duking it out on the training grounds. ”Fair enough! Still, you’ve gotta dare to dream, you know! Visualize yourself lifting up the trophy or you never will. What’s your trophy?” Actually, visualizing yourself celebrating is pretty close to the opposite of what you’re supposed to be doing, but at least he had the right spirit about it.

Atagi suddenly darts forward, lowering his body in a crouch and throwing a straight jab for Sho’s solar plexus, followed by taking advantage of the fact that he’s already lowered himself, partly disguising his subsequent action of rising for an uppercut with the other hand. The sweat was already beginning to flow, but the Uzumaki looks happy; chatting with a friend tended to have that effect.

(Yamamoto Shosuke)

aeron at thq

Jutsu used:

SPOILER: Click to show

NAME: Rasshusutansu [Rush Stance]
RANK: C
CHAKRA USAGE: Very Low [Very Low to maintain]
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu
ELEMENT: Fuuton
HANDSEALS: 3
DESCRIPTION:
This stance requires the user to use fuuton to generate a small current of wind around the body that is condensed into a visible form around the hands and feet. Activating this stance allows the user to increase the speed of their strikes and attacks, specifically for this style.

[Yamamoto Shosuke]

Well, it was a truism often spouted that people were their own harshest critic, that much was true. Though in this case, perhaps it was more apt to say that many people disliked in others what they saw in themselves.

Just because Atagi would have snapped to someone else's defense and told them not to think in such a dark and dour way didn't mean that he didn't have some of that in the very core of his being.

It was a sad truth to admit to but this line of work of theirs almost seemed to punish optimism, as without being able to distance and desensitize oneself from one's work, they had no way to escape from the darker deeds their jobs required.

Ironically, it was reactions like Shosuke's, the ability to immediately throw yourself back to your feet rather than lingering on the metaphorical floor, that allowed people to become Shinobi in the first place.

Regardless, as Atagi began to circle around him, Sho turned on a dime, making sure to keep his eyes always on Atagi. Of course, Sho didn't need to see the man to be able to see him, his blind-sense made sure that he had a perfect 360' cone of vision, but that wouldn't help him block or dodge whatever came at him. He needed to face Atagi face on, hide behind his gauntlets, and make sure that he was ready to deal with whatever came next.

This time, however, as Atagi dashed forwards, the Kusa-nin might be surprised to see that Shosuke dashed into him rather than away. The gauntlets dropped, causing Atagi's punch to the solar plexus to be blocked by the rock-hard outer layer of the gauntlets, bloodying and bruising his knuckles from the interaction. The gauntlets were thick and calloused, much like the bark of an actual tree, and their uneven grooves only encouraged the bruising that would no doubt start to form.

The uppercut, on the other hand, seemed to land home, catching Sho under the chin and sending him flying backwards. He even seemed stunned for a moment, struggling to land on his feet and spitting out a small amount of blood in the instant after it landed, panting a little and staring at Atagi with a look of irritation. Not so much at the man, but more at the idea that he had allowed himself to get hit.

"Trophy? Trophies require winning, and I don't think I've won anything in my entire life." Sho said, his words seeming almost sad despite the surprisingly neutral tone he said it with. It was almost as if he was speaking the truth rather than trying to make some self-pitying statement about his own self-worth.

In the instant after that attack, Sho threw a punch forwards, the vines from his hand shooting and aiming to deliver a strike back against Atagi, aiming to strike him in the gut as if in petty retaliation for the cheap-shot. He knew he shouldn't be annoyed at it, all was fair on the field of battle and all, but it still felt cheap and he wasn't about to sit back and take it.

528 words | Uzumaki Atagi

SPOILER: Click to show

C-rank EXP: 6/9
Jutsus Used: See Last Post

[Uzumaki Atagi]

The usefulness of the cup is in its emptiness

It absolutely was; a surprise, that is, for Shosuke to go toward a would-be assailant than away, but it was a good sign. Just like how when faced with an insurmountable wave in the ocean you go under or through instead of over, sometimes the best or only way out was through, and to assume otherwise would be to set oneself up for failure. Not that Atagi was exactly a wave, surmountable or otherwise, in any way other than metaphorical. The first blow is blocked, and as the Uzumaki follows through with the blow as one always did, there’s an unpleasant feedback like hitting a wall-- or perhaps more accurately the trunk of a tree. His own hands, sorely unprotected, thrum with the familiar sensation of ache that came from striking such a surface, producing a wince even through his sterling smile. Part of him was used to it, evidenced by the abnormally scarred and calloused skin of his knuckles and fingers, but he was hardly on the level of some old master who’d been doing it for so many decades that it’d stopped hurting.

Shosuke throwing a punch of is own is something of a surprise, but not exactly an unwelcome one. Atagi’s arm that hadn’t been used to attack moves down, catching Sho’s thrown attack with the pack of weights on his forearm, allowing it to catch the brunt of the blow, though the force still sends the Uzumaki reeling back, what would’ve been a stumble saved by turning it into a hop-step that creates a little distance, though they’re both still easily within striking range. Chest rises and falls with more laboured breaths,

Hands draw back, and the genin from the grass seeks out another opening, probing Shosuke’s defense for where it was weak and where it was strong, where the cracks lay and where it was reinforced. As he does, his friend says something curious that elicits a head tilt from the crimson-topped shinobi facing off with him. Atagi keeps loose, but ready, trying not to make it too obvious where he was tense. ”It’s a metaphor, silly. I’m sure you’ve had plenty of triumphs, anyway, big, small, or inbetween!” A little pause, eyes flitting up and to the left. ”Or one you want to lift, even, that’s imperative too.” Not that Shosuke was the type who’d take such advice so easily; he needed something real, it’d seemed, the sorts of achievements and things that you could touch or point to and say ‘look! That’s the fruit of my efforts.’ Atagi respected that way of thinking as much as anyone’s, even if he himself would insist that a person has to praise themselves as often as they can.

Perhaps in his case his ego was too healthy, though.

”You’re getting quicker bit by bit, yeah? Remember to use every sense, every tool, every advantage you have– the more information your all-calculating brain has to make a decision, the easier it is!” Well. Like with all things, that was only partly true. At first, having more to process actually slowed most people down, but like a muscle, the mind and synapses could be trained, too. With repetition came mastery.

Atagi steps inward like he’s going to cross over to Sho’s right side for an assault, but, of course, he cheats again. The more surprises Sho was exposed to, the better, after all, and once he actually reacted in time to one, it’d feel extra euphoric, that way. Once his leg comes down, his weight shifts the other direction. There’s another forceful manipulation of chakra in the body, all the way down his leg, and a snap sounds out through the air like someone’s suddenly spiked a firecracker into the ground, and Atagi’s body repositions suddenly to Sho’s left, instead, and his leg’s coming up to snap off a front kick for the cloud-nin. ”Toh!” None of the blows were thrown at full force, but he wasn’t going to easy that they’d fail to push the doctor around or even injure him, if he didn’t take the exercise seriously.


(Yamamoto Shosuke)

aeron at thq

Jutsu/SA’s:

SPOILER: Click to show

NAME: Rasshusutansu [Rush Stance]
RANK: C
CHAKRA USAGE: Very Low [Very Low to maintain]
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu
ELEMENT: Fuuton
HANDSEALS: 3
DESCRIPTION:
This stance requires the user to use fuuton to generate a small current of wind around the body that is condensed into a visible form around the hands and feet. Activating this stance allows the user to increase the speed of their strikes and attacks, specifically for this style.


NAME: Subakage-ryū: Sonído [New Shadow Style: Reverberating Turn]
RANK: D
CHAKRA USAGE: Low
CLASSIFICATION: Taijutsu
ELEMENT: N/A
HANDSEALS: N/A
DESCRIPTION:
REQUIREMENT: Subakage-ryū: Hohō [New Shadow Style: Step Method]

When attacked, the shinobi is faced with a choice: block or dodge. Sonído is perhaps the most raw, speed-oriented dodge available to practitioners of Subakage-ryū. When attacked, the shinobi pushes as much physical force as possible into their step and further enhances it with some chakra. In doing so, the explosive acceleration reaches tremendous speeds.

The shinobi repositions a very short distance, generally no more than a meter or two at the most. Moving further with Sonído just does not work, and due to the way they move, will cause the shinobi to trip up and tumble across the ground. While it is easiest to move in a linear fashion, Sonído can be used to circle about half way around an opponent.

Sonído is rather intense, and the force pushed into one point on the ground causes a modest explosive snap at the beginning of the technique, hence its name. Because Sonído is so intense and tough on the body, it cannot be used back-to-back, and doing so will render the shinobi immobile for one round as their body recovers. Extensive use of this technique can cause damage to the body, so it is best to be somewhat conservative.

In the Nick of Time
Atagi has honed his combat instinct and reflexes via dedicated training (and at least one ‘practical experience’ in the form of having life and limb imperiled by a particular Taki-nin) to the point where he can, much of the time, reflexively move in response to threatening stimuli. Most often, these combat reflexes are defensively oriented, a la blocking or dodging. He’s nicknamed them his ‘God-Speed Impulses’, which is an obvious exaggeration.

[Yamamoto Shosuke]

The thrown strike landed home, striking Atagi right in the gut and sending him flying backwards. He managed to recover, of course, but the very fact that he had landed the strike instead of whiffing gave Shosuke a feeling of satisfaction that was hard to compare, especially considering Atagi's skill in taijutsu.

Despite the difference in their ranks, Shosuke couldn't help but look up to Atagi as a stronger fighter, so the fact that he was able to force even the slightest crack in the man's armor made him almost feel giddy, more than making up for the pain in his chin from the earlier cheapshot.

"Not really." Sho said, once again maintaining that rather plain, honest streak in the way that he spoke. "I don't really think I've ever accomplished anything worth feeling "triumphant" about. Everything I've ever achieved has rested on the shoulders of others. I may be a chuunin now, but I couldn't even tell you why - They just gave me this promotion when I returned from my enforced hospital stay. Not like I earned it..."

For the first time, that last sentence seemed to reflect something deeper. A sense of self-irritation, frustration at powerlessness, reflecting just how much of a fake he felt like. Perhaps it was because Kizumi had refused to explain why, what he had done to earn the promotion, but it felt almost like stolen valor. He had nothing to show for his year of work other than this promotion and he didn't even understand that.

It was this very irritation that went into the next strike. Atagi raised a leg, as if to launch a kick to Sho's side. Instinctively, his left hand went up to block the strike, only for a sudden snap sound to draw his attention back to the other shinobi. Somehow, it seemed as if the boy's entire body language had shifted, changing direction from which the blow was coming. Yet, the blow had not landed yet, and Sho had a moment. Not long enough to completely redirect his body though...

Atagi would likely be surprised to see that Sho responded not by trying to rapidly readjust his body language but instead by leaping forwards, all weight on his feet shifting to propel him forwards, left arm still outstretched but right arm aiming for the boy's collar, using the increased body weight from the wooden arms to bowl the boy over, aiming to throw Atagi onto his back with Shosuke landing atop him.

Should his gambit work, Sho would find himself pressing the Kusa-nin down to the ground, arm on the boy's collar and forcing him against the ground, left arm shifting to threaten to punch down and smash Atagi against the earth.

"You know, if you used these techs against an actual opponent, I'm pretty sure they'd be calling you all sorts of names by this point. You always rely this much on cheap shots?"

488 words | Uzumaki Atagi

SPOILER: Click to show

C-rank EXP: 7/9
Jutsus Used: See Last Post

[Uzumaki Atagi]

The usefulness of the cup is in its emptiness

He can feel it– the irritation, that is, flowing off of Shosuke’s every movement. Of course, Atagi isn’t an empath. It wouldn’t have been a stretch to say that the two had gotten more in tune with one another’s bodies; it also helped that, more often than not, Sho was the type to be stressed, anxious, or worried about something, heavily contrasting with Atagi’s half-serious and half laissez-faire attitude toward the vast majority of things and life in general, really. He was undoubtedly the easier of the two of them to read, since the Uzumaki rarely if ever disguised or feigned emotions, even so. Still, that might not entirely be a bad thing- frustration can be as good a motivator as any other, sometimes a great one, given the right circumstance.

Still, they’re in the middle of a battle. Even in a mock one, to let the mind wander was folly. Sho catches him with the leap, the Kusa-nin’s eyes widening a fraction or three as he gets pinned to the ground. Shit, I gotta stop getting grabbed by folk. It almost never comes out in my favour. An arm comes up in case he has to defend himself from Sho actually following through on the attack, though he doesn’t expect it, considering the nature of their training.


”Isn’t it egotistical, to be deciding that all on your own? Trying to come up with what you do and don’t deserve, that is. I’d imagine that’s for your leaders or commanders or whomever else, to decide.” The Uzumaki knew better than anyone the dangers of taking on responsibility that he didn’t need to, and often likely shouldn’t have, but at least he was resolved to love every moment of it. For someone who seemed to be being poisoned by their own expectations, letting go of that which ails them might’ve been far better, even advisable. Of course, he also understands Sho isn’t the type to internalize a single piece of advice and follow it without question; anything but, really.

That much was fine. Cliffs are eroded by time and consistency, never a single wave, big or small.

”And hey, what’s a shinobi without a bag of tricks, yeah? Even a guy like me’s gotta be able to employ a couple. Long as the hero wins in the end.” He remarks, goofy grin still stuck at his face. A couple? Even if that was true, nearly every attack he’d thrown at Sho thus far had been touched by surprise or misdirection of some kind.

Of course, he had another one in store. Typically, the Flash Kick was used from a standing position to launch into a backflip-kick of sorts. From the ground, though…the futon-touched shroud of wind at his legs would, if observed, appear to condense…then an explosion of movement would be produced. In this case, it’d be used to try and both buck Sho off and flip himself up into a handspring, though he’d have to right himself before long or he’d topple over– if he even managed to. Sho might’ve been too heavy, or able to ground himself, or have the ability to stop the move outright, after all.

(Yamamoto Shosuke)

aeron at thq

SPOILER: Click to show

Jutsu/SA’s:

NAME: Rasshusutansu [Rush Stance]
RANK: C
CHAKRA USAGE: Very Low [Very Low to maintain]
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu
ELEMENT: Fuuton
HANDSEALS: 3
DESCRIPTION:
This stance requires the user to use fuuton to generate a small current of wind around the body that is condensed into a visible form around the hands and feet. Activating this stance allows the user to increase the speed of their strikes and attacks, specifically for this style.

NAME: Samaasoruto Kikku [Flashkick]
RANK: C
CHAKRA USAGE: Medium
CLASSIFICATION: Taijutsu
ELEMENT: Fuuton
HANDSEALS: 0
REQUIREMENT: Wind Rush Stance
DESCRIPTION:
Whilst in the Wind Rush Stance the user will use the chakra located at their legs to lift their body off of the ground into a rapid backflip that produces a an intense boost of speed the momentum of which if colliding with the jaw of an opponent can possibly cause a concussion or leave the opponent in a dizzying state.

In the Nick of Time
Atagi has honed his combat instinct and reflexes via dedicated training (and at least one ‘practical experience’ in the form of having life and limb imperiled by a particular Taki-nin) to the point where he can, much of the time, reflexively move in response to threatening stimuli. Most often, these combat reflexes are defensively oriented, a la blocking or dodging. He’s nicknamed them his ‘God-Speed Impulses’, which is an obvious exaggeration.

[Yamamoto Shosuke]

If Sho was being honest, that was not something that he had expected to come out of the other Shinobi's mouth. For someone who was so typically obsessed with self-determination and 'being the hero', the idea of pushing off one's ability to declare what was and wasn't "enough" by one's own standards and instead relying on a superior officer to declare what you do and don't deserve? That didn't sound like Atagi at all.

Though Sho could recognize what Atagi was trying to say, that it was a harder path to walk to not be able to accept the praise given by one's superiors, to decide for one's own self what was and wasn't deserved. But if Atagi was able to consider himself a hero, then Sho was equally able to say that he wasn't living up to his own standards.

"Egotistical? I'm genuinely surprised you even know what that word means, Atagi." The sentence might have come off as rude, as if he was insulting the man's intelligence, but there was a sincerity behind the question that made it seem almost like he had merely chosen his words poorly. After all, Atagi did usually think with his fists rather than his head...

"But if we're speaking about ego, do you genuinely think you have a leg to stand on? You've got one of the biggest egos of anyone I've ever met. And don't get me wrong, that's what I like about you - You're proud, noble, you genuinely dedicate yourself to your self-declared "Path to being a hero". But even so..."

It was as he was saying this that Atagi managed to get the better of him. Unlike the majority of sensor-nin, Shosuke was unable to actually feel the build up of chakra. In exchange he was able to feel a far greater amount of sensory inputs than typical sensors, but in this case? Futon was formless, a mass of energy without physicality, meaning it was something he wasn't able to really identify. The first thing he noticed was a sudden current of air building behind him, noticing it far too late to be able to avoid what came next.

With a single motion, Atagi shot Sho up, sending him sprawling. However, with those vine hands still very much in play, he was able to reach out with his "fists", scraping his fingers across the ground like a ship with an anchor, mooring himself and allowing him to recover faster than he would have otherwise. Yet, it would seem that Atagi had managed to free himself nonetheless, leaving them right back where they had started.

"If you're so obsessed with being the hero..." Sho said, his tone resolute and serious, though when was it ever not. "Remember this - a hero is defined as much by their achievements as they are by how they achieved it.

A few generations down the line they may forget that you cheated or used brutal methods to achieve what you want to achieve, but if you want to be a hero in your own lifetime? Don't put the cart before the horse."

517 words | Uzumaki Atagi

SPOILER: Click to show

C-rank EXP: 8/9
Jutsus Used: See Last Post