[masshiro]

    There was loud knocking on the door to the Mizukage's office before it slowly started to open, and the sound of someone clearing their throat before a person was into view. Slowly Masshiro Yamaguchi stepped into view, his notebook hanging from a leather strap from his shoulder, slapping his thigh as he slid in and shut the door behind him. On one side the notebook declaring he was clearly looking to take notes on something, but on the right shoulder his scabbarded Uemori rested on his shoulder, indicating maybe he had something else in mind.

    Giving a fairly deep and respectful bow, he cleared his throat again.

"Good day Lord Mizukage. Apologies for the intrusion but I hoped to ask you for your assistance."

    Letting his weapon fall free for a moment, he slipped it under his sash to keep it in place momentarily as he grabbed for his notebook and began quickly flipping through pages. 

"Here we go..."

    Pulling a pencil from behind his ear he began to write something down before finally speaking up and getting to the point.

"From our previous meeting and the information available, I see we both share a fondness and affinity for Bukijutsu. To be plain about my intentions, I'm hoping you could train me. As strong as I believe myself to be, and as much as my previous teacher did her best...I am currently struggling with training on my own."

    Writing something else in his notebook, he slipped the small pencil into his sash just as he pulled his weapon back out and let it rest once more on his shoulder, just as the notebook fell back against his hip."

"Our weapons are clearly very different, but no doubt the applications are much the same. And of course, there is much more I could learn from you than simply how to better swing my weapon."

    

[Kaguya Toru]

I would know him in death At the end of the world masshiro

The door opened quietly, a notable change from the once creaky doors that sat upon iron hinges. Toru had grown weary of the creak and had inquired about making sure it was properly oiled. Someone had argued with him about it, had it been Daichi? He was not certain, but it had afforded him a certain peace of mind as the door opened and a new scent wafted into his office. It was an unusual occurrence to ask him for some training, but it was not something he often brushed off. He preferred to stay in the know on the abilities of all of his shinobi, and where they stood if and - realistically - when he would have to put them in the field of battle.

Masshiro had undoubtedly been stared at by his door guards, but having reached this point the shinobi had likely already been asked to state his reasoning and also been given a hefty lecture about bothering the Mizukage without a proper appointment.

Toru remained seated when Masshiro took center stage and bowed to him before speaking. Toru listened to the speech, quietly without shifting or disturbing the air around him save for his breathing which too was silent. He was a calm current in an ocean of madness. Always had been, at least in the way he presented himself. He had not always been thoughtful, nor did he have the thought to help others selfishly.

"I can provide assistance," He responded he was not rude but short in how he spoke. There was a distinct evenness to his tone, confidence that never dipped into cockiness. Firm, without ever being loud.

"I fear, however, I do not know what direction you wish to take your swordsmanship. Something as simple as a basic kata can take decades to master." A swordsman journey was never truly finished, even if it seemed as if it had concluded to younger swordsmen, less experienced ones.

Toru was among those that knew much about what a sword could offer, and yet still he was not perfect, nor would he ever be and he was under no delusion otherwise.

OWL

[masshiro]

    In his mind he pictured walking in, stating his intentions, then there was a blank wall of whatever were to happen next quite frankly. Asking was the easy part, figuring out just what the Mizukage could do within reason, also fairly easy all things considered. What the two could train together and more so what Masshiro could learn from it was absolutely easier imagined and said than done. They had very different fighting style so it was true it wasn't simply a matter of "Teach me to swing this weapon good", but he knew a good artist of the sword when he saw one, and he felt it was an opportunity he couldn't pass up. 

    There was a specific set of skills and a particular fighting style Toru used that was of particular interest, but when he had walked in he wasn't sure if it was proper to ask about it. He stood in silence for a moment, trying not to look as lost as he was in thought, keeping eye contact, before he lifted his notebook once more, flipped through the pages, and took a few steps closer so he could speak in a more quiet tone as he preferred.

"I wasn't confident in asking this when I came in, but if I can be so bold..."

    Unhooking the book from his hip he stepped forward further, sitting it in the desk and spinning it around. Across the first page were crude but accurate drawings of Toru swinging his blade using his water blade, then the second page the fire blade. After a moment he turned the page and gave the first page a soft tap, the pages filled with information one what he knew about his Total Elemental Breathing style, stepping back and leaving the book in front of him for the moment. The pages after was simply more information he had gathered, and while not complete as it didn't contain information on every technique the style contained, it was thorough and incredibly detailed with what was there.

"As I use both the fire and water elements, your Fire Blade and Water Blade both pique my interest tremendously. I don't have the weapons themselves, but Uemori is more than capable of being used with both elements. I've studied both, but I've made no attempts at trying to mimic the techniques up to this point, out of respect."
    

[Kaguya Toru]

I would know him in death At the end of the world masshiro

Toru glanced down at the notebook presented before him, frankly surprised that someone had drawn him that well. Though he was surprised that the other knew so much about his fighting style having never seen Toru fight. It was not as if Toru stood around publicly swinging his sword. Perhaps Masshiro had seen him at the chunin exams several years ago, his water blade had been used then, but his fire blade? It had scarcely been used and certainly not in the public eye. There was no hint of a frown on Toru, though he grew weary and immediately distrustful. How had Masshiro managed to get this information?

Perhaps from Daichi? After all, both were Yamaguchi. But to him, it had never felt that Daichi or Kyoko would ever share such information with another even if they were kin. Kyoko, maybe... But Kyoko had never seen him fight properly.

The boy king shifted in his seat before he looked back up towards Masshiro glazed over, a silent star searching for a hint of how the other had figured this all out in the darkness of the night.

"The Uemori is not to my knowledge a conductive or reactive blade, both of the styles that you have shown here require the ability to conduct though reactive is much stronger for the techniques. I can teach you, but it would be not possible to use through this unique blade. It is used for drawing blood and feeding upon the blood itself." The sword was already capable of more than most... Toru recalled coveting at some point, but no longer, he was not certain it fit his fighting style.

OWL

[masshiro]

    Toru was certainly well within his right mind to be wary of Masshiro, and distrustful wasn't by any means unwarranted from what he could see, even if Masshiro had the best of intentions. The shinobi standing in front of the Mizukage was not one to simply walk up and ask you for a description of your techniques, he was sneaky, usually for what he thought were good reasons, but all the same. He regularly followed people to gather information mundane and much less so, learning techniques of even the newest academy student recruits. If there was information to gather, techniques to be watched while he sat in the shadows taking notes, or information to read from any source he could get his hands on, he had made notes of it without a doubt; detailed notes that he wouldn't dare share with anyone but the Mizukage. Even the information he was showing now was something he held close to his chest, unlikely to even be carrying this particular notebook if not standing here in this very room. 

    Internally there was a grin, but externally there was not as much as the crack of a smile on his face, watching the sly glances towards him as Toru continues looking over the notebook. He wanted him to know just how thorough he was gathering information, even on the Mizukage. It wasn't by any means perfect, and more than enough he was clueless on, some of it even guesses regardless how close to accurate they were, but he still wanted Toru to see it.

"You can hold onto that. My research is thorough. That's only for the eyes of us. I have a copy of that notebook locked away somewhere else, so feel free to see how accurate I am, or burn it, the choice is yours. Consider it a look into how I gather information for the future if you need me to do the same."

    The rest of the notebook had recent notes taken of other members of the Yamaguchi such as Daichi, strengths and weaknesses he had taken notes of from the Genin since realizing how close they were to the Chuunin exams especially. They were detailed, and to anyone that wasn't Masshiro perhaps to a degree unnerving as there were notes about preferences for training locations, how long, with who in particular over others, the time Daichi spent with Toru that Masshiro was aware of at least, and similar. Thorough and detailed was certainly an understatement.

    Bending down as he listened, he laid Uemori in front of his feet and reached either hand into his coat, pulling out two master-crafted hand axes and twirled them a few times before sliding them handle first into his sash. Patting them both as they were now fully visible, he waited for a pause as not to interrupt, before responding. 
    
"These are both chakra conductive. Uemori is not the only weapon I make use of regularly. Though I can promise you-", bending back down to pick Uemori up and patting it like a small animal, as he rested it over his shoulder, "It certainly likes the idea of being fed blood. Not mine so much."

    Sliding the sheathed blade into his sash, he once more pulled out the axes, making sure to hold them in a non-threatening manner as he walked back forward and sat them handle first towards the Mizukage, laying them on top of the notebook.

"They are well crafted and more than suitable I would hope. I admit I don't understand everything about your style or your abilities, but as I say, they are both chakra conductive. I made sure of that fact. If you'd prefer to keep your style and it's secrets to yourself, I'm more than open to any suggestions you might have otherwise."

[Kaguya Toru]

I would know him in death At the end of the world masshiro

Toru took the notebook and put it aside, silently and looked at the axes as they were pulled forth to show that they were in fact conductive.

"You will find cutting into my flesh close to impossible to feed any blood to Uemori, if that is what you are insinuating." He stated blandly, uncertain of what Masshiro had meant by his statement. If Toru was the more suspicious kind of person he might have taken the words as a threat - after all, why share that the blade preferred to be fed blood that was not his own? It was a strange thing to add on in the conversation, at least for the leader.

But he was also quite used to strange things that shinobi around him said, there was always an element of trauma that came along with why they spoke the way they did. Everyone was coping differently, it was the youngest generation that had the hope of being somewhat normal though he had some reservations about that as well. Being a shinobi came with baggage that many would have a hard time dealing with.

Toru looked over to Masshiro after the axes and let out a soft sigh before standing.

"Let us go to the training grounds, and I can attempt to teach you. It may be different, my techniques are meant for a sword, you may have to modify to fit an axe." There was a truth to this, the techniques he had created were almost entirely meant for mastery with kenjutsu and not general bukijutsu but someone who was proficient in bukijutsu might be able to adjust a little bit.

So Toru wandered towards the door and out into the corridor, down the main winding stairs until the got outside where the air was becoming nipping and cold. It was a short walk to the academy training grounds - that also functioned as public training grounds most days.

"Do you have a preference for Katon or Suiton?" He could not teach Masshiro the entire technique list in one afternoon, it was best to learn the very basics of one.

OWL

[masshiro]

    Masshiro wasn't one to threaten so openly unless he had a good reason, but that didn't mean he had any sort of strong feelings towards Toru that would have him on one knee bowing his head either. Despite him being a leader twice over, he still had reservations all these years later of having to call someone multiple years younger than him "lord", especially one he knew so little about. For most he could walk out onto a training field and watch from afar, follow them and take notes, but no one let him get that close to Toru, and the ones who were gave him little more than blank stares and excuses when he tried to question them on anything in reference to Toru's personal information. It was infuriating, but he knew in time, piece by piece, he'd find a way to pull away pieces and see something worth seeing.
    
"I have no intentions of attacking you, I was simply making a factual statement."

    His attention and his eyes were glued onto Toru as he stood, narrowing them as he could see the muscles in his face starting to move and the skin tighten before any words escaped his lips. He reached for both axes, but waited for Toru to pass before he did, holding them fast in both hands as he followed close behind. It wasn't every day the Mizukage agreed to personally train you, even if they were eight years younger and stuffed with something you desperately wanted to rip out of them with every fiber of your being. Perhaps spending some time with Toru would help to dissociate the person with the monster in his mind further. 

    There was nothing said for a bit, until Toru questioned him on his elemental preference, and in truth he wasn't sure that he had one, as he only used them in very specific instances and with very specific jutsu. Taking a moment to think, with a slight sound to show he was thinking he finally answered.

"In truth they are used equally, but if I was to pick one over the other I would choose Katon."

    Without realizing it, he raised his right hand and axe at the same time, as if designating it the weapon of said element, despite there being no visual difference between the two at all. 

"Do you have a preference?"

[Kaguya Toru]

I would know him in death At the end of the world masshiro

Toru did not respond, he just looked in silence at Masshiro with his steadfast blank look. He hoped that no shinobi would threaten him openly, and Masshiro was not exception. It was not only that Toru was the leader - and there should not be threatened - but also that shinobi had sworn to protect their nation, and he was the ultimate representative of their nation, without him, things fell apart quite quickly. Still, he did not give away a hint of that in his gaze, he kept staring, quietly, almost a pensive look befalling his features.

Until it was time to move, and when he did he pushed open the door and started to make his way downstairs, he only saw the notation of the axe from his peripheral.

"Suiton, it is what came most naturally to me. I feel Katon and Suiton pair well, for a distraction." Katon was naturally stronger than Suiton, but when mixed together in the right proportions, they created hot steam that while not paralyzing, did well to create something akin to a more painful mist that could be momentarily distracting enough to actually make a quick getaway... Though Toru rarely retreated from a fight, he was smart enough to know there were times where such a thing was necessary.

It did not take long - perhaps ten minutes - for them to get out into the training yard where the Mizukage took a center spot in it all.

"The style you have requested to learn is based on the different breathing methods in meditation. Still your mind, heart, and breath. To activate the weapons it requires a deep and total concentration of ones breathing and it depends on the element you are trying to conjure. It is not for the emotional kind of person. We shall start with your preferred Katon. When you are ready set aside all other weapons and thoughts and inhale through the mouth, before exhaling through the nose. The movement of your energy and chakra should mimic fire, it should move upwards."

After saying this, Toru stood back and waited for Masshiro to make his attempt, he doubted of course that it would be something quick and easy to activate on the first try especially with a weapon that was not made for this kind of style.

OWL

[masshiro]

    The moment Toru started speaking Masshiro was already taking mental notes. Had he not just handed over the notebook he was carrying over to the Mizukage he would have been physically taking notes as well, but for now he simply followed and listened. Suiton came more natural to him in truth, but on a personality level he felt a stronger connection with Katon, even if it was harder for him to use at times and had certainly been more difficult to learn. There was no response or banter from Masshiro at all until they reached the training area, simply listening and watching Toru carefully.

    Once more he was absorbing the information given to him, but right from the start it was completely new information. For all he thought he knew, he clearly knew very little in terms of how the style and the techniques worked past surface level knowledge. In truth, that fact irked him given how much he prided himself on knowing how things worked, how people used them, but of all the people in the village, it wasn't easy to simply walk up with a chair in hand and watch Toru training. That fact among many others bothered him as well, but it wasn't as if it was something he expected to be any other way given it was their leader.

"I admit I'm not one for meditation in the stereotypical sense. I think I understand what you are saying, however."

    Both axes were held up as he looked them over thoroughly. He had certainly learned to flow chakra through them, but it was almost begrudgingly so. For all that these were his weapons, they responded to his chakra, he saw them as even more of a reminder of his former teacher than Uemori. These were gifts from her directly, and ever since he claimed ownership over the wooden blade he carried them out of a sense of guilt more than want. Not for the emotional kind of person, Toru said, which he could feel swelling in his chest as he stared down at the weapons hearing those words. He didn't show it normally, at least seeming emotionless a large portion of the time, but it was much like shaking a soda and opening the cap to release the pressure every so often.

    Looking around for the safest nearby spot, he walked over and gently sat down Uemori, more like a child than a weapon and walked back. Tossing the axes at the ground on either side of him, he stuck them into the ground and rolled his neck and shoulders, trying to relax himself, taking multiple deep breaths. Bending down and picking only one of his axes up, he began to focus, feeling the chakra, knowing how to channel it into his axe, feeling that fire in his belly, in his chest, down his arms. The weapon began to glow a dull red color as if having been heated in a forge, but this was hardly a feat anyone would call impressive.

    There was no fire, nothing unusual about the feat, but for all that Masshiro thought he knew what was being asked of him, all he had really managed was to heat up his weapon with a flow of fire chakra. The act was simple, but the type of breathing and specified concentrating wasn't natural at all, and as he stared at Toru for feedback, even he was clearly not sure what the outcome was supposed to be.
    

[Kaguya Toru]

I would know him in death At the end of the world masshiro

Stillness of the mind was something Toru had always emphasized in his own fighting style, at least when it came to kenjutsu. Meditation was an important part of any shinobi's skillset, this he believed firmly, but for a swordsman he felt it was perhaps the most important part of the arsenal. It allowed for a much easier path to blocking out all the noise on the outside, only focusing on the target and the weaknesses within the target. It was like creating a direct line between himself and what he was doing. It was more than just spiritual, it felt physical sometimes.

Toru observed silently, he didn't really make much noise. It had only been by fate that he had become Mizukage and was forced to speak more. He preferred silence, and deep meditative thought. Masshiro felt a tinge of success, he could tell, but it did not help that the axes were not forged with his techniques in mind either. It should still work, regardless.

"You are rushing, make your mind a blank piece of parchment." He remarked when he was looking towards for some feedback.

"Breathe with intention, exactly as I said for Katon." They would move on to the next step only when Masshiro saw some control over both his mental state and his breathing.

OWL

[masshiro]

    It was hard to hear that he was rushing things, even if it was true, but normally this sort of thing came rather natural. There were more than a few skills he just flat out couldn't manage successfully, being terrible at most non-weapon martial arts, anything resembling medical ninjutsu, even his attempts and trying to learn basic summoning jutsu was an embarrassing failure, but when he had a weapon in his hand he felt confident. When it came to knowing his own chakra he felt just as confident. In his mind he had studied both extensively, and he told himself this would be easy, but that was only because he didn't realize what it was he was missing, what he was lacking, and frankly what about this he simply didn't know yet. 

    Masshiro looked down at the single axe he was holding, and at this point he wasn't sure if he was a proper breath away from mastering this in an instant, or an ocean away from even grasping the concept without realizing it. His eyes closed, taking a deep breath to calm himself before his mind got carried away, and he relaxed. Every inch of him wanted to grab for Uemori, to feel its weight in his hand, almost wanting to toss the axe as far as he could, but again, he took a deep breath. This was starting to feel familiar, as if Toru's voice had been replaced by another, one far less calm, more biting, and his brow twitched as his eyes opened again.

"That's easier said than done. I don't do blank mind often, if anything quite the opposite. I'll......try."

    Asking him to let him mind go blank was as hard as asking Toru to concentrate and change the color of his hair, it was simply a near impossibility in a moment like this. Bending down, he picked up the second axe, gripping them both in a way to let the weight shift evenly between them, shifting his feet apart, and tried to relax. Slow breathing, that he could manage, and at least as much as he could pull off, his mind was clearing, and again he began to feel the chakra moving through his body. He knew where the energy from his fire came from, he knew the sensation it gave running to his hands, and again he transferred it into the weapons. Again, the axes glowed, to the point steam began to rise from both, giving off an impressive heat, but there was no fire, no impressiveness to the action, and as Masshiro look down, his lip curled.

"I'm not sure the outcome I'm expecting, but I'm sure this isn't it."

    Sighing deeply he just stared down at the steaming axes, shaking his head. Uemori was certainly an unintended gift from his former master, one that was worth wielding, but these, they almost felt like a joke in moments such at these. To think these weapons that were meant to be meaningful, meant to be useful, sat in his grip steaming, almost mockingly so. 

"Maybe a demonstration would help. I'm clearly missing some context."
    

[Kaguya Toru]

I would know him in death At the end of the world masshiro

It was easier to fall into what was comfortable, Toru knew this. Toru had wanted nothing more than to fall into his creature comforts when he had first received his titles. When he had still been crass and cold to the world, when he had denied people the chance to speak to him with long drawn out silence and callousness that could split the oceans in half.

But he could not afford to do such a thing. To fall back into what was easiest meant that he would not only be letting those around him down, but an entire village and an entire nation. He had to change, and though it had taken time he had learned to live in a state of discomfort where his skin prickled with a lack of ease. Solace came when he returned home every evening and sat alone, and that too seemed to extend his discomfort as it was a stark difference from the orphanage, where he was alone but surrounded by a dozen others.

Toru did not flinch when Masshiro shared that this was not something he normally did, he expected him to step out of his comfort zone that was part of any training to do something that the body was not used to, to improve the body and mind from where it was.

He expected it of his shinobi because he had extracted it out of himself, with bitter eyes, and a tightened jaw. He had to learn flawless diplomacy.

The older boy tried again, and though he was marginally closer than before, he was still not quite there yet. He asked for a demonstration Toru nodded.

He put his palm down against his red sword, unsheathing it with a silent precision from its scabbard. He took it with both hands, showing Masshiro. He inhaled through the mouth and exhaled through the nose, and as he did steam seemed to escape his nose like a bull simultaneously as the sword would glow red, activating.

Then it was a matter of speed, there was a dummy just behind Masshiro and so he focused on it. Leaping into the air the sword would come over head, it was as if he had opened a direct and precise line between his blade and the weakest part of the dummy, the blade spun and from it came the shape of a phoenix soaring through the air. Soon after the sword and fire collided with the training dummy, slicing it right through the middle.

Then and only then, Toru would pull the sword out of the frame and re-sheathe it turning to face Masshiro.

SPOILER: Click to show

NAME: Kajin: Ootori [Fire Blade: Phoenix] 火刃 鵬
RANK: C
CHAKRA USAGE: Low
CLASSIFICATION: Kenjutsu
ELEMENT:
HANDSEALS: 0
REQUIREMENT: Personal | SA Requirements: Kenjutsu, Enhanced Speed, and Reflex
DESCRIPTION:
The user leaps into the air delivering a fiery blunt force blow to their opponent from overhead, the blade is spun with intense velocity just before impact - to intensify the power of the hit, though through the spinning a majestic bird forms from the circular motion.

OWL

[masshiro]

    Everything Masshiro had learned, be it voluntarily or kicked into him until it stuck, had told him to focus but to keep his mind sharp. Perhaps in a sense that could have meant in a more quiet state, but far more often he had people yelling commands at him, to look this way, feel this way, sense this thing, expect this and that, to the point it was hard to shut it off and shut it out. The way he took his notes was much the same way his mind took in information, constantly looking around and taking it all in, perhaps to some overthinking things, but it kept him focused oddly. It wasn't particularly helpful in situations such as this one however, for all he tried, pushed out all the usual thoughts, there was still the whispering thoughts to remember to stand right, grip tight but not too tight, breathe in, breathe out...had they been audible voices they would be obnoxious.

    That one prevalent thought that kept throbbing in his head like a pulsing vein didn't help things, for all that it was one out of all the others he wanted to shut out right now. The thought of someone so much younger having to teach him anything ate at him, Mizukage or not. He wanted to be the one helping the younger generation, and truthfully being able to pat himself on the back in a very prideful way, but this was one of many things he had to swallow and stomp out if he was going to figure any of this out.
    
    When he once more failed, and asked for a demonstration, it bothered him, but logically if he could see the technique up close perhaps he'd have a better idea. Unfortunately the act of seeing the sword unsheathed, the hint of light glinting off of it, it became readily apparent without a word being said, that the comparison in weapons the two held would make this difficult. He wasn't ignorant to the fact from the start, but it was something else seeing the way Toru wielded the blade, and Masshiro had no weapon to wield in the same manner. It only further frustrated him as he looked down at the axes, then back up, watching Toru's every movement.

"Impressive."

    It was quick, smooth, beautiful even, none of the things anyone would call Masshiro's fighting style for certain. There was a certain distance he could feel suddenly between himself and Toru, as if he could reach out and be no closer to grab onto him than up to the sun itself. A feeling he hadn't had in quite some time, and it took all he had not to toss his axes down to the ground. Once more his hands itched to grip Uemori, but he knew there was no point right now, but the feeling simply wouldn't go away. 

"I'm starting to get a strong sense that I don't have the right tools for the job."
    
    Toru had already said similar before, but Masshiro stubborn, and he thought he'd follow out, swing his axes, and burn down a forest. Here he was with his axes being good for little more than cooking burgers, and he wasn't sure if the problem was with him, or the weapons, or both making the other worse.

"I might have thought this would be a little easier..."
    

[Kaguya Toru]

I would know him in death At the end of the world masshiro

Toru listened, his expression was as even as it always was. He was just looking at Masshiro with his rust-colored eyes as if he were looking right into the Yamaguchi's soul. He was not the most empathetic individual, but he had learned how to read other's in combat well enough that he could tell that Masshiro's body language was tense, something about the aura he was giving off it was one of displeasure. A lack of stillness in his body and mind, it was in contrast to what Toru had been trying to instruct him. He might have said something about this some time ago. Something crass, to further set Masshiro's nerves on edge.

But not now, his lips just remained pressed loosely against each other, index finger brushing against the hilt of his katana observing the other. Diplomacy was what really was taking over in this moment, he had learned to stay his tongue to not say what was vibrating in his mind over and over again. It was a staunch lack of understanding in why other's felt a certain way, a frustration that his thoughts did not line up exactly with the way other's thought and functioned.

Toru closed his eyes for a moment, relaxing what was digging at his mind, instead choosing to address what Masshiro said just moments ago.

"Is anything easy to master?"

It was a question meant for Masshiro to think on. Of course, any shinobi would think that an E-Rank could be easy to master, arrogance was a prominent trait in many individuals in their world. But Toru had another school of thought, that even the most 'simple' thing would take many years to truly understand. An academy student who understood how to create a clone, did not master it until long after the academy when they understood what it meant to use it not only in a high pressure situation, but the impact that it could make in the tide of battle.

Everything came with a sort of story and message.

"It is your first time really seeing this technique, and your first time attempting it on weapons that were not honed for this kind of style. We may try to modify this for your axe, but you may still find it difficult to learn without a great deal of practice."

OWL

[masshiro]

    It was usually Masshiro with the flat expression that made people wonder just what he was thinking, what he was feeling, and now he was standing on the other side of it. He was suddenly realizing why no one liked it all that much, but perhaps it was simply a learned trait of those in this village. For as many people that tried not glaring at him for it, or out right complaining, there were just as many that shared that blank expression, purposefully or not. Unlike Toru however, Masshiro's somewhat even state, outwardly at least, wasn't from a place of apathy. He was quite emotional internally, it was just rare it leaked out unless he wanted it to, or at least usually. This was one of those cases where the sheer act of holding a weapon was starting to turn into a "combat situation", and more and more he found it hard to fully control himself in the midst of battle.

    When Toru responded, he stopped for a moment, looking up at the sky genuinely thinking. That wasn't a particularly easy answer surprisingly.

"To master, I'd say no, to learn the basics of, yes."

    Looking down at his axes once more, he curled his lip.

"A craftsman rarely blames his tools, but it's hard not to in this situation."

    Most Shinobi likely preferred the more practical approach to learning techniques such as these. Grab a weapon, go out to the training grounds, start swinging till flames show out at a target dummy, but that just wasn't out Masshiro was. He liked to study the technique, break it apart, know all the intricacies, understand why it worked before even getting to how and more so how he could do it. His home was an example of this if anyone were to spend more than a few minutes looking around to see. There were notes, chalkboards covered in jutsu theory, diagrams of chakra networks, all the nerd stuff most people didn't like going into the details of.  

"I thought I knew a few things of how this worked, clearly I was completely wrong. My assumption was based off this being some type of fusion of bukijutsu and ninjutsu."
    
    Tapping the handle of his left axe off his temple, he was clearly thinking of something, as he sighed heavily.

"Perhaps I just need a different weapon, or maybe I'm coming at this all wrong on the whole. This is your technique, and I'm trying to force it to work for me."