[Kaguya Toru]

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

Toru had arranged a meeting with one of the village sensors, someone of good standing. They had a private meeting on the Kaguya compound grounds in the outdoor training field. Toru intended to work on his jamming today, which more or less required a sensor to be in the area to tell him if he was doing it right. He had of course done it once or twice by himself but he found the exercise to be difficult by himself. The feeling, at least the correct one was familiar to him when he was doing it right, but not enough. He needed a guiding hand, a spotter so to speak.

He had spent the last hour warming up by meditating, focusing on his inner pool of chakra wandering through just how vast it was, speaking to Isobu about the up and coming exercise and ultimately becoming restless and doing some mindful stretches.

All the while, he expected the individual he would be training with would arrive soon.

Each muscle felt particularly awake once he was done stretching, folding himself in half sitting in the grass and closing his eyes, listening to his heart beat. Sometimes training was about focus and listening, and not just the aggression.

SPOILER: Click to show

1/13

OWL

[Ronin]

Jin'nai Minazuki had never been to the Kaguya manor grounds before. An exciting experience. For the Kirigakure Tokubetsu Jounin, almost every new experience was exciting... except that she expressed excitement the same way she expressed anger: with barely any emotion whatsoever. On hearing that the Mizukage himself wished to train with her, she could not but admit that she felt honored. She had, for the most part of her occupation as a shinobi, flown under the radar. Born with a difficult condition, she had trained herself to overcome it in time, but had often declined to reveal just how skilled she had become, and so many people disparaged her even till this day because they had no idea just how capable she was. Minazuki liked it that way.

Still, there were a few who saw through Minazuki's façade. But was it really a façade? Minazuki was naturally humble, and preferred to avoid drawing unnecessary attention. Which was why she was surprised that the Mizukage would call for her. But she was sure she knew how this had happened. He needed a sensor, and one of those, who had worked with her and knew how good she was, had passed her name forward. Truthfully, Minazuki didn't think too much of herself. She was, as far as combat went, quite good as a Chuunin, but not enough to get to Jounin level. What made her stand out was her sensory skill. Those who had witnessed it called it frightening. Well, as long as it was useful to Kirigakure, she was happy.

The smell of chrysanthemums with a hint of vanilla would inform the Mizukage, with his heightened sense of smell, that the person he requested for had arrived. A tall slim woman in a white kimono with flowery designs and bearing a parasol with similar patterns stepped onto the training fields. Her appearance was a paradox: she was as beautiful as she was plain, well-groomed but without anything fancy, except perhaps for the floral patterns on her kimono and parasol. But even these were a dull grey. Without speaking a word, she walked up to where the Jinchuuriki sat, and lowered herself into a seiza position, placing her parasol before her before giving a formal bow, complete with touching her head to the ground. Then she straightened herself to face him.

"Mizukage-sama," Minazuki simply said, then fell silent, a pleasant and expectant but almost neutral expression on her face. As Minazuki was almost as tall as him, with both of them sitting, their heads would be almost level with each other. It would be then, if Toru looked at her, that he would notice her eyes. Blue like the sky after rain, they were covered with a somewhat milky film, identifying them as incapable of sight.

Kaguya Toru

[Kaguya Toru]

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

The signal was the scent. Most did not carry any kind of scent, some scentless soaps with a hint of herb... Others were more like copper and earth. But she smelled particularly floral and clean, it was almost strange because of just how much it stood out. His eyes fluttered open at that signal and he found the girl sitting not too far across from him, he leveled his gaze against her own... Even though she clearly had no idea that he was looking directly into her eyes given the way her eyes looked. He had inspected her shinobi scroll before this meeting, it was how he had found the right person to do this with after all.

He knew she was blind, he knew further that she was an excellent sensor. That's what he needed today, she would be of great help to him.

"Hello Minazuki-san, I hope you are not too bothered by my personal request of you. My training requires a sensor to tell me if what I am doing is progressing or not." He was not wordy, and he had never been. He preferred to keep things short which was why he explained what he did in the way that he did it now.

"Perhaps I can show you and you will tell me if you can feel it?"

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2/13

OWL

[Ronin]

Minazuki was certainly unable to tell that the Mizukage was looking into her eyes, but she was quite confident enough to suspect that he was. Being a blind person, she had learned to focus on other senses, and her ability to sense chakra was incredible. Incredible to the point that many people thought she could actually see. Minazuki's propensity to sense movement via chakra was so finetuned that she could pick the smallest details of motion in the environment to the extent that she could tell the materials of people's clothes, as well as emotions, based on the slightest shifts in their mannerisms and breathing patterns.

So she knew he was looking at her. His eyes had opened, and he was facing her direction. She had sensed as far as the motion of the involuntary adjustment of Toru's eyeballs as they came to focus on her own useless eyes, and knew that he was at the very least observing her. "It's an honor to serve the Mizukage in this position," the Sensor ninja replied. "Please proceed, and I will give you my evaluation. But first, please do not be offended by my boldness in asking for tea. Could you please provide three cups of tea, of different flavors, if possible, and a jar of pepper?" A weird request, indeed.

Kaguya Toru

[Kaguya Toru]

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

Toru was about to start when he was requested for three types of tea and some peppers. A very strange request. Fortunately Toru was a tea aficionado nowadays, bringing in teas from all over the world for himself to try to promote among his people so that the merchants could settle comfortably in the nation and promote their wares. It was something he had become on accident in the moments of boredom of being a leader and now he unironically enjoyed.

The peppers, he wasn't one who ate a lot of seasoned food - a carryover from when he had been extremely poor - but he had some peppers in a jar unopened yet and thus perfectly pickled.

Tentatively he stood and disappeared towards his home retrieving three types of tea leaves, the jar of pickles and one single cup of tea with a container full of hot water. He returned and placed all of the requested items carefully in front of the girl.

"Is there a reason for this?" Perhaps this had to do with her blindness? He wasn't sure, but the request was definitely a strange one and felt took away from their training, or perhaps it had something to do with the training?

"Shall we proceed?"

SPOILER: Click to show

3/13

OWL

[Ronin]

The Sensor waited in patient silence, as the Mizukage went about attending to her outlandish request. Soon he returned with all the items, and Minazuki, though unable to see what was being placed before her, could identify the items. As for the tea leaves, she would have to identify them via smell or taste; she could not say what flavors they were, unless she asked Toru. But there was no reason to ask; all that mattered was that they were different in flavor.

There was one slight issue, though. Minazuki had asked for three cups, but Toru had only brought one. She was wondering whether she should inform him of her desire to have three cups, when the Mizukage asked her what the purpose of the strange ensemble was. There seemed to be a hint of impatience in his voice. Best not to ask if he could get the two other cups. Minazuki only responded with a soft smile, then bowed again, her forehead and palms touching the earth. "Please excuse my foolishness, Mizukage-sama," she answered, her tone as calm as her expression. The smile was still on her face when she lifted her head. "Proceed at your convenience."

And then she reached out, opened the jar of peppers, took a piece out, and placed it in her mouth. A temporary look of shock crossed her face, and then she inhaled softly through her mouth, to reduce the effect of the pepper's kick. It was still full of flavor. Good.

Kaguya Toru

[Kaguya Toru]

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

Toru stared at the girl blinking once or twice in slow succession. Was there some kind of problem he wondered, had she misunderstood her request? Perhaps he had, but he decided to not stick his nose into it and instead remain still for a moment longer until she told him to proceed at his convenience. In some regard it was still strange to hear such high formality be given to himself, but he understood why... Even if he did not always accept it in his mind. Isobu enjoyed it though, the great beast thought it was quite ego boosting, not that Toru thought the turtle needed an ego boost. He had plenty of it... Though all of this aside since no one even knew that Toru had this second mind inside of himself.

The young leader would close his eyes and begin to focus as he had learned how to. First cultivating the sea inside of himself, the deep well of water until it was warmed up and ready for use. Then he would begin to expand his bubble of chakra outwards hoping to encompass the girl and himself as he did. A bubble because this was what he had deduced worked best in his training though it was still hard to say if this was a perfect technique in chakra jamming.

After all, the blanket seemed a lot more practical.

SPOILER: Click to show

4/13

OWL

[Ronin]

Minazuki sat still as she 'watched' the young Mizukage, her unseeing eyes staring out at no particular thing. Still, she was quite aware of the world around her, perhaps even more keenly than one who possessed the gift of sight. As someone who had learned to rely on chakra to apprehend the space around her, the Sensor could tell that he was reaching outwards with his chakra, seeking to encompass her.

Even as the Jinchuuriki's chakra horizon reached her, the Sensor, merely out of curiosity, tried to 'read' his chakra. It was said that one's chakra could tell a lot about their persona, and Minazuki knew firsthand that this was no mere anecdote. The Mizukage's chakra was stern, austere... it was suggestive of a wall: blank and apparently featureless, but hiding many things beyond it. But performing a chakra eval was not why she was here. With just a little effort, she pinpointed the Mizukage within his bubble.

Picking her parasol, Minazuki thrust outward with it, albeit gently, seeking to poke the white-haired youth softly in the belly. "I still know where you are, Mizukage-sama," she intoned. Then placing down the umbrella, she seemed to momentarily ignore Toru, as she poured herself a cup of tea. But she did not drink it. "Once again, please forgive my foolishness, but I would like you to indulge me. Please, have a sip of tea."

She would wait until he had done so, and then take the cup, flinging its contents unceremoniously aside. Then she would pour another cup, this time, with a different flavor of tea, gently pushing it forward for him to sample. "I'm sure you can tell the difference between the two cups of tea you just drank. Now please, close your eyes. And if possible, use your incredible olfactory sense as little as possible. For herein lies the grist of my lesson."

Kaguya Toru

[Kaguya Toru]

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

Toru kept on working on himself, unaware that the girl he was sitting with was trying to also get a rid on who he was. She probably would not get too much at this junction, he was not someone who revealed all that he had to give to others. Some wore themselves on their sleeves, plainly for the world to see. Toru held his cards close to his chest, he hoped by doing this he would always remain on step ahead. Especially in front of his enemies, and while there were few if any he would consider 'enemies' in the Kirigakure no Sato sphere of shinobi, there were still some that would see him displaced despite his successes so he remained guarded one way or another.

He was just about to continue when he was interrupted, he let his eyes open and look at the young woman. He wasn't sure what she was getting at when she pushed the tea towards him asking him to drink. Though suspicious he did so quietly, taking a brief sip, suppressing his nose as much as possible - though it was difficult since it was quite natural at this point - setting it down before he was offered a new tea.

He took a sip of this too.

"What do you mean?"

SPOILER: Click to show

5/13

OWL

[Ronin]

Minazuki did not immediately answer the Mizukage's question, instead simply smiling again and pulling out from her obi a bottle in which was a heady but pleasant perfume. "A little more patience, Mizukage-sama," she said. "I promise, I'm not wasting your time. Now please, close your eyes again, and suppress your olfactory senses as much as you can again." As she spoke, the Sensor sprinkled the contents of the bottle around them.

With a sense as sharp as Toru's said perfume would not even attempt to throw him off track, if he was searching for a scent in the area. But hopefully, if he suppressed his nose, the perfume would make it nigh impossible to determine by smell what tea leaves she was handling next. Minazuki waited until the Mizukage had closed his eyes, and then she poured another cup of tea, made from the first tea leaves she had used. But this time, she opened the pepper jar, and put in a few clumps of the stuff into the tea. Personally, she would have screamed if she had seen someone doing this, as that would be such a waste of tea, but wastage was fine when the lesson was learned.

"Please keep your eyes closed, Mizukage-sama, and tell me," the young woman said, placing the cup in his hands, "which of the tea flavors is this? The first one or the second?" The reason she had asked him to suppress his nose was because she knew that with his nose alone, Toru could easily tell which of the tea flavors she had given him, pepper or no. But with his olfactory sense suppressed, he would have to rely on his tongue, and the pepper would make it difficult, if not impossible (unless he had the tongue of a dog or a snake) to tell what flavor of tea it was.

And then Minazuki would explain with her words, what she had set forward with her actions.

Kaguya Toru

[Kaguya Toru]

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

Toru listened, if anything he didn't have an ego enough to feel the need to not listen. He plugged up his nose with his hand to avoid any kind of chance that he might get a whiff of whatever it was that the young woman was trying to do. He sat there for what felt like a good while until she spoke again and offered him the tea. He kept that one hand pinching at his nose to make sure that he couldn't smell anything and instead took the cup into one hand to take a sip.

It was immediately overwhelming, mostly due to the pepper. He had far spicier things to eat before, but he did not recall the tea ever tasting this way. He tried to at least seem composed but the hints of displeasure were clear on his features - not that the young woman could necessarily see this on him...

Clearing his throat he put the tea down and shook his head.

"I can't say, it's too... strong." That was the nicest thing he could say about the tea with the strong pepper spice in it. Even with his nose plugged it gently burned his tongue and that was enough to feel some discontent.

SPOILER: Click to show

6/13

OWL

[Ronin]

It was good that Toru was obliging her apparently ridiculous requests. The Sensor had had the displeasure of trying to instruct people who tried to second guess her unorthodox teaching methods at every turn. True, she could have easily just told Toru what she was presently taking the pains to show him, but things stuck better in memory, at least as far as she was concerned, when there was an experience to go with the lesson. Minazuki was blind, but she could perceive things, mostly by her ability to discern movement within the field of her sensory chakra. She could tell that the Mizukage had certainly not enjoyed the sip of the tea he'd just drunk, although the level to which his response to the unpleasant sensation was shown was something she could not accurately ascertain.

As expected, Toru was unable to determine what tea leaves had been used to brew the tea he'd just tasted. "Apologies for the unpleasant experience. But it is analogous with what you wish to learn from me. You could not tell the flavor in the cup, even though there were tea leaves, because something else dominated your ability to taste, not so?" Minazuki asked. It was time for the lesson. "That is the same with trying to throw off a sensor. The key is distraction. You must present something in the range of our senses that will distract us from focusing on you. When you performed your first attempt a few moments ago, I could sense the chakra you were emitting, but I could still feel you within the bubble. You need to do something to distract me from pinpointing your position within the field. Could be anything, really: killer intent, more volatile chakra surges, making clumps of chakra to run interference-- the options are endless, but the premise is usually the same: you must distract your opponent from your true position."

She gently pushed the tea set and accessories away from in front of her, and placed her parasol before her once more. "Do you understand, Mizukage-sama? If yes, you may try your chakra jamming at your convenience. Of course, I'm glad to answer any questions you may have."

Kaguya Toru

[Kaguya Toru]

I would know him in death At the end of the world @--

Toru listened, and there was a lot to take in. This was a slightly different approach from what he had been doing with others to this point. But a new approach was not a bad one it meant a new layer of understanding to what he was trying to put together as a puzzle piece. He had no reason to doubt the young woman who was assisting him today, she was a good sensor after all which meant that she knew what it was like to lose her senses in the battlefield if a jammer were to appear. Good jammers manipulated their chakra in other ways that were not just a dome-like expansion of said chakra in the furthest possible corners.

He took a few moments to sit there and breathe, focus back in on his pool of chakra after she gave him permission to continue following her speech. It was unlikely to work on the first go around, but he was going to try. Toru was not under any delusion that he could master something immediately, but he also felt confident in his own abilities enough that he felt he could succeed.

So he focused and focused with his eyes closed, shifting slightly for the sake of comfort and he started to expand his chakra out not yet distorting it as a distraction.

SPOILER: Click to show

7/13

OWL

[Ronin]

Despite his reputation for being a to-the-point person, even to the point of rudeness, Toru seemed to be patient, at least as far as raining went. That was a very good mindset to have, and, although she was not sure she would say it to the Mizukage's face, Minazuki wished that most, if not all, of the people sent her way for training would be like him, as far as learning things was concerned. In most cases, people tended to find fault with her drawn out style of teaching, and this made them eager to get to the end of the lesson, which never ended well for anyone. Because even though she had a reputation for being polite and amenable, Minazuki could be very stubborn, especially when teaching.

As someone who had, early in life, learned how to wait, the Sensor was quite content with Toru taking the time before he attempted his second try at chakra jamming. From experience, she had noted that the more conscientious and careful people were the ones who learned lessons quicker and better. Toru's response to her teaching made her suspect he was of such sort. Besides, at such a young age, he was already the Mizukage. There was definitely a bucket load of talent there. He was going to catch on quicker than most.

Since the Mizukage was not immediately jumping to attempt chakra jamming once more, Minazuki decided to reach for the tea set and pour herself another cup of tea. This one was not going to have any peppers in it. It was for her enjoyment.

Kaguya Toru

[Kaguya Toru]

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

It took longer than it should have, perhaps, but it was something that was necessary. Things did not come quickly, and those who were impatient often found themselves having a difficult time. There were a few exceptions, but Toru had found that being more patient in how he moved throughout his life and his training or lessons, insured that he would succeed faster. Sooner than later. It was as if impatience itself, the desire to move forward called him towards patience, because if he was patience he would succeed and if he was impatient, then he would lag behind.

So there he sat, cultivating and allowing his chakra to blossom. Soon enough he started to work on what he had been told - a texture to his chakra as he started to push it outwards, trying to combine the bubble with the wave that he had been suggested to try out. Ripples from his center, and then ripples everywhere else in the chakra an uneven distribution that covered the area. It was definitely full of distractions, but it was not perfect yet because on occasion his presence would likely become known when the entire point was to not have his presence there at all.

A sheen of sweat appeared on his brow as he pulled back and opened his eyes.

"If I perform a distraction does it not give me away at the same time too?" Perhaps he was missing a detail.

SPOILER: Click to show

8/13

OWL