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[attr="class","enri"]Enri clapped. The young girl seemed to learn quit quickly. She managed to get quite the grasp on the technique in only a few short tries. Taru had made it sound like she had chakra reserves over control, but her control over her own chakra was decent enough. Enri’s control over chakra was quite advanced, though her practice with her Kekkei Genkai and its use with her Nuibari had helped greatly with that.

Here is where the real test came into play. "Try a little more than a hop. Try walking, and once you’re comfortable with that…give it a little sprint.” A smile escaped her. She had no doubts Taru would be able to do this. If not, it was easy enough to try again. If she did manage to perfect the running…perhaps they would be in for a little spar later to, no pun intended, test the waters.

She would admit she worried about it. She wasn’t a natural teacher, but it seemed easy to explain things to Taru. Enri felt a connection with Taru almost instantly in the little time they had known each other. Perhaps fate was a thing. Was she meant to train her? Help her? Watch her grow?

Suzuki Taru

[Suzuki Taru]

A little more than a hop. That was alright. She could do that. Controlling the chakra was a little hard, but it just meant that she had to spread it a little further to get that good barrier in place, allowing it to flow and be controlled in its own way instead of restraining it like someone with more genuine chakra control would. She nodded and contemplated how she would do it. 

Overthinking was the enemy of instinct. So far going with what was natural had worked out best for her, flowing with the environmental nature of it. Humans and water were made to mix. With a deep breath of concentration, she was ready to go. 

She lifted her foot carefully to take a few steps, going slow to start. Her balance was clearly off, but she managed to gain it slowly, learning to walk on this new surface and adjusting her stance to it. Soon enough, she was able to walk casually. 

"I'm definitely getting the hang of it now... I really feel one with nature," she said, pleased. Now for the next step up. 

With a boldness, she adjusted her pace, moving from a walk into a jog and then into a run. She definitely rippled the water at first, running on the rings of displacement that she made, but eventually she managed to settle the force of the impact and move upon the surface more smoothly. It was clear practice would refine her technique more, but she had figured out how to accomplish it. 

"I can do it! You're a natural teacher," she informed Enri, giving a little twirl. 

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[attr="class","enri"]A smile escaped her lips as Taru’s compliment, "Well, I wouldn’t say that. I’ve not really had the chance to make use of my knowledge like this. If anything, you’re just a good student.” Enri threw the compliment back in the girl’s direction with sincere modesty. She meant it. For Taru to be gifted with a large chakra pool and not control, she did well to pick up the ability so quickly.

"Now, the only thing left to do is the test it in combat.” Enri placed her hand on her chin for a moment to think. "Perhaps we could meet again some time. When would be best for you?” she said pausing, her hands wrapping behind her back as she leaned forward with a cocked head. "or we could leave it to fate, as you say?”

The idea of having a student to train intrigued her. She knew that the young girl would continue to grow, if given the chance. Even without a chance, it seemed she would make her own. Unique in her own ways, Taru seemed to already have a grasp on who she was and who she wanted to be. It made Enri happy to see that some things in the village never changed.

Wasn’t she like that, once upon a time?

Suzuki Taru

[Suzuki Taru]

Perhaps both could be true at once. Communication and learning were things that went along both routes. If Enri couldn't communicate her ideas so clearly, then Taru would not have the opportunity to listen to them well and interpret them into use. Also, that way, they could both accept the compliment! So Taru decided that that must be the proper answer here. 

Taru listened to Enri and her statement that the next step would be testing it out in combat. She wasn't sure if she was ready for that level yet, but she could certainly continue to practice here until such a time that she felt ready to do so. 

"Hmm...," Taru hummed, scratching her cheek. "I'm free most of the time so long as I'm not on a mission," she admitted. Her free-spirited nature meant that she rarely pinned herself to many obligations. The only person she really set up meetings with was Toru, since he didn't have the time to hang out routinely without it being planned. 

"I don't have a mission lined up at the moment, but most of the week I'll probably be busy training with my new sensei. Hmm... Does the weekend work for you?" Taru inquired. A lot of shinobi liked using the weekend as a bit of time to relax from the shinobi arts, so she would understand if Enri said no. 

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[attr="class","enri"]Enri had business far away from home within the next week or two, so her head hung low at the mention of a mission, at least right away. "I actually have something quite important coming up. What do you say when I get back? We can line something up."

Enri was going on a mission far away to handle some pirates taking over a small island. Kurai would apparently be accompanying her, which she was quite looking forward to as it had been a while since the two had really stuck their necks out together. She expected it would be just like old times, however. The two seemed to pick up wherever they left off, no matter how much time had passed.

The woman smiled, crossing her hands over her chest. "Let’s aim for two weeks out, just in case my mission drags on a bit longer than expected,” she said. Her words were a promise, though she hated she wouldn’t be able to accompany the young girl on a mission quite so soon.

"In the meantime, why don’t you practice a bit more with this technique. I’d like to see what all you can do with it in combat on our mission.” Enri reached out to shake the girls hand, offering it with delicate fingers. "It’s been a pleasure, Taru. Truly.”

Suzuki Taru

[Suzuki Taru]

Enri had a mission coming up. That was unfortunate, but it was also the way of the ninja. Having to constantly schedule time with others around your workload and travels. Taru was very used to it, too. She would surely have some long-distance missions coming up in short order, so maybe planning out further in advance was the smarter idea anyways. 

"Two weeks, then. I'll make sure to put it on my calendar." She didn't own a physical calendar, but maybe she should buy one. The act of writing things down was very powerful a lot of the time. That was why signatures had meanings and why writing the name of yokai down bound them to people and all that. 

She gave Enri a quick bow. She wasn't really the type for it and her form was obviously sloppy, this gesture an evidently disused for of politeness. She stood back up and said, 

"I appreciate your help! I'll practice hard so I can impress you when you get back and be ready to go on a mission with you." 

Of course, if she got recommended for the Chuunin Exams, it might interrupt all that. But they would have to see! 

With their plans now established, Taru jogged back across the surface of the lake, ready to get to that practice as she'd said. Training her taijutsu on the water would be especially fun!