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Outside of the academy there were few places to train. Given he was trying to avoid certain and select individuals, it meant that Hotarubi's choices were quite linear. That was, the polar opposite end of the village away from the Yamakira. Why? He was waiting for his brother. Currently, it was out of the way and he was in between a dense mix of trees. The temperate, intrepid jungle meant that their battlefields were always tended to be guerilla in nature. The more typical empty plains and flat training grounds were far and few between. Nageku was better than him. For now, Hotarubi believed but one of the few people he could trust in Takigakure no Sato. And the only direct person that he'd willingly told he rejoined the academy, and he'd joined in on the effort. But, one of their main features meant they needed to learn as a Yamakira how to use their bodies and nobody but another Yamakira could teach it. Sure, he might've only been a Genin but there was method to his power, and Hotarubi wanted it. What would it matter to listen for a few hours? His own garb was quite light - a cream coloured sleeveless shirt. Black trousers cuffed at his ankles. His body, obviously - extremely rough, even sharp in places. From afar, it would be easy to mistake something on their faces or arms. The closer one got, the better the definition of polygon textures he was covered by.

[Nageku]

God damn Hotarubi and his paranoid ass. Nageku would mutter to himself as he carried his chisel and hammer with him in one hand and the massive rock he had thought was an amazing template for a puppet in the other. His idiot brother was the epitome of a weak fool, but he was still Nage's twin, even in the darkest hours he at least wouldn't abandon the moron. He had bailed him out once, and he would do it several times over, but each save was a strike in the monster's books of gripes and transgressions. The... wait books? When did he start keeping tabs on anything that wasn't his problem at all! He was absolutely perfect, after all. How could he not be when he even had a shitty living rock of a twin that could prove it definitively. It was part of the reason Nageku saved his brother at all, the brat wore his face, and despite his tattooing to appear different Nage was, in fact, identical to the pebble for brains. Smarter though, easily his intellect was distinguishable as superior. His chisel was proof of that one! Having left a permanent mark on his brother to remind him to be vigilant and grow stronger. But if Hotarubi did it, so did Nageku. He wasn't allowed to fall below or behind his brother. There was never room to stop, and he wouldn't ever admit to being below his twin. For now he had fear as a tactic, but that would not be true in the future. Lumbering far closer and setting the small boulder down with a loud thud Nageku would turn to his brother with a smirk, "'Sup Bro."

[Deleted]

Hotarubi waved using his index, middle and thumb when Nageku arrived. They were so similar, he thought it generally every time. The only considerable difference was the marks on Nageku's face. That being said, he didn't find it uncomfortable to share with his brother - the closest invidual that he could come close to trusting. He as a Yamakira saw it as a pretty binary thing: higher or lower. Hotarubi perceived Nageku as his superior even if they were brothers. So - his tutoring to Hotarubi would be valuable to learn from. "I'm not training with those puny children in the Academy halls. I need to train some Taijutsu." In his mind they had to do it in a fast manner, he had learned before of the academy syllabus but was really trying to push it to get through the academy quickly. To a degree it had been paying off as well. But he still didn't want to train with little shit kids - much less be found out by anyone else. Nageku was an excellent opponent to bounce off since fighting one another physically was just about as pointless as it could be when both individuals were made of earth - it became a war of attrition in terms of chakra, and Hotarubi didn't think either of them had a leg over the other on that part.

[Nageku]

Nageku couldn't help but grow a sharp toothed grin at his brother's willingness to get a beating. Stabbing his chisel deep into the top of the small boulder he had brought with him. The hammer would immediately get thrown at his brother though as an opening shot. It probably wouldn't do much, but it wasn't like Hotarubi really had to try to provoke the monster. Nage had an easily provoked nature anyways and his twin knew that this would start immediately if he asked for a fight, "We love a good fight on sight don't we rockhead. Get up." Naga would practically growl his command at his brother. He would not be shackled to a weak brother. Strength. Strength mattered, Hotarubi was just another part of that strength. If he had to be known as Hotarubi's twin brother then he wanted them to be known for their insane power. They would shatter and destroy walls in front of them. Practically leaping forward Nageku would swing his lower body into a heavy kick towards Hotarubi's stupid face. Neither had humane levels of strength or durabilty due to their rock bodies, and so basic attacks were simply practice for the two boys. If the kick was blocked he would roll on his own momentum and try and push his brother back a few feet.

[Deleted]

Hotarubi was greatly appreciative of Nageku's more positive traits, and that was why there was a brotherly love in the first place. That wasn't to say he also wasn't annoyed to be clocked in the face with a hammer. He would need to work on not being hit by things, only because confidence was a killer - even if he was confident of survival. The sensation of being hit did not deter Hotarubi. The force that carried through was still enough to throw him off balance. It offset his face - his blocky structure only becoming more blocky as it took the moment for his face to reform. "Don't need to tell me twice." His tongue clicked off his mouth with sharpness. Nageku went to displace his head from his body a second time, Hotarubi had one hand to the floor while the other from the incoming kick went up to block against his face. Rock on rock violence would be had, even though these fights were definitely fruitful for combat sense, sometimes it was a pointless one as well. Still, the block gave him some time to get to a full stand, and stop any forward onslaught by his brother, even if starting on the back foot. His first point of call, was to try and stamp on the boy's foot - right from heel to the top of Nageku's foot, a point of precision and practise that he knew 500 pounds of weight from him would feel badly on a poor human. But oh no, they were not human.

[Nageku]

It was always hilarious for the boy to start the fight with a more devastating attack, after all the first strike truly did determine outcomes sometime. His kick would go blocked my his brother's stable positioning and as his twin stood Nageku would make a wide grapple for the boy's head so that he could pull it downwards. Nageku's own foot being destroyed in the progress of working towards a clean grab. It was a bad habit to not dodge attacks, and while he was of the same mindset as his brother that over-confidence could kill, Nageku was absolutely nothing if not confident. Lifting the leg with the missing foot, other than a round heel, the mountain of a young man would attempt to once again smash his younger brother's face with his knee. It didn't take too long to heal certain types of damaging blows and the attacks of a Yamakira even in unskilled combat were sheerly heavy. They had no pain to be felt in their rock bodies though and often they found themselves fighting in the same reckless state that he was now. "Come on Rubi, you can do better than that and we both know it," Nageku would say with a mad grin, "I don't have a weak ass brother, so stop playing nice would you. Your gonna make your older brother sad." Nageku would mock Hotarubi with a nickname that Nage would kick anyone's ass for using for his brother. Getting his shit beat in without a fight wasn't tolerated, and not being able to even take a round with Nageku was regretful since Nage was very adamant on never doing taijutsu training unless it was a fight.

[Deleted]

Rough play for a Yamakira was rough play. Nageku had been just as successful in grabbing him and applying a smash to his nose, well executed even for an Academy Student - because Hotarubi had not learned how to compact his body, he was still an earthen state and it squished his face in. It would not happen in the future but right now - he was just a newbie. It did play with his senses a moment, he did lose the ability to see and stepped back and fully expecting that Nageku would continue. But, instead he chose to admonish him and somehow that was worse than just continuing the fight. The nickname Rubi did not bother Hotarubi in the slightest: it was how the meaning was applied. That, Hotarubi hated very much. "A few minutes," Hotarubi spoke through gritted teeth - he wasn't that much older. Hotarubi already fought dirty and so he couldn't really go much lower for Nageku lest he dragged him to hell to play limbo with the devil. It was worse that Nageku was using words, but what else? Right, it was his turn this time. Hotarubi could thankfully say he did practise Taijutsu more than his brother, on account of the fact his brother was lazy. Gifted, but lazy. His face had reformed, his nose still shunting itself back into place but he wanted to do something very special, to try and rip a limb off so that he could beat Nageku with it. Try, being the operative word - Hotarubi would throw out some punches and try to get Nageku moving, waiting for him to flail out with a limb that he could grab on to - just wanted to get him biting first.

[Nageku]

His smile couldn't be killed at this point. Nageku would wait for his brother patiently, beating someone while they were down was one thing, but in the same way Hotarubi needed to build his face to a working order, Nageku needed to fix his foot. Standing on one foot while the other healed back to its full build. Nageku would, unlike usual though move back as his brother got his face back in place moving over the the small boulder he had brought with him. Hefting it as his foot finished fully forming he would turn to his brother who was now approaching his fingers crushing their way into the stone, Nage would swing the make-shift weapon at his twin with all of the grace of a toddler. There was none after, all. The boulder contact or not would spin Nageku as he tried to yet again round and slam the rock into his brother. "You've had seventeen years Hota, its time we grow above this shitty level to greater heights. I need you stronger, got it!" He would yell at his twin now. Nageku, unbeknownst to himself, was a known lazy idiot, and his brother was the one who should know it best. For all his ego though, Nageku found summits boring. He needed a catalyst to never stop growing. His brother had always been and always would be that catalyst. Nageku would not accept a different one. It was why he had left in 'solidarity'. If Nageku missed with his second boulder swing he would throw it blindly as he tried to slam his brother with the rock. If that didn't work Nageku would be left wide open for Hotarubi to take over the opening that would be left as Nageku's fingers had also gone with the stone.

[Deleted]

Nageku swung the boulder with a grace of a toddler but Hotarubi dodged it with the grace of an infant - his face reforming he had only barely seen it and stumbled backward in lieu of precise, measurable and intentional steps that he could use to forward his fighting skills. This was all a part of the learning process! There was an opportunity for him to fight back, but not at the expense of being down and out for it - he would wait for further reformation. Nageku spoke, having only needed his foot. Nageku went to throw the boulder and Hotarubi's return was to deal with it with brute force. He stopped it in its tracks - gripping it with his fingers on both hands. He would return with trying to bash him over the head with the boulder, using brute force to try and rip it from his own hands. He still absolutely wanted to rip a limb from his brother (knowing it could be reformed) but this would have to do instead! He did and was getting stronger, his insistent use of weight training had increased his musculature and general strength. It was all going to get better from here, but Hotarubi's swinging of the boulder was only marginally better if not for his strength - but bukijutsu prowess was limited beyond the brute force he was showing.

[Nageku]

No Thinking. Head Empty. That was an apt description of events. Nageku was rather impressed with his brother today, the little monster was coming along at an astounding speed and becoming every bit the thing that Nageku needed the slightly less useless twin of his to be. Nageku was not one who preferred to fight his own fights after all, he could, but it didn't mean he wanted to. Peak laziness was having your younger twin and a few rocks fight your fights for you. That was the only reason he had started to study carving even. It was a source of potential warriors for the king, himself, to simply watch storm in the armada of rock. Nageku's head would be crunched under the boulder swing though as he didn't move away at all, having tried to catch it and struggle for the control of the boulder between them. He had lost the exchange, but he didn't lose the fight. Blind now and deaf to the world he would kick out towards where his brother's groin should have been trying to break down the stone boy with a laugh. As he either found air or solid stone he would cackle, "You got more in you than that you son of an asshole. Show it to your older brother you fucking punk." Nageku would state practically yelling as he couldn't hear his own voice proper with broken ears. Making sure to avoid insulting the two's mother, since it was their father who was always such a shitty presence for the two boys. Then as if on queue his arm would rip off and he assumed Hotarubi had begun to pummel him.

[Deleted]

He just didn't know when to quit, did he? It infuriated Hotarubi. The problem with their earthen forms was that it made having temper tantrums pointless when they could take the damage. So, he had been successful in hitting Nageku, which pleased him - but not to the point of being unable to talk. So, using two talon like claws he pulled: since there was no specific joint or help to stop the limb coming free from his body, Hotarubi would grasp it finally as with a thread of earth and rock spilling from his arm - Hotarubi would bash at him with it. But again, pointless. He stopped, only feeling it being futile - as far as Hotarubi was concerned, he had won that one bout because he was being overly egotistical and - he keeled, being hit between his legs and groin area. If he had been human, it would have worked wonders. Alas, it had fallen on flat feet. Still - it caused him to bend. There was another fuelled rage inside Hotarubi that he used to continue slapping the man with the hard weapon in his hands - but as a weapon it was, it served as little more to bludgeon a wall with a bat, which was little. In that being said, the former arm broke into two, and he stepped away. Might've as well waited, crossing his arms, for Nageku to reform.

[Nageku]

Nageku was thoroughly cracked and broken, but he was cackling like he was winning. Of course he was, the little prick was doing exactly what he was told like a good little sheep. He fell to the ground cracked all over, but as he sunk into the semi-soft earth he would start recovering much quicker than earlier. His arm reappearing before his face even fully regrew, two birds flipped up and pointedly staring with black stone fingernails at Nageku's twin brother. "Alright Hota, chill out. I still need you to sit there and look pretty while I work on that rock. Im not trying to be in a mood for a nap before I get that done ya dig?" Nageku would state finally chilling down from laughing as he suddenly jumped to his feet, his face only fixed to the bridge of his nose so far, the regeneration was so slow still since he wasn't fully able to control the technique and its usage. He was under its effects, but he could only really repair so fast. Focusing in he would speed up the process signifacantly and suddenly he was staring at his twin again with a stupid grin. Pulling his sleeves down to expose his intricately patterned chest he would smile again at his brother, indicating for his to drop off the shirt. Nageku needed that sculpted torso on display... or he would have. Looking over he would notice the boulder finally, a gaint crack ran the center and his face twisted into absolute rage as he stamped the rock with a newfound rage that was in no way pretty. "New plan: We. Are. Getting. A. New. Boulder." The young man said through gritted stone. Moving back towards town, and towards the massive stones that he and his brother could work with.

[Deleted]

His earthen tongue would swirl around his earthen mouth as he listened to Nageku's cackle. 'Righteous cocky asshole.' he thought to himself. He flipped a curse sign at him, and Hotarubi spat back, landing before his feet - not on him. Hota knew better than that. "Are you really just complimenting yourself?" Hotarubi flipped him back. "Wait." He thought - well. If he was going to call himself ugly, then he would be calling Hotarubi ugly. "Scratch that." the only way you'd tell the two apart physically was the tattoos and the scar on Hotarubi's face. But, he did as he was told when Nageku called for him to strip."Hentai." He called Nageku as he pulled off his own shirt. Obviously, he was doing it for a reason that he understood better than most, because they were the superior lifeforms and Nageku modelled his own work after themselves. Or himself, that part he couldn't quite tell yet. Had he? Yes. Hotarubi would have grinned if he had been the superior brother, but kept his face straight as anything as the other man expressed his rage. It was better this way, even if he deserved it. And even if it meant that Hotarubi would have work for it. "Hai." It may have seemed weird to the outsider the way that Hotarubi responded to Nageku despite their kinship as brothers. Internally to the Yamakira it was just their way of life. "There's plenty in this jungle to be carved away for our creations." He took some pride in the work as well, too.