[Kojima Daisuke]

DO NOT MISTAKE MY KINDNESS FOR WEAKNESS

So far, Daisuke was rather liking Konohagakure. He'd spent a fair deal of time with one of the snake sage apprentices the day prior, trying to focus their time together on balancing natural chakra, as well as coming to a deeper understanding of the five basic chakra natures. Despite the girl's young age, it seemed she knew far more in theory about chakra natures than Daisuke himself, but as far as the application went, the young sage was simply happy he could show the girl some insight on what he knew.

Today, though, Daisuke would find himself alone in the new village. Kota had returned to Tsuki no yama for the time being, allowing Daisuke to experience the village without the constant presence of his wolfen companion. As much as he loved spending time with the wolf, viewing Kota much more like a brother than anything else by now, he still needed time in solitude. He'd had his fill of local drink the night prior, and now with the warm sun overhead, Daisuke was more than happy to do a little exploring.

One of the greater things that piqued his interest was the presence of three world-famous clans within Konohagakure, being the Senju, the Uchiha and the Hyuuga. It would have been great to go and check out their compounds if he were allowed to do so, after all, part of Kaede's instruction was to get to know the people, and these clans were integral to Konohagakure's reputation and prowess as a shinobi village. Daisuke would first and foremost get himself something to eat, a quick stop at one of the local shops for a plate of omurice and a lavender milk tea, before he'd make his way to the closest of the clan compounds. Asking for a few points in the right direction, Daisuke would eventually find himself at the gates of the Hyuuga clan compound.

Despite the two present guards outside the compound, proudly sporting their Konohagakure headbands, Daisuke would seem to pay them very little attention and allow himself right in. To no ones surprise other than his own, though, of course the guards would put a quick halt to that plan.

"Excuse us,” one of the Hyuuga said, putting his hand up to stop Daisuke before entering. "Do you have business inside? We were not told to be expecting a Kumogakure shinobi.”

Daisuke would visually recoil from the guard, raising his brow before he'd speak. "Business?” he started, "Nah, I just wanna check the place out. I'll be in and out right quick.”

Once more trying to step past the guards, one of the Hyuuga would place his hand on Daisuke's chest, to which he would immediately swat away. "What the hell gives, man, I just wanna look around!” The young sage's brow furrowed, clearly a bout of anger beginning to rise as he was once again denied admission. "Sorry, but ally of the village or not, if you do not have a prior obligation within the compound we cannot allow you entrance.” The thought absolutely crossed his mind of an outburst, threatening to kick the guard's ass if the man touched him again, but Daisuke would do his best to calm himself, the words of his master to be mindful and respectful echoing in his mind.

^{FOR THE BEAST IN ME IS BUT SLEEPING}

---

^{Hyūga Shigure}

Temp By: A

[Hyūga Shigure]

"an unlikely encounter". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." AMUSING SURPRISE Shigure was done with his work for the day: he had taught his classes at the academy in the morning, and then trained with the Barrier Corps so he could eventually join their interception team. At this point, he was rather used to that routine, and he would even get right to his own training once he arrived home, he knew he had no time to waste in getting stronger, for the world was becoming more dangerous with the advent of time, and the shadows of war were lurking around the Land of Fire, something that concerned him deeply. To his surprise, however, as he approached the Hyuuga district, he noticed that an argument was taking place. "Uh?" enticed by his curiosity, he cautiously approached the entrance and arrived at the same time the branch member guarding the gate place his hand on the Cloud shinobi's chest, who promptly swatted it away, claimed he only wanted to look around. Shigure cracked a subtle, yet interested smirk; he could see why the Cloud shinobi would be interested in checking the place, it was - after all - the home of one of the most famous clans in the Land of Fire and in the world, but he also knew all too well why the guard were behaving like that. The Hyuuga were a quite secretive clan, and they didn't like other people snooping on their affairs. His father, the current head of the clan, was particularly fond of the clans dogmas and outdate policies, and he enforced them at every moment. Luckily, Urashi had just left for a mission and would be out for a few days, which meant that the Council - and Shigure to an extent - were the ones in charge of the clan affairs. Clearing his throat, he made himself known and the guards quickly looked at him and immediately bowed, showing a rather submissive posture. "Shigure-sama, welcome home. We are just dealing with this matter, no need to concern..." but before the man could continue, Shigure waved his hand. "It's okay. I will take care of this. Please open the gates." he said. The two man stared at one another, feeling unease with his request, but they obeyed it nonetheless. Shigure than turned to the stranger and gave him a rather friendly smile. "Don't take it personally, the Hyuuga clan is quite strict. However, a little more politeness and kindness in the tone can take you quite far, ya know?" his tone had not an ounce of condescending, and he was genuinely being nice and trying to help Daisuke with that social cue. "I'm Shigure, by the way, the heir of the clan." he introduced himself with a short bow. "So what if it seems hopeless? If it were me, I still wouldn't give up. Embrace your dreams. And, whatever happens, protect your honour as a Shinobi, for the price of freedom is steep." Training Entrance of the Hyuuga District [Kojima Daisuke] [454 words]

[Kojima Daisuke]

IF YOU ALWAYS WORRY ABOUT CRUSHING ANTS BENEATH YOUR FEET

When a new face revealed itself, the guards addressing him in a more formal manner, the young sage would raise his brow slightly thinking of who exactly he might be dealing with. His arms crossed before his chest, though the tension in his shoulders would relax slightly when the Hyuuga asked to open the gates. He'd look the man up and down, a small mental judgment coming to mind at the fellows' size, but he'd be quick to remind himself that a smaller frame often meant nothing in the lives of shinobi.

As much as Daisuke wanted to curse the man out then and there with the mention of his rougher manner of speech, the words of Don'yokuna would seem to echo in the back of his mind. "You must learn to express patience and understanding towards others, Daisuke. The world does not revolve around you, nor should it. Learning to balance natural chakra will never come to you naturally if the conflict within you creates a disconnect with the world and its people.” It wasn't just that, as Kiho had already done more than enough to convince him to let go of that pride and ego that made him so rough around the edges. His "tough guy exterior" as she called it. They were both right. And if this Hyuuga would call him out on it right off the gate, then surely he wasn't doing a good enough job of working through his defects of character.

Instead, he'd let out a small sigh, his shoulders dropping slightly. "Yeah, sorry 'bout that.” Daisuke said, still slightly disgruntled about the situation. "Force of habit.” While the feeling of this new face being better than him still bounced in the back of his mind, the young sage knew better, or he'd at least hoped that that wasn't by any means what he meant by saying what he did. Of course, Daisuke did find his honesty a good sign. Speaking up for yourself and what you believe in was something Daisuke himself always preached, so he admired the fact that this new face had done the same.

"Heir to the clan, huh?” Daisuke said, now quite intrigued by Shigure. "No sit?” He's say with a small laugh.

He'd reach his hand out in a small greeting, a smirk coming across his face as he would introduce himself in turn. "Kojima Daisuke. Cloud shinobi, in case the forehead protector didn't give it away.” He said, tapping the small metal plate that was currently worn wrapped around his left shoulder. Again, Daisuke would have to swallow his pride and bite his tongue, his ego wanting to inflate himself and his importance by boasting about his position as a sage apprentice, but he knew that Don'yokuna, Kota, and Kaede all would have called him out for acting so big-headed.

"Nice place ya got, Shigure. Got the time to show me around, or can I get free reign of the place without your little grunts over there breathing down my neck.” A jab meant far more for the gate guards than Shigure himself. Well, at least the very least it was far from the worst thing he could have said.

^{THEN YOU'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO WALK}

---

^{Hyūga Shigure}

Temp By: A

[Hyūga Shigure]

"an unlikely encounter". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." SHOWING AROUND When the cloud shinobi apologised, Shigure smiled and shook his head. "No hard feelings. We are all among friends here." he said, highlighting the long-lasting alliance between the Leaf and the Cloud Villages. And yet, he understood why the guards were so on edge: Daisuke was a towering and imposing figure, he looked like he could cause a decent amount of trouble, and the attitude did very little to indicate otherwise. When he looked surprised as to his position as heir to the clan, Shigure shrugged and chuckled lightly. "I know, right? I'm not very fond of excessive formalities." he stated, turning to the guards. "Already told them they don't need to bow every time they see me, but they don't really listen to me." he joked, and one of the guards stared at Shigure, looking slightly embarrassed. "S-shigure-sama, your lord father demands that we address you properly." he defended himself and the Hyuuga heir nodded. "Oh, I know, I know, don't worry." he said, and the man sighed in relief. When Daisuke offered his hand, Shigure hesitated for a second until he remembered that this was the way some foreigners chose to greet instead of a head bow and he responded to the handshake. "Sorry, I'm still getting used to that." he admitted. "Nice to meet you, Daisuke-san." he couldn't not use the honorific in this situation, for they looked to be about the same age, and although Shigure was far more informal than the average Hyuuga, he was still a Hyuuga after all. The Cloud shinobi seemed quite curious about the Hyuuga grounds, and Shigure didn't mind that much. "I can definitely show you around. There are a few restricted areas I can't show you, but for the most part it is fine as long as you are with me. Now, shall we?" he said, and if Daisuke seemed fine with that, he would walk through the gates. As soon as they crossed the gates, they would be in a large open area with a single tree in the centre. The place was surrounded by a large building with many doors. "This is our entrance yard. The branch house members used it for training sometimes, and I like to use it too. This first building here is the branch dormitories, where they have their rooms, kitchen, and such." he explained, pointing to the obvious building near the yard. "So what if it seems hopeless? If it were me, I still wouldn't give up. Embrace your dreams. And, whatever happens, protect your honour as a Shinobi, for the price of freedom is steep." Training Entrance yard [Kojima Daisuke] [401 words]

[Kojima Daisuke]

IF YOU ALWAYS WORRY ABOUT CRUSHING ANTS BENEATH YOUR FEET

Daisuke's expression would lax slightly, the corner of his mouth turning upward into a small smirk. The hesitation to shake his hand was something the young sage had seen before. Many cultures typically greeted each other in the form of a bow, but to him, such an act was reserved for only a specific three figure heads. The thought would quickly leave him, though, as Shigure clasped their hands together with a small grin and invited Daisuke to follow him inside the compound.

The entrance yard, as Shigure called it, was a rather nice feature. It was quite open, with an older willow tree growing closer to the large estate. His guide would go on to explain that the grounds were primarily used by the branch family members, and the estate that surrounded the area too was for their lodging. Daisuke's brow furrowed, biting his lower lip while he set his focus back on the Hyūga.

"So what's that all about, anyway?” The chūnin asked, turning to face Shigure as his hands navigated to his hips. "The whole 'branch member' thing.” Daisuke would have been lying if he'd said he knew much about the Hyūga clan, but there were a small handful of things he did know. Things like their Byakugan, their famous gentle fist style, but one thing that he felt made them a bit of an oddity among the more famous clans about the world was their philosophy about their "Branch Family." Of course, the Sage apprentice was not from any famous clan himself, he did not know or have interest in the inner workings of how the various clans ran themselves, but this still seemed like a stranger point of interest about the Hyūga to operate in such a way.

"Don't get me wrong, I got no idea on how any of that started, but from what I understood the whole branch member thing... It kinda sounds like slavery of your own people.”

^{THEN YOU'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO WALK}

---

^{Hyūga Shigure}

Temp By: A

[Hyūga Shigure]

"an unlikely encounter". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." MAIN AND BRANCH Shigure's smile would fade away immediately as Daisuke asked what the branch family member was about. It was a sensitive subject to talk about, but luckily his father was not there, and since he was within the branch area of the compound, he didn't fear anybody gossiping about his views to the members of the main house or the council. The young heir folded his arms and looked back at Daisuke. "The Hyuuga clan is divided in two houses. The main house and the branch house. The main house leads the clan, and the branch house serve the main house." he started. "Slavery... Not far from it..." he thought, agreeing with Daisuke. Shigure's eyes were clearly bothered by it, maybe because he didn't like to be accused of slavery? But if Daisuke was perceptive enough, he would notice that he was still talking about it despite the subject being clearly sensitive to him, so maybe he also disliked it? "I can't deny it may look that way to people... If you are asking if they have a freedom of choice, then the answer is no. Once a member of the branch house turns three years old, they received a cursed seal. That bounds them to the will of the main, for we can kill them with a single seal if they rebel. It's how things are and have been for hundreds of years, archaic as it may sound..." he added, sighing deeply. Then, he shook his head and pointed his hand towards the area beyond the branch quarters, and if Daisuke would follow, he would see another large structure, albeit not as much as the previous one. "This is a facility used by both houses. It has one of our training fields and also the kitchen and warehouse for our supplies. The branch members will take care of the chores and serve the main house at their complex. This yard is mainly used by the main house for training, but it's not restricted to them." he said, pointing to the tree wrapped in bamboo straws for training. "Following this path will lead us to the main branch complex." he said, as he continued to walk towards it. "So what if it seems hopeless? If it were me, I still wouldn't give up. Embrace your dreams. And, whatever happens, protect your honour as a Shinobi, for the price of freedom is steep." Training Common use facility [Kojima Daisuke] [370 words]

[Kojima Daisuke]

IF YOU ALWAYS WORRY ABOUT CRUSHING ANTS BENEATH YOUR FEET

As much as Daisuke might have wanted to further argue the point he was trying, really really trying, not to be such an assertive asshole. And aside from that, it seemed the matter didn’t exactly sit too well with Shigure himself, either, so against his more common instinct, Daisuke would leave the matter alone.

Next on the list of their points of interet would be another large structure made to house the branch family members. Shigure would point out a few key features about the facility, and at the mention of the training ground, Daisuke would grow a small smirk on his face.

"We might have to circle back here if this is where you all train.” The chuunin said, his arms crossing over his chest as his gaze darted over to Shigure. "I’d quite like to see the way you guys train, if that’s not too much to ask. Maybe I can get a more hands on lesson, and I can show you the way Sage’s train.”

Well shit, he let that one slip, didn’t he? Daisuke winced slightly when he let the words out. Truthfully, it wasn’t something he was trying to boast with, at least not this time, but nor was it something he was too keen on sharing about. Kaede and Don’yokuna had reminded him time and time again to try and be more mindful, try to practice humility, but more than that, he should have known better than telling each and every person he came across that he was a sage. And that was only a half truth, being that he was still just an apprentice.

Beyond that, though, he really did want to have a small spar with Shigure if the man was interested. Daisuke was quite fond of a little competition, and although he wasn’t the cream of the crop when it came to Taijutsu and hand to hand combat, he was never afraid to throw hands. Plus, he always felt you could get to know a man a little better in the ring.

^{THEN YOU'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO WALK}

---

^{Hyūga Shigure}

Temp By: A

[Hyūga Shigure]

"an unlikely encounter". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." THROWING HANDS He was honestly surprised by the man's proposal of them having a little sparring session in the area he had just showed him and, if he was being honest, it was indeed something he was interested at and he nodded at the cloud shinobi, especially when he mentioned that he was a Sage. Shigure couldn't help but to immediately think of Okada Taki, the rock shinobi who cracked his head during the Chuunin Exams. There was also Shomaru, who could use senjutsu as well, not to mention Mitsuda. Senjutsu was something incredible, and Shigure could definitely use some training with a sage. He knew that if he came across Taki again, things wouldn't be pretty. "Sage, uh? I fought a sage during my exams. She cracked my head open." he said with a serious look on his face before cracking a smirk. "I'm much better than I was then, though, so... Yeah. I would really like to train with you, Daisuke-san." he said, with a rather eager tone in his voice. The Hyuuga paused his walk and looked around before turning back to the man. "Know what? Why don't we throw hands now? After that we can recover in the thermal there with some food and sake, if you drink. Otherwise, I can get you some tea." he suggested. Shigure didn't drink too often, having only started last year, but he was growing to appreciate sake. The Hyuuga clan members seemed to have gotten a bit more tense when he offered the opportunity to get to sparring now, but that was a reasonable reaction; Shigure was the heir, and they didn't want him to get hurt under their watch, especially while his father was away. But they also knew that there was no convincing him otherwise, so instead, they just sit by the area, standing to watch and potentially stop them if they were going too far. Noticing that, Shigure chuckled. "Don't mind them. They are always concerned. Can't blame them though, we had a feel hiccups along the way." and that was an understatement. In between the deaths of Suhada and her husband, Kayaku going rogue and Shigure nearly dying a couple times, the clan couldn't really afford another succession incident. "So what if it seems hopeless? If it were me, I still wouldn't give up. Embrace your dreams. And, whatever happens, protect your honour as a Shinobi, for the price of freedom is steep." Training Gloves thrown [Kojima Daisuke] [373 words]

[Kojima Daisuke]

IF YOU ALWAYS WORRY ABOUT CRUSHING ANTS BENEATH YOUR FEET

A satisfied hum would fall from the chunin when Shigure actually accepted his little challenge. Of course, Daisuke knew he was more than likely going to be putting himself up against one hell of a wall challenging a Hyuuga to a spar like this. He commonly liked to set an even playing field and say neither party could use jutsu for their training, but with ninjutsu being his specialty, and Shigure himself likely being quite proficient in taijutsu… Well, he wasn’t exactly setting himself up for success. Still, though, he did love a good challenge.

"Did she, now?” Daisuke said with a small chuckle, arms crossing over his chest as his eyes turned to the practice field. "No promises, but I’ll do my best not to do the same.”

Daisuke took a few steps forward, untying the small belt around his gi, and tossed his shirt to the ground before he slipped off his shoes as well.

"Don’t have to tell me twice, bud. I’m always down for a good fight.” With a bit of fire under his step, Daisuke could already feel himself getting excited at the thought, even if this was just a spar. It wasn’t every day he had the opportunity to fight the Hyuuga clan heir, and there was no way in hell he would pass up the opportunity.

"And dinner and drinks on the back end? Man, you know how to treat a guest, I’ll give you that. Probably gonna need more than one bottle of sake though.” Daisuke chuckled.

It was easy for him to ignore the observers as Shigure suggested, his focus much more set on the Hyuuga himself than any who might be watching. He’d roll his neck and shoulders, taking a few small hops in place as he warmed up and loosely stretched his body. "I usually say no jutsu for spars. You good with that?”

^{THEN YOU'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO WALK}

---

^{Hyūga Shigure}

Temp By: A

[Hyūga Shigure]

"an unlikely encounter". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." NO TECHNIQUES He nodded when Daisuke chuckled at the revelation that Taki had cracked his skull during the Chuunin Exams. Luckily, it was a double knockout, for he was quite sure she would've ended his life if he hadn't rearranged her guts with the Gentle Fist. The Cloud Shinobi said he would try to not do the same and Shigure chuckled in response, giving him a second nod. "That would be appreciated. Not a great feeling, do not recommend." he joked, making light of the bad situation. Shigure responded to his gesture by removing his flak jacket and placing it near the building, then he removed the shirt, folded it and placed it atop the flak jacket, revealing his scarred torso. If anything, it was quite obvious he was no stranger to the rough reality of the battlefield, and that he likely flirted with death more than once. He didn't remove the bandages that covered up to his elbows, however, as there was really no need for that. Like Daisuke, he also took off his sandals, and then moved back to the centre of the training grounds. He could see the man was excited, and he couldn't lie to himself; he was fired up as well. He had grown a lot since the Chuunin Exams and he could test his mettle against a Sage from an allied nation. The cloud shinobi was happy with the offer after the training and Shigure nodded. "Well, can't have you going back to the Cloud saying we didn't treat you well, can we? The Hyuuga clan has a reputation to uphold." he said in a high-spirited tone followed by a light chuckle. The Hyuuga had been working up until recently, so he was still quite warmed up, so instead of mirroring the moves, he spread out his feet a little larger than his shoulder distance, bending the knees slightly. His right hand was placed near his waist, palms facing forward, while the left arm was pointed towards Daisuke. The stance was quite relaxed and looked soft, but if he had heard about the Hyuuga, he knew that it meant nothing. Shigure nodded when he suggested no jutsus. "I'm fine with that. I won't use any of my techniques, just my Taijutsu. So, ready?" he asked, standing his ground. "So what if it seems hopeless? If it were me, I still wouldn't give up. Embrace your dreams. And, whatever happens, protect your honour as a Shinobi, for the price of freedom is steep." Training Assumed Gentle Fist fighting stance [Kojima Daisuke] [386 words]

[Kojima Daisuke]

IF YOU ALWAYS WORRY ABOUT CRUSHING ANTS BENEATH YOUR FEET

It was a bit admirable to see the clan heir of the Hyūga littered in scars the way he was. The young sage himself had quite the set to match, however. Cuts on his hands and forearms, bite marks from training with the wolves, and one in particular, a very large puncture wound on his right pectoral from Kaede’s Hell Stab technique. Daisuke was quite proud of the marks covering his body. Each scar had its own story. At least to him, it was a physical symbol that Shigure did not fear this life, and it was indeed chosen. They were not afraid to get hurt, or stand up for themselves, or put themselves in the line of fire to protect others.

Daisuke grew a small but eager grin as his fingers stretched, his hands rotating before forming into fists as he entered a fighting stance across from Shigure. His grin stretched, the corners of his mouth peaking up as he felt the adrenaline begin to pulse its way through his body.

"I’m pretty excited for this, Shigure. Hope it goes without saying, but I’m gonna be pretty upset if I feel you pulling punches. Err, whatever you call it that you guys use.”

The Gentle Fist was more accurately what he was referring to. Kumogakure being allies of Konoha meant that Daisuke was well aware of the Hyūga and what they were capable of, but even still, it was a much more basic knowledge than anything else. He knew their fighting style involved both fast and fluid movements and strikes, and that the main point was to shut down the opponents chakra systems, though how exactly was not something he knew. He’d be lying to himself if he said he wasn’t a little anxious. Not nervous, per say, but he knew that Shigure’s clan were world renown for their Taijutsu, and while the young sage was strong, fast, more than capable in taijutsu, he was likely far in trained skill to his adversary. But Daisuke was never one to back down from a challenge. At the very least, he just wanted to try and keep up. Of course, Daisuke was always looking for victory, but if he could at least go toe to toe with Shigure and not seem leagues behind, he’d take that as a win in and of itself.

With a deep breath, Daisuke centered himself, allowing his mind to slip into a more meditative state. Daisuke found a thrill for battle, but there was always a deathly calm that came with that. He was a hunter, just like the wolves he trained with. A predator, who would not back down without a fight.

Daisuke left his palms open as he centered himself. His body turned, feet almost mirroring Shigure, slightly broader than shoulder length apart. His left hand came down, about waist level as his fingers tightened slightly, while his right hand found a similar position near his waist.

A low hum fell from the apprentice as his piercing blue eyes met with Shigures, a fire flickering behind his gaze, the wolf in his chest now rising, hearing its call to battle. It’s teeth would flash, a low growl serving as a warning of what was to come.

"Let’s get it on then, Shigure.”

There was an deathly quite between the two after the words rang from Daisuke, but he would be quick to make the first move. He’d push himself forward, lunging out toward Shigure, at first trying to test the man’s defenses. He would not give his full power quite yet, more wanting to guage his opponent before things moved forward.

Kicking off with intensity, Daisuke would throw two quick jabs aimed for Shigure’s center mass. He figured the Hyūga would likely be able to block or deflect the blows, but again, Daisuke was for now just testing the waters. After the jabs, Daisuke would shift his footing, his left hand coming back to put up a quick defense as he sent his right knee to Shigure’s side. He’d pull the strike, however, at the last second, before fully extending his leg, aiming a kick right towards his opponents gut.

^{THEN YOU'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO WALK}

---

^{Hyūga Shigure}

Temp By: A

[Hyūga Shigure]

"an unlikely encounter". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." TENKETSUS The Hyuuga heir was quite battle hardened. Despite his initially sheltered childhood, he was not afraid to throw himself in the heat of battle. His tenacity was quite incredible, and he wouldn't cower even before stronger and dangerous opponents, like the Mizukage, the Ghost of the Hyuuga, and the Monster of the Waterfall Village. Those opponents, faced when he was still just a Genin, marked not only his flesh, but his very soul, further igniting the flames of the Will of Fire that fueled his heart. On top of that, he was addicted to training. It was rare for a day to go by in which the Hyuuga had not dedicated at least an hour of it for his practice. He was a machine. His experience in the field also stemmed from the many missions he had completed. He was always eager to contribute to his village, so with every report came a request for his next assignment. All of that helped build who he was right now, and pave the path ahead. He knew he could get there, but effort and dedication was the key, and he would never neglect that. "My fighting style does not allow me to pull my punches, so you don't have to worry about that. Even if you feel like I am, just wait." he said, with an almost mischievous smirk in his lips. It was true, the Gentle Fist attacks looked light and soft, but they were extremely dangerous, and at times, the target wouldn't notice it for a few seconds before they realized the extent of the damage they had incurred. With a light frown of his brow, the veins bulged around his temples, and the otherwise bland white-eyes gained a semblance of irises, as the world expanded. Shigure locked his sight on Daisuke, assessing his body, observing his muscle, his brain, his breathing. He was studying him with the incredible insight of his doujutsu. One thing that was noticeable was how controlled and relaxed his breathing was, meaning he was capable of keeping his cool amidst battle, which was quite the stark contrast with his overall abrasive personality. It never ceased to amaze the Hyuuga how people can reveal their true nature in battle. "Fists don't lie." he reminded himself. With a firm nod, he indicated he was ready, but he didn't make a move; he wanted Daisuke to take the initiative, and he did just that. The two jabs were easy to see and he didn't attempt to block or deflect; rather, he back stepped quickly and precisely, stepping just outside his range, forcing him to keep on pushing forward, which he did with his knee strike to Shigure's side. It wasn't just his reflexes which were extremely sharp, his body's agility was remarkable as well; he could move with almost his full speed in an instant. Once again, he took a step to avoid it and get out of range, but the muscles were behaving differently from what's expected of a strike, and that made him arch one of his brows. The knee strike was a feint and the real attack came in the form of a kick, aiming at his guts, one that he was forced to intercept with his left hand. Immediately following the block, his right hand came, only the index and middle finger stretched, eyes locked on a tenketsu just behind his knee, aiming to close it with a swift strike. Regardless, if he was able to hit it or not, his body would continue the momentum, spinning his body three-hundred and sixty degrees to use the force of the rotation to try and hit Daisuke's shoulder with a heel kick. The chakra from his foot tenketsus mimicking the needle like shape of the Gentle Fist, aiming to close a tenketsu right there. Whenever he attacked, the speed and precision of his strikes was incredible. Shigure was very well-versed in the Gentle Fist, and when using his style, he was even better than he was with regular Taijutsu, which was already his main specialty. Usually, when people spin around they leave themselves vulnerable for the lack of sight, but that was not a problem for the Hyuuga and their Byakugan. "So what if it seems hopeless? If it were me, I still wouldn't give up. Embrace your dreams. And, whatever happens, protect your honour as a Shinobi, for the price of freedom is steep." Training Avoided the two jabs, blocked the kick, countered with a tenketsu strike to the back of the knee and then tried to hit with another tenketsu strike to the shoulder, using his heel [Kojima Daisuke] [736 words]

SA used:

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『 BYAKUGAN 』

Like all members of his clan, Shigure also has the famous Byakugan as one of his signature traits. Naturally, Shigure’s eyes have a near 360 degrees field of vision around himself, save for a small blindspot at the back of his neck above the thoracic vertebra. His eyes are capable of seeing through most objects, giving him great perception of his environment, and making quite the challenge to surprise or ambush the Hyuuga when his doujutsu is activated. Having been seriously trained to develop his sight, Shigure managed to increase the range of his Byakugan to a respectful 2 kilometres range, which makes him quite the competent tracker in missions. His eyes also allow him to see infrared, through chakra barriers, discern clones from their makers, determine colour of someone’s chakra, and determine if a genjutsu is being used or not.

He is also very capable in his ability to see chakra, including the chakra circulatory system inside a person’s body, thus allowing him to easily identify the precise location of the tenketsus, which is paramount in the use of the Gentle Fist to its maximum capacity, power, and finesse. On top of it all, Shigure’s training and experience as a people’s person allowed him to add this insight to the power of his Byakugan, thus making him quite competent at reading people’s emotions. Therefore, when using his Byakugan, Shigure can usually detect if someone is lying through the impulses of their brain, heartbeat, and general body language. Moreover, when focused on an opponent, Shigure can even anticipate their reactions based on their muscles and body functions prior to the execution of an action.


『 ENHANCED COMBAT SPEED 』

What Shigure lacks in physical strength, he definitely makes it up in the combat speed department. Having trained the Gentle Fist since his early childhood, the Hyuuga learned that raw power and superior strength were borderline useless for his style since, in the end, nobody can train their inner organs to become stronger. Therefore, the chakra reliant style of the Hyuuga fighting style was more than enough for him to achieve the desired results in battle. Thus, the truly efficient way to improve his fighting capabilities was directly associated with how fast he could act and react in a fight.

Shigure’s reflexes are absurdly sharp, and he can react almost instantly to attacks, which makes him quite skilled at counter attacking with his deadly Gentle Fist, making it difficult for opponents to actually land a blow on him. In short, he can react fast to combat situations.


『 GENTLE FIST SAVANT 』

Shigure is a natural savant at his clan’s legendary Taijutsu style despite being a sort of a late bloomer. He has developed an incredible proficiency with the techniques of his clan, that allows him to stand out above even his fellow kinsmen. With his current level of understanding and application of his techniques, the heir to the clan brings incredible precision and swiftness to his attacks, rarely ever missing his mark once an attack is launched.

Guided by his potent doujutsu, he became an expert at shutting down his opponents chakra network, as well as combining the techniques of the clan together to deliver even more powerful attacks. He can, while using the Gentle Fist and it's techniques, also land more blows per second than most of his peers, moving so swiftly that it’s even hard to keep up. This makes him an incredibly dangerous opponent to fight at close quarters, as he is capable of giving even higher ranking Shinobi a real challenge.

[Kojima Daisuke]

IF YOU ALWAYS WORRY ABOUT CRUSHING ANTS BENEATH YOUR FEET

The veins that began to rise around Shigure’s eyes was something Daisuke knew couldn’t be anything other than the activation of the Byakugan. It was the trade mark of him and his kin, and admittedly it was one of the biggest reason Daisuke wanted to test himself agains the clan heir. Daisuke was hindering himself by requesting a spar using only taijutsu. He knew it wasn’t his greatest asset, despite his own speed and strength, but for Shigure, it would no doubt be one of his stronger attributes. That, and what was soon to come next.

Shigure was quick on his feet to say the least. The smile on his face was met with one of equal excitement from Daisuke as the Hyuuga avoided his two strikes. The kick, however almost seemed to catch Shigure off guard. It was caught, though, just in the knick of time for the young Heir. Shigure's retaliation would seem to come near instantaniously afterwards. The Hyuuga was fast, his hand striking a pain point right behind Daisuke's knee, before using the full rotation to bring an axe kick to the sage's shoulder. It was near impossible for him to avoid the strike to his knee, but much to his surprise, the blow seemed much less impactful than what his body was prepared for. A slight pain, but with pinpoint accuracy for the point of impact.

The young sage was prepared for the kick, however, moving both hands up to block his heel with his forearms. Daisuke smirked, now realizing what was going on as his foot finally hit the ground, his knee buckling, but only for a second.

'So that's how it feels, huh?' Daisuke thought to himself as his leg bounced back to life. He wasn't quite sure what the full or lasting effects of the Gentle fist were, but what he did know was that he couldn't allow the Hyuuga to land many more blows like that. From what he knew, Gentle fist was an attack on the body's chakra system more than the body itself, unlike nearly any other martial art. And if he was indeed the heir, there was little doubt in his mind that Shigure would be anything shy of the best with his families techinques.

With a quick, deep breath, Daisuke had another thought soon come to mind. If Shigure was going to use his training to his advantage, then why shouldn't Daisuke do the same? After all, it still wasn't ninjutsu, right?

After blocking the blow to his shoulder, Daisuke would send another kick with his opposite leg, his body twisting in hopes to get Shigure away from him, if only for a moment. Regardless if the kick would connect or not, as soon as his foot either hit Shigure, or hit the ground, Daisuke would use the momentum to spring himself backwards and create a slight gap of distance between him and Shigure. He would take in a deep breath, his hands coming together before his chest, eyes shutting for a brief moment as he tried to apply the lessons of Kaede and Don'yokuna to the here and now, and pull the natural energies around him into his body.

^{THEN YOU'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO WALK}

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^{Hyūga Shigure}

Temp By: Akira

[Hyūga Shigure]

"an unlikely encounter". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." SENJUTSU The result of his attacks would be made obvious the moment Daisuke stepped back on the ground, with his knee buckling for a brief moment, something Shigure's sharp eyes didn't fail to notice. That was one of the consequences of having your tenketsu hit, but not the most dire one. Two of his three-hundred and sixty-one tenketsus had been closed so far, not enough to block any of his chakra to any significant degree, but those were building blocks; when aiming to close tenketsus, the approach is thinking of the more long term effects in a fight. With some space in between them, the two took a bit of time to study one another, Shigure adjusting back to his battle stance with the open palms, his Byakugan assessing the inner works of Daisuke's body and the environment around them, but the break was short-lived; no more than a second or so, as a kick would come following with the opposite leg, body twisting, which forced Shigure to take a quick and agile step back. He was forcing his body to be able to move at full speed without needing the momentum from acceleration, which was hard to do, but he had been evolving that ability for a while now, and he had made some progress. Using the momentum of his attack, he sprang backwards, adding some distance in between them. Well, if this was a normal fight, the Vacuum Palm would come into use right now, but focusing solely on taijutsu, being far from his melee range was not something he desired. So, without wasting time, and forcing his body to immediately change directions following his back step, his agility allowed him to almost immediately start running forward, trying to close in the gap, but that was when his eyes caught sight of what was going on and they widened. "Senjutsu? Impressive!" he said, as his eyes managed to see what was normally invisible to most. Shigure had fought a Sage before, not just once. Okada Taki was one of his most fearsome opponents ever, especially because the second time they fought she was definitely trying to kill him. So he knew just how dangerous and powerful that technique was, and one thing he knew was that he couldn't allow Daisuke to accumulate a lot of it. So, without hesitation, he would lounge forward, aiming to strike both his arms - near the wrist - with his index and middle finger, aiming to shut down those tenketsus, hoping the get there before he moved his hands out of his chest. Still, even if he did, it wouldn't be completely bad after all, because it would just change the target from wrists to chest, and his hands moved fast, real fast. In any case, he would keep his feet ready to move and his body flexible; he was expecting a sudden boost to Daisuke's physical abilities now. "But hopefully not a complete boost..." he thought to himself. "So what if it seems hopeless? If it were me, I still wouldn't give up. Embrace your dreams. And, whatever happens, protect your honour as a Shinobi, for the price of freedom is steep." Training Dodges the kick by taking a back step, but this creates the opportunity for Daisuke to increase their gap. Uses his agility and speed to try and close in asap and hit the tenketsus at his wrist, or chest if he moved his hands out of the way [Kojima Daisuke] [540 words]

[Kojima Daisuke]

IF YOU ALWAYS WORRY ABOUT CRUSHING ANTS BENEATH YOUR FEET

Time would seem to nearly come to a halt around Daisuke. The beat of his heart rang loud within his ear as the sage apprentice felt the tingle of natural energy enter his body. Only once before had he successfully maintained the balancing act with natural energy and his own chakra, and it was in the most dire circumstance. With the thrill of battle in his chest, though, it seemed a clarity of mind would come. Even through hours of meditative practice, he could not create the same effect he was able to produce in the here and now. However, Shigure would call to him, his Byakugan eyes seeing the natural energy begin to flow through him, and this would cause the process to be cut short of what he might have hoped.

His eyes snapped open, the blue of his iris radiating with this newfound strength. Every fiber of his being tensed before they began to fill and expand with oxygen and energy. It was like adrenaline, but vastly more potent.

With Shigure now on the move, Daisuke had no choice but to react. While he had not absorbed enough natural energy to cause any dramatic changes, he knew that something had happened. He could feel it. The sage apprentice gave a wolfish grin, his hands extending with sharpened reflexes. There was a quickness, too, both hands reaching forward to momentarily grab Shigure's wrists before he could once more strike against his tenketsu. His hands rolled outward before his own wrists would pop upward, moving Shigure's strikes away from his center mass with hopes to leave him open.

IF the opportunity presented itself, Daisuke would not hesitate. Two open palms would reach forward, his fingers curling like that of a tiger handseal, trying to apply pressure to his opponent and strike his chest with both hands simultaneously. There was more to this assault however. Daisuke could feel his body ready to pounce, and he knew Shigure had a knack for avoiding whatever Daisuke had thrown at him so far. He'd assume that the Hyuuga would attempt that very thing, just as he'd done before. While he could not fully predict Shigure's movements, he'd make the guess that Shigure would pull himself backward, rolling to the right to avoid his palm strikes. That in mind, Daisuke would pivot, bringing up his opposite leg with incredible speed and strength in the hope his prediction was correct. If so, the kick aimed at the meat between his ribs and hip, no doubt a fine place to deal some damage. If Shigure would move the other direction, though, there was no way Daisuke could stop his momentum with the power put into his strike, and there would also be no doubt that Shigure could simply duck away from the path of the kick.

^{THEN YOU'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO WALK}

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^{Hyūga Shigure}

Temp By: Akira