[Mikatakujira Hakurai]

What you hide in your heart
appears in your eyes.
motanai bijuu commentary	Hakurai waited, still. Arms folded. Eyes closed. Someone was going to show up eventually, that was what he was counting on. There were always people willing to train and he was always in the mood to do some scouting on the general power level of Takigakure's shinobi force. He wasn't there to fight per se, just to see how other people conducted themselves, but he wouldn't not relish a challenge. It was also a way to clear the mind for a moment and focus, perhaps get some inspiration for new techniques. He was going a little too hard on the whole hunting thing and it was showing. He was growing a little more antsy. His Hunger was increasing. He needed to keep a semblance of control. Giving into the dark urge of the parasite was always a wonderful feeling but something that should also be done in moderation. There was always time to maul a traitor and eat their heart, afterall. For now he could dedicate to something else. "Who you think will show up first? A genin? A jonin? Perhaps one of my subordinates?" Hakurai asked to the other, mostly unmoving creature around. Stratos was, as usual, following behind the Shukan Leader. The crocodile just hummed uncertainty as the two pretty much stood around the the left side of their chosen training field.

pyxis ★

[Akira]

Training had become a natural part of his way to try and break the monotony of his day, because ultimately the man wanted to continue elevating himself - and he had chose an opportunistic opening to enter one of the many training fields. Now - Hotarubi had already given up some of his earthen powers at the Chunin exams and so he didn't want to continue giving away whatever he could to anybody who happened to watch and when he did finally enter, fully well intended on going 'beast mode' - grumbled expressively as he saw someone watching. But that wouldn't make him shy away from the opportunity of training, just that he would instead work on his Taijutsu.

Did he say anything about being watched? Hotarubi wasn't sure. He hadn't claimed the place for himself and it seemed more as though they would be waiting for another - or team of people to show up which wasn't something unfamiliar to him. Putting down a cloak quietly and softly and out of the way he would begin stretching. (Not that he actually needed to: he was made of earth) but he made a point of mentally doing it as to prepare his mind and to put him into the mood, and mode. In reality, his mind was clouded with the world at hand and of improvement. Yes... he would focus on kata. Moving seamlessly - punching once while also deciding what his second attack would be and closing any of the gaps that would show up as he moved his body.

He began to whistle as he stretched.

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[Mikatakujira Hakurai]

What you hide in your heart
appears in your eyes.
motanai bijuu commentary	Hakurai slightly turned his head to the side, looking at the new appereance making his way into the field. A kid. Mayhaps a genin or a chuunin. Interesting outfit. They started stretching. Perhaps a Taijutsu trainee? The Shukan Leader turned his head to the side to motion something at Stratos. "So, you reckon this kid is from some clan or is he a solo practicioner?" The light blue crocodile shrugged. "Most clans train their specialities on their turf in fear of being copied." "Oh please. If you are capable of killing off all the witness you can practice where you want." "That would not be helpful in maintaining a shinobi force." "On the contrary. This is a kill or be killed world. The weak get eaten. There is little use for failures." The crocodile huffed. "You ate a heart last week, are you still hungry? You're always this grumpy when hungry." "That's the neat thing Stratos. I am always hungry. But for some reason... that guy right there. I'm not feeling the same pull than when around normal humans." Stratos knew what that meant. There were a small number of people that Hakurai did not find inviting as a meal. Those ninja that could turn into elements. No heart meant no predatory instincts from the Shukan leader. Nevertheless, it seemed that the Elite Jounin had decided to approach the guy. Thus, the crocodile would just have to waddle on behind his master to make sure everything stayed fine. "You. What's your name, boy." Hakurai asked to the other in an inquisitive tone. It looked like he was expecting an answer.

pyxis ★

[Akira]

Hotarubi had been whistling but the whistling died out as he was approached - but he did not stop stretching. It wasn't until there was a bit more closeness... and an approaching crocodile that had him return back to an earthen form. He knew summons existed but... just the different kinds. He'd killed Crocodiles... was it one of this one's family?

And he was called... Him? The man meant him? Hotarubi didn't correct him, but he wasn't a boy. He was an adult. "Yamakira, Hotarubi." The man's stone orbs flicked between the crocodile and the man. Hotarubi was taller than the man, and so it was not their physicality which concerned him: it was the lack of care in their walk, at being of absolute ease.

However, the light teal, same-sized crocodile definitely walking on their two legs was not an enviable situation to be on the receiving end of.

His hand outstretched. "That's far enough." It was a gesture to stop moving. Hotarubi felt threatened - as he was right to. Gladly, he remained in his earthen form... Did he welcome the possible challenge? The Yamakira had gone out there to learn and fight, so why not? He also didn't want to reveal his techniques all willy nilly, either. But still - he stood, stiffly as a rock. "You're coming off a little... creepy, there, guy." it didn't help that Hotarubi had no idea who he was speaking to: had he known it was the Shukan leader, his manner would have been a lot more politer.

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[Mikatakujira Hakurai]

What you hide in your heart
appears in your eyes.
motanai bijuu commentary	Hakurai laughed. He could smell the fear coming out of this guy. It was almost a sorry sad state to witness. If a Yamakira shinobi shat the bed that hard when approached by someone unknown, this guy was destined to remain in the village playing delivery boy for the rest of his day. The Shukan Leader waved an arm to his partner, the crocodile who was pretty much chilling by his side. "This is Stratos, my dear friend. As for me..." He gave a light bow. "My name is Mikatakujira Hakurai, acting Chief Officer of Takigakure no Sato's Shukan force." "Do you have to be so pompous about it?" "Of course I have to. I am seeing how much it takes for our friend here to snap." The crocodile huffed, rolling his eyes and addressing the guy with an explanation. "He's a little special. I can tell you are a little on edge, but he can smell your fear. Long story. He's out here looking for people with potential to add to his ranks. You just had the misfortune of coming here to train first." "Oh Stratos, must you always ruin my fun? Can't I toss around some people to see what kind of shinobi our village produces in this day and age."

pyxis ★

[Akira]

The SHUKAN force? As in, the one that were meant to be kept secret? Hotarubi didn't believe that. The arrowing of his eyes and eyebrows would indicate that. The addition of the summon though did add some credence there even if he wasn't sure why.

More importantly: this supposed SHUKAN leader meant they had the wires like Kunikunosaku did. That might've been his subconscious talking but his fear was rightly placed. It gave him pause and reason to believe the man was... perhaps. Strong.

"I'm not interested. SHUKAN seems far more about being stealthy and assassination." Hotarubi spoke in a way that was rather closed off I'm-Not-Taking-Questions sort of way, and that again was that fear talking. Hotarubi was rather clear about his aspiration, and it wasn't to hide in the dark. It did seem that his will was to be out in the open. But everything that wasn't in open fighting, wasn't really in his interest.

"You can try to toss me around but you might get tossed back." Hotarubi did have some anxiety there but fighting was what he was better at, and what better way than to just get going? Thankfully they were in the village of Takigakure no Sato: and there was a safety net here that came from being a Shinobi. So... it couldn't go that poorly, right?

More importantly, Hotarubi was not certain of how he would beat the man if he was anything like Kunikunosaku was.

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[Mikatakujira Hakurai]

What you hide in your heart
appears in your eyes.
motanai bijuu commentary	Hakurai's smile almost twisted into an ominous toothy grin at the notion of being tossed back. Now there was some fire in there. Good. He was beginning to believe that the guy was going to piss himself any moment now. Stratos naturally picked up on Hakurai's more... predatory side and tried to interject to defuse the situation, but was quickly booped on the snoot by a very, very amused Hakurai. The Shukan Leader was now fixated on the other guy as he waved Stratos to the sidelines. This was between him and this guy. He wasn't a traitor, so there was no need for the summon to get involved in the scuffle. "By all means, toss me back. Stab me, break me. Do your worst." He stated, looking particularly excited at the prospect of getting stabbed. "I look forward to it. Start at your leisure." Hakurai would take a few steps back and claim one half of the training field. His stance was completely open, like he had worry about getting stabbed in the chest. It seemed he had taken the remark from the Yamakira a little too seriously and ws now very interested in  direct confrontation. "Show me then... show me how much it will take for me to break you."

pyxis ★

[Akira]

"...Alright then." Treat it as if it had been Kunikunosaku. This guy wasn't more scary? Right? He could feel his earthen body churning which was as close to equivalence of having a faster heart beat. It was grinding. Hotarubi would look to the crocodile who would keep out of their way. Well. They weren't a part of the bundle? That was something. A helpful point, he guessed. But at the same time, if this man 'was' the true leader of SHUKAN, they would be able to deal with it. Again: Hotarubi was basing his experience on their clan as the one he'd had from Kunikunosaku, and so he entirely expected the very disgusting threads that he had faced once before.

Hotarubi would take it seriously enough to perform a few hand seals and the earth around him would slowly - and speed up - like a magnet growing around his body as he turned into a large ball. In one way, it was like a way to stop himself from being directly fighting the man - the earth although it was him, was not 'him' as such. But that ball would begin to spin, fast - and at Hakurai directly aiming to flatten the man with his speed and his weight.

If they wanted to try and break him, it would be at the least through some Raiton. Hotarubi felt safe in this approach: saving some of the more... gruesome fighting. Directly at Hakurai, if the man didn't have an idea in mind, would face risk of being flattened.

And yet, as Hotarubi closed in on him at speed, felt confident it would not harm him all that much... but right now, his own mind was acting as an enemy to him here.

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[Mikatakujira Hakurai]

What you hide in your heart
appears in your eyes.
motanai bijuu commentary	Well that was something new, at least. The Shukan Leader had not been attacked by a rolling meatball before. Did not seem like a particularly difficult attack to avoid. If anything, it was a little too...linear. "Is that how you fight people?" He questioned, before weaving seals of his own and... exploding into a mass of writhing darkness that quickly split in half to avoid the attack. One half reformed into Hakurai, the other also reformed into Hakurai, only that it had a white mask with yellow marks stitched on where the face would be. "I'd like if you took this bout a little more seriously." Hakurai's Lightning grudge would quickly release a burst of lightning aspected chakra in a wide arc, aimed at the ball of dirt to inactivate the jutsu and shatter it. It would continue to do so until the thing was no longer functional. "I've seen your clan use these techniques so many times. Surely you have developed something more... unique? That is the stuff I wanna see. Since you're saying the Shukan is too shadowy and subtle, I expected to be blow away by some real flashy stuff."

pyxis ★

[Akira]

Hotarubi broke apart, as his body would against the cackle of electricity - though it caught him enough by surprise because one couldn't really 'detect' something like lightning as ethereal as it was, and he broke apart effortlessly. Him being in the center like a geode, he pulled himself from the broken piece and reformed - and caught some of the last of what he had been saying. Hotarubi was too... same-y? The boulder was in smithereens with how many raiton attacks it had used.

Hotarubi wanted to be better than any of the other Yamakira. He wanted to be the strongest of them all: stronger than his father, and if it meant that using better techniques and outsmarting his opponents he would. It had been bad enough that all he could seem to do was attack attack attack - back at the exams he'd learned a wall technique for defensive means, and he would evolve through this as well.

For now - rather than actually breaching any gap just yet since he wasn't fully comfortable he would begin launching projectiles at the man, rocks formed of part of the former boulder as he pulled them off and threw them. Being made of rock, and being thrown by the quite-strong Chuunin, they would be able to put dents in most people. And yes - split between the two of them now.

He had no fucking idea which one was which, since he hadn't tracked it in the time between being attacked and reforming. Yes - he could have theoretically but it was like splitting his attention between his senses, they weren't all going to get caught at once. But Hotarubi would save his real show-stoppers for a bit longer.

He wish he'd started with his strongest technique.

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