[masshiro]

    The interactions between Masshiro and Minami Sora had been minimal over the years, but far from absent. Any student that was growing up with a focus for weaponry was going to run into her one way or another, even if he wasn't that much younger than her. Since those times he had gotten another teacher, a new weapon, and wasn't part of the Seven Swordsmen, and regardless of what anyone else might have felt, he was proud of his current position. What he wasn't proud of was his recent improvements, namely with his weapon, as he had been focusing more on his Genjutsu, and had even picked up an interest in Fuinjutsu.

    As was a normal occurrence, Masshiro could be found with his notebook in hand, either reading something he had written or adding new discoveries. He was walking with a methodical purpose today, looking around for Sora, as he flipped through the pages of what he had written on her, which wasn't nearly as much as he would have liked, but it was enough to tell him what he wanted to know. He was finding it hard to trust Toru, most of the other Swordsmen were either quite bluntly weaker or busy, which meant if he wanted to train with someone that could wield a weapon to a degree far above his own, it was her. It certainly helped that she was known for a specific physical trait he was taking an interest in as well in speed, which could no doubt kill two birds with one stone likely. 

    Tracking her down he watched for a moment as she talked to someone, then started walking away, suddenly walking out in front of her clearing his throat to get her attention. Despite walking out in front of her, he wasn't exactly that close, quite a few feet in front of her, and not exactly the quickest appearance as he shuffled out. Now it was just a matter of hoping she'd give him the time of day, or wasn't also too busy. Not one to beat around the bush, he immediately said what he needed to say, then stared at her waiting for a response.

"Sorry to bother you so suddenly, but could you train me? As close to right now as possible if you're free."

[Sora Minami]

Sora hated being tailed.

She knew, from a matter of principle, that every Shinobi went through phases like this; the Hunter Corps would shift their scrutiny from one group of randomly chosen ninja to the next every few weeks, placing them under covert surveillance to ensure they weren’t acting against the village. It was a fairly routine thing, and rarely ever caught any actual spies- but the idea of being watched, even in a benign sense, had always irritated the pink-haired woman to no end. She had served Kirigakure for decades now, had earned her spot as a trusted member of the military, and had been party to things that few others could have stomached to read about, let alone do. That should have earned her a measure of trust.

Gonna have to give Zaizen and earful for this shit. She thought, slipping around a corner as the white-haired kid kept following her, not bothering to hide or blend in with the crowd, but rather simply… watching. Every so often the boy would pull out a notepad and write something down, his eyes focusing on the paper, though not enough that he lost track of her; she spent a good twenty minutes walking through the village, waiting for him to shift out with one of his more experienced colleagues, but no. He simply stayed where he was, fifteen meters out, blatantly following her like she was some two bit civilian who wouldn’t even notice.

Sora was just about to turn around and give the kid a solid piece of her mind when, quite suddenly, he slipped off, disappearing into the crowd before she could say a word. Another Shinobi didn’t take his place, not as far as she could tell anyway, and after a long few moments the pink-haired Jounin turned back around, her lips pursed in a thin, somewhat confused frown- only for her to come face to face with the kid, who had apparently looped around while she wasn’t looking in order to speak to her, face to face.

"You want me… to train you." She said, her voice flat and utterly unimpressed with the boy’s nonsensical excuse, her sky-blue gaze flicking across his frame as she spoke, analyzing his build and the hunk of-

Oh. She thought, her gaze lingering on the misshapen lump of wood that was Uemori, one of the Seven Swords of the Mist. Which marked the boy -no, the young man- as one of the Swordsman. He hadn’t been a student of hers in the Academy, having graduated before she had joined, but she knew of him, both by reputation and through Daichi. A clever fighter, one who focused on mixing Genjutsu and Bukijutsu to great effect, he had taken his master’s place on the Seven not too long ago, though that didn’t make him the weakest, just the newest.

Ah, what the hell.

"Yeah, I can train you." Sora said after a long moment, her voice softening slightly as she leaned back on one foot, her gaze meeting his despite the slight height advantage he had over her. "Just need to know a few things first; your name, and what you are aiming to improve."

masshiro

[masshiro]

    Her quick response caught him by surprise, as he had expected more questioning, perhaps a bit of scolding for following her which he had made no attempts to hide, maybe some bargaining. Nothing more than a confirmation in a rather flat and blunt tone that caused him to nod reflexively, appreciatively. 

"Good."

    The moment he had reached her line of sight he had yet to take his eyes off of hers, not for any particular reason, but he was taught to do so when speaking with someone, so it was a force of habit, not even necessarily intentional. On his right shoulder he began to lightly bounce Uemori on the flat side when she spoke again, shifting his weight to his left side as he brushed some hair out of his mouth.

"Yamaguchi Masshiro."

    Dropping his weapon as if it might hit the ground, he gave it a single spin at his side, then back up to his shoulder to rest.

"Sword skill, speed with it, better reflexes to to accompany it."

    Stepping back some, he gave a respectful bow, and as he stood he pointed his weapon towards her for a moment, then back to his shoulder. With his left hand he lifted his notebook, open to the page with the decently drawn sketch of her upper body holding a sword, motioning towards it and the writing on the page next to it, with his head.

"From what I can gather, you're quite...adept with speed."
    

[Sora Minami]

"You could say that." Sora replied, her lips parting in a slight, knowing smile as she gave the boy another once over, thinking. Now that he was closer, she could see the way his uniform stuck on certain parts, the fabric stretching ever so slightly to denote the presence of larger, or at least better formed, muscles beneath. He wasn’t a complete beanpole then; not a monster of muscle, certainly, but not a weakling either. "Follow me. I know a spot we can train at that’s fairly empty most days."

And with that, the Jounin moved, bending her knees slight to give the white-haired Yamaguchi a sign of what she was about to do before she leapt into the air, feet pulsing with chakra as she landed on the side of the nearby house at a dead run, utilizing the tree-walking technique to cling to its surface before she made it to the roof. She didn’t go slow, but neither was she moving as fast as she could- much like she had done with every student she had ever taught, the pink-haired Jounin was teaching now, utilizing each and every opportunity given to her to learn as much as she could about her student’s capabilities.

In this instance she was testing where he sat, speed-wise, to herself; she moved at about the average speed of a Jounin, perhaps a hair slower, her legs pumping as she blitzed across the rooftops of Kirigakure. If Masshiro struggled to keep up with her, she’d slow down, ensuring she didn’t blow him in the dust… but if he didn’t, she would speed up, ratcheting up the speed to see just how fast the boy could go. Because she needed to see it, outside of a fight, to know how much she was going to have to hold back.

Eventually, the pair made it to their destination- the training grounds near the Academy. The gate Chuunin waved her in without so much as a word, his face bearing a slight scowl despite the lack of Genin in tow behind her; she’d earned something of a reputation amongst the ninja assigned to the training grounds, as most every time she came to visit something ended up going wrong. Not that anything would happen this time, of course.

It took another few minutes for the two of them to weave their way towards her usual training yard, the trees eventually thinning out to show a wide, circular field with a deep pond in the center. The grass was patchy and uneven, a result of the last dozen or so training sessions she’d put Enyo and Shiu through, especially after their underwhelming showing in Akazaya.

"We’ll train here."

masshiro

[masshiro]

    So many of those in Kiri shared a similar disposition, but it didn't take Masshiro's notebook or a keen observational skill to figure that out. Perhaps that was why he both favored and disdained so many in equal parts, as they reminded him of traits he appreciated and those he would be glad to rip free if given the chance. Where this Sora stood was yet to be fully decided, as he followed closely behind, already taking mental notes of the smallest of details. The way she carried her weapons, her stride, even the way she talked to him so far, all unique yet not unexpected.

    Her choice of traveling surfaces caught him off guard to a degree however, as he moved fast enough to keep up, but not along buildings or the tops of trees, simply running and watching. There was surely a reason for this, but it was lost on him for now, and in truth he simply didn't want to expend the extra effort to do it when traveling along the ground was just as quick he thought to himself. As he moved he let Uemori trail behind, body leaned forward, and his eyes straight ahead as if he was paying no mind to her at all. All the while his senses her trained purely on her, keeping track of her chakra more than her physical presence, which was also easier from the ground than trying to worry about dodging branches in his face or where he might land and at what angle.

    He was certainly not as fast as her at her top speeds, even without seeing her actions he was certain of that for a number of reasons, but if he was struggling he at least didn't show any signs of it. What he didn't do however was rush himself, as with most things he moved as fast as he needed to, with the effort needed for the task. The faster she moved however, the faster he moved, though it was starting to become obvious he was not exerting himself, as if he too was testing her speed and wanting her to stay ahead to keep track of it. Depending on how fast she went however, he would clearly have an upper limit that couldn't keep up with someone that had trained their body to move faster. 

    By the time they made it to the entrance of the training grounds in question, he all but stopped, no longer trying to keep up and returning back to his moderate walking speed, but still following. He was still keeping track of her all the same, to a point that he completely ignored the guards, only looking ahead, sensing ahead, not stopping until she finally stopped.

"Why here, if you don't mind me asking?"
    

[Sora Minami]

"A number of reasons." Sora said, her voice calm despite the long run that had taken them from the marketplace to here; Masshiro seemed similarly unphased by the run, but she couldn’t be entirely sure until they started sparring how the sprint had affected his stamina. "All of which will be made clear soon enough."

Stepping away from the white-haired Swordsman, the woman strolled out into the open field, right hand resting on Samidare’s hilt as she walked. Ten steps and she turned, drawing her blade in a single, fluid motion, holding it in a loose, steady grip as she pivoted to face the boy, sword pointed at the ground, body turned side-on towards him, leaving a smaller area for him to hit. It was an unconventional stance to take for an Ittoryu master, which focused more on wide, sweeping cuts and flowing blocks, but there was a reason for it, if he could figure it out.

"I suggest you pull out that hunk of wood and start swinging, Yamaguchi-san. I won’t be going easy on you like I do my Genin." She said, voice shifting down a note as she flexed her fingers around Samidare’s hilt, waiting for him to attack. He had come to her to train his reflexes and enhance his swordsmanship- now, he would get exactly what he asked for.

masshiro

[masshiro]

    As much as he would have liked to be as fast as she was, or have as high stamina, the truth was he was simply a good actor. Uemori was certainly helpful in a sense here, as he was able to transfer any visible sweat to feed the wooden weapon in a sense, having to be sly about how and when he did it. It certainly made it look like he was barely bothered, though he was taking his time to gain a few minutes more to catch his breath fully.

    Stepping over the threshold and into the Academy grounds proper, he sighed some, not having the fondest of memories of his time, but a lot of what happened in general. Reaching up to lightly touch the scar on his face, he simply grinned, looking around. Taking a deep breath, he stopped once more as watched her, not sure what she was up to until the moment she reached for her blade. Immediately it was as if something inside him was triggered, a learned and trained switch in his brain that he never fully internalized, but it had him immediately leaning in and tightening his grip on Uemori.

    

    Any time he saw someone grabbing for a blade it was as if he was immediately on guard, as if it was an unspoken challenge even if that wasn't the intention. It seemed this time it was just that, as she responded shortly afterwards, and he responded by hoisting his weapon off of his shoulder and letting it fall to the ground in front of him for a moment, before he slid his right foot back and pointed his weapon forward towards her with his right arm.

"I won't be going easy on you-", that was as far as he heard before his brain momentarily froze. Those words were the same he heard at the start of every training sessions, and back then he never quite took them seriously enough.

    Slowly he dropped his arm, gripping Uemori with both hands before he began to slowly shift forward, taking small measured steps towards her. His eyes never left her face, and more and more he was inching closer, until he was close enough he could have reached out with his weapon and touched her with it, before finally stepping. His grip slightly shifted as he moved suddenly with a step back and dropped his weapon heavily, then gripped again as he swung it before it hit the ground at an angle, aiming at the back of her calves from her left side.

[Sora Minami]

Masshiro moved in slowly, taking careful, measured steps towards her as he gripped his weapon, the tension in his shoulders telling her all she needed to know about how serious he was taking this. But even with that, there was no fear in the pink-haired Jounin’s eyes as he approached; indeed, if the Yamaguchi boy was paying attention he would not her expression had shifted to something harder, more focused and sharp, as if she had become the very blade in her hand. She didn’t react to his movements, didn’t so much as flinch as he drew near, coming within striking range.

It was only when he shifted to attack that she moved, Samidare flashing up to deflect the crushing blow off to her left while she pivoted on her back foot, twisting her whole body to match the flow of her opponent’s swing. Metal met wood, the clash short but sharp as her weapon flicked Uemori just a hair’s breadth upward, her body twisting out of the way just in time to make the blow miss by only a few, precious millimeters. Sora didn’t waste her opportunity though- with a flick of her wrist she twisted her blade’s edge around, grabbing the hilt with both hands to bring it down as fast and hard as she could, the edge screaming in a deadly arc for Masshiro’s collarbone. If it hit, the blow would almost assuredly cut him from the base of his neck to his hip, tearing through bone and flesh and vital organs along the way.

It was, in short, a killing blow.

Given the distance, the placement of his own blade, and the sheer speed of her cut, there was almost no way the boy could stop her blow… but he didn’t have to, for at the last second she stopped her cut, Samidare’s edge freezing just a few millimeters from the Yamaguchi boy’s overly thick coat. It was still possible Masshiro could somehow dodge out of the way with a one-handed Shunshin, or some as of yet unseen feat of speed, but given what she had seen of him? He wasn’t dodging.

"I warned you."

masshiro

Jutsu/SA's/Equipment Used

SPOILER: Click to show

Jutsu:
NAME: Ittoryu: Ryuurei Fusagu [One Sword Style: Flowing Block]
RANK: D
STAMINA USAGE: Very Low
CLASSIFICATION: Bukijutsu
ELEMENT: N/a
HANDSEALS: N/a
DESCRIPTION: Less a set technique and more a way of utilizing one’s weapon to the fullest, Ryuurei Fusagu is designed around one core concept- the art of "flowing,” like water, around an attack in order to open up new angles and create opening in an opponent’s defenses that would not naturally be there if you stand against them face to face. To this end, the steps of the technique are rather simple: the user brings their weapon up to deflect an opponent’s blow as normal, but steps around the attack rather than holding their ground (without dropping their block), thus deflecting the incoming blow while forcing their enemy into a momentary overextension, opening them up for a counter-strike. Though quite useful, this technique is limited to use in close quarters, and is utterly useless at range.

NAME: Ittoryu: Kaesu [One Sword Style: Retaliation]
RANK: C
STAMINA USAGE: Low
CLASSIFICATION: Bukijutsu
ELEMENT: N/a
HANDSEALS: N/a
DESCRIPTION: A technique meant to be used immediately after successfully blocking/deflecting an attack, Kaesu relies on the user’s speed and focus in order to land an attack. After successfully blocking/deflecting a blow from an opponent (at close range), the user strikes out with a rapid cut/thrust made by the opening created by their block, making it that much harder to deal with the attack in question. This technique is limited in its use, being utterly useless against ranged attacks.

Special Abilities:
The Kunoichi That Goes On And On And On… [Endurance SA]
Perhaps part of her genetics or simply a random quirk of fate, Sora is unnaturally resilient, be it to physical pain or the toils of extended combat. While most Shinobi would collapse in exhaustion at having used all but the smallest sliver of their chakra reserves, she pushes on; while most Shinobi would wilt beneath the weight of sleepless night after sleepless night, she keeps going. This does not mean she does not feel pain/the strain of extended combat, but rather that her threshold for shutting down because of it is far higher than others. To give an example, if she were to be stabbed through her abdomen, she would still feel the pain of the injury, and it would hinder her ability to move/act, but it wouldn’t stop her, whereas a normal ninja might freeze up or shut down from the pain.

Bet You Didn’t See That Coming [Speed SA]
A byproduct of her enhanced endurance, Sora (despite what many would think) dislikes being injured- and with that dislike comes the intense desire to avoid getting hurt, a desire that has pushed her to hone her body until it could move faster than most others of her rank. In short, Sora is fast- very, very fast.

POWAH! UNLIMITED POWAH!! [Chakra Reserves SA]
After a lifetime of utilizing nearly every ounce of chakra in her body just to survive, Sora’s chakra reserves have expanded a considerable amount to compensate- while she’s no Jinchuuriki, her ability to toss out jutsu after jutsu and still have enough chakra to keep going is quite remarkable, a testament to just how much of the stuff she actually has.

I Am Not Left-Handed [Kenjutsu Mastery SA]
Sora is not merely a Kenjutsu specialist- she is a master when it comes to the art of the sword; after over two decades of training, her skills are unrivaled within Kirigakure, falling short only to the Seven Swordsman themselves… some of them, anyway. This mastery allows her a distinct advantage when fighting other Bukijutsu specialists of similar or lesser rank.

If You Try For Speed, You Do Not Achieve Speed [Bukijutsu Speed SA]
Beyond being a master of Kenjutsu, Sora has practiced for decades to become the faster swordswoman she can be. As such, her Kenjutsu techniques come out faster and move quicker than those performed by others of her rank.

Equipment: Samidare | Spring Rain Blade (Drawn)
SA’s
Unbreakable
Whatever metal and forging process was used in the creation of Samidare, it worked; Samidare is utterly unbreakable by most any means, capable of being engulfed in an S-Rank Jutsu and remaining unscathed. Though it is possible that the blade could potentially be broken by a sufficiently powerful attack (such as, say, a Bijuu-dama), this has never been tested, so it is not known if it would survive.

Sharper Than Your Average Blade
Due to its nature as an unbreakable blade, Samidare bears a cutting edge that is of particular note, which allows it to slice through even steel with little in the way of resistance, so long as the proper force is applied. Additionally, this edge never needs to be resharpened, as it never grows dull or rolls, thus making it perfect for frontline combat.

Light as Spring Rain
Perhaps a quirk of its forging (or perhaps an intentional feature), Samidare is considerably lighter than a blade its size and length ought to be; while this would normally result in a less effective weapon, Samidare loses none of its integrity or cutting power, as it is somehow able to leverage the same amount of force through less mass. This lightness allows the user to swing the weapon about with much greater speed for the same amount of physical exertion.

Chakra Conduction
Being Chakra Conductive, Samidare is capable of channeling all types of Chakra for use in Bukijustu, and, more particularly, it has a slight affinity for Raiton chakra thanks to Sora’s constant use of the blade for that purpose. This affinity does not do anything of real note, but it does feel as if the blade were more eager to drink in Raiton Chakra than other types.

[masshiro]

    The attack being stopped wasn't too surprising, but what it did was given him a chance to analyze it. His swing wasn't nearly as impressive as hers, even if it had hit it wouldn't have done serious damage, because the point was to see her reaction. This was not about hitting her, this fight, either of their techniques, but simply trying to learn. Being this close allowed him to see when she gripped her blade, when she shifted her weight, how be blocked and dodged, and more importantly how she countered attacked.

    He knew, unfortunately, that he couldn't move near that fast, but one step at a time was all he could hope for. When she swung, he did try to move, not to dodge, but move in closer, mentally prepared to try and push in so close that she'd have trouble swinging. Once more however, she was too fast, and her sword was swinging at an angle and a speed in the best of scenarios he would have had trouble reacting to. Uemori hit the ground, jut barely, as he relaxed his body entirely, and as he did, her blade seemed to stop.

    All at once both of his eyes began to glow a bright red, as the look on his face turned into a wide and teeth baring grin, moving in closer to her and forcing her sword to slide at the first layer of his coat. Staring her in the face the glowing brightened even further, not saying a word, and finally backing up, letting Uemori slide and leave a cutting trail along the ground.

SPOILER: Click to show

Jaakugan Activation - Very low  Chakra Detection - Chakura Kenshutsu Sosa in order to active Chakura Kenshutsu: Chikari  Usage Very low

"You did."

    Gripping Uemori with just his right hand, he reached out, using her blade to prick his finger, as it started to bleed, then began to draw a red streak of blood down the length of the flat side of his weapon. In a quick movement, at least relatively speaking for Masshiro, he took a step back to give just a bit of room between them, then in a sudden move swung across his body, again at Sora's left side, right at her hip.

SPOILER: Click to show

NAME: Iaigiri - [Iai Beheading]
RANK: C
CHAKRA USAGE: Low
CLASSIFICATION: Bukijutsu
ELEMENT: N/a
DESCRIPTION:

The user performs a quick and powerful slash with their sword, appearing almost like a blur, in order to cur the intended target before immediately re-sheathing the blade afterwards. In the hands of the right user, this attack can even cut clean through a boulder.

[Sora Minami]

She had to give the boy credit- he didn’t flinch as Samidare came to a stop a hairsbreadth from cutting him open, but instead smiled, his eyes shifting down as he pricked his finger on her weapon. She moved back one, two, three steps, creating some distance while he did the same; Her blade reset its position, held low and loose, ready to move at a moment’s notice… which it did almost as soon as the boy’s gaze rose to meet her own again, his eyes a bright, glowing red.

There’s that weird eyeball of theirs. Sora thought, bringing her weapon up as she once more pivoted on her back foot, this time flowing into Masshiro’s attack, Samidare cutting up to meet Uemori blow for blow, cut for cut. Wood met metal once more, her blade biting into the legendary weapon but doing little damage, the force behind their cuts not enough to do much but tarnish the legendary club’s finish- but she wasn’t trying to break his blade here, just block it.

"Not bad. But you’re letting Uemori’s size dictate the path of your swings." She said after a moment, pumping her legs with chakra while she pushed herself backwards, utilizing the Accelerate technique to instantly wind up to her maximum speed- which was something the Yamaguichi had not seen in their brief run over to the Academy. She didn’t use it to close the distance though, but rather used her speed to maneuver around her pupil, sheathing her blade in a single, smooth motion before coming to a glaring stop… right behind him.

Chakra pulsed through her legs, allowing the Jounin to come to a dead stop two and half feet from Masshiro, body coiled in on itself, right hand gripping Samidare’s hilt as she unfurled her torso, ripping her blade free in a blindingly fast, terrifying cut that screamed, once more, for the boy’s neck. It wasn’t as fast as she could strike, not this time, but it was markedly faster than anything the Yamaguchi had shown and, more importantly, was coming from a direction and in a manner that would make blocking it almost impossible. If he wanted to avoid getting cut, he would have to dodge- and quickly.

masshiro

Jutsu/SA's/Equipment Used

SPOILER: Click to show

Jutsu:

NAME: Kasoku Suru [Accelerate]
RANK: C
CHAKRA USAGE: Very Low
CLASSIFICATION: Taijutsu
ELEMENT: -
HANDSEALS: 0
DESCRIPTION: A very simple technique, by using chakra the user is able to instantly accelerate their selves to their max speed. This can be done in just about any condition, but any techniques that slow the user's movement (such as armor from jutsu or most jutsu that might slow an individual) will still affect them.

NAME: Iaigiri - [Iai Beheading] (Twice)
RANK: C
CHAKRA USAGE: Low
CLASSIFICATION: Bukijutsu
ELEMENT: N/a
DESCRIPTION:
The user performs a quick and powerful slash with their sword, appearing almost like a blur, in order to cur the intended target before immediately resheating the blade afterwards. In the hands of the right user, this attack can even cut clean through a boulder.

NAME: Gensoku Suru [Decelerate]
RANK: C
CHAKRA USAGE: Very Low
CLASSIFICATION: Taijutsu
ELEMENT: -
HANDSEALS: 0
DESCRIPTION: The opposite to accelerate, decelerate effectively allows the user to instantly disperse all their momentum and stop on a dime as it were. This technique however can only be used for movement and the user must be touching the ground. This can not stop the user from taking damage from a fall nor can it stop their movement when being hit from an attack.

Special Abilities:
The Kunoichi That Goes On And On And On… [Endurance SA]
Perhaps part of her genetics or simply a random quirk of fate, Sora is unnaturally resilient, be it to physical pain or the toils of extended combat. While most Shinobi would collapse in exhaustion at having used all but the smallest sliver of their chakra reserves, she pushes on; while most Shinobi would wilt beneath the weight of sleepless night after sleepless night, she keeps going. This does not mean she does not feel pain/the strain of extended combat, but rather that her threshold for shutting down because of it is far higher than others. To give an example, if she were to be stabbed through her abdomen, she would still feel the pain of the injury, and it would hinder her ability to move/act, but it wouldn’t stop her, whereas a normal ninja might freeze up or shut down from the pain.

Bet You Didn’t See That Coming [Speed SA]
A byproduct of her enhanced endurance, Sora (despite what many would think) dislikes being injured- and with that dislike comes the intense desire to avoid getting hurt, a desire that has pushed her to hone her body until it could move faster than most others of her rank. In short, Sora is fast- very, very fast.

POWAH! UNLIMITED POWAH!! [Chakra Reserves SA]
After a lifetime of utilizing nearly every ounce of chakra in her body just to survive, Sora’s chakra reserves have expanded a considerable amount to compensate- while she’s no Jinchuuriki, her ability to toss out jutsu after jutsu and still have enough chakra to keep going is quite remarkable, a testament to just how much of the stuff she actually has.

I Am Not Left-Handed [Kenjutsu Mastery SA]
Sora is not merely a Kenjutsu specialist- she is a master when it comes to the art of the sword; after over two decades of training, her skills are unrivaled within Kirigakure, falling short only to the Seven Swordsman themselves… some of them, anyway. This mastery allows her a distinct advantage when fighting other Bukijutsu specialists of similar or lesser rank.

If You Try For Speed, You Do Not Achieve Speed [Bukijutsu Speed SA]
Beyond being a master of Kenjutsu, Sora has practiced for decades to become the faster swordswoman she can be. As such, her Kenjutsu techniques come out faster and move quicker than those performed by others of her rank.

Equipment: Samidare | Spring Rain Blade (Drawn)
SA’s
Unbreakable
Whatever metal and forging process was used in the creation of Samidare, it worked; Samidare is utterly unbreakable by most any means, capable of being engulfed in an S-Rank Jutsu and remaining unscathed. Though it is possible that the blade could potentially be broken by a sufficiently powerful attack (such as, say, a Bijuu-dama), this has never been tested, so it is not known if it would survive.

Sharper Than Your Average Blade
Due to its nature as an unbreakable blade, Samidare bears a cutting edge that is of particular note, which allows it to slice through even steel with little in the way of resistance, so long as the proper force is applied. Additionally, this edge never needs to be resharpened, as it never grows dull or rolls, thus making it perfect for frontline combat.

Light as Spring Rain
Perhaps a quirk of its forging (or perhaps an intentional feature), Samidare is considerably lighter than a blade its size and length ought to be; while this would normally result in a less effective weapon, Samidare loses none of its integrity or cutting power, as it is somehow able to leverage the same amount of force through less mass. This lightness allows the user to swing the weapon about with much greater speed for the same amount of physical exertion.

Chakra Conduction
Being Chakra Conductive, Samidare is capable of channeling all types of Chakra for use in Bukijustu, and, more particularly, it has a slight affinity for Raiton chakra thanks to Sora’s constant use of the blade for that purpose. This affinity does not do anything of real note, but it does feel as if the blade were more eager to drink in Raiton Chakra than other types.

[masshiro]

    Her speed was making his usual ideas fall flat, which to a degree was expected, but it was forcing constant compensation. When he first attacked he felt his actions were fairly wide as far as choice, but immediately they were cut in half, and now as she so easily blocked his swing, they shrunk further. He couldn't simply bully his way inside of her guard like he usually could, and in truth aside from understanding she was fast and agile, and at least stronger than he was, he didn't know as much about her fighting style than he would have liked.

    

    Having information going into fights was usually what gave him an advantage, but what he wasn't was great at improvising, even if he tried to hide that fact. Every fight started with a mental check list and a wide variety of strategies, but they were being dropped away in chunks in quick succession. 

    He didn't respond to her comment, because he knew she was right. For as much as he loved this weapon, he was still a novice with it, having ownership of it less than a full year at this point. His eyes darted as she moved back then moved around him, losing track of her with his vision, but focusing on her with his active sensory abilities. He could just about pinpoint where she was and heard her coming to a stop, but he didn't turn to face her, instead changing the grip of his weapon as it touched the ground, his body bending forward and his knees bending.

    

    When he felt her move towards him, he thrust Uemori forward and his knees straightened like a spring, the strength of pushing off and the weight of his weapon slinging him forward and out of her reach. Had he seen how close she had gotten he would have been sweating, but he was now around ten meters away, turning to face her. 

SPOILER: Click to show

NAME: Kagetsume [Shadow Talon]
RANK: B
CHAKRA USAGE: Medium
CLASSIFICATION: Bukijutsu
ELEMENT: -
HANDSEALS: 0
DESCRIPTION:

The user lowers their body and gathers the strength in their legs to initiate a forward launch. They thrust the front of their weapon forward, dashing themselves up to 15 meters forward at high speed without stop or the ability to change trajectory. The high-speed thrust can jam their weapon right through a limb without it necessarily severing it off, but a precise thrust can also pierce a vital organ and cause fatal damage. Upon successfully piercing a target, however, the user's momentum allows them to launch themselves as well as the target up to 5 meters up in the air by pulling up the blade shoved into them. This maneuver can easily sever a limb or cause further internal damage to the target's body, but it can also leave them open in the air for a follow-up attack.

    Bringing Uemori up, he rested the flat side on his shoulder and bit down onto the handle, as he brought his hands up and signed three handseals while staring at her. Being a Mist shinobi, she no doubt would have recognized them, as well as what was happen, as the space between them, then around them, began to fill with a thick mist.

SPOILER: Click to show

Name:Kirigakure no Jutsu - [Hidden Mist Technique]
Rank:D
CHAKRA USAGE: Medium
Type:Ninjutsu
Element:Suiton
HANDSEALS: 3
Requirement:Kirigakure Shinobi Only
Description:

Kirigakure no Jutsu is a Ninjutsu utilized by Hidden Mist ninja. The ninja causes the surrounding area to be covered in fog. The low visibility allows the ninja to silently and secretly assassinate their target.

[Sora Minami]

The moment Masshiro leapt out of the way of her cut, Sora moved. She didn’t pursue, though she could have, didn’t try to chain her attacks together to interrupt his flow; instead, she leapt back, sheathing Samidare once more as she let the boy perform his jutsu, recognizing the sequences of hand seals and what they meant. Mist, thick and swirling, began to spread out across the small training area, blanketing her sight in a veil of white that was all but impenetrable to the natural eye. She had no clue what his special, Yamguchi-flavored doujutsu could do in this mist, whether he could track her or not- but she had no intention of letting the boy take back the momentum so easily.

Letting loose a soft breath, the pink-haired woman funneled chakra into her weapon, pumping it through the metal and transforming it to wind even as she drew the blade, summoning up a short but potent gust of raw wind that blasted the coalescing mist back in a wide cone ahead of her that spread out along the ac of her swing. The winds would be strongest within five meters of her, but the boy would still have to fight them even at the distance he had been at; the wind crashed into the mist, pushing the roiling mass back a good thirty meters and exposing her pupil’s form.

She didn’t hesitate, accelerating forwards full speed, Samidare held low as she cleared the distance between them… and with a single step swung both legs up to aim a doubled-footed kick directly into the boy’s face. If she hit him, the sheer speed behind her blow would likely shatter every bone in his face and knock his teeth down somewhere into his spleen. If she hit, that is. She was far from skilled in Taijutsu after all, and while she had enough training and practice to handle anything her Genin threw at her, other Shinobi, particularly one skilled enough to join the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, were a different matter entirely.

The point of her charge wasn’t to demolish the poor boy though; it was unexpected, yes, but it was avoidable if he kept on his toes and reacted fast enough. If.

masshiro

Jutsu/SA's/Equipment Used

SPOILER: Click to show

Jutsu:
NAME: Kasoku Suru [Accelerate]
RANK: C
CHAKRA USAGE: Very Low
CLASSIFICATION: Taijutsu
ELEMENT: -
HANDSEALS: 0
DESCRIPTION: A very simple technique, by using chakra the user is able to instantly accelerate their selves to their max speed. This can be done in just about any condition, but any techniques that slow the user's movement (such as armor from jutsu or most jutsu that might slow an individual) will still affect them.

NAME: Ittoryu: Tatsumaki [One Sword Style: Tornado]
RANK: B
CHAKRA USAGE: Medium
CLASSIFICATION: Bukijutsu
ELEMENT: Fūton
HANDSEALS: 0
DESCRIPTION: The user brings their weapon around in a fast, powerful arc that creates a minor shockwave, disturbing the air and creating a gust of short-lived wind similar in strength to an F2 tornado, which can be felt by anyone within about thirty meters of the swings arc. The winds are strongest close to the user (within 5 meters), and are capable of knocking senbon, kunai, and shuriken off course, and even lifting people off their feet should they be caught unawares.

Special Abilities:
The Kunoichi That Goes On And On And On… [Endurance SA]
Perhaps part of her genetics or simply a random quirk of fate, Sora is unnaturally resilient, be it to physical pain or the toils of extended combat. While most Shinobi would collapse in exhaustion at having used all but the smallest sliver of their chakra reserves, she pushes on; while most Shinobi would wilt beneath the weight of sleepless night after sleepless night, she keeps going. This does not mean she does not feel pain/the strain of extended combat, but rather that her threshold for shutting down because of it is far higher than others. To give an example, if she were to be stabbed through her abdomen, she would still feel the pain of the injury, and it would hinder her ability to move/act, but it wouldn’t stop her, whereas a normal ninja might freeze up or shut down from the pain.

Bet You Didn’t See That Coming [Speed SA]
A byproduct of her enhanced endurance, Sora (despite what many would think) dislikes being injured- and with that dislike comes the intense desire to avoid getting hurt, a desire that has pushed her to hone her body until it could move faster than most others of her rank. In short, Sora is fast- very, very fast.

POWAH! UNLIMITED POWAH!! [Chakra Reserves SA]
After a lifetime of utilizing nearly every ounce of chakra in her body just to survive, Sora’s chakra reserves have expanded a considerable amount to compensate- while she’s no Jinchuuriki, her ability to toss out jutsu after jutsu and still have enough chakra to keep going is quite remarkable, a testament to just how much of the stuff she actually has.

I Am Not Left-Handed [Kenjutsu Mastery SA]
Sora is not merely a Kenjutsu specialist- she is a master when it comes to the art of the sword; after over two decades of training, her skills are unrivaled within Kirigakure, falling short only to the Seven Swordsman themselves… some of them, anyway. This mastery allows her a distinct advantage when fighting other Bukijutsu specialists of similar or lesser rank.

If You Try For Speed, You Do Not Achieve Speed [Bukijutsu Speed SA]
Beyond being a master of Kenjutsu, Sora has practiced for decades to become the faster swordswoman she can be. As such, her Kenjutsu techniques come out faster and move quicker than those performed by others of her rank.

Equipment: Samidare | Spring Rain Blade (Drawn)
SA’s
Unbreakable
Whatever metal and forging process was used in the creation of Samidare, it worked; Samidare is utterly unbreakable by most any means, capable of being engulfed in an S-Rank Jutsu and remaining unscathed. Though it is possible that the blade could potentially be broken by a sufficiently powerful attack (such as, say, a Bijuu-dama), this has never been tested, so it is not known if it would survive.

Sharper Than Your Average Blade
Due to its nature as an unbreakable blade, Samidare bears a cutting edge that is of particular note, which allows it to slice through even steel with little in the way of resistance, so long as the proper force is applied. Additionally, this edge never needs to be resharpened, as it never grows dull or rolls, thus making it perfect for frontline combat.

Light as Spring Rain
Perhaps a quirk of its forging (or perhaps an intentional feature), Samidare is considerably lighter than a blade its size and length ought to be; while this would normally result in a less effective weapon, Samidare loses none of its integrity or cutting power, as it is somehow able to leverage the same amount of force through less mass. This lightness allows the user to swing the weapon about with much greater speed for the same amount of physical exertion.

Chakra Conduction
Being Chakra Conductive, Samidare is capable of channeling all types of Chakra for use in Bukijustu, and, more particularly, it has a slight affinity for Raiton chakra thanks to Sora’s constant use of the blade for that purpose. This affinity does not do anything of real note, but it does feel as if the blade were more eager to drink in Raiton Chakra than other types.

[masshiro]

    It wasn't perfected, but with the Jaakugan activated her actions were no longer a secret to him. With the Chikari specifically activated, if she used jutsu of any form that required chakra, he would be able to read it before she could perform it. The problem was, knowing it was coming and being able to react to it were not one in the same. This entire training sessions was about speed and reflex improvement, and he knew full well if he could not only see an enemies actions before they were fully committed, but react quickly to them, he'd be far more deadly.

    The chakra moving through her body was unique, and even though it was what she had performed earlier, he hadn't witnessed it, so all he could see was where the chakra was going. A collection in her legs, so was she about to leap, run faster, jump over the mist, how would he fully know, it wasn't helpful yet. The next flow was familiar, Bukijutsu or Taijutsu, moving to her hands, and given her fighting style it must have been Bukijutsu, but what he wasn't certain at first. The wind jutsu however surprised him, but it was further narrowing down her intent, and given her fight with Ikana he thought perhaps this was a wind Bukijutsu? This was the problem of not being as familiar as he could have liked, because at best he could guess, and right now he wasn't confident even in the information he had.

    He couldn't see her clearly, even if he could view and sense her in a matter of speaking, but he couldn't see how she would move intricately or when she flexed her muscles. Unintentionally he had caused an issue with this mist he hadn't intended  to, but he bent down, ready to react and waited for her to simply charge him, some sort of quick slash with the wind jutsu amplifying her speed perhaps, but her movements weren't at all what he expected.

    It was then he could see her, and more so she could see him, Uemori still resting on his shoulder and in his teeth. His hair was blown back as he leaned in to to keep his balance, drooling from his mouth open and the tightness his jaws with clenched holding onto the weapon. He had thought he was holding up, but damn was it strong, pushing him back, and eventually he was pushed upright again and off balance. That was when she rushed, and he simply wasn't in a position now to react better, or to fully grab his weapon to attack defense with it, so he had to move. His hands were still raised up, his only saving grace, as he clasped them back together and turned an an angle with not enough time to turn around or a full ninety-degrees, and had his own momentary burst up speed. It was quick, but not quite quick enough, as he dodged the blow to the face, but his shoulder collided with her body all the same, causing him to spin and drop his weapon. Uemori spiked into the ground as he stumbled and fell to his side, grabbing at his shoulder as he quickly tried standing back up before getting a handle on where she was. Reaching out with not his right, but his left hand, he grabbed Uemori and pulled it out of the ground, slowly backing away, his right arm hanging down clearly in pain.

SPOILER: Click to show

Shunshin no Jutsu [Body Flicker Technique]

[Sora Minami]

Sora felt, rather than saw, her feet hit Masshiro’s shoulder; she was moving too quickly for her eyes to register the exact details of what was going on, but the scant flash of information she had was enough for the Jounin to react to. Twisting to her left as she flew through the air, the pink-haired swordsman righted herself just in time for Masshiro to leave out of his Shunshin, her feet digging into the dirt as the mist coalesced back around them, obscuring both herself and her student from view. It wasn’t a good position for her to be in, not when he likely had a way to track her through the mist- and with her ability to disperse it now revealed, it was unlikely the boy would remain in one place for very long. Had this been a proper fight, she would have plenty of answers for the boy… but she wasn’t trying to kill him, just test him, and that meant she had to be careful.

That didn’t, however, mean she was out of options.

Flushing Samidare full of Wind chakra again, the woman let loose another burst of raw wind, utilizing Tatsumaki in a rising upward diagonal, right to left, to blow away the mist in front of her once more; but instead of charging in, she simply used the cone of exposure to locate Masshiro’s frame, noting his slightly off kilter shoulder and the fact that he was holding Uemori in his off hand, rather than with both. She didn’t waste time mulling over the information, instead acting on instinct and bringing her sword down in a falling diagonal, left to right, that unleashed a potent, incredibly fast projectile of hyper-sharp wind along the same line.

If the flung blade of wind hit, the cut wouldn’t kill the boy, though it would likely incapacitate him, as the jutsu she used was more than capable of cutting bone if given the chance. Of course, Masshiro could always dodge- but if he didn’t, if he tried to block, the true danger of her attack would be made known, as the unblocked portions of her blow would simply flow around anything the boy put in its path and continue on unabated. If he didn’t put a serious barrier in its path, or fully dodge the blow… the fight would simply end.

masshiro

Jutsu/SA's/Equipment Used

SPOILER: Click to show

Jutsu:
NAME: Ittoryu: Tatsumaki [One Sword Style: Tornado]
RANK: B
CHAKRA USAGE: Medium
CLASSIFICATION: Bukijutsu
ELEMENT: Fūton
HANDSEALS: 0
DESCRIPTION: The user brings their weapon around in a fast, powerful arc that creates a minor shockwave, disturbing the air and creating a gust of short-lived wind similar in strength to an F2 tornado, which can be felt by anyone within about thirty meters of the swings arc. The winds are strongest close to the user (within 5 meters), and are capable of knocking senbon, kunai, and shuriken off course, and even lifting people off their feet should they be caught unawares.

NAME: Kazeno Tsubasa [Blade of the wind]
RANK: C
CHAKRA USAGE: Low
CLASSIFICATION: Kenjutsu
ELEMENT: N/A
DESCRIPTION: The user, channels wind chakra into the blade, before releasing it with a swing - a sharp wind blade is launched around 20 meters forward. The windblade can leave gushes on hard wood and slice through bone and flesh. It cannot be blocked by a sword or any other kind of thin object - the unblocked parts of the windblade will just follow around the obstacle towards their intended destination.

Special Abilities:
The Kunoichi That Goes On And On And On… [Endurance SA]
Perhaps part of her genetics or simply a random quirk of fate, Sora is unnaturally resilient, be it to physical pain or the toils of extended combat. While most Shinobi would collapse in exhaustion at having used all but the smallest sliver of their chakra reserves, she pushes on; while most Shinobi would wilt beneath the weight of sleepless night after sleepless night, she keeps going. This does not mean she does not feel pain/the strain of extended combat, but rather that her threshold for shutting down because of it is far higher than others. To give an example, if she were to be stabbed through her abdomen, she would still feel the pain of the injury, and it would hinder her ability to move/act, but it wouldn’t stop her, whereas a normal ninja might freeze up or shut down from the pain.

Bet You Didn’t See That Coming [Speed SA]
A byproduct of her enhanced endurance, Sora (despite what many would think) dislikes being injured- and with that dislike comes the intense desire to avoid getting hurt, a desire that has pushed her to hone her body until it could move faster than most others of her rank. In short, Sora is fast- very, very fast.

POWAH! UNLIMITED POWAH!! [Chakra Reserves SA]
After a lifetime of utilizing nearly every ounce of chakra in her body just to survive, Sora’s chakra reserves have expanded a considerable amount to compensate- while she’s no Jinchuuriki, her ability to toss out jutsu after jutsu and still have enough chakra to keep going is quite remarkable, a testament to just how much of the stuff she actually has.

I Am Not Left-Handed [Kenjutsu Mastery SA]
Sora is not merely a Kenjutsu specialist- she is a master when it comes to the art of the sword; after over two decades of training, her skills are unrivaled within Kirigakure, falling short only to the Seven Swordsman themselves… some of them, anyway. This mastery allows her a distinct advantage when fighting other Bukijutsu specialists of similar or lesser rank.

If You Try For Speed, You Do Not Achieve Speed [Bukijutsu Speed SA]
Beyond being a master of Kenjutsu, Sora has practiced for decades to become the faster swordswoman she can be. As such, her Kenjutsu techniques come out faster and move quicker than those performed by others of her rank.

Equipment: Samidare | Spring Rain Blade (Drawn)
SA’s
Unbreakable
Whatever metal and forging process was used in the creation of Samidare, it worked; Samidare is utterly unbreakable by most any means, capable of being engulfed in an S-Rank Jutsu and remaining unscathed. Though it is possible that the blade could potentially be broken by a sufficiently powerful attack (such as, say, a Bijuu-dama), this has never been tested, so it is not known if it would survive.

Sharper Than Your Average Blade
Due to its nature as an unbreakable blade, Samidare bears a cutting edge that is of particular note, which allows it to slice through even steel with little in the way of resistance, so long as the proper force is applied. Additionally, this edge never needs to be resharpened, as it never grows dull or rolls, thus making it perfect for frontline combat.

Light as Spring Rain
Perhaps a quirk of its forging (or perhaps an intentional feature), Samidare is considerably lighter than a blade its size and length ought to be; while this would normally result in a less effective weapon, Samidare loses none of its integrity or cutting power, as it is somehow able to leverage the same amount of force through less mass. This lightness allows the user to swing the weapon about with much greater speed for the same amount of physical exertion.

Chakra Conduction
Being Chakra Conductive, Samidare is capable of channeling all types of Chakra for use in Bukijustu, and, more particularly, it has a slight affinity for Raiton chakra thanks to Sora’s constant use of the blade for that purpose. This affinity does not do anything of real note, but it does feel as if the blade were more eager to drink in Raiton Chakra than other types.

[masshiro]

    It had taken that last blow to finally knock whatever sense Masshiro had back into place properly. He couldn't simply dodge and dodge and dodge again, regardless of what this training was for, because he knew well enough that he'd eventually not be able to dodge, and it would end up in a situation that would quite frankly piss him off. This was not the time to be sidelines for weeks with a cracked jaw, broken ribs, and he was lucky from that last hit to not have a dislocated shoulder. For a brief moment he let his right arm rest, trying to give the muscles a chance to relax as they had all tightened up so hard he couldn't move it properly for a few second.

    This was all reminiscent of a former teacher, down to the setting, and that alone was starting to boil his emotions. She always had a way of pushing hard, the scars on his body proof of that, and sure it toughened him up, but it also left him with this personality twist he had to constantly fight against.

    Once again she swung, his eyes locked onto her chakra signature, as the wind knocked away the mist for long enough to get a look at him, and from her end he likely looked pathetic. He was really starting to hate fighting against wind users. Slinging his arm he suddenly tossed Uemori behind him, though it would be hard for Sora to tell how far with the mist still behind him, but it was clearly far out of his reach all the same. With it barely out of his grip he raised his left arm and only slightly slower his right, quickly creating what were by now very familiar handseals for him, that he barely had to think to form.

    It almost looked as if he had coughed something up afterwards, but whatever it was floated above the mist and out of sight. The timing of her swing didn't give him the time he thought he would have to combo his jutsu together fast enough, just barely enough time to create his next jutsu as he scrambled to create his next set of handseals. With the wind closing in he opened his mouth wide and jumped backwards, as a large fireball belched from his mouth and hit the incoming wind. The fire igniting with the oil from his gut pushed him back maybe another half meter at most, but just enough room not to get caught in the back draft of the wind crashing into the fire. In a large circular around in between them the mist forcefully dispersed, at least momentarily, revealing what looked to be a darkened cloud, growing in size above them, starting to sprinkle a thick substance before beginning to pour down in the area with a heavy oily substance that mostly hovered right above Sora and stopped just short of Masshiro. Unfortunately for the timing, but likely luckily given the proximity of the fireball, the large fire was already dissipating by the time the oil hit the air.

SPOILER: Click to show

Name:Kokuun no Jutsu - [Black Clouds Technique]
Rank:C
CHAKRA USAGE: Medium
Type:Ninjutsu
Element:Suiton
HANDSEALS: 3
Description:

Kokuun no Jutsu is a Ninjutsu used by the Rain Shinobi which utilizes the Water Element. After forming the necessary hand seals, a black mist will emit from their body and rise into the sky. Black clouds will form, releasing a flammable rain of oil onto their targets. It should be noted that this cloud will only cover roughly one city block.

Name: Katon: Endan [Fire Release: Fireball]
Rank: C
Chakra Usage: Low
Type: Ninjutsu
Element: Katon
HANDSEALS: 4
Description: After doing the necessary hand seals, the user molds a large amount of oil within their gut before spitting it out, simultaneously lighting it aflame with their charka. The result is a giant fireball, fueled by oil, which burns everything engulfed in it. Since it is both fire and oil mixed together, it is even difficult to be put out by water.