[Hōzuki Keneō]

When it came to practice and training, there were very few lengths Ken wouldn't go to if it meant making leaps and bounds for his career as a shinobi. Sure, he could be considered as being a bit of a quiet boy and a loner, though that was entirely by choice. If he had nothing to say, he would say nothing. And if he had something to say, he would speak up, that was more or less the way his conversations worked. He would not mince words or keep a conversation going that had reached its natural conclusion, as he would prefer not to waste time keeping something alive that had already died and moved on. That was just the way of things, and he was completely fine with that.

So when people wanted to practice their skills and let him tag along, chances were that he was going to say yes. For even if he could realistically do nothing to help, he was fine with just watching and learning from the process of someone else. After all, progress was progress, so if someone else was capable of figuring something out when it came to pushing themselves and their techniques, there was a chance that just by being there and observing it as it happened, that he might be able to apply it to his own studies. There was always something to be gained from emulating success, even failure in some cases. So when he was asked by a higher ranking shinobi to join them on the outskirts of the village, it made him quite giddy.

His expression wouldn't show it, nor would his tone of voice give it away, though he could feel it in his gut. One way or the other, this was certainly going to prove useful in his own studies and training. For what it was worth, Ken had made a bit of a thing out of keeping as much of his developing jutsu to himself, though the techniques he had managed to refine were passed on to the clan almost instantly. Even though so far, only two of his techniques had managed to make it onto the great Hozuki clan scroll of ninjutsu, he was proud to have managed to do so at such a young age. The fact that other members in the clan were also proud of him, even those that seemed to not like him very much was also really good for his self-esteem.

Arriving in full gear, complete with his sword at his side and his pockets full of hydration pills, Ken honestly had no idea how long they would be here for or what exactly they were going to be doing. All he knew was that in reality, the duration did not matter for shit. The only thing that mattered was that he was going to be doing his best to be as useful as possible to the process, and to learn as much from it as he possibly could.

[Gurē Ren]

  the things we know...

-  -  -  T O  I M M E R S E  O N E S E L F  -  -  -

---

Gurē Ren was a medical shinobi of Kirigakure. Standing at six feet, the nineteen year old chuunin usually stood a head’s share above most others around him and, if that was not distinguishing, he had blonde hair which was also rare for the village and country. Kirigakure had a bunch of black and white haired people, essentially. There was rarely anything between. Maybe some dark blue somewhere… anything far from monochrome was rare or dyed. Even Ren’s closest people - his two cousins Shō and An - were white haired. They’d say it’s kind of blue but it was obvious the colour was white.

The young man wore a regular chuunin uniform and his forehead protector was where it should be - on his forehead. Ren being the slightly flamboyant person that he was accessorized with a single golden bracelet on his left wrist that peeked out just a little from under his sleeve.

”Hello!” he would wave the genin over as he arrived. ”Are you the Hōzuki genin? Your name is…?” Ren asked with a bright smile. His tone was friendly and his demeanor welcoming. He kept his arms to his sides and even a little open so his body language was relaxed and welcoming as well. There was much in store for today’s training - probably more for his "student” than anyone else.

”My name is Gurē Ren. I am a chuunin of this village.” he pushed his hair back from his forehead to reveal the Kirigakure symbol on his hitai-ate. They were in the outskirts, after all. Who knew what kind of weirdos could be walking around?

---

TAG : Hōzuki Keneō || WORDS : 272 || NOTES : ---

simple thread template no jutsu by odango

[Hōzuki Keneō]

"Keneō... or Ken."

Keeping it relatively short as he wasn't really sure how to respond to it in full, he looked around as he heard what was being said, taking it in while remaining someone on his toes. He knew very well how the village worked, what with it being rather militaristic and driven, and fatalities not being all that unheard of. There was even talk of certain groups that actively fed into acts of barbarity, even if it were amongst their own. To someone like Ken, that just seemed silly as he believed infighting was one of the ways in which a village could damage itself. While it could potentially work in weeding out the weak, there was no telling whether or not it would lead to bitter resentment and further infighting in the future.

It made him wonder at times how the Mizukage handled these kinds of factors within the village and the country at large. More than likely it was being handled a lot better than he personally could think of, though his mind simply worked in a way that meant he had to ponder on things for extended periods of time. He needed to know how things worked, to see how things went and to create an informed personal verdict, with which he would then proceed to do absolutely nothing. It would dwell somewhere in a spare room in the back of his head along with all of the other ponderings from the past, as well as those yet to come. One such pondered musing was related to what exactly they would be doing today, as he quite frankly had no idea. That said though, he was all ears.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. But if you don't mind me asking, what is it we're going to be doing today?"

[Gurē Ren]

  the things we know...

-  -  -  T O  I M M E R S E  O N E S E L F  -  -  -

---

”That is a good question!” he applauded lightly and gave a bright smile. ”Very good, very good indeed.” the young man would walk towards Ken and reach out to pat him on the shoulder. Upon closer look it would be apparent that Ren’s skin was almost porcelain looking and his facial structure slightly sharp and very symmetrical. It was no wonder he was so popular for his looks.

Flicking his locks out of his face, the young medic would explain: ”Essentially, I need you to aid in combat practice.” Short and sweet. It was also the truth. Of course, Ren had omitted the part where he was testing his own poison resistance and had taken a substance that would make it hard to focus and trap his stress inducing chemicals while constantly creating endorphins. Also, Ken’s clan was the best to spar with in Kirigakure because they were, essentially, indestructible if not targeted specifically. He wouldn't have to worry about hurting the boy too much and could still conduct his test.

”So, let’s get ready…” he slyly walked back and formed a couple of hand seals. Soon two piles of bubbles formed between himself and Ken, approximately ten metres from both. The bubble formations would soon take the spitting image of Ren each.

”Here they go~” Ren chimed as both clones caught the kunai Ren throw him (one each) and charged at Ken. The man didn't really need to attack the younger man himself. Clones would probably be enough...

---

TAG : Hōzuki Keneō || WORDS : 259 || NOTES : 2/7

simple thread template no jutsu by odango

[Hōzuki Keneō]

Normally in a situation such as this one, he would have asked as to whether or not this was the kind of training where they would use practice weaponry or not. But judging by the kunai the clones had been handed, Ken could not tell whether or not they were props or the real deal, prompting him to respond in the only way he knew how. Drawing his sword from his side, he held it in front of him, hoping to use the length of the sword in order to protect himself from the two attackers. With the added length of a sword when faced against the much shorter kunai, he hoped that if he provided broad enough strokes, he would be able to keep his attackers at bay, or run the risk of getting themselves cut and likely destroyed in the process.

Possessing some level of understanding over the water clone technique, the bubble variant was not something he personally knew about. But judging by its makeup, he figured it was inherently going to be weaker due to not possessing the same level of mass to it. While he knew that chakra could do some truly odd things, he hoped that in this case, he was right in assuming that a proper strike to them with a sword would be enough to make them collapse. But that was when another idea came into his mind. He had his hydrification technique, as well as the needed level of subterfuge in mind. And so, instead of backing up and trying to use his sword to provide some distance, he would lean into the assault while making it seem as though he was going to rush the clones head on.

Getting as close as he could, he would cease trying to strike as though realizing that the kunai would strike sooner, as was the plan. As the clones were about to stab into him, his body would suddenly liquify, sending water everywhere as the blades went right through him. With liquid falling down to the ground, what reformed out of the water was Ken himself, who gripped the sword that had been left to slowly drop to the floor when his body liquified to evade being hit. As he did so, he immediately performed a two-handed downward strike in an attempt at severing one of the two bubble clone's heads. Betting on the fact that the clone likely would still be stuck in their own forward momentum, he hoped that he would be able to get a solid hit in and at the very least rid himself of one of the two opponents.

SPOILER: Click to show

NAME: Hozuki Kōshiki: Saisakusei Gazō [Hozuki Formula: Replicated Image]

RANK: C

CHAKRA USAGE: Low [low drain][per clone]

CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu

ELEMENT: Suiton

HANDSEALS: --

REQUIREMENT: Requires Hydrification Technique [Hozuki] and possess a basic understanding of the Replacement Technique [Kawarimi].

DESCRIPTION:
This technique was created by Keneō to combine the signature Hidden Mist technique with the Hozuki's Hijutsu. After using the Hydrification Technique to turn their body to water, they erupt over a small area, after which a water clone is produced that moves straight into battle. The Hozuki themselves remain liquified as a puddle of water on the floor, giving the idea that the clone is in fact the original. Due to the user turning into water before the clone pops out, said clone can head into the fray with one or multiple weapons the caster had on their person, lending further credibility to the fact that this is the original Hozuki and not in fact a clone made out of water and chakra.

While the average water clone is fragile, the fact that this clone is being directly controlled by the Hozuki in hiding allows them to flow water back into the clone in order to make up for most superficial and average damage such as getting punched or stabbed. Should the clone get hit with an explosive tag, a disruptive or explosive ninjutsu technique or other forms of force that would cause the clone to disperse, it can no longer be repaired. Until the main user reforms, they can manually control the clone due to the direct link between the two, with it otherwise maintaining/regaining autonomy. As far as damage goes, this clone can attack with weapons and hit people for however much the original body could physically. They can however not perform bukijutsu techniques or utilize ninjutsu, genjutsu etc.

[Gurē Ren]

  the things we know...

-  -  -  T O  I M M E R S E  O N E S E L F  -  -  -

---

It was a good idea, a really good idea and shinobi should always strive to surprise but this time, since there were two clones and the reappearing of Ken could not match chuunin speed, the bubble copies of Ren launched themselves forward and doubled back, one of them opening with seven different swipe attacks on the clone and the other one on Ken. They were forceful and came from different angles but could be somewhat read if the opponent was quick enough. The medic’s clones shared his basic instincts and what all shinobi expected was to be ambushed from behind. It was a part of their sneaky trade.

”Well done, well done, Ken-kun! Do your best, do your best~” the blonde cheered and applauded rhythmically with his words as he cheered the genin on. Sure, it was an experiment to test Ren’s tolerance to a new poison of sorts but that did not mean they couldn’t have any fun.

”Almost got me this time. Just need to be a bit more creative, that’s all.” the clones seemed to apply more force now since it looked like it was true and Ren did not have to worry about injuring the boy too easily. Worst case, he would heal him right up.

Meanwhile, Ren was starting to glance at the sky. How beautiful the misty sky was. It was almost like he could see the clouds vibrate and the earth pulsate. Could he… hear color?

---

TAG : Hōzuki Keneō || WORDS : 247 || NOTES : 3/7

simple thread template no jutsu by odango

[Hōzuki Keneō]

Not entirely unexpected, the two clones tore through the water clones that had come up, though the ruse had not entirely ended. The good thing about the Hozuki within Kirigakure was simply the fact that everyone imagined they would just use their clan's hijutsu to phase through damage they might otherwise obtain. Which was why he had been focusing himself on the incorporation of clones, water clones to be precise. They had a certain consistency to them that, when they got struck down, they revealed their watery interior as no blood came pouring out. In that moment, must believed that they had struck the Hozuki, only for the clone to then break down into water completely, which was exactly the kind of thing Ken had been waiting for.

The clones might have been faster than he was, but they weren't much faster. He had fought against Toru and Sora, people who were intentionally keeping their speed down to a minimum but were still a lot faster than he was. By comparison, he could keep track of these moves a whole lot better and even respond to them. So when Ken's water clones were dispatched and their sword dropped, that was when finally the real deal would rise from the puddle in order to strike out at the nearest clone. By most standards, people would likely believe that an attack was coming at their back, which they had been correct about when they struck down the clone that came up from behind and the one that had been right in front of them before.

But what most people would not expect was that someone would come from the water behind them 'after' a clone had already come from behind before. It was a Double Feint, and the one thing Ken currently did best. He did not have any offensive means aside from hitting someone with a sword or a throwing weapon, all he had was subtlety and deception, which he now tried to use to the best of his abilities. After all, the two clones had clearly started increasing their output, which would strongly imply that they were striking the clone which they had believed was Ken. Right now was going to be his last chance at catching either of the two clones off-guard with this technique. If this failed, he would need to figure out something else with his limited repertoire.

[Gurē Ren]

  the things we know...

-  -  -  T O  I M M E R S E  O N E S E L F  -  -  -

---

”Oooooh?” Ren watched curiously as he pulled out a notepad to date what had happened while the exercise had begun and quickly began scribbling while watching the fight. Ren also noticed that his breathing was becoming more shallow and his focus was slipping. That being said, the things he focused on with his sight alone would emit light around them and look like unending rainbows were streaming out of them. He was creating the effect of a rainbow around anything that reflected even a little light, it seemed. Didn’t matter that it was misty, the rainbow was just a little dim. ”Fascinating…” he exclaimed under his breath and kept writing down everything he could feel happening to his body.

Control of the clones seemed a little lacking because, even while Ren could see exactly what’s happening, he could not move the clone away and the Ren double remained oblivious to Ken’s double feint, and took a blade to the back. But that also meant that the other clones were wielding clone weapons which, as everyone knew, might just have been a walking puddle. Even the clone figured it out after the demise of its brother. Instantly, the chuunin double got close to the remaining kens and, fearing not for any water katanas, swiftly sliced and diced.

Meanwhile, Ren formed some signs and created three more clones to surround Ken with a new kunai each. His control was slipping a little under the poison and its limits needed to be tested.

---

TAG : Hōzuki Keneō || WORDS : 254 || NOTES : 4/7

simple thread template no jutsu by odango

[Hōzuki Keneō]

Managing to dispatch one of the clones at the cost of his own, Ken moved back in order to assess the situation. While it was made plenty clear that his help had been required in a combat practice, the ashen haired Hozuki felt like the original Ren was behaving... strangely. For all of the things that were being said, they struck him as if under the influence of something. It made him wonder if they were not in their right mind or something, or if something they had used had backfired or worse. What if they were under some kind of an illusion?

Of all of the thoughts in his mind right now, one of the first was the fact that someone might need to get up close in an attempt at applying a Genjutsu release. But getting there would be there hard part, for when another bunch of clones had been summoned, the odd that were already quite big had only gotten that much bigger. For a moment as the clones were formed however, it seemed as though they glitched ever so slightly, though not enough for them to face any kind of structural imbalances: a real shame. But if he was going to get through these clones, he would need to be proactive rather than to keep playing a defensive game.

He had a sword, they had kunai, so when it came to a game of 'who hit who first', he would be able to make up for his lack of speed by comparison. If he could take out just the one clone before the others came in, he just might be able to push through, though that would then require him taking out all of the other clones too. Taking a deep breath in through his mouth and exhaling through his nose, he would begin his assault on the clone that had just diced up his last clone. With an attack aimed to slice it along its mid-section, the length of the sword just might give him the edge for however long it would last.

[Gurē Ren]

  the things we know...

-  -  -  T O  I M M E R S E  O N E S E L F  -  -  -

---

Clones were a go-to for Ren. It was an easy way to get multiple things done at once and he did not need to give them much mind. It took some minimal effort to keep them going but he did not actually need to control all of their movements. It was just the intent he needed to give and could give some simple directions. The clones themselves would have all of Ren’s chuunin-level reflexes so, when faced with a straight forward attack like a strike at his midsection, the clone merely hopped backwards out of reach.

Ren, on the other hand, kept writing down notes on his condition. He had minimal hallucinations but he could still perceive everything around him. He also noticed he had a decreased heart rate and was less excitable than usual. It was like his stress factors were nullified and he just looked at his surroundings worry-free. So it must have affected his adrenaline levels. All of this he would scribble down as well and make a note to take some blood when he was back home to run a couple of tests.

The remaining clones would surround Ken and all perform swipes at him from multiple directions. There wasn’t a lot of holding back because Ren believed the boy would emerge unscathed, regardless of getting hit or not.

---

TAG : Hōzuki Keneō || WORDS : 254 || NOTES : 5/7

simple thread template no jutsu by odango

[Hōzuki Keneō]

As the battle dragged on, Ken gradually gained a better understanding out of how fast these clones were, how strong they were and how they tended to act. While the latter was a difficult thing to gauge properly, general speed and responsiveness were things he could measure through his attacks, as well as figuring out what had worked and what had not. And quite frankly, he needed this sort of thing if he was to stand any chance at not getting immediately eradicated by all of these water clones. Speaking of water clones, the water along the ground due to at least two clones popping and his initial jutsu having spread some about was at the very least favorable.

Because clones could not utilize any jutsu, at least not clones of this level, Ken would have had some more leeway if he actually possessed any kind of offensive ninjutsu he could use against them. Unfortunately for him, he hadn't been out of the academy for long enough to figure out such things, nor had he bothered. He had been so occupied with getting better with his weapons and tools, as well as figuring out how to better utilize his hijutsu that it had more or less been forced to take a backseat. It was honestly a shame since it limited him so much in combat situations, though the fact that he was at the very least aware of it meant that it was something he could still change in the future.

With the clones moving towards him after he had missed one of the initial clones near his location, it seemed that all of the clones were going to try rushing him from multiple directions, which meant using their short range weapons. But that was all good and fine, as he now had a very good grasp as to how quickly they could move now. With that in mind, he would wait until they got within the ideal range. And by that, he meant the range which would allow him to reach them with his sword before he could be reached by their kunai. By pulling a move that no one could possibly expect due to its inhuman nature, his torso suddenly twisted around in a three hundred and sixty degree angle at high speed.

Performing his Kazaguruma technique, the high speed spin which meant his legs would remain stationary not only provided him with solid footing, it also allowed him to pull off an attack no human being could perform in the way he could... aside from another Hozuki that managed to learn his technique. And with the range of his own arms with the added range of the sword, he was confident that he would hit the clones as their own forward momentum would drive them right into his attack. At least, unless they had some means by which to instantly break off their own stride and move away, which he had only seen performed once by a Taijutsu practicitioner using a Deceleration technique which he still wanted to learn to this day.

SPOILER: Click to show

NAME: Hozuki Kenjutsu: Kazaguruma [Hozuki Sword Art: Windmill]

RANK: D

CHAKRA USAGE: Very Low

CLASSIFICATION: Bukijutsu

ELEMENT: Suiton

HANDSEALS: --

REQUIREMENT: Requires Hydrification Technique [Hozuki] and a Sword.

DESCRIPTION:
This technique was created by Keneō to combine the signature Hidden Mist technique with the Hozuki's Hijutsu. By liquifying their midsection and controlling the water to rapidly spin (which generally goes unseen due to one's clothing), the Hozuki will be able to quickly respond to an attack from behind due to the torso being moved along while the legs are not. The quickly twisting water along their midsection allows them to build up a lot of sudden momentum for either blocking an attack coming from their sides or from behind, or to spin the entire body around for a 360 degrees spin attack.

[Gurē Ren]

  the things we know...

-  -  -  T O  I M M E R S E  O N E S E L F  -  -  -

---

Splat. Splat. Splat.

The sound of dying bubble clones filled the air and a gross rainfall of muddy clone water fell on the genin.

”Ooooh, good job, good job!” Ren shouted as he applauded against his notes and then put his notepad in his jacket to form a hand sign…

Just a single sign and he extended his hand. His palm opened and with a overwhelming flash of lightning, a huge bolt shot out attached to a chain. It charged straight at Ken within a split second. If he avoided it or not, soon a big lightning wolf would stand still further away connected to a chain of lightning leading to Ren’s hand. It was a jutsu that was a personal favorite of Ren’s and now, in his drugged state, he was feeling euphoric and more of the mad scientist in him came out to find out what happens if lightning meets a Hozuki. Surely Ken would survive. Ren could heal him later, if anything.

”Here we gooooooo~” he sang out as she waved his hand and the wolf zigzagged across the field towards Ken. It was like playing dodgeball now with lightning. Ren was hallucinating a little so he mainly watched the sparks trail across the puddles on the ground and expand across the field. It was pretty - like morning dew but just… lightning.

His aim was very wide because he was distracted but the trajectory was true to Ken.

Ren was also feeling his chakra reserves depleting and he could tell they were at about 70 percent so he would end the training in a little. There was still stuff to do later but… chasing a Hozuki with a lightning beast was actually kinda fun. The blonde doctor chuckled. ”This is for science.” he nodded to himself.

---

TAG : Hōzuki Keneō || WORDS : 305 || NOTES : 6/7

simple thread template no jutsu by odango

SPOILER: Click to show

NAME: Raijū Hashiri no Jutsu [Lightning Beast Running Technique]
RANK: B
CHAKRA USAGE: Medium [Continuous] / Exponentially increases beyond 35 meters from user.
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu [General]
ELEMENT: Raiton
HANDSEALS: 1
DESCRIPTION:
After a single handseal Raiton chakra is sent to the user's hand. The user then makes lightning expand into the form of a hound or wolf, and remains connected to it by a chain of lighting. The user can make the beast go as far as thirty five meters before the user's direct control of it from such a distance starts to strain the user's chakra pool. This jutsu's deadliness stems from its unpredictability, though if the opponent is struck by the wolf, one will find their body rocked with a powerful charge of lightning, enough to throw a them off their feet and incapacitated.

[Hōzuki Keneō]

There was no getting around the fact that, up until now, this was by far one of his hardest fights since he had passed from the Academy. During his other spars, people hadn't taken it easy on him, though they had at the very least spared him to some degree rather than just using him as a punching bag. Right now however, he was just glad that his technique had paid off and that the clones had at least been reduced to the ever-growing pools and puddles along the floor. With his sword still in hand, he heard the older shinobi proclaim that he had done a good job, though Ken was still not quite certain as to what was going on.

But in case the odd vibe he was getting was not yet enough, the formation of a hand seal certainly was. When after the formation of the hand seal, a hand was pointed in his direction, the boy knew better than to remain stationary. He had to move, and move he did. Not needing any hand seals for his particular brand of techniques, a burst of water appeared from his position, or rather from his being. It wasn't a technique the other hadn't yet seen before, though the application of it was going to be different this time around. Launching themselves from the burst of water before he collapsed down, one clone was rushing forward in a slightly wide left arc heading towards the Chuunin while the other was rushing around the other side.

With one Ken coming in from the left and one coming in from the right, the goal was to distract the seemingly already distracted shinobi enough to make it so the wolf attached by a tether would need to make a choice. The one coming in from the left was unarmed, while the one coming in from the right held his sword, which was yet another distraction worked into the assault. If the wolf would leap at the left, the one on the right would be able to attack the Chuunin with his sword. But if the sword wielder got hit, the other would be able to get within range for a melee assault. Maybe if one of their attacks landed, they would be able to check whether the guy was under some kind of illusion or not.

Giving the wolf ample choice, the three attackers would all approach. Left, right and center, with what would hopefully be a banger of an attack. Right now, the outcome came down entirely to the target the wolf would end up picking, as the real Ken was by far the most vulnerable in this situation, though it seemed likely that whatever state the Chuunin was in might cause them to miss hitting the real one entirely... or so he hoped.

SPOILER: Click to show

NAME: Hozuki Kōshiki: Saisakusei Gazō [Hozuki Formula: Replicated Image]

RANK: C

CHAKRA USAGE: Low [low drain][per clone]

CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu

ELEMENT: Suiton

HANDSEALS: --

REQUIREMENT: Requires Hydrification Technique [Hozuki] and possess a basic understanding of the Replacement Technique [Kawarimi].

DESCRIPTION:
This technique was created by Keneō to combine the signature Hidden Mist technique with the Hozuki's Hijutsu. After using the Hydrification Technique to turn their body to water, they erupt over a small area, after which a water clone is produced that moves straight into battle. The Hozuki themselves remain liquified as a puddle of water on the floor, giving the idea that the clone is in fact the original. Due to the user turning into water before the clone pops out, said clone can head into the fray with one or multiple weapons the caster had on their person, lending further credibility to the fact that this is the original Hozuki and not in fact a clone made out of water and chakra.

While the average water clone is fragile, the fact that this clone is being directly controlled by the Hozuki in hiding allows them to flow water back into the clone in order to make up for most superficial and average damage such as getting punched or stabbed. Should the clone get hit with an explosive tag, a disruptive or explosive ninjutsu technique or other forms of force that would cause the clone to disperse, it can no longer be repaired. Until the main user reforms, they can manually control the clone due to the direct link between the two, with it otherwise maintaining/regaining autonomy. As far as damage goes, this clone can attack with weapons and hit people for however much the original body could physically. They can however not perform bukijutsu techniques or utilize ninjutsu, genjutsu etc.

[Gurē Ren]

  the things we know...

-  -  -  T O  I M M E R S E  O N E S E L F  -  -  -

---

Miraculous the zeal of genin. As good as the plan was, the substance Ren had ingested was something he was getting used to. Finally. Having experimented for months now, he was developing a quicker adjustment to poisons. He could feel it in his body. The awareness showing back up. This was an accomplishment.

He waved his hand and the lightning beast circled him instantly. After all, there was little that was faster than the lightning element. Running boys were not one of those few things. In a split second, the wolf made of lightning was by Ren’s side and circled him within the other part of the second. Whatever was near him would get blown back by electricity. It was one of the reasons he loved the jutsu and it was one of his most used in his repertoire. It was extremely versatile.

”Ok, that’s enough.” he released the jutsu and clapped his hands once and nodded. It was good this more clear state of mind came before he almost killed a genin. However! It was an important milestone.

”Ken-kun? How do you feel? Any injuries?” he would inquire of the kid and then tend to his wounds if necessary.

”Good job, Ken-kun, good job! I have gained enough data for today. Report back that this training was a success!” he cheered and would slap the boy on the back before turning to leave while humming a chipper folk song.

---

TAG : Hōzuki Keneō || WORDS : 246 || NOTES : 7/7

simple thread template no jutsu by odango

[Hōzuki Keneō]

As he had expected, the wolf was fast. Very fast. Honestly, it was a good deal faster than he had initially imagined it would be, causing the two-pronged attack to end up in failure. First, the clone attacking from the left got struck by it, causing it to quickly fall apart onto the ground. Next, the clone attacking from the right got struck before it stumbled back down onto the ground, dropping the sword before it too broke down into a puddle of water. While approaching from the water that had formed, Ken had been trying to measure just how fast the wolf managed to circle itself around Ren, trying to time an attack that would be able to land after it took out the second clone that had been disguised as the real deal with sword and all.

But before he would be able to put his calculations to the test by rising up from the water and attacking while the wolf was returning to its full rotation around its summoner, Red suddenly called it quits. Being only halfway materialized, Ken just looked at the guy for a bit before huffing and putting his fist back down. From the looks of it, he was rather serious about ending the spar here as he had apparently seen enough. Still packing a confused look on his face, the boy fully materialized as the lightning wolf disappeared. A quick inspection on his part seemed to show that Ren was not in fact dealing with whatever had caused him to behave so erratic earlier. But no matter of looking over the guy seemed to really help the young Hozuki with figuring out what had happened, or what exactly he had been part of.

"Uhm... i'm fine I guess"

After allowing Ren to examine him for a bit to make sure that he hadn't been injured, which luckily he wasn't, he gave him a firm slap on the back while proclaiming that he had managed to get the results that he had been wanting to get out of this, and that Ken could return to state that their training had been successful. Even as he watched Ren wander off while humming some tune he was unfamiliar with, he could still only scratch himself behind the ears while he watched him slowly disappear out of site, wondering what in the hell had just happened. But one thing at least started to make more sense to him after seeing the lightning release wolf moving around like that: He was absolutely going to figure out how to utilise lightning release by himself.