[Hatake Shinde]

Offering training to someone wasn't really all too out of the question in a militarized structure, especially to recent recruits. Such was the case in the figure known as Hyuuga Hinoe. Shinde had agreed to take up this task as the heiress of the Hatake clan, namely because she had a familiarity with them. She'd been on a team with a Hyuuga, she'd trained under a Hyuuga, and she'd done missions with Hyuuga. It only made sense then that as of now, she'd train a Hyuuga. The only other clan she'd had ties as close to as the Uchiha. So, considering this, the young Hatake heiress would press forth and present herself before one of the training yards, with tall standing oaks and a flowing stream beneath a small wooden bridge. A good place for training all around.

"Ah...Knowing how good the Hyuuga are at Chakra Control, I figure this should be an easy thing. Considering their Jyuuken." She'd mused to herself, but finds herself awaiting her pupil. Shinde was dressed in a tight fitting dark shirt with short cargo pants for the day, not adorned with much of her ninja equipment, nor her flak jacket. This was supposed to be her day off, but why not throw a lending hand to a little someone? Shouldn't be all too hard. Besides. She was just a Shadow Clone after all. 

[Hyūga Hinoe]

Ever since graduation, Hinoe had been careful to not feel like she had reached her destination, still pushing onward and forward to get better as a ninja. The fact that she could now finally be called an official shinobi of Konohagakure was something that made the Hyuuga's heart swell with pride, but Hinoe still considered that her becoming a Genin was not an accomplishment, but the start of a new phase of life, complete with challenges and possible failures.

Also, the fact that she had been delayed in her journey as a ninja made Hinoe even more eager to progress as quickly as she could. This meant she would be doing a lot of training, as well as reaching out to whomever she could to help her close the gap with her age mates, some of whom were already as far advanced as Jounin. So she had reached out to the Academy; their job was education, so surely they would be able to connect her with someone who could help, if one of the teaching staff did not. The result was a connection with a Chuunin named Hatake Shinde.

Unwilling to keep her instructor waiting, Hinoe had hurried to the designated training ground, dressed casually for the occasion. She arrived just a little moment after Shinde, and bowed to the silver-haired kunoichi. "Hatake Shinde-san, hajimemashite. I hope I have not kept you waiting." It was impressive that Shinde was already a Chuunin at so young an age; Hinoe had no issues with being trained by a younger person. There were many in the ninja world who were young and incredibly talented. "I'm ready for my lesson."

Hatake Shinde

[Hatake Shinde]

When Hinoe had arrived, the biggest surprise wasn't their age, nor the color of their skin, but instead, the size of their bust. Shinde was nearly fifteen and hadn't gotten close to developing a chest that size. Which showed that even if Hinoe wasn't developing as a Kunoichi in the way she so wanted to, she was leaping bounds in other areas. Much to Shinde's chagrin and envy. However, that wasn't important at the moment, though she sweatdropped. "Right. Water Walking if I recall." Shinde exclaims, before she walks closer to the water's edge, channeling chakra to the soles of her feet.

"This should be easier for members of your clan. Used to channeling chakra throughout your Tenketsu for the Jyuuken. But I'll go over the idea." Shinde exclaims, slowly walking out atop the surface of the water, of which was deep enough where a person might not sink, but would be a bit past knee height in water, or at most waist high. "Chakra is channeled to the soles of the feet, much like tree walking. But water, unlike wood has a much soft surface tension. And unlike a hard surface, it fluctuates. So. You need to adjust your chakra to be much more precise. Too much? Or too little? And you'll break the tension and you'll sink." Shinde exclaims, before raising a finger as she raises her head up to the sky, almost cockily with a happy grin. 

"This technique is all about instinct. Getting your body in sync with that level needed. But. Luckily for you? I know a secret that will help you learn this much faster. Care to take a wild guess what that is?"

[Hyūga Hinoe]

Hinoe noted the sweat drop on Shinde's head, and wondered. It was not so hot, was it, so why was the Chuunin perspiring? Well, maybe she had been doing exercises while waiting for the Hyuuga to show up. When the ash haired girl mentioned Water Walking, Hinoe blinked in surprise. Was that what was the order of the day? Before Hinoe could say anything, Shinde had already walked over to the pool of water close by.

"I think--" Shinde proceeded to talk about how the Hyuuga were very likely to easily get the hang of Water Walking, as they were known for their precise chakra manipulation. Shinde was not wrong, but Hinoe was not sure Water Walking was the best thing to learn, if she had not yet practiced Tree Walking. From the simple to the complex, people often said. "Uh, I--" The ash haired kunoichi next proceeded to talk about the process of regulating one's chakra when standing on a water surface.

Hinoe responded to Shinde's grin with a visibly uncertain smile and an equally unsure thumbs-up. "Uh... is it... I don't know, the Tree Walking technique?" Hinoe asked, giving a not so intelligent (in her opinion) answer. "Because I kinda suspect that Water Walking would be easier to learn, if I knew Tree Walking, which, unfortunately, I don't. I was hoping that was what you'd get to teach me, Shinde-san."

Hatake Shinde

[Hatake Shinde]

"Oh..." Thinking about that for a moment, Shinde finds herself clapping her hands. "That's alright. This should be easier then." Taking the liberty to walking over to the nearest tree, she'd slowly walk straight forwards, and then upwards, before walking up the surface. Nothing new. "This jutsu is...pretty simple. Really. Same principle as the water walking, but a harder surface doesn't change all that much." As she makes her ascent, she slowly hops down with a somersault, landing firmly on her feet.

"Can be pretty dangerous if you don't have somewhere soft to land, but there's a tip for this. First. You don't need to start off running. In fact. I wouldn't recommend it." She exclaims, before slowly lifting her right foot, shaking her ankle, before then resting it along the tree. "Do that? Form the ram sign, and get a feel for it. One foot. Try to get it to stick. Then? The other? Then. Walk." Resting her arms behind her head, she steps back as to look at Hinoe. "Remember what I said. Instinct. Build a sense of confidence and let it become a natural thing." Shinde would give her small words of wisdom, and hoped that the tip was useful. Because from here on out? There wasn't really much else to say other than letting Hinoe ride the experience. Embrace the suck.

[Hyūga Hinoe]

Hinoe waited for a little moment before Shinde clapped her hands, stating that the lesson would likely be easier. Hinoe decided she would have to take the Chuunin at her word. But 'easier' did not mean without difficulty. It simply meant that what Shinde had had in mind, before realizing the task at hand was Tree Walking, was more difficult than this new lesson. Well, countless shinobi had mastered this skill. How difficult could it be?

The hyuuga watched silently as Shinde ascended the trunk of the tree she had chosen, explaining the details of the technique before gracefully flipping off the tree. The warning against running was noted thankfully; Hinoe had already braced herself to charge the tree. Imitating the Hatake heiress, Hinoe raised her own right foot and shook it, before placing its sole flat against the tree trunk. Forming the designated sign that Shinde mentioned, Hinoe laced the bottom of her foot with chakra. Nothing. Maybe she was using too little. She increased output a bit, and her foot almost flew off the tree. That seemed to have been a bit much.

Repositioning her foot on the tree's stem, the Hyuuga tried again. Thanks to her precise ability to use chakra, it didn't take too long to find the sweet spot, and Hinoe felt her foot stick to the tree. Slowly, carefully, she lifted her other foot, and placed it on the trunk, so that she was standing sideways. She stood there for a moment, then lifted her right foot. Whether it was due to a mental distraction or something else, Hinoe's chakra control faltered as she removed her foot, and the Hyuuga crashed to the ground. Fortunately, she did not have far to fall.

"Glorious..." she said drily, staring up at the leaves above her as she lay on her back.

Hatake Shinde

[Hatake Shinde]

To say that Hinoe was going to need some work wasn't an understatement. However, really, there wasn't all too much for Shinde to lecture on there. "You're thinking too much." She'd exclaim, before slowly studying their body language as they moved. Only for them to slowly sit up and do a bit of thinking. "I suppose if you want to learn this fast. I could teach you the same way I did Ataru." She mused, as she thinks it out. "Especially if you want to be tried and tested like a proper ninja." Sitting upright, she slowly reaches for the sides of her pouches and proceeds to take out a handful of Shuriken, flexing them within her fingers.

"There's nothing quite like the thrill of danger to get someone so riled up and determined to succeed." She says, before thinking to herself on that front. "You know? I trained him. Ataru. If you've heard of him. An eight year old boy. One year. And when I did he passed the Chuunin Exam on his first shot. Taught him nearly everything he knew." She mused out loud, as to perhaps convince Hinoe that Shinde knew what she was talking about. "If you'd like to learn, and are willing to face it tough. I could probably make you as skilled in that same amount of time." The way Shinde spoke, it was as if she had no doubt, but instead a full confidence in her abilities.

[Hyūga Hinoe]

Hinoe lay on the ground a moment longer, as Shinde suggested she was overthinking things. "Maybe I am," the Hyuuga said pensively, before sitting up and looking up at the Hatake girl. The statement about being 'tried and tested like a proper ninja' caught Hinoe's attention. She did not know who this Ataru kid was, but an eight year old boy passing the Chuunin exam on his first shot was an incredible feat. Very likely he was quite talented, but perhaps Shinde's teaching style was nothing to sneer at either.

"I'm definitely interested in this 'proper ninja' training," Hinoe said, rising to her feet. "And you do sound like an incredible teacher. However, I'm not going to keep my hopes too high. Not because you're a poor teacher, but because I am admittedly not certain about my own skill. Still, I am resolved to not give up, nor to take shortcuts. Endurance is the way of the ninja. I'm fine with facing it tough."

For now, Hinoe had no idea what Shinde was planning with those shuriken, but she readied herself. This might just be a great learning moment, and it was best to pay attention, not only to what was being said, but also to what was being done.

Hatake Shinde

[Hatake Shinde]

"I'm glad you're interested. You'll find my training is intense, and emphasizes speed. Agility. Reflexes. And most important of all. Instinct." Shinde claims, as the grey haired Hatake twists her head one way and then the next. Before she takes a deep breath. "You'd best get to tree walking." She exclaims, for within the next moment, she hurls that handful of Shuriken in Hinoe's general direction, and as they spin in mid air, her hands flash through handseals at a swift pace, as she exhales then a fiery gout of flaming petals.

"Katon: Housenka no Jutsu!" She exclaims, coating each of the throwing stars in that brilliant heat, each of the stars beginning to fly towards Hinoe then, whipping out as she began to make her ascent, likely forced to hop, and or swiftly adjust herself to the sudden influx of dangerous projectiles. Though Shinde had thrown them just slow enough that she'd hoped anyways the Hyuuga should be able to dodge. And with enough gaps between them that even if one or two did nick her, it shouldn't slice anything important or vital. What was even better? The heat would singe that wound as to prevent her from bleeding to death. Honestly. Shinde was so generous. There was almost a charming smile, one too bright and happy in this moment.

Ataru knew just how intense Shinde's methods could be.

"Best use your environment. Hyuuga-Chan! Time for a practical application!"

[Hyūga Hinoe]

Hinoe knew she was some degrees above the average shinobi of her rank, when it came to agility and reflexes. Regarding speed, she wasn't sure she was impressive, but it was something she hoped she could work on. Instinct? That sounded vague. How did one train instinct? While Hinoe had no answers to that question, she suspected that it would be improved by practice. Everything was improved by practice.

The Hatake heiress asked her to get going up the tree, and Hinoe complied. With the shuriken in the ash haired girl's hands, Hinoe did not want to move too slowly, as that would make an easy target for Shinde. Granted, Shinde was a Chuunin, and could probably nail her easily with a thrown projectile, but still, it was best to show some effort. The call of a Fire Release technique being used made Hinoe almost turn to stare at Shinde in alarm. "Wait, what?!"

The Genin's alarm caused her to flee up the trunk of the tree as fast as she could, hearing the sound of something thudding into the wood below her. At that point, she lost a bit of focus, and found her foot slipping off the tree. Unwilling to fall back to the ground like she had done on her first attempt, Hinoe tried unsuccessfully to remain stuck with her other foot, and transitioned it into a jump, twisting her body and leaping horizontally to th trunk of another tree, where she visibly struggled, but succeeded to remain on the trunk.

Hatake Shinde

[Hatake Shinde]

"Atatata. It isn't over yet." She exclaims, watching as the Hyuuga girl struggled, nearly stumbling and falling. Only for Shinde to pull and tug on her fingers. The screeching of wires as she alters the Shuriken's trajectory for some of the flaming projectiles, only to swing and with an act of absurd dexterity, clash the Shuriken together and slice their wires, sending them flying towards Hinoe at odd angles and curves. As the metal wires drop to the ground, Shinde loops her fingers out of the loops she made as she shakes her head. "Your environment's a lot more diverse! Use the unorthodox! The field is yours!" She exclaims, knowing that the trees were an excellent field advantage for any Konoha nin.

These forests were their home, and unlike any other region, they knew how to climb the best. Or they best better. "Tch. They're going to need to try a little harder." Shinde exclaims, as they sigh, reaching along their back. "They should really start upping the standards for Konoha ninja. We're all soldiers. After all." She says to herself as she draws a katana with a long unsheathing. Only for her blade to then glow a bright silvery white as she slashes her sword hand outwards, a long diagonal slash appearing along the dirt and grass even though she'd never even touched the floor. Hinoe was soon to discover that Shinde was a teacher from hell.

[Hyūga Hinoe]

Hinoe was about to heave a sigh of relief, when she heard Shinde state that it wasn't over yet. What on earth had she gotten herself into, this time? The short but unmistakable sound of metal screeching against metal, the almost inaudible twang of some cord snapping, and the observation of Shinde in the background making moves with her hands, informed Hinoe that she was about to be in the middle of something rather unpleasant.

Or rather, she already was in the middle.

Veins bulging around her temples, Hinoe's dojutsu came alive, as she immediately took note of the shuriken with altered trajectories, the projectiles she thought she had just dodged. Leaping forward (or upward, from Shinde's perspective), the Hyuuga grabbed a branch above her and swung herself into a somersault, throwing herself off the tree she had been on, as she managed to successfully evade most of the shuriken. Most, because one managed to slice a dozen strands of hair off of her head, but Hinoe was ultimately unharmed.

Kicking off another tree, Hinoe threw herself back to the tree she had just jumped off, managing to stick to the trunk successfully, this time. Immediately, she went round the tree, so that the huge trunk would be between herself and Shinde. The ash-haired kunoichi responded by drawing her katana, and making a slash. Normally, Shinde seemed too far away to do anything with that slash, but Hinoe saw the chakra building in her teacher, and the wave. She managed to jump further down the tree to narrowly miss the projected slash, which took off a decent part of the tree.

Carefully, the Hyuuga peeked out at Shinde, an uncertain expression on her face. "Uh... you're not trying to kill me, are you?"

Hatake Shinde

[Hatake Shinde]

Hinoe had asked the question. Was Shinde trying to kill her? The girl thought about that for a moment. Before smiling brightly. "Not at all. Don't be ridiculous!" The grey haired girl exclaimed, and with it, that was the absolute truth. However, taking a momentary pause, she sheaths her blade into its scabbard, before weaving a series of handseals. Ending it off with the horse seal. "Katon! Goka Messhitsu!" Her chest puffing up, before she exhales a massive gout of flame that begins to rapidly spread and traverse over the area, taking a large chunk of her chakra, as she waves her head like a flamethrower, as the fire rapidly begins to spread and wash over her area of thicket.

Which meant that the Hyuuga likely only had one viable option. To run. To run like hell. As the flames reflected in the light of her eyes. And in that sense, Hinoe likely hadn't even realized it yet, but she'd rapidly adapted, and she was already tree walking better than she'd ever had before. That was to say, not well at all, without even having to think about it. For her survival instincts forced her body to attune as to escape from danger. That was what Shinde meant by "instinct". And while Hinoe indeed might consider Shinde's training to be that from hell. Those that survived it would become demons.

SPOILER: Click to show

Name: Katon: Gōka Messhitsu [Fire Release: Great Fire Destruction]
Rank: A
Chakra Usage: Very High
Type: Ninjutsu
Element:Katon
HANDSEALS: 12
Description:A technique where chakra kneaded inside the user's body is converted into fire, and then expelled from the mouth in a massive stream of intense flames that can set a vast area ablaze, engulfing the target in a veritable sea of flames. If used upon dense, combustible terrain such as a forest, the confined area can greatly increase the possibility of the target's incineration.

[Hyūga Hinoe]

Hinoe did not know whether to take Shinde's response to her question as truth, or disbelieve it. For starters, why did the ash haired girl have to think before giving an answer? Thinking before answering such a question was rather suspicious. Also, that smile. Shinde seemed too happy. Hinoe began to wonder what she had gotten herself into. Unfortunately, having regret about what she had landed herself in was too late.

Hinoe knew she was in trouble when Shinde started weaving handseals. She wasn't sure, but she counted more than ten of them. And while Hinoe was still a Genin, she knew enough about chakra manipulation to suspect that a jutsu that required many handseals was probably a very dangerous one. The name of the technique did absolutely nothing to assuage Hinoe's worries.

"Great Fire What?!!!"

There was no time to complain about the bombastic name of the technique. Or at least, the name did not seem so exaggerated, given the amount of fire Shinde spewed from her mouth. Hinoe ran. That was all she could do. Pumping chakra into her legs, she flung herself from tree to tree, as she fled before the flames, pushing her body to the utmost to escape the fire. What sort of person was this Shinde, truly? What had turned her into such a creature? Well that didn't matter. What was most important was avoiding becoming yakiniku.

Hatake Shinde

[Hatake Shinde]

Well, the fact she was able to push herself to outrun the flames meant that she'd done her job well, for if she turned back, she'd see quickly several trees were engulfed in flame, completely enveloped and wrapped in a brilliant bath that would redume them into cinders, ashes, and bits of charcoal. And as she avoided being cooked and cremated within the wooded territory, Shinde would gradually come to cease her great fire destruction, before looking at the now charred black clearing. "Ara. Ara. That's a pretty good job. If I say so myself." Shinde pats herself on the back.

"Hey!" Shinde screams out. "Are you alive?! If so! I give you a passing grade!" Shinde says, waving her hand out for the Hyuuga to see. And if they did begin their return to Shinde's location. Before they could protest, the Hatake heiress would proceed to hold up her hand. "I don't have a lot of time or chakra left, but I wanted to let you know? You made some great strides of progress there. And I guess I'll hope to see you next week." Stepping forward, looking at how Hinoe was likely coated in a light sheen of sweat, the signs of labor?

"I might even meet you in person next time. Ja-ne." The Shinde clone exclaims before poofing. Kage Bunshin. Wait. Was Hinoe being trained by a damn shadow clone all this time?