The babbling brook before her refused to bend to Miyako's commands. Try as she might, weaving together hand seals in practiced movements, the water's surface did little more than bubble. "Gaah!" she kicked the dirt, silver brow furrowed into a scowl above golden orbs.
"This should be simple." she grumbled, arms lowering to her side. One hand came to rest on the hilt of her katana, comfort taken in the feel of its black cloth against her palm.
Miyako was an Uchiha. They could do anything if her father and grandfather were to be believed. Crushing dirt beneath her boots, she peered at her reflection in the water. Disgust and disappointed at the sight of her own eyes. Pale and golden - not what she needed, not what she wanted - deserved.
"Tck." how dare she pity herself. If she didn't like what she saw, then what else was there to do but change it? Be the sword she was meant to be.
She stepped back from the pond's edge and raised her hands before her. The delicate movements began once again. She desired a wall of water, and the hand seals reflected it.
But again, she'd find only the painful sting of failure.
Her curse.
MADE BY VEL OF GS + WW
Last Edit: Sept 12, 2021 11:27:27 GMT by Miyako Uchiha
There were busy days ahead, of that she was certain. There was much blood to be shed, many new opponents to face, and many meals she currently couldn't afford. It was a difficult thing to be a merc charging into battle without payment. Normally she had a strict rule against that sort of thing, but when the samurai got involved all bets were off. That was why she had to work on her techniques and continue to adjust to her injuries. It was important that she be in top shape before the battle began, as one false step would be enough to cut her journey short.[break][break]
It had been a long morning of work, and now was as good a time as any to take a break for some hydration. She casually made her way through the forest, sipping at the water she kept her her gourd that was usually reserved for jutsu. But fuck it. She was thirsty, and the brook was just a short ways away. Why wait to satisfy that dry throat of hers? She let out a breath of satisfaction as she neared the river, only to stop short as she heard a cry of frustration travel across the water and into the trees. Brows rose in curiosity as she slowed her pace, her movement shifting a bit to stick closer to the shadows in her approach.[break][break]
She would arrive at the edge of the brook just in time to watch the girl form a series of hand seals and stare intently at the water, as if expecting it to bend to her will. This poor thing was clearly struggling. She could see the irritation on her face, that building anger that comes from repeatedly bashing ones head against a wall and not even seeing a single crack start to form. And not just because she heard the girl's previous groaning, even if that was a pretty good tip to her present state of mind.[break][break]
With a soft sigh, the older shinobi would quietly step forward, keeping her right arm tucked away in her loosely fitting kimono as she kneeled down by the water to refill her gourd. "That was a pretty sorry show. You know that using a jutsu is about more than just memorizing hand seals, right?" Her single eye only spared a glance at the white haired Uchiha before turning her attention back to the water. "Trust me, if it's not working just stick to the elements you're familiar with. Don't waste your time trying to learn new tricks right before an important battle."
NOTES Ya, old lady - beat it if you're not going to help.
There's no time to get frustrated over her failure. A stranger whose approach went unheard due to Miya's narrowed-minded focus spoke up. Immediately, golden orbs shot in the woman's direction, turning to daggers the second they landed upon her kneeling form. "I don't remember asking for your opinion." Once more, she sought comfort in the hilt of her katana. Fingers curled tightly around the clothed wrapped handle.
"But I'm aware." she added, tongue clicking against the back of pearly whites. Jutsu required proper control of one's chakra, which she had, but something was missing. Miya could feel it in her bones. A vital piece of the puzzle was lost amongst the grass. If only she could find it.
Golden hues couldn't help but roll at the pinkette. Again injecting advice when none had been asked for. Still - Miyako stared intently at the woman. An amber line traced her up and down. One-eyed and carrying a sword. The signs of a warrior who'd seen their fair share of battle, no doubt. Perhaps her advice was worth listening to? If nothing else, it might offer some insight into what exactly Miyako's missing.
"That's not an option." she says with a huff, "I need to master the Water Release. Without it, I -" Miya stopped herself and clutched the handle of her sword tighter. There's no need to reveal the depths of her plight to a stranger.
"So, unless you're willing to offer advice on how I can achieve that. I suggest you collect your water and scram. I'd like to continue training in peace."
MADE BY VEL OF GS + WW
Last Edit: Sept 12, 2021 11:28:13 GMT by Miyako Uchiha
The girl's initial response was met with a restrained chuckle. Looked like he struck a nerve with this little firecracker. Adorable. Though he couldn't blame her much for getting defensive in a situation like this. She now had a witness to her failures, one that wasn't afraid to pipe up and tease her for them at that. "Well, as long as you understand that much." For a moment she was worried this was some poor girl that was trying to get in too deep. Sure, she was able to pull off those hand seals like she knew what she was doing. But even a common fisherman could memorize and rehearse patterns like that.[break][break]
While the girl rolled her eyes, Tsubaki would just flash her a grin and take a deep swig from her gourd. She held it to her lips as she tilted her head back, gulping it down without hesitation and holding it there until the container was completely empty. When she finally pulled it away she let out a breath of refreshment, as if chugging all that water had completely revitalized her. Her toothy grin remained constant as she brought her sleeve up to wipe her lips, brows raising as the stranger insisted that she had no choice but to master these techniques.[break][break]
With a heavy sigh, the rogue ninja lowered her gourd back into the water to fill it back up. "Hate to break it to ya kid, but it's gonna be a long while before you master anything." Once her jug was filled she would fasten it back to her hip and push herself up off the ground with a soft grunt. She had to admit, this kid was kinda endearing. "You want help? Here's my first word of advice." Her eyes turned to Miyuki's hand that was tightly gripping the hilt of her blade. She couldn't sense any killing intent from the girl, so she wasn't too concerned for her own safety. But still..."Careful with your hands there. Keep squeezing your blade like that and people are gonna think you intend to use it."[break][break]
As she spoke she would step forward as if to start wading through the river. Yet when she did, her foot didn't break the surface. Instead they met it as if a solid surface, a faint glow radiating from underneath as the chakra gently flowed into the water. "Second of all, training in peace is overrated. You plan on using these techniques on the battlefield, right? If you can't manage them with someone heckling you then good luck doing it surrounded by a cacophony of death." The one eyed kunoichi continued to step closer to the chunin, her steps just as relaxed and effortless as if she were striding across the land. Sure, it was a bit more exhausting than when she was in her prime. But so long as she could make it look easy it'd be fine.
