People of the village often came to admire Mai for her unique approach towards the path of a Shinobi. Being an eighteen year old prodigy who reached her current rank of Jounin at the age of fourteen, one would expect her to be no less than an emotionless murder machine or, at the very least, as cold and professional as high-seated officers come. As it would turn out, she instead is a very friendly and reliable person with big sister energy surrounding her persona. This sort of attitude would often as a bridge to connected her to the rest of the villagers in a way that other seniors simply lacked. Above all, one could notice the young Aburame was doing this because she wanted to, not a single hint of weariness or frustration present on her expression even after consecutive weeks of intense activity, traveling across the country, doing missions and the like. One could only praise this level of mental enlightment or simply grow jealous of it. [break][break] How she still had time to kill after all her responsibilities was even more of a mystery. [break][break] One of her hobbies was sightseeing. You'd be surprised of how many beautiful landmarks the Hidden Rain holds within its territory in spite of its usual unstable weather. Today, however, Mai Aburame had found a good seat to enjoy a different sort of landscape. One that she had come to see several times by now and yet it still carried the same endearing traits it did the first time. Same time, same spot, as usual, two rookies were training there together, proof of their desire to become brillant adults in the future. The eighteen year old wasn't much older than them but she was already seeing them as if they were already part of a new generation of shinobi. [break][break] In any case, they weren't complete strangers. They were both part of Anotsu's platoon, man who she was much familiar with due to being colleagues bearing the same rank. She might or might not had the chance to look over their dossiers during a certain special jounin meeting, regardless, it was safe to say they had all interacted at some point in the past given how open she tended to be. Be it a 'hello and goodbye' or a more developed relationship, they had to at least recognize her on sight. She was an exemplary figure, after all! [break][break] "Hallo~" Beaming one big smile, the aburame left her seat, her body-flicker technique smoothly transitioning into a casual walk accompanied by a cheerful wave of her hand. "You kids are so full of energy~ It makes me want to give it my best too~." [break][break] Again, she was only slightly older than them, but still couldn't help but see them as kids... [break][break] "What say you? Would you let big sister take part in your training?"
[attr="class","boxo-notes"]Get ready for your training arc! We're learning bankai in three days
Another day of training, exactly what one would expect from a shinobi. While Daichi did most of his training in secret, it was still important to run drills with the team when it was scheduled. Of course he would've preferred if this wasn't the case, it was important for him to not develop a reputation of being lazy. He was supposed to be a respectable prodigy, not a rebel or something. Besides, he kinda liked training with Aiko. She was always so calm, and her talents were always admirable. Not to mention that it was never a big deal when she beat him at anything, since her strengths were completely different from the ones he toted! Who could blame a genin for losing to a chunin hyuga in hand to hand combat? All he had to do was not consider the fact she was only a year older than himself.[break][break]
Today, the duo was working on target practice. While the lavender haired kunoichi worked on her archery, Daichi would focus on improving his aim with the kunai. The only problem was that if he wanted to really work on his weaknesses, he would've had to reveal that he had any to begin with. So instead of trying to consistently hit targets with multiple kunai at once, he instead focused on perfecting what he already had down. The genin could be found practicing his quickdraw on one of the worn out targets in the practice area. His hands moved swiftly to draw and release the weapon in one fluid motion, but his accuracy was still far from perfect. But hey, at least almost all the attempt hit some part of the target.[break][break]
The sudden sound of a familiar voice suddenly caught the boy's ear, his muscles tensing up just as he was releasing a kunai from his fingers. The blade flew way off its mark, instead sticking itself unceremoniously into the ground. Shit. Lips curled into a nervous smile as he quickly spun to greet the Jonin, arms falling to his sides as he bowed his head slightly. "T-thank you, ma'am. We were just uh..." He shot a glance toward Aiko before looking back to their senior. Why did all the super cool strong prodigies in this village have to be so pretty? "O-oh. You want to...join us? Well...Uh..." His attention turned right back to Aiko as he silently deferred to her. Which was perfect, as it would surely buy him enough time to shake off these nerves and get right back to being all cool and stuff.
Watching Daichi’s quick release over and over, she was slowly gathering the spots he was struggling with. It was good to see he had gotten down the swift draw and release of a weapon, but it seemed he still needed more time to work on aiming. She herself had been working with her crossbow moments before. However, it all became irrelevant with the arrival of someone else. Jonin kunochi Mai Aburame.[break][break]
Aiko shifted her focus upon hearing the Hallo and eyed the slightly older woman curiously. A jonin since her young age, a figure Aiko was compared to by her family, it was always a little jarring to deal with this person face-to-face. Not that Aiko let that show. The younger woman merely eyed their new company curiously.[break][break]
Right up to her final offer, which got a small raise of the brow. Before Aiko had the chance to say a thing though, Daichi was already fumbling through a polite response. He seemed awfully… Timid? Nervous? Aiko glanced towards him, pondering what could’ve suddenly made him so anxious. Not that she had much time to linger on the thought as the whole situation was passed on to her, suddenly.[break][break]
“Hello, Aburame. Joint training with someone more experienced is always a good thing” Aiko quipped back, with an approving nod. “We were working on quickdraws and aiming. We’ve been at it for a bit though… So, if you’d like to work on something with us, we could switch it up” she politely offered, moving to stand beside Daichi. The Chunin offered a small belated bow to Mai in proper greeting once there.
"Oh, there is no need to be so formal." Slightly embarrassed herself, the Jounin allowed herself a chuckle. In her haste to be a part of their daily activity, she might have startled the pair but, with every second that passed by, she regretted it less. You see, her underclassmen had each reacted in an unique way and, as it would turn out, she found both of them to be endearing. Responding with a bow of her own, the Aburame didn't miss the opportunity to coat it with a pinch of her playful personality. "Senpai would be happy to be addressed by her first name, at least once in a while~." [break][break] They say a Shinobi must see underneath the underneath. Often times, it would be difficult to grasp whether Mai was being serious and testing them or just pulling their leg in a friendly attempt to break the ice. Who knew? It was not like the two of them could see beyond the facade of a natural prodigy with the experience they had accumulated under their belts thus far. Regardless, her words were particularly accurate. Surely being on a first name basis wouldn't help Daichi's shyness one bit, while the Hyuuga were never well-known for quickly abandoning etiquette, much less when interacting with a superior officer. [break][break] "Those are good skills to improve on. But don't overdo it, okay? Hand injuries can be particularly nasty to deal with." [break][break] Getting hurt from simple bukijutsu practice? How many repetitions would one need to reach those extremes? Just what sort of training was this woman used to? In any case, her words carried no ill intent. She genuinely did not want to see them get hurt, even though she, as a professional medic, could easily mend their wounds. Perhaps she, in the past, had seen someone suffer from pushing themselves in the way she described. [break][break] "How about a teamwork lesson to round out today's session? I've seen what you both can do individually, but I am curious as to what you are capable of as a unit." The Jounin drew an eager smile. What exactly did she have in mind? "There is a game that I am sure you'll love!" [break][break] A pause meant to allow the suspense to build up and then... [break][break] Ever heard of dodgeball?"
[attr="class","boxo-notes"]Get ready for your training arc! We're learning bankai in three days
Man, she was so different from Anotsu sensei. His posture immediately relaxed as she insisted upon informality, smile easing up into his usual show of confidence. Yeah, there was nothing to be worried about! She literally told them to address her by her first name. Not to mention her body language was so relaxed and carefree. What did he have to worry about? Sure, she was a jonin and could easily wipe the floor with him as well as the authority to do so on a whim. But none of that mattered if she was gonna be so down to earth.[break][break]
”Ok…Mai.” Saying that made him feel a bit giddy, a soft chuckle slipping out as he spoke. It was kind of exciting to be on friendly terms with a jonin. Though it made sense, considering everyone around here was about the same age. As Aiko spoke Daichi would nod along, casually twirling a kunai on his finger. ”Yeah, I’d say I just about mastered my quickdraw technique, so I think we’re good to move on to something else.” His smile grew into an amused smirk as he gave her a casual shrug. Just gonna pretend she didn’t see him mess up that throw when she came up and startled him.[break][break]
But there was an obvious bit of excitement to his voice at the prospect of training with Mai. It was good to see Aiko was ok with breaking off from their plans. He knew she could be a bit stiff sometimes, but it would’ve been a shame to pass up an opportunity like this! As much as he pretended he didn’t need the help, Daichi was always eager to learn whatever he could from the more experienced shinobi. And a teamwork exercise sounded perfect. After all, teamwork was something that you could only get better at with an actual team. No amount of solo training in the wilderness would give him that. So he nodded eagerly, leaning over to give Aiko a gentle nudge. ”Sounds great, Mai! Don’t you think, Aiko?” It was hard to hide his excitement, nor the hint of sheepishness to his usually so confident smile. ”So...What’s dodgeball, exactly?
The Jonin Aiko found herself encountering were certainly a strange bunch. From her nonchalant, yet firm, platoon leader, to the younger Mai and her flippant attitude, it was not at all what Aiko had prepared herself for. Tilting her head a little at the idea of using the woman’s first name, she was far more hesitant than Daichi, who eagerly jumped on the chance. Was it strange to be reluctant to remove that formal barrier? She glanced at her chuckling partner, expression void of the confusion she suddenly felt. [break][break]
Well, if Aburame wished to be addressed by her first name every once in a while, it seemed Daichi was handling it at the least. While also saying something about having already mastered the quickdraw? She opened her mouth slightly, but opted against discussing that point right now. Praise in public, criticize in private.[break][break]
Regardless, moving back to the matter at hand. A game about teamwork and individual ability? It was a fair bit puzzling, until the name of the game was revealed. The unsureness of the idea made Aiko’s brow furrow a bit, until she was nudged from her thoughts by Daichi. Looking at her partner, there was no denying his excitement at the whole thing, a thrill she couldn’t deny him, honestly. Especially when she got that hint of nerves from him, stil? Perhaps it was because Mai was a full fledged Jonin…[break][break]
But Aiko was a Chunin, so- That was enough thinking about all this.[break][break]
Shifting her focus back to Mai, Aiko took a deep breath. “It sounds fascinating, sensei. A lovely training opportunity” she agreed, as her eyes traveled the space around them. “I assume it’s a game where we throw balls at each other, with the intent to dodge them? At the base level, at least?” she theorized, pondering where said balls would come from. Though as she considered it, the name Aburame loomed in the back of her mind.[break][break]
She wasn’t going to have to dodge bugs, was she? Dodge-bugs? The thought almost made her crack a smile, but she kept it contained.
"In dodgeball, two teams pitted against one another attempt to hit each other using a ball. If a thrown ball touches you anywhere, you are out. But if you manage to catch the ball with your hands, you are spared! It is all about seizing control of the field and creating opportunities." Nodding in response to the Hyuuga's reasoning, the Jounin proceeded to properly explain the base rules so someone like Daichi wouldn't feel out of the loop. "When a team member is hit, they must leave the field but can continue playing providing outside assistance. It's only when all players in a team have been hit once that the game truly ends." [break][break] The game was as simple as it was intense, guaranteed fun for the times to come. Ninja training could get dull from time to time, so that sort of exercise would help keep their mind fresh and energetic, while bolstering their team power. In order to even have a chance of success, they would have to become more than the sum of their parts. With a high ranking ninja on the other side of the field, anything else would simply fall short. But that was what made it all the more exciting. To see how far one had progressed... To get a feel of how far one stood from the goal... Most people wanted a chance to prove themselves, and that was it. [break][break] "And it's just as you suspect, Aiko. I'll be adding a special rule as well and that is: 'the use of ninja gear and ninja techniques is permitted'." [break][break] In other words, they'd need to be on their toes, for this practice would involve more than coordination, reflexes and communication. It would put all of their ninja skills to the test. The objective was to hit the Aburame once using a ball as a weapon. In order to do that, they'd have to put everything in their arsenal to good use. Offense, defense, balance... Just how would the underclassmen adapt to this predicament? [break][break] The ball itself was not made of insects or, at the very least, didn't look like it was. But Mai had kept one concealed up until now, so that was definitely suspicious. In fact, at some point during the explanation, bugs had begun to gather around her. If they had been using her body as their nest, their exit had been so discrete that the pair would only notice a significant time later. [break][break] "Usually, both teams have the same amount of players..." Tossing the ball high into the air, she waves a quick string of handseals, commanding the swarm to move at her command. When the ball finally descends, it isn't her hand the one to catch it. "... Fixed." [break][break] Before Mai now stood a second Mai... A replica, no, a decoy. This was not a clone, but rather the swarm of insects merely borrowing her appearance. Far from confessing that a handicap might be a good way to even things out, what seemed like a hard challenge already moves one step closer to hell?! [break][break] "Ready?" [break][break] Once everything is set, the game begins with the ball being thrown straight towards Daichi's solar plexus. A telegraphed throw, dodging or catching it shouldn't be too difficult. But it would only get harder from then onwards.
[attr="class","boxo-notes"]Get ready for your training arc! We're learning bankai in three days
Somehow, the game of dodgeball had eluded the young genin up until this point. But it sounded simple enough from what they were saying. Just throw balls while trying not to get hit, right? It wasn’t too different from the training she interrupted for this. In fact it actually sounded like a good exercise in general. It would train awareness, reflexes, accuracy, throwing power... His mind was already buzzing with applications for this as well as the various ways he could apply his skills to try and squeeze out a victory. Even if it was just a game, getting a win over a jonin would definitely make for a fine notch in his belt.[break][break]
And then she made a little extra clarification, one that made this both more exciting and more intimidating. This wasn’t just going to be throwing balls around, this was quickly turning into a full on drill. It seemed like nothing was off the table, which definitely gave their senior a bit of an edge. ”Ok...Yeah. This sounds simple enough. I think we’ve got a pretty good shot here, ey Aiko?” His smile grew a bit to hide his anxieties, giving her a bit of a nudge with his elbow. Thank goodness he had a chunin of Aiko’s caliber on his side definitely made things a bit less intimidating. Though the fact that Mai was just casually carrying the ball around with her made him wonder if this whole thing was a bit more than a spontaneous idea.[break][break]
At least they did right up until Mai summoned her ally, a swarm of insects that he hadn’t noticed gathering on his body until now. Right, she was an Aburame. That clan with the bugs and stuff. He heard plenty about them when Mai was first promoted to jonin, his father spending a whole week ranting in private about how those bugs were a ‘disgusting and unfair advantage’. Personally he thought they were kind of cool. Even if they did kinda...live in her bones or something? It wasn’t nearly as nasty in person as his father made it sound. ”Ok...Uh….” A hand slipped into the bag of tools hanging by his side, taking a quick tally of everything he had on him. Plenty of kunai and shuriken that...Well, she did say that tools were allowed, right? It wasn’t like she would let her get seriously hurt in all this...right? Right. Yeah, it’d be fine. Just no explosive tags, probably.[break][break]
”Alright. Ready? Ready.” He shot a glanced toward Aiko, giving her a nod of confirmation to make sure she was all set. And no sooner did they receive their confirmation did he spot the jonin winding up for a throw. The ball was quick, but not too quick for him to react. He widened his stance, holding his hands out to catch it before the sphere could connect with his body. A bit of a chuckle slipped out as he spun the ball in his hands, smile growing in confidence. ”I’d comment on the lack of warning, but that’d probably just get a ‘shinboi should be ready for anything’ lecture, right?”[break][break]
This quickly became an advantageous situation for Team Daiko. Now that the ball was in their hands, they could dictate the pace of the engagement. His gaze flicked to his partner as the various possibilities raced through his mind. At the end of the day, he knew she should be taking the lead on this. As cool as it would be for him to be the mastermind behind the win, he couldn’t disrespect Aiko like that. So he held the ball out to her, eyes focusing on the opposition. ”Long as we got the ball, we’ve got the advantage. Let’s make our shots count.”
Well, the rules of the game made enough sense, at least. Certainly nothing as complicated as shogi, much to her relief. Unfortunately for Mai, the fun aspect seemed a little lost on Aiko as her expression remained unchanging as her superior spoke. Even after the Chunin almost snickered to herself at a dumb joke in her mind. The only thing that broke her eye contact with the jonin was the permission to use ninja gear. A fact that had Aiko promptly check the crossbolt on her arm, then the arrows at her hip. In that moment of checking though, she slid a line of string from her pouch - hiding it in her sleeve for the moment. Ideas were already forming in her mind, though her attention settled on Daichi as she noticed his demeanor growing more anxious. [break][break]
Though he was trying to hide it, Aiko found Daichi was always a terrible liar. However, it was once more not the time to tackle that matter. He was seeking assurance in his words, to which she replied in kind. She nodded with a confident look of her own, gently elbowing him back. [break][break]
As the suspicious ball was produced, Aiko’s gaze fell to it. Her hand moved to make the necessary sign for activating her Byakugan as it seemed things were about to get into motion. A fact that became apparent with the second manifestation of Mai, formed from insects. A thought that made Aiko twitch her nose in vague discomfort. This was really an unfortunate foe to be facing, huh? Not only for her skill level, but her particular skill set. Aiko simply couldn’t stand bugs. [break][break]
“Ready?” [break][break]
Aiko nodded as she was addressed by both parties. It started not a beat too soon, and Aiko’s face stayed facing the Mai’s in front of her as the ball was promptly being thrown at Daichi. The throw was so straight forward, she wondered if there was more mischief at play, honestly. Daichi handed the ball off to her, and Aiko reluctantly took it from him, her brow furrowing a tick more with distrust. However, while it appeared that she was merely trying to make sure the ball wasn’t a trick, her fingers were making quick work of sliding the discrete wire around it. [break][break]
“Seems straightforward enough” she agreed to Daichi, before suddenly chucking the ball without further warning right at the Mai clone. A copy of Mai’s own straightforward toss from moments before. [break][break]
However, when the ball got close enough to be caught or hit it’s mark, it would suddenly be ripped back with the tug of Aiko’s hand and the wire. Now the ball was sent in reverse, flying back towards Daichi as Aiko ran at the clone. Intending to take advantage of the abrupt change of attacker - from ball to person - and pressing her hand to the center of the bug’s chest. Chakra pulsed from her hand, not doing anything at first, before bursting with the intent to cause the equivalent of internal damage it may have caused a person. A burst of energy to disturb the bug’s form, perhaps?
