It was a cool, misty morning like any other in Kirigakure, with constant waves battering against the shore and gulls squawking overhead. The air was crisp and salty as always, a light breeze blowing past the lush treetops and fields of sand. Beautiful as the place was, the land shared its dangers in equal measure. One could never be complacent with their strength in such an environment lest they risk getting swallowed up by the tides.
"Form up!" Makoto shouted. Although her small legion of pups scrambled from one end of the beach to the other, the command wasn't meant for them in the first place. Rather, the Inuzuka was yelling to her more human companions - whoever they may be - to signal that their exercise was soon to begin.
In preparation for the battles ahead, the Jounin had called upon any able-bodied ninja to join her for a day of intensive training. Naturally, that entailed pitting any volunteers against her pack of ninken. When the Scurvy Dogs weren't out on patrol or guard duty, they were performing exercises like these designed to put their mettle to the test. Makoto wasn't known to go easy on them either, even if the hounds were the closest thing to family she had left.
To the untrained eye, the Hyuuga had simply materialized afront the Jounin and her kin.
True shinobi, however, were privy to the fact that he wasn't quite that fast yet. Feline eyes remained lowered. The tall, lean form rest in a crouch with absolute stillness. Silver locks, flowing like silk beneath the winds of practiced motion, came to rest behind him as if a blanket of tresses. His very form was neat and uniform, knuckles pressed to the sand and terra below. The standard Chuunin gear assigned to their ranks fit snug against his person, every inch of his clothing pressed and clear of dirt or lint. The ebb and flow of time seemed altogether paused at a breath before the Hyuuga's head lifted, acknowledging his Superior's presence with naught more than an obedient silence.
A well-oiled machine Asura was, finally standing to full height and towering over most who had made his acquaintance. Pools of luminescent green never strayed from their undivided attention, the command of the Jounin before him his sole purpose for drawing breath. Despite the calm that presented itself above the surface, however, one would have been foolish to assume him soulless, lifeless. No, it was quite the opposite. This marionette hosted a flame that, if she commanded it, would reduce the world around them to ash at a moment's notice.
Sand. Ugh, he hated sand. It constantly shifted under the weight of his feet. The blasted thing would always get into his shinobi sandals. Whenever his Byakugan was active, his brain was almost obligated to notice the number of grains there were at any given moment. The best part about sand, to the young genin, was leaving it behind once he got back to Kiri. Nevertheless, training was training. He wasn't particularly close to the other memembers of the shinobi force, but only a fool would turn down any opportunity to get stronger. Any thing that helped him smash heads in was a worthwhile endeavor. [break][break] Tsukiya walked with an almost lazy swagger to join the other shinobi. He chewed on his bubblegum obnoxiously, eyes scanning his fellow shinobi as he examined who he was training with. Oh, the other white haired Hyūga. Tsukiya could barely recall even having a conversation with his distant cousin. And the Inuzuka jonin? Should be fun then. [break][break] "Hyūga, Tsukiya. Sup?"
One look at the sorry bunch of ninja that showed up to the field today and Makoto could tell she'd have her work cut out for her. There were a couple of fresh-faced genin and anxious first-timers among the lineup, none of whom seemed to stand out. They may as well have been faceless husks before the veteran kunoichi, devoid of any recognition until they showed some potential.
"Hmph."
Save for a pair of Hyuuga that caught her attention, causing frosty blue irises to narrow with scrutiny. Makoto hadn't expected the mighty clan to let its youth run so free, thinking them way too disciplined for her style of tutelage. But perhaps that would make things more interesting. "So the Hyuuga came out to play today, huh?" the Inuzuka observed with a fanged smirk. "Alright, in that case...I got somethin' special in mind."
All of the sudden the woman whistled sharply and her ninken dispersed amongst the area, splitting the other participants into groups to run the usual drills. Makoto however remained solely focused on the shinobi that stood out from their mundane peers, the austere expression she wore belying her enthusiasm. For them, she clearly had other plans.
"We'll run a simple exercise for now." Makoto grinned as she made a brief turn and glanced down the grassy beach. Then the kunoichi clarified, "A pursuit." Exactly the sort of situation her ninja hounds would excel at, plus an experience that would test quick decision-making. "Ye'll be tryin' to escape from some trackers while keepin' these safe," she explained while tugging some old scrolls from the maws of her ninken and tossing them over to her trainees. Coated in slobber and chew marks, the scrolls had seen better days but would still serve their purpose for the sake of the exercise.
"Understood?"
Notes: lets get down to business! ask questions if needed
Just as quickly as he had arrived, it appeared that Asura would be bound for the exact opposite. He listened to the Jounin before him, standing to full height only when she'd addressed him. Easily, the Hyuuga dwarfed those whose height was well beneath his own. Her initial assessment did naught to deter him. Like pellets bouncing off of steel, Makoto held his undivided attention. She was certainly not wanting for volume or abrasive first impression, though neither had a true effect on Asura's calm, collected air. His orders received, the Chuunin's lips turned upward into a grin that spoke of challenge, of accomplishing the objective to its absolute completion. [break][break] He could feel it. That tug upon his soul, the chains rattling just slightly and accompanied by the groan of impatience within. Eyebrows furrowed as the Hyuuga received the scrolls, turning them over here and there to examine their composition. Immediately, his Byakugan exploded to life once birthed with a minute amount of chakra. The world was now his playground, every detail of flora and fauna his to dissect at a whim. Asura turned upon his heel. Only a nod to confirm the instructions, and Asura vaulted upward with a burst of speed. He needed to lose his pursuers, the feat nowhere near as easy in practice as it was in theory. Still, it was designed to test his knowledge and resolve against odds that outweighed him. [break][break] And so he took to a full speed dash, the scroll tucked away into the vest of his Chuunin's attire. Waves of silver flowed beautifully behind him as he sprinted, his destination clear: any forestry or land that would veil his scent, the sight of him, markings that would leave a trail. How he would accomplish such things remained unclear in the face of expert trackers. Regardless, the only direction was forward. If successful, the Hyuuga would create distance to at least give himself the opportunity to think.
The younger of the two Hyūga caught the offered scroll without really much thought. Much to his chagrin, dog slobber soon coated the entirety of his right hand. With a slight grimmace, he shook his hand rather forcefully in the air, flicking the slimy substance to the side. [break][break] "Ugh... yeah, seems pretty straight forward." he drawled. [break][break] He gave the other Hyūga a look. They were probably about to do something similar. Stuffing said scroll in the shinobi pack attached to his belt, Tsukiya swiftly went through the familiar handsigns that activated his dojutsu. Horse, tiger, boar... [break][break] "Byakugan!" [break][break] He refused to look at the sand. That was an instant headache waiting to happen. His instincts spoke to him as his eyes quickly scanned over his vicinity. Grass, rocks, structures--any kind of obstacle that would make it even slightly difficult for dogs. Spending charka running on uneven ground was just a waste of chakra. Tsukiya couldn't exactly say that he was the fastest or strongest shinobi. Rather, he considered himself quite clever. He was guessing the penalty for getting caught was an ass-kicking mixed with some sort of mauling from the dogs. Yeah--best avoid that. [break][break] He felt the wind pick up next to him. Empty space now occupied where the older Hyūga used to be. [break][break] "Nice meeting you too, sheesh." [break][break] With that, Tsukiya ran. The Inuzuka jounin didn't say anything about kicking dogs, did she?
At least these trainees weren't lacking in eagerness. How promising! After both the Hyuuga darted into the distance without asking a single question, Makoto looked rather pleased with their choice. She was a woman of action above all else, so wasting time with long explanations only wore on her nerves. Thankfully it seemed the Hyuuga were quick to pick up on her directions and understand what was expected of them; perks of their all-seeing eyes or something, she figured.
Out of the spirit of fairness she gave the volunteers a solid thirty second lead.
"Let's show 'em our fangs," Makoto mused once the wait was over. The group of ninken which stood at her flanks all barked in unison, furry heads popping up attentively as they sniffed at the air. Following the Hyuuga pair's scent was going to be an easy feat regardless of which path they chose. Sands, woods, or seas - it made little difference to the sharp nose of a ninken, much less an entire pack of them. There was nowhere to hide.
Plus, sprinting on four legs was much faster than two.
"Juujin Bunshin."
Smoke burst around her and Makoto growled.
Without further delay, the Inuzuka focused her senses and lurched ahead, exploding into a burst of movement as she shifted to all-fours. Her companions followed obediently at the kunoichi's heels, howling wildly as they fanned out in preparation to converge on their quarry. And it wouldn't take them very long to close the distance...
[attr="class","bolo-body] The woods seemed like a good idea. Tsukiya couldn't help scoff at himself as he ran into the coastal forest. Forests, huh? There were a few trees with branches thick enough for shinobi to jump on, but it wasn't like The Land of Fire. [break][break] Maritime forests were built different. Kiri was cool and all, and as much as the young Hyūga pushed aside his heritage, and as much as he enjoyed being on a boat, any time he was among the trees, it just felt like he was home. Probably a nurture vs nature thing. Most of the time he didn't really give it much thought, but apparently, working with the remnants of Konoha shinobi altered his thought process. [break][break] Tsk. Stupid. [break][break] He stopped for a second before looking left and right. Both directions were full of heavy foliage. Either route was fine to take, he supposed. [break][break] Shrugging, Tsukiya spat his gum in the opposite direction of where he decided he was going. Maybe it would throw the dogs off, maybe it wouldn't. At best it would only help, so no harm done. [break][break] Tsukiya ran all the way until he arrived at the mouth of a clearing. Yeah, no point standing in the middle for all the dogs and the Inuzuka jounin to see. He walked as silently as he could by the edges, eyes darting behind him every so often. 50 meters was a good distance away. Considering the speed in which the ninken and their jounin summoner could travel at, that was about a... five second head-start. That wasn't too bad. His other job offered worse odds.
There was something....strange....about having to run from that which was so familiar. A sense of terror began to wash over the Hyuuga as he ran, his every waking thought to increase the distance betwixt himself and his "aggressors". As he thought upon the various senses involved in tracking, it was clear to Asura that he would need to take measures to distract, disturb. A hand pushed into his pouch, the index and middle finger plucking a smoke bomb from the safety of his belongings. Simultaneously, he removed a simple piece of cloth that held his attire in place.
His shirt loosened to expose taut muscle and smooth epidermis beneath, Asura tossed the unequipped garb into the distance behind the projectile meant to obscure vision. Immediately, the pellet exploded through what forestry was available to his southern flank. He dare not decrease his speed, opting instead to make an angular Shunshin that delivered him further into the blanket of flora and fauna.
They were undoubtedly much faster than him. Asura also considered the slobber that remained on the parchment he'd received. Along his journey, he swiped and brushed against bark and foliage alike in the hopes that they would search for their quarry within. The Hyuuga was no fool. More than aware that they were much faster than he, it was his only hope to misdirect and distract while he looked for better placement. How possible such a feat was in Kirigakure's environment, he could only theorize. Regardless, the gray plume behind him and the combination of scents and markings, Asura hoped, would keep both beasts at bay: the ones on four legs and the one deep within.
Run or hide, the howling storm grew ever closer. Makoto and her hounds were hot on the trail, fanning out in a wide arc to track their prey without relent. Those keen Hyuuga eyes would spot them before long, a wild bunch of beasts scrambling on all-fours with little to slow them down as they crashed through the trees.
At first it seemed the pack would simply pass right by Tsukiya, the first group of ninken bolting after the chuunin instead. Yet the sound of rustling foliage a moment later betrayed that notion, three hunched figures circling their way to the boy's clearing. Suddenly a cyclone of black and red came hurtling out of the trees, descending toward the genin's position in a straight line. "Tsuuuga!"
Further ahead, the well-timed blast of a smoke bomb drew the attention of several ninken away, staggering their progress. But not all would fall for such schemes. A pair of snarling beasts were swift to converge on either side of the fleeing Asura. On the one side there was Makoto, jumping and twisting from tree to tree. And on the other was...also Makoto, crashing through the brush on the forest floor.
"TSUUGA!" they shouted in unison.
Two spiraling twisters of fang and claw came bursting from behind the chuunin, their paths crisscrossing an attempt to cut him off from an easy escape.
[attr="class","bolo-body] The younger Hyūga watched curiously as the pack of ninken passed his location. Guess that gum didn't really do anything for him. He was sure the dogs had picked up his scent by now. Right on queue, the rustling leaves alerted him as three of the five dogs came circling back. [break][break] Tsuuuga! [break][break] Tsukiya channeled chakra to his legs and swiftly jumped out of the way. The force from the attack blew chunks out mud and dirt off the ground. That would have flattened me! Dogs capable of ninjutsu? Maybe having them just bite him would have been a preferable option. Or maybe not, they could have some chakra infused bite that would rip chunks from his flesh. [break][break] An attack coming from a straight line was easy to dodge. Tsukiya shuddered at the thought of how effective such an attack would be from multiple angles. Retreat sounded like a pretty good option. [break][break] Grabbing a kunai with an explosive tag attached to it from his shinobi pack, Tsukiya briefly wondered if ninken would just grow more agitated with loud noises. Couldn't get any worse, right? He threw the kunai precisely on the ground just ahead of the dogs, adding more to the debris flying in the air. He hoped that the distraction would buy him some time. [break][break] Turning his back on the dogs, he proceeded to run deeper into the forest. Normally, turning your back on your opponent was a bad thing. But he was a Hyūga; he didn't have that problem.
His Byakugan's divinity couldn't be ignored. Asura's speed at its maximum, it was a hopeless - futile - endeavor to attempt to outrun Makoto and her superior swiftness. The world about him was a canvas, her ability to close the gap betwixt them almost supernatural to the Hyuuga's eyesight. From deep within his bowels, that same guttural growl had called out to him. Foliage and bark alike were torn to bits as the Inuzuka's form twisted gloriously through the air. To his southern flank, the sound was akin to razors blitzing and overcoming any wooden obstacle that dared to separate her from his flesh. As they began to converge on his position, the thud of the Chuunin's heartbeat resounded like a trumpet to his own ears.
"NO!!" That single word was roared out and into the open with terrifying volume, the Hyuuga's countenance twisting into a sadistic smile of defiance. Upon a dime, he was somehow able to stop himself immediately at an advantageous tree branch. Poised, feral, patient. It was only a breath that separated him from being struck by Makoto's fury. Fingers curled into claws as Asura immediately leaned forward, his very form flickering out of existence only a few moments before impact. The Chuunin's feet thud hard against the ground as he landed in a crouch, arms outspread as his last smoke pellet was cast above. "RUN, FOOL! RUN!
Yet again, Asura burst forward with as much speed as the Chuunin could muster. Features contorting, legs pounding the earth as if resistant to evasion. "Don't fight. Don't fight. Don't fight. Don't fight." It was a mantra, a command as his mental shell shattered into serrated shards. The plume of smoke may have done little to conceal him for long, but it was irrelevant against the inner turmoil, the inner storm of Asura's psyche. The inner demon had been unleashed, intent upon assisting the Hyuuga in his objective.
It was futile to attempt to fight. Makoto was a pillar of strength and ferocity. Asura was but a support beam in comparison. Completely driven by instinct, the compromised Asura deviated from any set pattern with branch jumping and yet again running along the ground. The scroll still tucked away, he clutched his chest as if making a declaration - she would have his scroll over his dead body.
A shuddering explosion rocked across the forest clearing, blinding Tsukiya's pursuers with debris as they scrambled to reorient themselves. All but one was left in the dust, the likes of a growling beast soon registering from the side. Although it looked no different from Makoto in shape or size, even a novice user of the Byakugan would be able to discern it as something else.
"Hraaahh!" The rabid figure picked up speed, darting toward the genin in a low tackle. A glimpse of razor-sharp nails accompanied the reckless charge, swiping to find purchase on any piece of his clothing and drag him down. While tactless and predictable, the Makotos movements were also relentless, pressuring the genin from behind no matter how he reacted.
Whether fortunate or not in that respect, just ahead of Tsukiya's current trajectory laid a small body of water.
On the opposite side of things, the subsequent smoke bomb had bought Asura a few precious moments to avoid the hounds. They weren't going to fall for the same maneuver twice though, the pair quickly sussing out where he'd gone as soon as he hit the ground. "Rhahaha! Come play!" a Makoto taunted in a low cackle. The words sounded quite amused, almost childlike in their innocence, yet the vibe coming from the figures themselves were nothing but menacing.
Moments later, one of the Makotos spun around, loosing a series of poorly aimed shuriken into the chuunin's path. Silver streaks cut through the foliage, racing to interfere with his speedy getaway. So too did the other Makoto lunge from the branches, throwing itself at Asura's back with a slash of claws.
Should he keep at his current pace despite those attempts, the chuunin would notice a few abandoned huts further along the path.
Notes: added some little terrain details to spice things up!
[attr="class","bolo-body] Jūjin Bunshin? Stupid dogs... [break][break] Sure, beast human clones didn't have the exact same strength as the shinobi who employed the technique, but that didn't make them any less dangerous to the young Hyūga. After all, the difference between a jounin and a genin was almost insurmountable. [break][break] Tsukiya knew he didn't have much time to react. Grabbing another kunai from his pack, the youth knew he had one shot at this. Pivoting on his lead foot, he didn't try to stop his forward momentum. He let his body dive backwards into the ground as he used his kunai and attempted to parry the charging strike. [break][break] The keyword was: attempted. [break][break] Clank! [break][break] His eyes watched his kunai sail through the air. The force of both strikes was too much for him to keep his grip on his weapon. At best, Tsukiya was able to redirect any blow to his actual body, but that didn't stop his pursuer from tearing through his puffy jacket and dragging him down to the ground. With a yelp, the genin skidded and tumbled on the rocky ground before crashing into the small lake with the transformed ninken. [break][break] Fresh water lake, huh? Small mercies.
He was beginning to regain control. Asura's breaths grew ragged, desperate almost. There was no fatigue to speak of as he continued his dash forward. It was the mental exhaustion, the cardiac muscle within his chest beating at a rapid pace that the Hyuuga could have sworn was externally audible. The veins protruding from either sides of his countenance took registry of his surroundings. As he watched on, the sight of the Genin being struck by Makoto's fearsome attacks forced his focus to deviate. The hut in the distance would provide greater maneuvers for him to make his escape. Of this much, he was almost certain. But he had been chosen, handpicked to rise in rank. Inwardly, the Chuunin kicked the beast back into its cage and managed to slam it shut before locking it in place. "Obey."
The thought was followed by an immediate halt with his footing. Sandals dug hard into the terra below, a hard pivot allowing the Hyuuga to turn and thrust a kunai from his pouch upward and toward the embrace of a tall tree. Shuriken sliced through the air and quickly decreased the distance between themselves and human flesh. But Asura persisted, forming few handseals just before impact and delivering himself from a painful fate. Immediately, a plume of smoke enveloped his immediate surroundings as Makoto's attacks ripped through what would have been his torso. She would find, instead, a large block of wood in the Hyuuga's place.
Asura winced hard as his form appeared where a stack of logs resided. Even if abandoned, a set of huts in the distance signified that someone had lived in these parts. As such, wood had thankfully been gathered and placed at intervals. The Byakugan, in its infinite wonder, had surveyed and identified his only means of escape. Still, Asura's garb had been slashed and tattered. The imperfection of his ability against a Jounin had cost him, his jacket sliced open and the only savior to the Chuunin's back. He had no time to dwell upon his actions.
He had other priorities.
Hoping to have used the confusion of the Substitution technique, Asura burst forward with naught but desperation in his limbs. Pounding the earth, he raced toward Tsukiya whilst his Byakugan continued to survey the field. For his Jounin's pleasure, the kunai he'd flung had separated a beehive from its place in the trees. Impact with the ground would release its inhabitants, a swarm of bees angrily rising to the challenge of finding the nearest culprit - Makoto.
Once more, he dug into his pouch. A gathering of senbon needles were gathered betwixt his fingers, thrown with a rookie's precision at Tsukiya's pursuers. They were hardly a threat, more for distraction as the Hyuuga leapt forward at a narrow angle toward the water. His hands gripping Tsukiya's collar, Asura attempted to pull the Genin to stand without losing a great deal of his momentum. He shoved the Genin further forward, staggering behind him in an attempt to bear the brunt of retaliation to cover his escape if it came.
