[attr="class","cbody2"]My normal stoicism was broached by a sudden scream. I hadn't really expected that here, at least not one so sudden and piercing. There was no beating of flesh, no sound of body against pavement, and no usual thrum of chakra. It had seemed to be otherwise empty in this facility when I had gotten to it but clearly it wasn't. At least I had hoped as I myself was a skeptic even knowing there were beings capable of willing souls. It was protocol for a Jounin to make rounds of the facility every so often - utilizing less-than-secret hallways that snaked about the facility haphazardly. While normally the walls were quite thick - solid with layers of soundproofing material, the walls that separated the rooms from these hidden hallways weren't. Often trainees were watched, less to make sure they didn't die and more often to examine disposition. How one approached training and self-growth spoke volumes as to their potential. The creation of a tool for killing was not one paved by those who didn't have the knack for it.
Clearly she did.
I watched for a while from behind what was a slotted portion of the wall hidden such that it was impossible to discern, two way glass doubly separating one room from the next. Iwa hadn't had someone with a capable Dojutsu beyond the major; kage, in years so this was all it was necessary to veil the hallways from even the most prying of normal eyes. It was mesmerizing to see her work if only because of the ability to switch herself off. She was broken. We could use that, but this needed a deft touch.
A sound echoed in the room for a moment as I unlocked the door with a press of a button, exiting the hidden hallway into the hallway proper, opening the door and speaking at the same time.
"Continual precise cuts like that will eventually scar, yes. Medicial Ninjutsu can't do anything for that yet anyway. Theory goes," I shifted, as I stood pointing over to where she had cut. "eventually the body sees that as healed flesh. Then you're out of luck - that's just how it'll be. The answer is Fuuin."
I tossed a book in her direction, a simple primer on Fuuin.
[attr="class","comabody"]I was never known for my subtlety. There was no guise to my actions. Though I had a team I preferred to be an army of one, a force of nature akin to a modern disaster. This duty was assigned to me only due to the casualties of the last, on all sides - a clear punishment for that fact. But it didn't matter to me, not really. The debriefing had made this seem routine, but the scout of our team noted it to be anything but before I sent them off. There were 'enemies' abound they noted, or at the very least a team of individuals who were not from our side directly. Never could they be so useful as to give anything but a direction and a vague distance. It was enough though. This was a brief period Iwa was thorough enough to not care, even if this wasn't the enemy I'd only receive a small slap on the wrist.
There was a vague awareness of my prescience being known directly, but from within the depths of this forest it was a given. It didn't matter. There was no expression as my digits aligned three specific seals and the fury of the wind was unleashed. I applied no directionality to the current, the swirl erupted from underneath my feet and spread out immediately, ending all in its path. The keening of the wind erupted forth in every direction without care, rending flesh, wood, and plant alike. It was destruction incarnate.
[attr="class","comabody"]I was single-minded in my focus - my assault continued the moment my feet touched the ground and I uttered my words, and my hands had formed a memorized string of seals even before the lingering dust had fully settled. There was something strange about the lack of reaction, both visually and auditorily. It was all but natural to react to circumstance in some way, even in animals. This wasn't a mere exploding tag, but a technique capable of rending and shattering earth. I was looking for something. The beast was plenty talkative and haughty initially, but now, nothing? They still charged. How had they not been affected? How had they not been hit? Their suicide charge seemingly continued unabated save one - somehow it was more affected than the rest. Anomalous.
My right hand grasped my spear before ripping it from his clasp, performing a simple horizontal slash dedicated to the anomaly before I stepped into it, dividing the very wind in a crescent as I followed its path from within its moon. The entire form of my body had dropped already then. My center of gravity lowered as I charged forth spear aimed forward and true in both hands, keeping pace with the crescent toward my final destination, forming a single head-on point dedicated to piercing through the beast.
[attr="class","comabody"]There wasn't much subtlety when the giant horned animal moved - not that any would have served it much with its bulk and my point of view addressing the crowd opposite me. In the moment Itaru had yelled I had already begun moving my weapon to my back, clasping it with a simple strap and positioning it in such a way that it wouldn't impede movement; point up. Figures, I never did get to use the thing.
"Run. Higher ground.", I spoke abandoning my previous manner for a more serious tone. "Fan out, and stay clear of my area of effect." When my sentence finished I was already clutching Itaru in a free hand, my legs launching my body into a run. Though the beast certainly had made fools of us somewhat with its sudden attack, there was still plenty of time to put even more distance from our vantage. I allowed my muscles to burn vitriol as I pushed my physicality to its limit before my arm tossed Itaru in the direction I ran as if a mere frisbee. There was little aim and only the intention to toss the genin-turned-shuriken as far as he'd go. I pivoted, hopping as I turned my body to face the oncoming horde, beginning the series of seals required to end the farce. With a great inhale and exhale, the wind didn't choke but sang wild and free.
A swirl of wind condensed into a sphere before me, condensing, swirling, and churning before it unceremoniously fired itself in the direction of the horde. I did well with my hop and aim to make sure even if it didn't directly hit a rhino it'd collide with the ground such that it'd rend earth and detonate, and be otherwise effectual regardless.
My feet touched the ground.
"You want to fight? I'm not gonna run with my tail between my legs. Come out. Don't fuck with me, Animal."
[attr="class","comabody"]Itaru did in fact hesitate, fixated on the idea of superiors. It was a good trait for a fodder, sure, but that wasn't quite what I had lined up for him. I glanced at his bandages and coverings a moment, imagining the eyes that attempted to peer out to the world as I noted their usefulness with my gaze. No, such a useful tool was lost to the idea of staying a basic weak Genin forever. He needed to become Chuunin someday at least to have his own Genin support his prowess. Though, this made me digress a moment, the typical set up was two Chuunin to one Jounin and I already had Chuunin, but what if they proved less useful? There was no hiding my smirk.
I drank the rest of my coffee, before standing to my feet suddenly. A single clap of my hands would be used to get my Platoon's attention and consequently nearly everyone else's in the process. Maybe he just needed a incentive. "Great! She agrees, and so go ahead and attempt something. In fact, what about this, you might have read about the Temple of Nirvana Technique? Now that's much too difficult for you, but if we localize that idea to just Sawako, perhaps it may just work. If she begins getting drowsy or groggy rather than falling fast asleep then we know that perhaps you achieved some minor success."
We had to set the scene first though. My hand stretched out in front of me after completing a series of seals, conjuring up what was a simple vortex. It wasn't a particularly complicated nor powerful technique, but it had the benefit of being quick to cast. The air churned around us to my will - in such a manner that would form something of a tornado if it was powerful enough, but instead simply pushed onlookers and patrons back to give a proper stage.
"Higa, if anyone so much as breathes you know what to do."
[attr="class","comabody"]Even with the volume of the establishment I could easily hear the two converse. Of course, my attention was more on the exact pour of my coffee. The exactitude of the owners movements was all I cared about. You see, I liked my coffee done a special way. It needed to be 'frenh pressed'. The owner already knew this of course and I had knocked him on his particular technique before. At first he couldn't be considered anything but a 'Rookie'. The exact 31g to 465g coffee to water ratio had escaped him, the blooming process was beyond him, and as much as how to properly grind the beans was beyond his capacity to understand. Who the hell wanted too finely ground coffee grits in their coffee? We had gone through a proper training montage though - and lately I had wondered if he was surpassed me. Had he reached 'Grandmaster'? My eyes inspected my finished cup before my lips did, taking a sip of what seemed to be the most perfect cup. He'd done it.
"Hey, Shoichi! Not planning to say hello to your own platoon, hm? We're practically all here if you count Toshio's dolly."
I turned on my heel with coffee in hand before I responded to her in the same loud boisterous fashion, matching her volume and doubling it. Toshio was a bit touchy about his dolls - no, no, that wasn't their proper name.
"Listen Sawako, as a Chuunin you'll need to gather proper information. When a man takes interest in things like this they aren't dolls. No. That there. . ." My free hand pointed to the odd puppet before my volume raised even higher. "That is a god damn action figure! And you'll call it that." He couldn't hear or see any of this probably - not properly anyway. It was the thought that counted though huh? I thumbs upped the action figure, before approaching their seating and sitting on the edge of the table top lightly.
"Oh and Tokoro-kun, listen I'm not gonna bullshit you. Genjutsu is not my specialty but practicing it on an actual person makes it much easier. Oh. Oh! Look we have one right here. Sawako is over you so its only right that she helps, yes? That's an order of course." I crossed my legs before sipping my coffee.
[attr="class","comabody"]I kept an eye on all of my protégé one way or another - today directly. This wasn't necessarily due to an overwhelming sense of duty. No, it was usually the opposite. I needed to keep an eye on them lest they end up doing something that resulted in my blame for lack of duty. There was a fine line that needed to be drawn between helping those under me progress and allowing them their own devices. Too much help always ended up in a significantly lesser ninja devoid of any sense of individuality. Then there was this, I couldn't even help the poor kid. No, I might have actually helped him if I had any clue beyond the simplest concepts of Genjutsu. Sure, I could spit the textbook on it out to him, but I didn't have the knack to even complete a single technique myself. Sad really. I felt for the kid though, I once had tried a bit at it. Luckily, just as I was about to interrupt his feverish attempt at causing himself chakra deprivation he had decided to stop himself. To make sure he didn't continue I had no choice but to pursue.
It wasn't hard to track a nearly incapacitated Genin who was barely standing even considering I had to leave the vantage of the random apartment I had set up in. Neither his destination nor the appearance of Sawako was unexpected. This popular haunt was frequented by the whole village and possibly more frequently than all of them Sawako herself. I didn't make myself known to them, instead deciding to somewhat blend in with the crowd as I entered the shop proper and talked up the owner. Nobody stopped me as I skipped straight ahead of the line either. We had a deal him and I, this was a 'tea' shop sure, but I never liked the drink. Coffee. Now that was more my taste. It wasn't cheap but I had once convinced him to stock the stuff if you knew of the 'secret menu'. Only myself and a few other Jounin who managed a taste of the bittersweet nectar on missions to other countries ever ordered it, and the only reason it was continually stocked was my insistence it was.
"Let me get the usual, C off the menu. Milk. Two sugar." My hand waved the owner off dismissively as I leaned against the counter and waited.
[attr="class","comabody"]"We missed the opportunity to arrive first."
A single step took me the better part of the distance toward my/thequarry but not into it, stepping upon the edge into a crouch. No, stepping foot into that deathtrap upon arrival seemed like the exact opposite of what anyone should do. I made sure to situate myself on the opposite side that of which individuals would typically arrive from civilization, directly opposite the typical travel lanes. From my crouched position I stood my full height - a looming 6'4", which made the creature nothing more than the overgrown haunch beast it was from my pedestal. Still, a whistle escaped my lips as I peered down upon it, "That's a big boy ain't it?".
I spoke my next sentences loudly enough that I supposed all could hear as I unsheathed my massive eight-foot Chidori Jumonji Yari"Now, now, I suppose I should impose a bit of order and rule seeing as this is officially Iwagakure Business, no? Great! I'm your host, Shoichi. Jounin of Iwagakure. Yes, yes write that down please. Everyone can get a turn handling the beast but I suggest we allow the little lambs first turns on sizing it up, objections? No? Great."
My eyes gazed down upon the little girl who decided to take it upon herself to attack the beast with little more than a cursory glance. Who's dull lamb was this? Tragic.
My life was never my own as it was clear from a young age that the preconceptions of the ninja way would take precedence. The curse of intelligence that of which I only called common sense allowed me to rise above my peers such that the plague of duty was thrust upon me. My parents, both of which could never be considered to be more than holistically average echoed the same statement over and over, "A platoon consists of genin, chuunin, and jounin - you'll be that Jounin." Pure indoctrination. But my life continued the path of this statement until it became fact.
Born in Iwagakure no Sato there was no shortage of competition. The oldest village held some of the oldest families which had longstanding traditions of producing offspring that were pampered into greathood. As mine was neither known nor particularly exceptional I did not have the same advantages. There was no rancor in my heart for this idea and I knew that genius would only get me so far. Thus, I worked harder than my peers, or at the very least sought to do so. It would be a misrepresentation to say that in truth. However, my days were filled with training and my nights filled with study even before I could be considered to be truly in training to be a shinobi.
" - you'll be that Jounin."
As a Genin I hardly participated in what could be considered childhood activity. The pranks, fun, and mischief of youth was not something I ever took privvy to. Instead, it was a phase to prepare to become a Chuunin. Though by technicality when the test came around I was not of age, I was allowed to take it and passed by decision after the fact. I did not seek to 'win' the contests of the test to become a Chuunin but instead to 'master' them. Such a a mindset predictably did not offer me the 'win', but did grant me the rank. That is, after the powers that be convened it was said that my simple realization of the true 'test' that was being offered was enough to put me head and shoulders above the others.
"Jounin."
As a Chuunin I was assigned to a Jounin of which today is no longer living. Dangerous missions have a habit of causing shinobi to expire far faster than they should. This was not the case for that man. An older, weaker, and middling shinobi only able to grasp the position through sheer time. There was no one to mourn him. However, the same danger offers opportunities for growth and promotion. With the aide of this Jounin I was able to gather the experience necessary to assume the role post the expiry of my predecessor nearly immediately. As luck would have it, one is not assigned to the same squad they were just in usually - and this was my preference. Their emotions got to the better of them when it came to watching that man perish and looked to me the most capable for blame. There was no formal issue brought up and just as well no possibility of evidence to suggest anything otherwise. I was a Jounin afterall.
Proficiencies
Taijutsu [Journeyman]
The rigor of building the body was never lost on me, as a shinobi one must operate at a level above that of what is human. While many seek only the ideal by measure of simple repetition, I made sure to push. By competing with those above my grade, seeking impossible feats, and breaking my previous limits again and again I have achieved what most never will. A brief inspection of my frame would betray all of these facts as each tale is sown into both my musculature and epidermis - in chisel and scar. My taijutsu has become both influenced and a part of the idea of my weapon of choice. Swift strides and precise strikes with only the simplest of movements. Each bit of expenditure of stamina means more when applied correctly.
Sōjutsu [Journeyman]
Many abandon the spear for it is the weapon of the peasant and common man, and as such many have fallen to it. The spear builds a bridge that which any inferior weapon must cross to reach the other side. Only this bridge on one end garners a bladed tip capable of quickly and efficiently ending life. With the preconceived notions comes the lack of any person really trained in the art and as such it is the fruit of nothing but my own work. My style is not elegant, nor is it complicated. Simple thrusts, swipes, and slashes are all that is needed to fell foes. Proper mastered fundamentals will outdo flashy techniques when it all comes down to it. This lack of trained individuals in the spear works for me in the idea of people ready to battle it. Seldom have a come across a foe which had faced someone capable with it and never had they survived to learn from the experience.
Stealth [Journeyman]
Though the efficency of a quick kill is unmatched it goes without saying that it does not suit me. Though plots, ploys, and plans are a part of my repertoire I only pursued the idea of being hidden to understand how to detect those who would try to be. Doubly, there is something to be said about being able to incorporate its ideas into direct battle - feints and the like. Again, this does not mean I lacked in my dutifulness in its training. As a core concept of the way of a ninja I made sure to be beyond reproach as a baseline for what I would consider up to par. If I was to myself lead a squad I needed to make sure that I would not be caught unaware, could direct others in how to catch someone else unaware, and myself be hidden if the situation called for it.
Wind Release [Veteran]
They called me 'blessed by the wind' when my capbility with the elemental release was discovered. When I call upon the winds it answers with an ease only attributed to directing a limb. If ever there was something I believed myself to truly rise above others in it would be in the wind's manifestation. Those would try to control the wind do not understand it. There is a connection made only possible by mental ansible and the understanding that there is give and take that gives me my prowess. As natural force of nature the wind seeks not to be tamed and is born of properties innate to the world itself. One asks for an effect with the offer of chakra through the language of handseals. Only when you have the proper vernacular and understand the proper offering for the effect you wish to manifest can you ever become proficient with it. As something that obeys the natural laws of the world you cannot ask for more than it cannot give. While its effects are predictable its results never are and as such direction and guidance are all you can ever offer it - never control.
[attr="class","APP3"]
Cavalier of the Abyss
Shoichi Azuma looks like Caladbolg.
Last Edit: Sept 8, 2021 4:21:52 GMT by Shoichi Azuma
