Inazuma's Training

It was an unusually sunny day in the village of Kirigakure. The moisture in the air still hung heavy, but the clouds had parted letting in light for what felt like the first time in days. “What a perfect day to train,” thought Inazuma. As she stepped from the threshold of her apartment, she stretched, arms extended over her head. Softly exhaling she dropped her hands to her side, jumping up and down in place several times. As her feet hit the ground on the third bounce, she bounded forward, racing through down the street. The houses seemed to whiz by as she leapt forward, one foot in front of the other. Ina loved the sound her footsteps made as they slapped the cobblestones below. *Clap, clap, clap* It was like white noise to her… Drowning out the problems, and the constant thinking. It was relaxing every once and a while to have this reprieve. She continued to race down the street, narrowly dodging her fellow citizens as they traveled unsuspectingly along their way. As she came upon the end of the street, it broke into two different paths; one to the right leading to the heart of Kirigakure and the other to the left leading to the forest on the western outskirts of town. Concentrating a small amount of chakra onto the sole of her right foot, Inazuma kicked upwards from it as she came down from her latest bound. She felt the air whiz by her face and watched the ground grow further away as she outstretched her left leg, catching the roof of the small shop as she dropped. Pivoting fervently, she made a drastic left and continued to high-tail it to the forest which lay not 50 meters away.

Hoping rooftop to rooftop, Ina stared absentmindedly ahead, wondering how best to start her training for the day. “Perhaps a small race, followed by a quick tiff with one of my clones,” she thought. Soon thereafter she arrived at the edge of the village’s small forest. It was no more than 20 acres, but its vast expanse of trees and foliage would provide a great opportunity to practice evading enemy attacks within close quarters. Inazuma stopped at the foot of a large sycamore, its branches swaying in the gentle breeze, and closed her eyes. She quickly formed the Tiger seal and released as two figures began to emerge in a puddle five feet in front of her. *Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu* Opening her eyes she managed to see the water clones as they took their human form, shaping themselves into smirking copies of Ina herself. Inazuma smirked in return, the clones’ empty eyes staring through her. “Shall we begin?” she inquisited aloud.

With that she lurched forward, tearing through the puddle, between her two clones. Following in pursuit of their creator, the clones twisted in a 180 to chase after her. Tearing through the jungle Inazuma focused more of her chakra onto her feet. She splashed across a small river, her feet slapping the top of the water as she skimmed across its surface. Ina could her the clones approaching without needing to turn around, the smack of their feet echoing through the still forest. *Smack, smack, smack* Inazuma cleared the river, and firmly planted both her feet on the opposite shoreline. Using the chakra stored on their soles she launched from the ground. Flipping in mid-air, twisting in a 180 degree turn she was suspended upside down, facing her newly formed opponents. Hastily placing her right hand into her left sleeve, Ina quickly produced 2 standard kunai. Holding them between her index/middle and middle/ring fingers, she flicked her wrist forward, launching the sharpened pieces of iron at her foes. As the blades hurtled onwards Ina completed her flip squarely, slipping back slightly due to her great momentum. She let out a guff as her weight met the ground, her eyes intently focused on her targets. She heard a clang as the first clone quickly produced its own kunai from its left sleeve. The other was not so speedy or fortunate, taking a direct hit, squarely to the chest. The first continued to charge Inazuma, kunai still firmly gripped in its right hand, as its twin melted away into the forest floor. Ina felt a rush of warmth as the clone’s remaining chakra returned to her. It was a euphoric moment and as such, she closed her eyes momentarily to embrace it. Wearing her usual smirk as she re-opened them, her remaining foe mere feet away, Ina gave a strong kick off her left leg and continued to tear through the forest.

She was panting now, her jet black cloak much hotter under the unusual amount of sun, but she pressed onwards. Concentrating again onto her feet, Ina begins to run up the trunk of a large tree. Upon reaching its large, lower branches, she returns upright and bounds to another branch five feet ahead. Continuing in this routine, she continues to hop along, tree to tree. Still close behind she can hear the rushing of the wind and the rustling of the leaves as her water clone disturbs the forest in close pursuit. “Very good,” thought Ina, “but not quick enough.” With that she dashed forward, racing even faster than before, the greenery seemingly a blur. Making another sharp left, Ina begins her trip back towards where she had begun. In her excitement she had lost track of time and was going to be late for training with her mentor Namiko. But he would have to wait, there was a more pressing matter closing in behind her. “Damn!” Ina thought aloud. “They may not be the brightest, but I’ll be damned if they aren’t quick.” She tried to increase her speed as she dropped down from the branches, narrowly catching herself with her hands. She swung forward, legs extend, lurching towards the ground. She slid forward several feet and caught herself with the palm of her left hand. It scrapped the rocks below it, causing a small cut. She quickly recovered however as she pushed herself up, pressing onwards. As she ran, she inspected the wound, blood trickling slow down her arm, disappearing into the crimson velvet of her cloak. She lowered her hand to her side, clenching her fist. It was only a shallow wound but Ina would have to maintain pressure until it managed to clot. Once again she reached into the sleeve of her massive cloak, only this time into the right. Her left emerged a moment later clutching the handle of yet another kunai. Gripping the small blade with a necessary ferocity, she watched her knuckles go white under the pressure. This would do for now, but she would need to bandage the wound once she had settled her spat.

With no time to rest, Ina stopped abruptly by firmly locking and extending her left leg. Due once again to her momentum, she continued forward for several feet, coming to a stop with her foot slightly emerged in the newly formed mud. The clone, wasting no time, continued to rush the young shinobi, right arm cocked to its side, weapon still drawn. Once it reached five feet from her, the clone planted its left foot and sprung forward, lunging at her. Extending its equipped hand, it made a slashing motion as it continued. Dropping straight to the ground as the clone approached, Inazuma caught herself on her good palm and threw herself toward the right. Her body spun horizontally, pivoting on her right palm, just as the enemy’s blade swung overhead. Missing her by inches the clone’s momentum carried it staggering to a stop. But it was too late… Continuing to rotate on her side, the young shinobi had almost turned completely around at this point, facing her opponent’s back. “This was too easy,” she thought to herself. As she completed her turn she cocked her left leg and extended towards the clone. It struck as the clone dissipated into the ground below. Unbeknownst to Ina, the clone had simply used a substitution jutsu and was now sitting several feet behind the young shinobi. She smirked as she stood upright, perking up as a twig snapping echoed through the forest. Her smug smile quickly faded as she pivoted to find the clone not inches from her. Having little time to react, she tightened her grip on the kunai she had kept held in her left hand. Fortunately for her, she was left handed, but then again, she was wounded. The clone swept its blade across toward the girl’s chest with her kunai reaching the enemies iron blade only just in time. *Clang* The two struck each other, jumping back slightly upon recoil. Pushing forward, Inazuma quickly placed the kunai in her mouth leaving her hands free to hastily perform the Ram, Snake and Tiger seals. Retrieving the slightly blood stained weapon from between her teeth as the jutsu began, the young shinobi bound forward as three identical doppelgangers appeared. *Clone Technique (Bunshin no Jutsu)*This time she inverted the blade in her hand; palm down, blade out towards the side. As she raced towards the clone, her copies spread out, jumping towards the clone from the left and right. She sprinted one step further as her copies came down on the defensive clone, and she slid toward her opponent, right leg tucked underneath her extended left. As the clone swung at the doppelgangers, Ina had come within inches of her foe. Needing only to slice vertically in a downward stroke towards what would be a major artery in a real human (located below the skin about mid-thigh area) Ina let gravity and momentum do most of the work. The clones dissolved as Ina slid through, the now uncondensed water showering her from above. The cooling outward sensation of the water, the warm rush of chakra flowing back into her, and the thrill of success put her into a euphoric state and as the young shinobi came to a halt, she lay basking in the sun. “What a day…” she sighed aloud, knowing full well that her rest would soon be coming to an end. She did not have long to get to her sensei, and as he was an impatient man, it was best not to upset him before training. Picking herself up and replacing her kuani, the wet, muddy shinobi shook off as much of the filth as she could. “Shit… Now I’ll have to go home and change,” she thought.

Leaping back towards the town, the young shinobi took off down the forest. She was only moments away from her initial attack on the clones. She had made sure to make a note of it, as Namiko had always taught her. “Always look for distinguishing yet easily forgettable features,” that what he always said. Inazuma recognized a slightly disfigured tree, seemingly having been struck by lightning. She stopped slowly at its base and peered around. She spotted the first kunai protruding from a large weeping willow overhanging a small pond. The other was buried hilt deep into the soft ground mere feet away. She took both over to the pond and gently washed them in the water before replacing them in her left sleeve. Satisfied with herself once again, she smirked looking torwards the village. She could now make out the outline of the backs of several building. As she stood there, she took a deep breathe, pushing off her right foot upon exhaling. Inazuma cleared her mind as she sprinted back into the heat of Kirigakure, focusing all her attention on one simple, infinitely repeating thought. “Left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot…” As she concentrated, she opened her eyes. She continued to repeat this to herself, faster and faster, slowly increasing her pace to match her thoughts. Before she knew it her thoughts became words and she found herself speaking them aloud. This was one of the first times she had truly felt alive in a long time… It was about to start getting back up on that horse. Finally have a chance to pull her head out of books and herself from libraries. “Don’t worry sensei,” she thought, “I’m almost there.”

Word Count: 2,044
Requested: Mastery in Water Clone (Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu):
http://naruto-role-play-rpg.forumotion.com/t10063-inazuma-s-initial-jutsu
Stat Increase: +5 Speed +5 Chakra +10 JP (For maintained Water Clone and Clone Technique use)

Bump!

Approved

Having hastily changed at her apartment, Inazuma had raced to her mentor’s training grounds . Being that he was a Hunter-nin of the Kirigakure ANBU, the two were meeting at the ANBU dojo. Within its walls, housed one of the most advanced training facilities in the world, rivaled only by those of Konohagakure’s ROOT organization and as such, Inazuma had always felt a strange reverence toward this place. Perhaps it was more due to the fact that she had spent the last 8 years toiling here, shaping up to become the shinobi she was. These thoughts would have to wait however, as she was already late.

Pushing aside the large doors, Ina crossed the threshold of the room. Quietly meditating in the center of the room, sat Namiko. Surrounded by a rich mahogany floor, the hunter-nin seemed to glow in his white robes. “You’re late, “he spoke without looking behind him, “Perhaps you’d like to reschedule for tomorrow?” The female shinobi said nothing, merely looking at the floor meekly. “Very well,” stated Namiko, “Shall we begin?” A mixture of relief and hesitation filled Ina as she wondered why she had been let off the hook, though not nearly concerned enough to point it out.

“Today we will be trying something new. I think it’s is time to teach you the Water Release: Gunshot (Suiton: Teppōdama). Now if you would be so kind, please head to the training yard.” Eager to begin, the young shinobi bolted past her sensei and out a door located 10’ ahead of Namiko. As Inazuma burst through the door, she felt the rush of the moist wind hit her face. A storm was coming, sure to put a damper on her day. Moments later, her instructor emerged, towering over her at an impressive 6’ 2”. He noticed her fervor as she impatiently tapped her foot and chewed her left fingernail.

“Ok… To begin, you are going to need to focus your chakra to your mouth. Then you will need to perform the tiger seal and begin to slowly blend in some of your water element.” Closing his mouth, the elder shinobi performed the aforementioned seal, cheeks filling with water as he did so . After several he opened his mouth and let forth a small rush of water, no more than a gallons worth. “This is the first step, to produce a water supply from within you. Do not attempt to form or mold this technique yet, as without this step, performing the technique will be impossible. Now you try…”

Inazuma closed her eyes and concentrated as she would to walk on water, only moving the chakra point to inside her mouth. She then carefully added some of her water element, though was unable to control the blending. Without warning, a small amount of water spewed from her mouth, unable to hold back it’s pressure. “It was a start,” thought Ina, “I have plenty of time.”

Word Count: 490
Requested: Level 2 Mastery of Water Release: Gunshot (Suiton: Teppōdama)
http://naruto-role-play-rpg.forumotion.com/t10063-inazuma-s-initial-jutsu
Stat Increase: +2 Chakra +2 JP

Bump

Bump

Approved.

Closing her eyes once more, Ina tried to perform the jutsu again. This time successfully managing to hold the chakra in place before adding the water was the primary goal. The last time she was trying to do too many things at once. Trying to manipulate the raw chakra and mold in the element was a lot of progress for a first attempt. This time already felt different; using her tongue she rolled her chakra like a marble inside her mouth. She felt the energy taking a physical form, and it was at this time she felt it appropriate to begin slowly but surely adding a small amount of the water element. Ina could feel the pressure building behind her teeth, itching to escape. However, she wasn’t quite prepared just yet. Continuing to swirl her tongue around the forming attack she focused slightly more water. “Almost there,” she thought as she felt her cheeks swell with the mounting pressure. And all at once she knew, “It’s time!”

Her eyes burst open, staring ferociously at an attack dummy about 20’ away. She saw the bull’s-eye and in a split second released the ball with a spit. Ina tried to track it as it flew towards her target. Blood racing, heart pumping in her throat she sat fixating on her mark. Then she caught it… However, it wasn’t where she had intended. It raced toward the dummy and barely managed to nick its shoulder. “Damn!” she exclaimed…

“Now, now…” Spoke Namiko, “Don’t get discouraged. The first time I attempted the gunshot I went wide by a good 3’.” Hey long time caregiver gave her a warm smile and touched her shoulder as he approached. He stood an impressive 6’ 3” towering over her small frame. He took a knee resting some of his weight onto his young ward. She grunted softly under the pressure, barely catching herself. He spoke plainly…” Inazuma, I have loved you as my daughter for a long time and think of you as a truly exceptional shinobi. You are intelligent, self-sufficient, strong, and yet collected/ But what you are not, is a prodigy. That is not to say you will never be as talented, merely that like the other 99 percent of people, you will have to work hard at it. Now please, try again Ina…”

He removed his right hand from the young shinobi’s left shoulder and pivoting to where he was facing the practice dummy. Inazuma stepped forward once again performing the tiger seal and shutting her eyes. “It felt easier this time,” she thought as she had already begun adding the water element. ” Controlling the formation with my tongue has been immensely better.” After only 30 seconds she had already readied the shot. Inhaling over the water, through her nose, Inazuma breathed deep and upon exhaling released the attack pent up behind her closed lips. Once again the blast traveled hastily towards her target, though this time more centered hitting several inches from the center of the dummy’s chest. The shot traveled through the defenseless pieces of material that comprised the replica, ripping the fabric as it passed. Several feet behind, the attack dissipated back into the uncondensed water. “Very good…” She thought. “I can only get better though.” She smirked as she turned to look down at her sensei. He smiled back up at his student speaking quietly… “That was great, but don’t let it go to your head. You still have a lot of work to fully master this technique.” Inazuma’s smug smile disappeared as she turned away sharply. In a huff she proceeded to once again form the required seal, a bead of sweat forming under her headband. “I’ll show him…” she thought aloud.

Word Count: 623
Requested: Level 3 Mastery of Water Release: Gunshot (Suiton: Teppōdama)
http://naruto-role-play-rpg.forumotion.com/t10063-inazuma-s-initial-jutsu
Stat Increase: +3 Chakra +3 JP

Approved.

Inazuma sat alone, staring absent-mindedly at the ceiling in her bedroom. She lay close to the floor, sitting only 3 feet off the cold stone, her jet black cloak draped over her exposed legs. She wiggled her toes beneath it and felt the fabric shift on her body. The young shinobi had been doing more research into chakra molding and had been giving serious thought into attempting to try and access another element. From what she had gathered, it was not unusual for ninja at the chunnin level to begin their training in this area. Ina had considered approaching her mentor Namiko, though he only had mastery over water. After careful consideration she had decided she was better off taking this at her own pace, because even though her tutor was a wonderful and dedicated teacher, he did have a tendancy to be over-bearing. “No…” she thought, “Better keep this to myself.” The young shinobi continued to stare into space, eyes dodging over the crack and lines that painted to plaster above her. She closed her eyes and looked through those cracks, and the roof, and the sky and peered into the infinite abyss. As she squeezed them tighter, stars began to form, erupting in front of her as quickly as they came together. She sighed loudly with a huff, lifting her arms outwards towards the ceiling. She could feel her fingers and hands waving behind her eyelids, but could not see them behind the black. She felt the muscles tighten as they were pulled from their rest, relaxing once again as she moved her arms backwards, placing her hands behind her head. Her fingers intertwined as she slowly opened her eyes. There wasn’t much light tonight, but she squinted as the moonlight came through her window. Inazuma craned her neck towards the left and watched as the light passed through the trickling rain; the sound of the small beads of water softly thumping on the clay roof tiles. *Thud, thud, thud* Unlocking her left hand she pulled it in front of her face to examine her wound. It had begun to heal and scab over, her cells working faster due to the adrenaline released during her training. “The human body is a magnificent machine,” Ina said aloud, “Perhaps more than we even know.” As she spoke she removed her remaining hand, placing it too in front of herself. She sat up suddenly, eyes fixated on her palm, lowering her left to her side. For a moment she sat upright, transfixed on her hand, slightly wiggling her fingers as she did so. Then she shifted her weight, her dark cloak rustling over her legs. She swung them out from under their protective cover, hair standing slightly in the cool night air. As her body moved into position gravity pulled her limbs towards the cool stone floor. The pads of her feet hit the floor with a soft thud. *Thump* The ground felt damp in this temperature though it as not. Ina could care less though as her heart began to race in her chest. Closing her eyes once again she began to mold chakra into her right arm and hand. She felt the familiar tingle of warmth as the chakra enveloped her palm and fingers. Behind closed eyes she imagined the energy as a blue flame trickling from her chest up through her blood stream, pumping through her heart to the rest of her body. She could feel the heat, or so she thought, pulsating as it consumed her right arm… “This is it,” she thought, “This has to be it!”

Inazuma’s hair began to raise on her arm, starting at her wrist and extending outwards. She could feel the static cling of her skin towards the black cotton clothe that covered her upper arm. She gently pressed her index finger and thumb together. She imagined a current, much like those running throughout her entire body, and imagined if she could close the circuit. Perhaps then she could isolate the electricity and use it with her ow natural energy. As she slowly pulled apart her fingers she felt a twinge at the tip of them and as the space came between, a small spark shot from them. Losing her concentration as she did so, Ina was quick to get excited about her new development. Flabbergasted, the young shinobi peered out the window in front of her, into the dark night. As she looked into the black, she wondered what good she could do with this new ability. What techniques and abilities she could accertain with control over a second and even possibly a third element. In her research she had come across many types of shinobi, though it seemed that the most powerful techniques were those used by molding multiple natures simultaneously. As such, blending her water with an element such as lightning, she could potentially increase the effectiveness of her offense; especially considering water was such a good conductor. But that would have to wait, as before she can “run’ she must first learn to “walk.”

“Ok…” she said aloud, “Let’s do this.” Inazuma adjusted her weight, shifting the bed covers as she did. The young ninja glanced over at her cloak, its crimson inlay standing bold against the onyx exterior. The blood red clouds seemed to shake with the thunder that echoed from outside. As she sat looking on with admiration, Ina wondered if she would ever be able to truly carry on their legacy. Shaking herself from such thoughts, the young shinobi resumed her meditation. As the energy once again began to circulate through her extremity she tried to concentrate the chakra towards her fingertips. “If I’m going to improve, I may want to start with two or more points of contact rather than expect to generate a current from nothing.” With that she scrunched, twisted, and ultimately adjusted her fingertrips together. She once again imagined the electricity already within her, flowing to those connected tips. Inazuma attempted to blend her chakra with the electricity maintained with her arms, being sure to add on minute amounts of chakra at a time. After several seconds of this she slowly, carefully separated her fingers. A chain of electricity sat between them, glowing with enough energy to help light up the room. It sparked and clicked there for roughly 10 seconds before dissipating. Releasing her focus, Ina smirked. She lowered her arm to her side, replacing it on the bed. Her left hand scratched at her head as she continued to peer into the night. Her reflection stared back at her wearing the same smug smile which she hastily wiped from her face, replacing it with a small frown and furrowed brow. “I have nothing to be proud of… yet.” She said aloud. Her feet shifted on the cold ground, leaving the warm refuge their prolonged exposure had created. The young ninja threw her legs back onto her bed. She replaced the cloak over her now chilly legs, shivering slightly as it too had lost warmth. The fabric pulled gently at the small hairs on her leg as it moved across her body. Once she was situated, Ina settled back into her bed, arching her back near her stomach so as to stretch. The bones cracked and tisted, colliding with the cartilage stored between. Ina relaxed, her body returning don to the bed, molding to it. The cracks in he ceiling, forever watching, seemed to make tiny, crooked smiles. They stared at the young woman seemingly in recognition of her achievement. The young girl closed her eyes thinking to herself… “Time to rest,” she thought, “We will pick this up again tomorrow.”

Inazuma awoke with a startle. She sat upright in bed, released like a switchblade. The fabric around her shifted and re-formed around her. *Rustle, rustle* Looking out the window she could make out the light from the sun. It looked green behind the fog that enveloped Kirigakure no Sato. The rain had stopped but honestly the young shinobi didn’t know whether the stagnant water that hung in the air was worse or better than the constant bombardment of the rain. As Ina sat upright in her slightly stuffy apartment, she extended her arms forward, arching her back. She felt her muscles pull as she stretched them. Inhaling deeply she felt the thick air rushing through her lungs. It sat suspended in the air making each breathe slightly more difficult. It was almost as if she could feel her her lungs slowly filling with water. Inazuma did not care though… “Today was the day,” she thought. “Today I will master the use of the lightning element. Well, maybe not master, but learn to use it yes.” She clarified this to herself, not wanting to possibly convince herself that she was anything but a normal, hard-working ninja. The young shinobi ran her long fingers through her cornflower hair, removing the tangles her shifting sleep had created. She bunched the ends of her hair together and formed a pony tail, which she tied up with a small piece of twine. It wasn’t anything fancy, but it did the trick. Her hand reached towards a small table sitting to the left of her bed. On it lay her ninja headband, crumpled beneath the weight of the metal plank that emblazoned it. The reflected surface gleened in the soft light as her fingers touched the soft fabric of the grey band. She lifted it towards her, a hand on either side, wrapping the fabric around her head. The weight slightly pulled against her neck as it settled down onto her brow.She stood from her bed, stretching the rest of her body back as she did so. Bending down, Ina reached for a lump of fabric that lay on the floor. As she gripped its surface she lifted herself half way upright, still bent at the waist. Doing so had revealed the cloth to be her pants and she carefully stepped one leg at a time inside them. She pulled them up around her waist, under her shirt and fastened the small toggle in the front. From the bed she took cloak, throwing it around herself as she picked it up. “Alrighty then, let’s get this started.

An half hour passed as Inazuma went about her daily tasks. She sat down for a quick breakfast of eggs and sausage, and had tidied up her room. With these completed she left her apartment to start the day. The young shinobi walked through town for several minutes coming to the edge of town, where her favorite forest to train began. She stopped momentarily to stretch once again, shoulders cracking as she did so. “Here would work fine…” she thought to herself as she dropped her arms. With that, Ina removed her coat and tossed it into a heap aside from her, proceeding to then push her long sleeves up. They bunched at her elbows as she bent her arm up slightly, fingertips still pointed towards the ground. The blood vessels began to rise as she squeezed her fist tightly. The young girl then proceeded to mold her chakra once more, into her right arm. This time the transition came easier, and much like water forming in her mouth, her natural energy blended somewhat seamlessly with the natural electricity of her body, forming the lightning elemental release. She strained harder, the vessels now practically bursting with the combined blood and adrenaline coursing through them.

And then it happens, suddenly her arm was aglow. Small sparks arose and chained between her hairs, bouncing light around the young shinobi’s body. As she unclenched her fist she saw the glow before she could make out the energy. As she continued the lightning formed over her palm, between her fingers, and around her wrist. She lifted the hand closer to her face, illuminating its soft features and bright eyes. They widen, despite the light, in astonishment at her accomplishment. “HAHAHA!!” she laughed widly. “I can’t believe it!” The young girl waved her hand back and forth in front of her face for a minute, though it seemed like forever to the wide-eyed shinobi. Slowly, the chakra began to recede as she lost control of the blending. She knew it was far from perfect, but it was a great start. Undoubtedly she would need to train more, but this opened so many more possibilities. Once again, a smirk painted the face of Inazuma; she was pleased with herself though rightfully so.

Word Count: 2,089
Requested: Lightning Element +10 chakra +10 JP