Inazuma's Training

Approved. (I'm Kurisu/Chris btw, just to avoid confusion)

Several days had passed since Inazuma had returned from her mission in the secret tunnels of Kirigakure. Having not felt like training, she instead had been doing continued research on the technique known as Water Sky Convergence. She had spent these days sitting around reading books, trying to learn all she could before rushing into the physical aspect. “Ultimately,” she thought looking away from her book, “It’s all in the mind. Everything we do is connected by impulses that begin there and transmit to the rest of our body. As the old adage states, ‘If the mind can conceive it, then I know I can achieve it.’” And this had been true for so many things throughout the young shinobi’s life. I mean, after all she had just learned to manipulate another element, use an A-Rank Technique, and complete several missions in a matter of a week. She closed the book, feeling a small rush of wind pushed from within its pages as she did so. She took a deep breathe through her nose inhaling deep the intoxicating aroma of “knowledge”. She chuckled to herself with a smirk as she thought of this. “That’s stupid…” She said aloud, “You’re a moron.” But she knew what she had really meant; she had always loved the smell of old paper. Something about the clothe of a scroll or the pages of an old book... Inazuma huffed, setting the book on her chest. The young ninja lay with her back against the damp grass, positioned near the porch of her apartment, hands folded over the tome. The rain had let up for the past few day allowing the far too familiar mist to settle in. It added a soft stickiness to everything it touched, finding reprieve only while bathing. She lay there staring at the outline of a weeping willow to her right wondering whether to do anything today or not. “Perhaps I’ve investigated enough. Maybe some practical application is appropriate.”

With that she heaved herself from the ground, book tightly tucked beneath her arm. Ina jogged back to her house sliding open the glass door that led to the back. Without needing to go in, she flicked her left wrist, tossing the book smoothly onto her bed several feet away. Closing the door quickly behind her, the teenage shinobi took off into the small woods that lay behind her residence. Her heart raced as her feet continued to move like pistons, pulling her forward as they did so. *Mush, mush* As the soles of her shoes hit the ground, they squished the soft forest floor making an uncomfortable noise beneath them. Much like the sound of slowly ringing a sponge, Ina had always found the sound repulsive though she never knew why. She shrugged off the sound, replacing it with her own internal thoughts. “Ok, so the goal is to create a dense barrier using water in large quantities mixed with my own chakra. Then I should be able to manipulate it like a shield, eventually building towards being able to perform offensive maneuvers. Alrighty then… Here it goes.”

Inazuma continued forward, sprinting through the quiet woods, with only the sound of nature to listen to. Ahead she could hear the familiar babble of a creek that ran through the southern portion of the city. Its recognizable bends and turns were like a home away from home, its tranquility providing a wonderful spot for training alone. It lay only several feet ahead, and as she approached Inazuma slowed to a steady jog. The mist hung especially heavy in this area seemingly trapped beneath the tree branches that intertwined their fingers above. The young shinobi looked up into the green, losing herself for a moment. She sighed as she stopped completely, thinking it was rather muggy today. As such, she removed her cloak carefully, making sure to fold it before neatly laying it of a nearby branch. “Ok, let’s do this.”

With that, Ina stepped close to the stream, standing not 3 feet from it, its gently churning soothing her. She then closed her eyes and performed the Tiger, Dog, Monkey, Snake, Boar, and Tiger seals; focusing her energy into the nearby water source. As she did so, the water began to shift and flow in opposing directions, the current pulling one, though her chakra pulling the other. “Perhaps a standing water source would have been better..” she thought to herself, slightly annoyed at the situation. As a small frown came over her face, she reminded herself, “Whatever doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.” Furrowing her arched brow, Ina continued to concentrate hard on the water in front of her, pushing more and more of her chakra into it. Slowly, the water began to lift from it source, pooling in small amounts above the water’s surface. More and more lumps of swirling water began to rise, forming what was now a small rectangle no bigger than 3 feet. The Kiri-nin continued to drive her energy into the creek with extreme concentration, until minutes later a large block roughly 5’ by 3’ by 3’sat swirling above the now thinner creek. Opening her eyes, the young shinobi was shocked at her success. Taken aback she thought, “Ok, now the key is forming the water with enough density. But I can’t do that alone, I don’t have enough training to hold the water without extreme concentration. No way I could reach out an touch it let alone test how thick it is. I’ll have to save that for later.”

She pressed her palms closer together, still holding the Tiger seal she had performed earlier. Her knuckles grew white beneath her skin, a small vein appearing down her palm through her wrist, pulsating madly. Ina focused hard on the water no under her control, tilting her head slightly to the left as she did so. Mirroring her, the chakra infused water began to shift towards the left, several small drops falling from it as it did so. Ina continued to move the block, which was steadily gaining speed, for several more feet before releasing her hands, and dropping to her left knee. She panted; exhausted at the amount of chakra it took to control such a high level technique. “I suppose this is why…”she said through batted breathes, “Not many… people learn this… technique.” She reached her left hand towards her head, lifting her headband which now stuck to her face. Her right moved closed, fanning her brow as best it could, as the young ninja closed her eyes. The process was exhausting, but the end goal always justified the means. Inazuma replaced her headband, settling it down onto her forehead snugly. The sweat absorbed into the fabric now felt slightly cooler having been temporarily removed from her heated dome. She pushed on her left foot, lifting herself onto both feet. She stood squarely with her feet should length apart, bending slightly at the knees. Once again she performed the 6 seals required to activate this jutsu, holding the last firmly in place. Ina could feel the pull of the creek as she began to add her energy into it, this time adding it further upstream, allowing it to fill in down towards her, rather than fight the current. As the water continued to trickle forward, she felt her chakra envelop a majority of the brook. Using the natural momentum of the moving liquid, Ina pushed and lifted the water off its source. It formed much quicker this time without the resistance of going upstream, pulling into a large lump several feet off the ground. Within a minute she had already formed a similar block of water, circulating over the ground. She pulled it towards her with her mind, continuing to focus the chakra needed to maintain it. The young shinobi stared into the swirling sphere, watching as it moved and swayed from side to side and all around. She strained her neck, redness filling her pale face with sudden color. She could feel the blood pumping ferociously towards her brain, pooling in her head with enormous pressure. “Gah!” she spouted with a huff. Inazuma collapsed forward, quickly dropping her hands to her knees to support her weight. The suspended water hung for a split second without the support of her chakra, collapsing thereafter into the creek from whence it came. “Shit…” she said aloud, again gasping for breathes, “I need a break. Perhaps a nap and then we will continue.”

Word count: 1,414
Requested: Level 1 and 2 for Water Sky Convergence
http://naruto-role-play-rpg.forumotion.com/t9032-water-release-waterheavens-convergence-defined
+7 Chakra +7 JP

Inazuma released her muscles rocking herself back towards the forest floor. Her weight hit with a thud, the ground expelling some water as it squished beneath her. The noise it made caused her skin to tighten around her bones and her hair to stand on end. Moisture permeated the fabric of her pants reaching her read several seconds after she sat. Ina jumped with surprise at the chill, quickly hopping to her feet. Reaching out with her left hand she snagged at the midnight cloak she had just recently draped over a nearby tree. Throwing the Akatsuki coat beneath her she once again lowered herself to the ground. Inazuma bent her knees, gravity grasping desperately at her body pulling it towards the forest floor. The heavy material shifted below her, scrunching into an uncomfortable bunch under her butt. She adjusted her weight onto her right palm lifting her posterior a few inches above the ground. Using her left hand she tugged the clothing until it sat straighter underneath her. Collapsing backwards, Inazuma threw her hands into the air, moving them together above her chest. Her fingers interlaced as she dropped them softly onto her stomach. She closed her eyes partially allowing a small sliver of light to invade the cracks left, bleaching the back of her eyelids a pale, egg shell white. She closed them tighter, shutting out the remaining brightness. Her breathing returned to normal, finally having calmed herself down. As she continued to lie there, sleepiness found her, dragging her into a familiar dream world. She submitted to the call falling into a deep, relaxing sleep.

Inazuma awoke several hours later, the soft patter of rain sounding in her ears. Her eyelids fluttered rapidly, though slowly crept open. As she unlocked them, a small drop of moisture fell from the free branch above, catching her in the eye. “Fuck!” she exclaimed in shock, quickly springing up at the hip. Her left hand moved to nurse her right eye, rubbing it roughly as she sat upright. “What the hell?” Though only a small window of time had passed, the ever unpredictable weather of Kirigakure had once gain shifted. Ina stood, lifting herself with her palms and kicking her feet beneath her. As she moved upwards her left fingers extended towards the jet black fabric of her heavy coat. Her gripped tightened as the pad of her had met the material. With a wave of her arm the cloak flapped open giving her an opportunity to throw her right arm through the sleeve. Her shoulder popped and her elbow jerked as she show her hand through the other side. The material was damp, causing it to hang heavy over her body as she pulled her other appendage through its housing. “Ok… I feel much better now,” she thought, “Let’s get back to it then. The young shinobi shook her arms, loosening some of the condensed precipitation from her garment. She straightened up pressing her palms together and intertwining her fingers to form the Tiger seal. Following this hand gesture she perform the 5 needed to subsequently use the Water Sky Convergence again, finishing with the Tiger. She firmly planted her feet standing on the balls of her feet, knees slightly bent to allow circulation to the legs. She focused hard, filling herself with chakra, warming the skin the enveloped her with its warm properties. Ina pushed harder forming the energy into the water that lay not but a few feet away. Once again, the current shifted under the pressure, small balls forming in the air directly above the source, swirling in place as more joined them. Slowly, the technique began to take a truly solid form; a small wall slowly building in front of her. The tips of her fingers grew red as the blood beneath their shallow exterior rushed from her ever whitening knuckles to them. Several minutes passed as the moisture around the young shinobi began to shift an form an ever expanding shield of water. This time, well-rested and far more efficient Inazuma knew she had it.

“Perhaps I’ll try this,” she spoke aloud, slowly loosing her grip on the seal; the barrier she’d created now standing at an impressive 6 feet tall, 4 feet wide, and what looked to be 2 feet deep. As she pulled her hands apart she outstretched her palms extending them, fingers up at the sky, towards the floating defense. Much to her amazement the liquid continued to hang in the air suspended by the invisible link between Inazuma and the chakra molded within it. The young shinobi stood with arms locked straight at the elbows pointing directly ahead, each arm making a 90 degree angle with her body. Pulling them away from each other slowly while maintaining the horizontal direction, she watched in anticipation at the water. Mirroring her movements once again, the water spread outwards changing its dimensions as it did. She stopped abruptly, arms now making 45 degree angles with her chest. It heaved slightly, gasping for “clean” air amidst the rain and fog that riddled the air. She could see it moving beneath her eye line, though quickly refocused herself ahead at her technique. It now stood at an impressive 6 feet tall, 8 feet wide, though the depth seemed to have decrease to merely a foot. “Remarkable,” she though to herself, “This is just amazing. To think what I could do with this… And to think that this is only the beginning…!” She laughed to herself smirking as she did so. She knew this was the start of something new; something wonderful. “Ok. Just one more thing before I stop for the day…” Ina now dropped both her arms, slowing bending them at the elbows eventually lowering them to her side. She relaxed her fingers and wiggled them to help shake them out of their stiffness. The water still held its form, though once again small amounts of the liquid fell from its shape. Moving her left hand into her right sleeve, Ina produced a kunai, gripping it firmly in her palm. She moved quickly, hurling the iron projectile at the barrier. It hit with a thud, sitting suspended for a moment, roughly an inch into the defense before dropping to the ground. It made nary a sound as it hit the soft surface, landing only with a small plop. Ina bent to pick it up, losing eyesight with the jutsu ahead of her. As she did so the technique began to separate into several small pools, crashing toward the ground below. Several hit the water with a splash sending liquid up into the air against the rain, though some impacted the ground with a much louder thud. Inazuma absentmindedly scratched her head with her right hand as her left fumbled inside her cloak. “Obviously for now I need to maintain eye contact with the technique. Perhaps tomorrow will yield different results, but so far I think I’m making good progress.” With that Ina turned around, facing back the way she had come. Her feet began to move before she could consciously think it, guiding her back towards the town. She had a lot to ponder, but this was good food for thought.

Word Count: 1,206
Requested: Level 3 Mastery of Water Sky Convergence
http://naruto-role-play-rpg.forumotion.com/t9032-water-release-waterheavens-convergence-defined
+6 Chakra +6 JP

Approved.

The sky hung low in the sky as the day had just begun. Sitting alone, upright in her bed Inazuma was transfixed on a book detailing the history of the 4th shinobi war. She still wanted to learn so much more about the Akatsuki, but records of the organization were few and far between having been either destroyed or lost over the years; after all, 260 years as a long time. “Perhaps soon I will talk again with Ibuse,” thought the young girl, “It’s possible he has some information that may have been overlooked. After all, he was the personal summon of the man who drove the Akatsuki to drastic measures.” Ina closed the book, laying it gently on the bed side table to her right; the sound of a rooster crowing in the distance. She sighed lightly as she stood from bed, her feet meeting the cold ground with a slight shiver. Walking towards the restroom she headed to the sink. There she ran the faucet, splashing the cool water on her face several times before shutting the stream off again. She grasped the small hand towel hanging on the wall to the left and gently pushed its pillowy fabric to her face. It pulled the moisture hanging from her skin, almost hugging her with its billowy arms. As she finished, she replaced the towel on the wall and walking out of the confined space. She stretched as she entered the main room, feeling better already. As she had already eaten, Inazuma was ready to really get started with her day. She picked her cloak up off the floor, wrapping it around her body with the wave of her arm. The cloak felt cool around her body, helping to drop her internal temperature. It wasn’t exactly a hot day, but it wasn’t cold either. She wrapped the material snuggly around herself, carefully buttoning each snap on the inside. She yawned as she reached the top button, snapping it shut above her mouth. It was early, but as her ward Namiko used to say, “The rewards of those who utilize each day will always be greater than those of the wasted day.”

“He had a point,” thought the young shinobi, “It just feels like there is too much going on each day not to take full advantage of your time.” With that in mind, Inazuma headed from home, taking the back exit as usual. As she left the house she headed quickly to the forest behind. She had a lot of practice to do and a lot of time to do it. Running through the wood, Ina made her way to her usual secluded training area, passing the familiar trees and landmarks along the way. Her soles crunched the grass below her, the dew jumping around her legs as her feet hit the ground. She ran for only about five minutes before coming to here well-known clearer. As Ina approached she began to unbutton her cloak. As soon as the last snap was undone, she slid the fabric off her body, grasping it firmly in her left hand. Finding a nearby branch she tossed the garment gently over a low-hanging branch. The metal inside rustled about, clanking together like a poorly designed wind chime. “Alrighty then… Time to get started!” Inazuma said, rubbing her hands together eagerly.

With that the young shinobi began to mold the chakra within her. She formed the energy from her gut, sending it to the other parts of her body. The chakra then permeated from her feet into the soil below, mixing with the moisture within. Ina tried to imagine the wave of energy flowing through the earth, seeking out the water within the dirt and the grass and the plants. For several seconds she let this continue until she had developed a 10’ radius around her. At this point she began to “pull” the moisture from the ground. Slowly, it began to condense together, forming large drops of water roughly 2” apiece. The pooled along the ground, rising slightly as the grew denser. Carefully, the young shinobi concentrated on one massive wall in front of her. She had learned before that should she be able to picture the technique, it was much easier to manipulate into the form. An idea is a fluid concept, while picturing something gives you a concrete “plan” if you will. Slowly, the water begins to form in front of the young shinobi. “It’s a good thing I live someplace wet,” thought Inazuma. “Heaven forbid I was a water user in Sunagakure or Iwagakure or any place like those. Here I have an almost infinite amount of water to utilize. Even the air is heavy with moisture I can draw from. I wonder if that is a coincidence. I mean, wouldn’t evolution suggest that even humans would adapt to there environments? Of course there are exceptions as we are far more “migratory” creatures than most, traveling from place to place, moving from village to village…” Ina shook her head, refocusing on the task at hand. She just had so many questions… Questions that would never really be answered…

As a few more minutes passed, the water was slowly forming the shield she had pictured in her mind. Ina pushed harder, the veins in her arm beginning to protrude from under the skin. Her pigment began to turn red, the hairs on her arm standing up on end. She felt the well known sensation of sweat condensing on her skin, chilling her slightly as the light breeze found the moisture. She pushed through, her muscles now sore from the strain she was putting on them. As the water pooled ahead of the young shinobi she began to relax her arms. As she did so she started to lower them to her side, allowing them to dangle lifelessly along her body. Inazuma looked ahead of her, admiring the work she had accomplished. The wall of water stood a good 5’ high and 7’ wide, with a thickness of around 1’. This was not much better than the last time, though she had used the ground water instead of a readily accessible source. “Pretty good…” came a familiar voice from behind the young shinobi. The sudden interruption caught Inazuma off guard as she quickly turned to face the source of the sound. As her concentration shifted, the water lost its density, falling to the ground in front of her. She was now facing the stranger, recognizing him as her long time mentor Namiko. He began to slowly and lightly applaud as he spoke. “I’m sorry to surprise you, but I thought I might find you here. I was hoping to talk with you; see how things are going. I’ve heard many rumors of your progress, but I was hoping to hear from you myself.” He smiled as he spoke, looking across the foliage at his ward. Ina smiled back as well speaking quietly, “It’s nice to see you sensei… I’m more than happy to talk with you. I’m sorry I’ve been so distant lately, but I’ve been preoccupied lately. Please, join me and I will explain everything that’s been happening.” She motioned to a tree stump nearby, plopping herself to the ground as Namiko approached.

Word Count: 1,212
+ 6 Speed + 6 JP
1,432/ 1800 Level 4 Mastery for Water Sky Convergence

Approved

For several hours the two talked; master and pupil. Ina discussed her missions about town, her readings, and the daily going-on’s of the town. She revealed to her sensei the training she had been undertaking to develop the lightning element and how she’d hope to gain one more before all was said and done. Ina went into lengthy details regarding her travels to Amegakure; making sure to spare no details as the event was fresh on her mind. Absorbing it all Namiko sat there, his smile fading away to replace his face with concerned. By the time she had finished his brow was furrowed worriedly, small beads of sweat condensing on the skin. He rubbed his head with left hand taking several deep breathes before speaking… “Are you out of your mind? Don’t you know you could have been killed? And for nothing! Your death would have gained neither you nor anyone else a damned thing. I am relieved to see you well, but that was incredibly suicidal. Have I taught you nothing?” He shook his head from side to side in disappointment, the look of excitement now draining from Inazuma’s face. She sat slack jawed, barely able to process what she had just heard. “I thought you’d be happy for me?” she protested angrily. “Yes it was stupid… Yes it was rash… But I wanted to know the answers. You know me well enough to know that the pursuit for ultimate knowledge is worth everything; especially hen it comes to the Akatsuki. And Ibuse can help! Despite the power that comes with my new summoning contract, it also comes with answers. Ibuse was the personal summon of Hanzo, previous leader of Amegakure, before the 4th Shinobi War. He may not know what happened in full detail, but he has enough information to at least fill in some sizeable gaps. Don’t you get it?”

Her mentor spoke calmly, obviously aware at his student’s frustration, “I understand Inazuma... But what you don’t understand is that to me, you are a daughter and the thought of losing you is more than even a man such as me can resist. I love you little one, and I am indeed proud of you. You are already beginning to surpass me.” With that he extended his arm, gently placing his hand on her shoulder. The young shinobi smirked as he touched her. She felt good having been recognized by such an amazing ninja. Her eyes began to lightly mist as she replayed what he had just said over and over in her head. She took in a sniffle, fighting back her emotions. “Alrighty then,” Ina said in a broken voice, “How about some training then? I’ve been developing a new technique called Water Sky Convergence. It works by collecting water into a dense shield and using it to block oncoming attacks. The idea is to be able to control it freely, using it much like the fabled Sabaku no Gaara used his sand. Ultimately I should be able to defend and attack with the water, as well as use other jutsu in collection with it. I’ve even master how to utilize the water around in the ground and plant life.” Namiko listened closely and responded when Ina had finished. “I have heard of a technique such as this, though never witnessed its use. Of course I will help you with your training.” With that, the two Kirigakure ninja stood from their seats. Ina wiped her pants as she stood, removing a small bit of the dirt that had lodged on her rear. The two squared off against each other, standing roughly 10 feet apart. “Ready!?” Namiko called out.

“Let’s do this!” yelled Inazuma in reply. As she finished her answer she concentrated her chakra from her core to her extremities. “The more and more I use this technique, the more proficient I become,” she thought to herself aloud, “let’s see if I can handle myself with an actual opponent though.” She sat opposite her mentor, arms at her side, giving the illusion of relaxation. Only someone close enough would be able to tell the concentration she had on her face. Even in her current state she had already seeped a large amount of chakra into the ground around. Namiko charged, the shinobi, drawing several shuriken from his belt as he did so. As he ran, he threw the projectiles, only to begin to form the tiger seal. Already having collected the moisture she needed, Ina quickly formed a small shield with more water condensing on it every second. She moved the small shield initially only 3’ by 3’ to block the incoming shuriken as they raced towards her; the water about her still collecting as the metal fell to the ground. Still maintaining her relaxed demeanor, she easily formed her defense. It still took a great deal of concentration, but she was getting the hang of it. Her mentor was no bearing down on her. Already having created his seal, she could see him forming the gunshot technique. He fired off the attack, roughly 1’ in diameter, as he continued to rush his ward. The attack hit her shield with an extreme amount of force, causing Ina to lift her arms and push harder with the chakra she was using. The blast bore down on the shield for only several seconds before glancing off towards the left into the forest, whereby it broke through several small trees before dissolving back into the earth. “Ok so maybe I’m not that good yet… Still, a hands free formation is a good start,” thought Inazuma to herself. However, she was shaken from her thoughts by something connecting with her face. As it turns out, the Water Release: Gunshot was only a distraction used to misdirect Ina, and it had worked. Namiko had snuck behind her shield while she concentrated on the blast and attacked her from the rear, landing a blow across her right face using a right round house. The young ninja fell to the ground with the blow, her head spinning at the impact. As usual, the water she was controlling fell to the ground. Namiko approached his student, holding out his hand. “This is water practice is for Inazuma. Shall we try again?”

Word Count: 1,048
+ 5 Speed + 5 JP
680/2200 Mastery Level 5 Water Sky Convergene
Level 4 Water Sky Convergence MASTERED

Inazuma grasped his hand, pushing herself up as he pulled her arm. “Thanks,” she said shamefully. She turned her back on him, beginning to walk away. “Hey… Don’t be like that,” he said gently. “You can’t expect yourself to be perfect the first time.” She did not stop, rather walking about 15’ out and turning round again with a huff. Namiko sighed softly, knowing the type of stubborn individual his student was. Ina shouted out to her mentor, “Let’s go!” Once again she pooled her energy into the water surrounding her. She released it through her entire body, permeating the soil and the moist air both. She could feel herself gaining control of the water around as she quickly formed her defense again. Her anger boiled her blood, sending a water of adrenaline rushing through her system. The burst of enzymes stirred the young shinobi on, her body practically red with concentration. Namiko stood opposite Inazuma, watching her as he bent to pick up his fallen shuriken from earlier. “Impressive,” he though to himself.

With that he stood upright, the three projectiles placed between his fingers in preparation for an attack. He threw them hard at Inazuma, his wrist snapping as he released. The pieces of metal went flying towards his opponent as he once again formed the tiger seal. This time he instead he created a water clone from the heavy mist that hung about. Slowly a copy of Ina’s mentor began to form only feet from the original. At this point the young shinobi’s shield had formed an impressive barrier, completely encompassing her within a 8’ dome of swirling water. It pulsated around Inazuma who stood still in the center, a smirk on her face. Something had changed inside her; pushed her harder. Now, as the water clone finished formation, both original and copy began there assault of their opponent. Namiko continued to hold his seal, once again developing the Water Release: Gunshot. The clone, drew more shuriken from it belt, showering Ina with 10 sharpened metal pieces. However, her shield was too dense, sending the projectiles bouncing off in all directions. This did not stop the clone as it began to run at its opponent, a kunai drawn from his belt. As the watery doppelganger charged Ina, its weapon held tightly in its right hand, Namiko was prepared for his own assault. Ina watched through the swirling water, capable of seeing everything through its translucent surface. She smirked knowing what was coming next. She reached out with her hand, gently placing it against the side of the sphere closest to her mentor. This created a direct link between her shield and her chakra source, allowing her to add more energy with much less strain on herself. As she did so, she also added some of her lightning element, creating an electric barrier she could control. It was at this point that Namiko launched his attack, firing off a blast that grew as it left his mouth. As it neared five feet of the shinobi, it had already grown to 12’ in diameter. It hit the shield hard, shaking the very earth itself. Ina braced herself against the shield, the full weight of the attack no bearing down on her. Ina’s anger continued to grow; anger at herself for not being stronger… She closed her eyes, concentrating deep in her gut and with one might push, sent forth a burst of chakra through her arms, out her fingertips, and into the surrounding shield. The shield lurched outward, growing another 2’. Ina moved forward slowly with the shield, maintaining the contact from earlier. The Gunshot deflect high, shooting off into the air with great speed. Namiko looked surprised to see the defenses unscathed, a small gap forming between his lips. He shook his head, not truly worried about this setback. He motioned to the clone which now stood behind his opponent, who proceeded to prepare its on gunshot against the weak portion of the shield. Ina quickly turned her attention to the new attacker, throwing her open palm towards the wall behind her. The wall shook for several seconds before a large portion pushed outwards. The sphere expanded once again, a large “arm” forming in front of the water clone. As the clone continued to charge its blast, it had no time to prepare a defense for her attack. Namiko gasped as the “arm” formed and pushed outwards with great force and speed. The unsuspecting clone had only seconds to brace itself though it did nothing to protect it from the oncoming blow. The water hit with huge force sending the electricity that flowed through it easily into the conduit, which was the water clone. It managed to survive as it was pushed back for several seconds, though it soon erupted into a shower of sparks and rain. Ina once again relaxed, withdrawing her hand from the wall, moving back towards the center. The sphere decreased in size, dropping to only 6’. Ina moved forward slowly, the defense moving along with her. Namiko stood slightly dumbfounded. What had caused this sudden transformation in his student, he wondered. He stood ready though, withdrawing a kunai from his belt then lifting it back to his teeth. He placed the metal into his mouth, his tongue now tasting of iron. He closed his lips around the weapon, and placed his hands together in front of his chest. Ina watched; patiently moving forward despite her mentor forming the Rat, Dog, and Ox seals. She recognized the hand signs for the traditional jutsu of the hunter-nin and a particular favorite to Namiko; the Water Release: Water Whip Techique. The sensei, moved his hand in what seemed like a wild manner, though the whip moved fluidly about him. He continued this for several more seconds as his student moved closer and closer. Then he struck; moving his arm outwards towards his target and flicking his wrist towards her. The whip caught the shield, expanding longer as it wrapped around it. After 4 revolutions around it, the other end anchored itself to a tree behind. Inazuma’s movements stopped, as the sphere would move no more. Quickly Namiko fastened the other end to a tree behind himself. Ina now faced a choice; stay inside her shell and attempt to break free from within its safety, or drop her guard and face her mentor like a real ninja.

The choice was obvious for Inazuma as she focused her energy into the shell, sending one more burst of chakra outwards from it. The shield dissipated though not without first sending its contents shooting out in all directions. The force of the blast ripped the mounted whips from the trees, subsequently cutting the trees in half in the process. They fell with a thunderous clap against the forest floor flinging sediment, leaves, water, bark, and more miscellaneous debris into the air. Ina wasted no time, utilizing the commotion to perform the Tiger seal. Before the dust settled, she had already begun to use her Hiding in Mist Technique. Inazuma inhaled deeply, exhaling a thick, heavy mist forming over the battlefield. It radiated around the young shinobi, dispersing evenly for 300’. Namiko was quickly emerged in this fog, his eyesight next to useless in the chakra infused mist. Ina finished releasing her technique and quickly raced of into the thick of it. She dodged around the fallen trees ahead of her, coming up silently behind her instructor. A twig snapped beneath her feet alerting her target to her presence. Namiko rapidly removed the kunai from his mouth and swung behind himself, narrowly missing his apprentice as she ducked below his blade. She dropped to the ground, catching herself on her right hand and leg. She twisted her body, swinging her left leg towards her sensei’s feet. Her knee popped, extending her leg straight at him. The attack caught him off guard, causing him to lose his balance. As his feet let out underneath him Namiko fell back hard to the ground with a thud. As he did, the sudden impact caused him to lose his grip on the kunai. Inazuma wasted no time, continuing to pivot her body around. She used the momentum to twist her legs under her, pushing her right leg up. As she sat in the kneeling position she withdrew her own kunai quickly from her belt. She placed the knife against the throat of her mentor, speaking calmly as she did so, “This is the end…” Her eyes burned fiercely, staring hard into Namiko’s eyes. He smiled at his student, “Very good Inazuma. That technique is far more impressive than I would have thought.”

The young shinobi withdrew her blade from her sensei’s throat, returning it to her belt. Her blood was burning with fire as adrenaline raced through her veins. Her chest heaved up and down as she panted loudly. She tried to take deep breathes to calm herself, as her rapid heartbeat began to slow. She raised her left hand to her head, mopping her brow with the back of it. She placed her right hand on her bended knee and pushed off her leg. Ina’s bones cracked as she straightened up. It was at this time Ina extended her hand down to the defeated man who too lay panting on the ground. He smiled up at his pupil closing his eyes as he too extended his hand to meet hers. Ina smirked as his palm met hers, and their fingers tightened on the back of each other’s hand. “Finally,” she thought to herself, “I finally know what its like to defeat him.”


Word Count: 1,608
+ 8 Speed + 8 JP
Level 5 Water Sky Convergence MASTERED

Need approval for above training as well please.

Approved both Training posts