Haru's Byakugan Training. (Solo Training)

Haru felt a slight nipping sensation against his hand, and rolled over to see his dog nibbling on his fingers, trying to wake him up.
"What, Timber?" Asked Haru sleepily, closing his eyes. Timber stood up excitedly, biting his arm and attempting to pull him out of bed. "Timber, You aren't strong enough to get me out of this bed. Not after a day like yesterday." He muttered, remembering his extremely early wake up call by his sensei, Rin, the morning before. Apparently they had watch tower duty at five in the morning, a good six hours before Haru liked to wake up. Timber persistently tugged on his arm. "Look, Timber, I know I promised to take you training to be a ninken, but I didn't promise to do it before the sun came out." Said Haru, jerking hi arm away. Timber whined sadly. Haru sighed. 
"You can't break me, Timber. Nothing is more important to me then sleep." Said Haru, as Timber stared at him sadly, whining quietly. "And puppy dog eyes don't work anymore, buddy. You aren't a puppy anymore." Said Haru, rolling over. Timber jumped up into the bed, trying to get the blankets off Haru. "He-Hey! Not cool! Get off me!" Shouted Haru angrily, pushing the dog back onto the floor, but not before he got a hold of the blankets. The blankets were tugged off Haru and onto the floor. "God dammit, Timber! Let me sleep!" Shouted Haru, striking his dog's chakra point with the gentle fist. Timber yelped in surprise, falling to the floor.

"Oh, God! Timber!" Shouted Haru, regretting the strike immediately. "Here, hold still..." He said, unblocking the chakra point again. The dog sat up slowly, licking Haru's hand apologetically. "I'm sorry, Timber, I just... Don't wake up easily. Let's go, then. We can go running or something." Said Haru remorsefully, pulling on his sweatshirt, and opening the door. Timber stepped through the door excitedly, running through the hallway to the front door, which Haru opened. Timber ran ahead to the elevator, jumping up and hitting the down button with his paw. That was a trick he'd learned from years of living in this crowded apartment building... The dog always loved going for walks. "Alright, ground floor, buddy. I'm gonna teach you how to surface walk; It's an essential skill for a Shinobi, and by extension, you, since you are now a Familiar." Said Haru as they reached surface level. "So I guess I'll have to explain Chakra to you, ok?" Asked Haru. Timber yipped excitedly in response. As they walked, Haru explained Chakra to his dog, something that felt very strange.

"I'll try to keep it short for you then. Chakra is a form of energy all living things naturally produce. This energy flows through pathways in the body, distributing the energy through the body. This energy can be controlled, in order to preform Ninjutsu techniques, or in my case, Taijutsu techniques, the art of physical fighting. Anyways, you can't use some of our techniques because you can't make hand signs-" A sad whine could be heard coming from Timber "-but, luckily, you can still use some of our techniques. For example, the surface walking technique." He said, as they reached the park, which contained a lake and small, two story brick building. "Alright, so I want you to visualize your chakra. Feel the energy coursing through your veins." Said Haru dreamily, tracing his finger across the dog's tenketsu, showing him the flow of the chakra. 

Timber closed his eyes and concentrated, visualizing his... his... "Chakra". He felt his master tracing his fingers across his chakra flow, showing him the direction and location of the flow. He could see it now, flowing through him. It was strange, learning this kind of thing, but it sounded very cool.

"Alright, now, focus the chakra to your feet. Will the energy to flow, and pull you towards the wall." Said Haru, pointing to the brick building. "And run up the wall as far as you can. It's best if you get a running start." He advised, demonstrating the technique, sprinting up the wall and stopping at the stop, standing sideways. He beckoned the dog towards him. 
"Now it's your turn." Said Haru.

Timber ran towards the wall at full speed, jumping at the wall, and willing his "Chakra" to pull him tight against the wall. Naturally, it didn't work, and he only managed to get up a few steps. 
"That's fine." Haru said. "It took me weeks to get that far." He said encouragingly. Timber smiled... or came as close to doing so as a dog could. Then he tried again, focusing the chakra to his feet, and running up the wall. This time, he managed to get twice as far as before up the wall, before inevitably pushing off and landing back on the ground. "Wow." Said Haru, applauding him. "You're progressing fast. Maybe having four legs makes it easier for you then a human?" Wondered Haru aloud, still waiting at the top. Timber turned and tried again, charging up the wall, until he was level with Haru, shakily holding himself in place. "Impressive. You've got this chakra control thing down pretty well. Now it's time for some variety." He said, pointing to the pond. "You just do the opposite now. Use your chakra to push yourself up, and keep yourself on the surface." Said Haru, hopping down, and walking to the pond. Timber followed him. Haru stepped casually onto the water, walking to the middle of the pond. "It doesn't take much chakra to do this, just control. If you can master wall walking that fast, you shouldn't have any problems with this." He said, gesturing for Timber to follow him. Cautiously, the Husky set one paw on the water, focusing his chakra into it, and testing this technique. Sure enough, it held his weight. Slowly and cautiously, he put each leg on the water, and walked towards Haru. Amazed, he barked in glee.

"YES!" Heard Haru, who started slightly, activating the Byakugan and looking around. 
"Who said that?" He asked, confused. He couldn't see anyone at all besides them in the park. 
Can you... Understand me?" Barked Timber. Haru nodded slowly. "W...Wow... You can understand the beast tongues. We can talk to each other now!" Yipped Timber excitedly. 
"Badass." Said Haru. "So... What now?" He asked. They were still standing on the pond, and while Haru had much more training planned for them, but... He could talk to his dog now. How the hell was he supposed to focus when something like this happened? 
"We could go eat..." yipped Timber quietly, looking over his shoulder towards a Ramen bar that allowed pets. Haru often took him there to eat as a puppy.
"My god, Timber. I can understand you now, and all you want to do is eat?" Asked Haru angrily. Timber whimpered apologetically. "I'm totally kidding, let's go eat." Said Haru, smiling wide. They walked to the Ramen bar, talking idly as they went. 
"Y'know, you're taking this very calmly, Haru. Barked Timber. Haru shrugged.
"I've talked to weirder." He said, remembering his encounter with Kenchi's Ogre. 
"Okay... So do I get to be your partner now? Can I go on missions with you?" Asked Timber Excitedly. Haru rubbed his head. 
"Of course you do. But Im not taking you on really dangerous missions; I don't want you getting hurt. Timber yipped excitedly.
"Yes! Yes! I'm a Shinobi!" He barked loudly, causing several people to stare. 
"Calm down buddy, only humans can be Shinobi. You're a Ninken." He said, patting his head. They reached the Ramen bar, and Haru placed their orders, and Haru sat down at a table near the back of the restaurant. 
"So what is our first mission gonna be? Solving a murder mystery? Killing a crime lord? Rescuing hostages?" Asked Timber excitedly, daydreaming happily about the prospect. 
"Probably just a patrol, nothing major. You don't start out big in a ninja team." Said Haru in a mature tone. 
"Bullshit. I specifically remember you doing some B-ranked missions in your first week." Yipped Timber.
"It was a C-Ranked mission, Timber. I've never done a B-ranked mission." Said Haru humbly as their food arrived. He set one of the plates on the ground, as Timber attacked the food.
"But you'll do one soon... and I wanna come..." Said Timber between mouthfuls of meat. Haru sighed. 
"I don't want to bring you anywhere dangerous, Timber. If it looks like a safe mission, then I'll take you, but you're not that strong yet. You can surface walk, but that's one move, and it's not exactly an offensive move. That's just the basics. If I think I can keep you safe, I'll take you, but you'e got to be careful. If you let it go to your head, you could end up like Maya... Do you remember that academy student I told you about? Maya? She's dead because she picked a fight with a ninja that was far more powerful then her. You never know who you'll face..." Lectured Haru. 
"Then Show me more! I can learn if you can teach! Teach me to fight!" Barked Timber, finishing off his food. 
"It's not that easy, Timber... You're a dog. I'm a human. I can't exactly teach you the gentle fist." Said Haru.
"Why not?" Asked Timber. 
"Because you can't make a fist." Said Haru, chuckling a little. 
"Well, then what can I do?" Asked Timber, standing up impatiently.
"Well, I've heard about a clan that fights with dogs exclusively-" 
"-Well there's some people with the right idea.." Interjected Timber.
"I didn't pick to be born to this family! You can't play that card!" Said Haru angrily. 
"Calm down, I was just messin' with you." Said Timber. "Can we go now? I wanna go train some more!"
"It's five in the morning, Timber... I'm surprised this place is actually open. Can we just train later?" Begged Haru. 
"No! Come on! We can finally communicate both ways! Imagine the possibilities!" Complained Timber. 
"Fine, we'll do a little more. I suppose we could spar for a bit back at the pond." Agreed Haru reluctantly. And with that, they set off for the pond. When they arrived, Haru walked a ways past Timber, turning to face him. 
"Alright, I'll go easy on you, since you're untrained, but give me all you've got!" He shouted, as Timber bolted towards him. The dog jumped up, growling viscously, aiming to bite his neck. Haru sidestepped, and tried to strike at him, but his technique was off. 

"Woah, this is weird. I'm used to fighting people, not animals." He said as Timber launched himself at him again. Haru dodged to the side once more. 
"Adapt and overcome!" Shouted Timber as he latched onto Haru's leg while he wasn't focused. 
"Aah!" He shouted as he tried to shake off the dog. He kicked Timber away, grabbing him by the throat and thrusting him to the ground when he lunged at him again. 
"ouch!" Complained Timber. 
"Adapt and overcome. Can we go home now?" Asked Haru sleepily. 
"You single minded little... Fine." Said Timber reluctantly. He hopped into the front of Haru's sweatshirt, his head popped out by his neck, and they headed home.
"So what are we going to tell your grandparents?" Aksed Timber as they walked. 
"Well, YOU aren't going to tell them anything, because you can only talk to me. I am going to tell them how awesome it is that I can talk to animals." Said Haru veinly.
"You're a jerk." Said Timber
"I try." Answered Haru sarcastically. 
"So we get to do a mission tomorrow?" Asked Timber excitedly. 
"Who knows?" Asked Haru as they opened the door to the apartment, off the streets. They headed up the elevator, dreaming up training ideas as they went. 
"What kind of jutsu do I get to learn?" Asked Timber.
"Well, you can't make hand signs, so probably physical techniques, mostly." Said Haru.
"Killjoy."
"We'll find something for you to do, don't worry. Maybe some earth release techniques or something." Reassured Haru The elevator stopped, and they reached their floor. 

(WC: 2031)

+Timber is now combat ready. 
+10 stats to Haru and Timber
+20 JP to Haru and Timber

Wc=1949

Fixed, sorry, the last bit didn't get copied, so I had to rewrite it.

approved for +9 stats and + 19 jp

Haru rolled out of bed, onto the floor with a loud thud. Timber growled, barking angrily at him.
"No, I did not mean to do that, Timber. Now stop biting me." He said groggily, pulling himself back into his bed. Timber barked at him again.
"Stop. Just... Stop. We'll eat in a little bit." He told the husky, covering his head with his pillow. 
"Good morning, Haru!" Came his sister's voice, barging through the door, insensitive as always. Timber hopped up, trotting excitedly out of the door, while Haru simply rolled over, trying to look like he was still asleep. 
"Get up, Haru. There's breakfast at the table. Grandma cooked it especially for you." She said enticingly, as Haru smelled the scent of bacon waft in. 
"Five more minutes." He muttered stubbornly. Aryll frowned, yanking the covers off him. 
"Hey! It's my day off! Let me sleep!" He shouted angrily at his sister.  
"You should at least eat, Haru!" Aryll shouted back, trying to pull him out of bed. Unfortunately for her, Haru was far stronger then her, capable of knocking down walls and lifting incredible weights. 
"Haruuu... Just get up...  I'm not allowed to eat until you do.  Just get up and eat, then you can go back to bed. Please?" Aryll begged. Haru sighed, slumping onto his back. After a few seconds, he sat up, getting slowly to his feet. 
"Alright... Fine. Tell grandma I'm coming."  Haru said. Aryll shook her head, pulling on his arm. 
"I'm not falling for it. Get up, Haru." She ordered, trying to pull him to his feet. 
"...Fine." Haru muttered. Reluctantly, Haru stood up, pulling on a shirt, and following her out the door. He sat down for breakfast, picking at his food. 
"So, the Chunin exams are coming up, Haru." Said his grandmother casually. Haru nodded slowly. "So, do you have any plans this time around?" She asked him, putting a few extra pieces of bacon on his plate. 
"Well... I was working on... Learning how to open the eight gates..." He answered slowly, staring at the floor. 
"What?" His grandmother answered, clearly surprised by this. 
"I wouldn't go too out of control, and I already know them pretty well, and how to block them with the gentle fist, so why not?" He asked, scratching his head.
"Do you realize how dangerous that technique is? It could kill you!" His sister screeched, grabbing his arm.
"How many gates can you open?" Came his grandfather's voice from the hallway. He hobbled into the room on his cane, sitting down across from him. 
"Well... Three." Answered Haru. "So far, at least. I've been working on the fourth gate. I read book on it, and as long as I don't go above gate seven, I should be fine. And I shouldn't have a reason to go above gate five in the chunin exams, unless I'm facing some crazy powerful opponents. But I'm really strong for a Genin, far stronger then my opponents were at my first chunin exams. So I should be able to win this time. Maybe even without the eight gates. But it never hurts to be sure." Haru said confidently, finishing his breakfast. He walked back to his room, grabbing all his gear, slipping his blades onto his wrists, and heading out the door.  Timber walked at his heels, yipping excitedly about getting to go on a walk with Haru. He just wanted to clear his head and reflect, which was fine with Timber. Haru had barely tested the technique at all, he'd merely opened as many gates as he could, just to see how well they'd worked, so he'd just have to try harder today.

...Haru remembered it well. He'd discovered the technique when training at the training towers, reading a book he'd bought from a store on the way. It was called "The memoirs of Mite Guy." The book was interesting, even though this "Mite Guy" Semed completely insane, rambling on about "The springtime of youth" on and on, but Haru found worth in his thorough description of the Eight Gates Technique, which had peaked his interest. Almost a week later, he finally saw results...

-------------------

"Alright." Muttered Haru, rubbing his chest. "So the first gate is here. 'The gate of opening'... Sounds easy enough. He closed his eyes, focusing on the gate, willing it to open. His hair spiked, and he felt a sudden surge of chakra, like a weight had been released from his shoulders. He felt lighter, faster, and stronger. He ran around the room a few times, feeling the small difference in speed. He charged a training dummy, sending his hand straight through it. He definitely felt different. But it wasn't enough. He willed the second gate, the Gate of Healing,  to open. He felt a burst of power, much more noticeable then the last, but also felt a little more vulnerable. He ran up the wall, as Timber tried to follow him, running as fast as his little legs would carry him, to no avail. Haru stopped moving, turning to face the dog. 
"Try and hit me." He challenged, disappearing in a blur of speed once more. The husky chased after him fruitlessly, but not giving up. Haru decided it was time to open the third gate, the gate of pain. It was very appropriately named, because Haru felt weaker then ever now, though his strength, speed, endurance, and chakra all compensated of it nicely. He quite liked the surge of power it brought, and like a thief reaching for all the money he can get, Haru tried to reach the fourth gate. He tried as hard as he could, to no avail. "Dang, I can't get past the next gate!" He shouted to Timber, who was still struggling to keep up with him. Timber barked at him, not really saying anything, just making plain gibberish. Haru stopped running, and released the gates. realizing. 
"Hey... could I use this with the gentle fist? Like, to target the gates?" He wondered aloud. 
Try it... Offered Timber, who was lying on the ground, trying to catch his breath. 
"On what? A training dummy? They don't have chakra gates..." He said.
Well, you know roughly where they are... You read the book, didn't you? Answered Timber. 
"Of course I did!" Shouted back Haru.
Then go for it! 
"-Well, look who it is!" Came a voice from the door. The four boys from last time he was there, the ones who'd tried to gang up on him. Haru slowly turned to face them. 
"What do you want?" He asked bluntly. 
"Nothing much, just a little payback." Answered the boy, as his friends started to surround him. 
"You started the fight. I didn't want any of this!" Haru shouted angrily. 
"And now we're gonna finish it..." Said the leader, as they began advancing on him. Haru sighed.
"You guys never learn your lesson, do you? Fine, then. Gate one: Gate of opening." Haru said solemnly, as his hair spiked again, and he charged the first boy to his right down. If a furious display of gentle fist attacks, the boy fell to his knees, incapacitated. Unfortunately, during that time, the others had managed to get behind him, the strongest of them grabbing his arms from behind. They were about the same level of strength, but Haru couldn't fight him with this handicap, so he opened the second gate. 
"Gate of Healing." He counted off in his head, breaking free of the boy's grip, before spinning, and roundhouse kicking him to the face. The boy fell backwards in agony, while the next swung his bo staff at him. Haru caught it in his hand, pulled it free, and snapped it in two, tossing both pieces aside in opposite directions.  The boy had a fit of rage, and puled a case of pills from his pocket, and swallowed all of them. 
Military rations pills... This was gonna be one helluva fight. The boy lunged forward, punching him in the jaw, and catching him off guard. That hurt more then it should have... Side affects of the Eight Gates?

Haru countered by spinning around, out of the boy's range, and charging him down with a sixty-four palms attack. About half of his strikes in the flurry of blows made contact, before the boy managed to escape the kill zone of his attack, kicking him in the side. 
This kid is strong. Those pills are gonna be the death of me... He thought, rolling to his feet. Then something clicked in his head. The eight gates... 

He focused his byakugan, as hard as he could, straining his eyes to new levels of vision, and then he saw them. The eight gates, running up his chest, splitting near the top, and connecting to two other gates. Now he just needed a little speed... maybe he could do it now? He focused on his fourth gate as he ran towards the boy, and lucky for him, it worked. He felt far stronger and faster then he had been before. This was a big difference. He made a mad dash for the boy, striking six of his eight gates, before the boy fell over from exhaustion. His friends stopped what they were doing, and lowered their weapons. 

"Now leave me alone." Haru said, whistling for timber to follow him out the doors. The little husky followed him, amazed at what he'd just seen.
How'd you do that? He asked
"No Idea. It just happened." Haru answered, as they walked towards the house. Well, he'd gained two new moves today, and he felt pretty good. He was ready for the chunin exams, because now he had an ace up his sleeve...

----------------------

The next day....


Haru breathed softly as the cold night air seeped into his room through the window. At is feet lay his loyal companion, Timber the Husky, curled up into a ball and covered in blankets. Haru’s room was fairly neat, in fact, the whole room was very tidy ever since he was little. It was just how he was. On his desk were his tools, his hidden blades, his tomahawk, his wakisashi, a few explosive tags, and a couple of kunai knives. Also on his desk, neatly folded, were almost all of the letters he’d ever gotten, including the notes he’d gotten from his sensei, Rin, informing him of missions and meetings. He just liked to hold on to that stuff. Among them, there was a note his mother had written him before he was born. She intended to write the note, and give it to him when he became a shinobi. That one was still unfolded.
 
My dear son,
I wrote this letter before you were born- Isn’t that something? Right now, you’re still in my belly! Your daddy is so exited about teaching you to be a shinobi, and your grandparents are already fighting over who gets to hold you first, and our neighbor Ako in dying to see you! Well, anyways-
 
The rest of the letter is blocked by the next one, which covered it: A letter from his dad while he was spending a week with his grandparents.
 
Haru,
You need to get home right now. Akonee is having a child! You’re gonna be a big brother! The doctors are on the way, so it might be crowded, but bring your grandma and grandpa! Get over here now!
 
That short letter was barely half a page long, but it was one of the most important letters Haru had ever gotten. He’d read it over and over again at least a thousand times. On the note board at the head of his desk, there were a few newspaper clippings, pinned with kunai knives.
 
Unlucky father grieves the loss of his second wife, Akonee Hyuuga, who died in childbirth last night. The father’s mother tells us that his first wife died the same way, giving birth to his firstborn son, Haru Hyuuga. The man has sworn never to marry again, for fear the same tragedy may happen again. The child, named Aryll Hyuuga, was lucky enough to be born with no birth defects, perfectly healthy.
--------------------
In a recent raid conducted on a recently discovered missing-nin camp, 1 Jounin met his end. The Hyuuga man, whose name will not be revealed to the public, was completely overwhelmed by a swarm of shadow clones, and not even his Byakugan could save him. The raid was a success, the missing-ninja were safely taken care of. We mourn the loss of a good shinobi, and f-
 
The rest of the article is ripped off, from a fit of rage Haru had gone through when he read that article. He had lost so much. Both of his mothers dead. His father, too. He had terrible luck in life, but he held on to every moment. Haru kept almost every kind of correspondence as long as the paper would last before wearing away. He was a bit of a pack rat in that way. Pinned to his door was a yellow piece of paper, with neat writing that was easily recognizable as Haru’s own handwriting.
 
Note to self: Training this week. Food and supplies packed, under the table. Don’t forget breakfast!
 
On Haru’s bedside table was a green energy bar wrapper with a note attatched, already devoured by Haru in the night.
 
Haru,
I know you’re going training for a while, so I got you this! It’s supposed to make training more productive, and help develop muscles. If you want to pass the chunin exams, you’ll need every bit you can get. Good luck!
-Aryll
P.S.-I got it in mint flavor, I know how much you love it. You should probably eat it before you train.
 
Meanwhille, Haru lay in his bed, tossing and turning. He’d just learned the chunin exams were coming up, and as per usual, he was having strange dreams before the exams. He always got very nervous before thing like this, it was just the way he was. He was confident in his abilities, but nervous just the same.
 
 
I couldn’t see anything. It was just so fucking dark. And my Byakugan wasn’t working. That was a scary concept to me. Having lived my whole life seeing EVERYTHING, going from that to nothing in an instant was terrifying. I was blind. I put my hands out before my face, trying to find my way to some kind of light, to no avail. Thankfully, my sight finally returned to me, as my eyes adjusted. I knew… I knew where I was. The chunin examination arena, from my first exams. I walked towards the middle, looking for a way out. All the entrances were missing. That was when I realized this was a dream. Usually, when you realize you’re dreaming, you wake up. Not this time. I stayed in the dream, I checked my belt. My tomahawk was there, and so was the sword on my back. Even my bracers were on my arms, I flicked my wrists, and sure enough, they popped out. Flicking my wrists again, I looked around the arena. The stadium was filled with spectators, yet no one was saying anything. Just staring at me with hate-filled eyes. Creepy. Still, I was the only one here, Timber wasn’t in this dream, and it seemed I didn’t have an opponent. Yet. Almost the moment I thought of this, a man appeared. The same one from before my last exams. It seemed he was back for more. This time, I was ready. Without a moment’s hesitation, I charged him down, pulling my sword from its sheath.
“Come on, then! I’ll kill you this time!” I shouted, slashing at his neck. He laughed maniacally, stepping back, away from my sword, before stepping quickly forward, swinging his own sword at my head. I ducked under it, stabbing my wakisashi into his gut, something that in normal circumstances, would make his day really suck. Instead, my blade bounced harmlessly off his chest, snapping in two. I didn’t hesitate, using the broken off bit of the blade as a shank, slicing at his throat. Still nothing.
“Gate one! Gate of opening!” I yelled out, opening my first inner gate. I pulled the tomahawk off my belt, swinging at his arm. Ineffective. I strafed backwards, narrowly dodging his gigantic sword’s tip. I focused on my next gate, willing it to open
“Gate two! Gate of healing!” I shouted out, throwing the tomahawk at his face. Finally! The axe stuck! Wait… He pulled it out! The dark faced man simply glared at him, smiling coldly, before hurling the tomahawk to his feet. I slowly reached down, picking up the hand axe.
“Gate three… Gate of life…” I muttered, opening the next gate. I dashed around him, circling until his head stopped following me, before charging at him, swinging down the tomahawk at his head. The man grabbed his wrist, smirking, before Haru returned the smile. He brought his hand up, as fast as he could. He flicked his wrist as he went, driving the blade into the underside of his skull. The blade snapped off.
 
 
Haru sat bolt upright, throwing the covers from his body.
“What’s wrong, Haru?” Asked Timber sleepily, looking up at him.
“N…Nothing. It was just a dream.” Said Haru, lying back in his bed. There was no way he was getting back to sleep now. What a shame, because he still had a few hours before he had to leave for his training.
“Hey, Timber?” Asked Haru, looking up at the little husky.
“Why? Usually you never want to get out of bed.” Questioned Timber.
“I’m just restless, is all. Can we go?” Haru asked again. Timber looked at the ground for a while, before nodding. Haru sat up, pulling himself out of his bed, and donning his gear. He took the last bite of the energy bar Aryll had given him. He opened the door for Timber, following him into the living room.
“Oh, Crap! The bag!” Said Haru, turning around, and scooping up the bag he’d packed with their gear. Walking back into the living room, Haru saw Timber lying on the couch. The room was still dark, since no one else was awake. Haru reached into the fridge, pulling out a bottle of water, and heading to the door. Timber followed him to the door, running between his legs, and climbing over the ledge. Haru did the same, as the two of them walked down the side of the building together.
“So what was your dream about?” Asked timber, jumping over a window.
“Hmm? Oh, nothing. Don’t worry about it.” Said Haru.
“Seriously, Haru. What was the dream about? I’m your friend, I want to know “ Asserted Timber. Haru sighed. “You aren’t having dreams like from your last exams, are you?” He asked.
“…Yeah… a little…” Confirmed Haru “It’s fine though. I’m not worried.” Haru assured the husky.  Timber looked at him skeptically. They continued down the side of the building, jumping to the ground. Naturally, it was too early to buy breakfast, so they would go directly to the plains.
 
 
“That looks like a good spot, Haru!” Said Timber, pointing  setter-style at a spot of flat ground, surrounded by rocks. Haru would nod his head, walking to the gap between the rocks, and sitting down.
“What now?” Asked Timber, jumpoing around excitedly.
“I’m meditating.” Said Haru through closed eyes.
“Meditating?” Asked Timber.
“Yes, Meditating. I’m focusing on the eight gates. You can go run around, if you like. I won’t stop you.” Said Haru, petting the dog’s head. Timbr nodded, turning and running off to climb the rocks.  Haru focused on the first gate, the gate of opening it. He felt the power surging through his body, felt the strength and chakra that had been hidden away from him. He focused on the second gate, which would give him over double the power of the last one. He clenched his fist, flicking his wrist. The hidden blade popped out. He knew the eight gates made him as weak as they made him strong. He touched his flesh with the blade, dragging it across his skin, opening up a small cut. He needed to learn how to deal with the pain. He opened the third gate, the gate of life. Even stronger yet, though these gates increased his strength by small intervals, not giving him nearly enough power at once to make much of a difference in a fight. The next gate put an end to that. It was a huge jump, both in his strengths, and his weaknesses. He opened that gate, known as the gate of pain. The power was rising quickly now, but he needed to learn how to control it. He tried opening the next gate, to no avail. It wouldn’t open. He stood up, deciding to try practicing in this form. He dashed at his full speed to one of the boulders that made up the rocky area surrounding his little clearing. He lifted it almost effortlessly, as if it were nothing. He tossed it into the air, grabbing another, larger one, and threw it into the air as well, catching the first one he had thrown as it descended to the ground, and hurled it to the ground, snapping it in two. The next one came down from it’s arc in the air, which Haru punched at before it could land. A crack ran through it, and that boulder broke in two as well. Haru landed on the ground, both pieces of the boulder landing beside him with a crash. He looked behind him, satisfied with his work. He wasn’t in the least bit tired, either. This felt amazing. He tossed the fragments of the boulders back into the air, cutting them down into bits again as they descended. He continued this until there was nothing left but rubble from those boulders. He tried again to open the next gate, the gae of limit, with no success. He supposed he should go for a run. Haru would begin running at his top speed, running straight back to tengakure. Once he reached it, he would run up the walls, jumping off, and running back to their camp.
“Holy shit, you’re fast!!” Timber would say, running back to him.
“Is that the fifth gate? Did you unlock it?” He would ask excitedly.
“No. I’m working on it.” Haru would say, sitting down to meditate again. Timber would close his eyes as he watched his master disappear back inside of his own mind again. Timber would turn and start running the other way, climbing up the rocks that Haru hadn’t destroyed. He was working on his wall walking technique, since Haru used it so much, but he was starting to get bored. That was when he picked up a scent. A chakra scent? Timber sniffed the air. Yes, it was a chakra signature… Wait, that was Haru’s signature… Going all the way to the city and back… He followed the trail back to Haru, who still sat silently with his legs crossed. Wow, Haru was fast. Actually, that seemed like a good idea for a trining exersize, if he were to try and follow Haru’s chakra trail while he was in eight gates form… He had to tell Haru about this idea! He ran down the rocks to Haru, jumping down in front of him.
“Haru!” Said timber, nudging his master. Haru’s eyes snapped open.
“What?” Asked Haru.
“I’ve got an idea for both of us to train! Why don’t you run around in eight gates form, and I’ll track you by your chakra signature?” Asked Timber. Haru pondered this for a moment.
“Sure, let’s go.” He said, rolling backwards onto his feet, and taking off, dashing away. Timber didn’t bother giving him a head start, because there was no way he’d be able to keep up with him. He followed his master’s chakra trail, picking up speed until he was running at his maximum speed.  Timber was having a hard time keeping up with him, but that wasn’t his goal, just to track his master…
 
Haru ran along the dirt road at his maximum speed, willing the gates to open every step of the way. Still to no avail, this would be harder then he thought. He’d been using Taijutsu for a long time, and this was still an extremely difficult skill to master… Haru slowed to a stop, his gates closing again. Haru decided to take a break, bending over and breathing heavily. He decided to wait here until Timber caught up to him. He fel to the ground, closing his eyes, and letting his body recover from the strain of using that technique…
“Well, what do we have here?” Came a voice from above him. A man with a sword stood over him, wearing a mask to conceal his face.
“A little genin has lost his way…” Said the man maliciously. Haru opened his eyes, to see the crossed out headband on the man’s head. A missing ninja. Reflexively, he thrust his hidden blade into the man’s shoulder. He fell back in pain and surprise, as Haru jumped to his feet. He was surrounded on all sides… There were a lot of them. He’d just have to deal with them… He lifted his hands in gentle fist fighting stance.
“A Hyuuga, eh? I think we’ll keep those eyes of yours, you little brat.” Said one of the missing ninja, taking a step forward. Haru tensed up. Take his eyes? Not a chance. He grabbed the arm of the first ninja to try and strike him, kicking him in the stomach, and prying his weapon from his hands. He threw the sword at the man’s chest at a speed that should have killed him, if it weren’t for the teammate that had intervened. He caught the sword by the handle mid-air, tossing it back to the original owner, who caught it, thanking him silenty.
“I won’t mess around. You’ve got one chance to surrender. And if you don’t, I’ll kill all of you.” Said Haru threateningly. The men held their ground, however.
“Need some help?” Asked timber telepathically, having finally caught up to him.
“Good timing. I’m going to throw an explosive tag at you. Stay out of sight, but catch it, then prime it, okay?” Asked Haru telepathically back to the little hucky. Timber nodded assent. Without warning, Haru pulled an explosive tag from his belt, hidden from view  by the other kunai knives he’d grabbed. He spun quickly, hurling one knife at each of the ninja that surrounded him, and the one explosive tag at Timber’s feet, who set to work priming it. None of his kunai knives had hurt the ninja particularly badly, unfortunately.  Two of the missing-nin advanced on him slowly, wielding katanas. They had superior reach on Haru this way, so the Hyuuga boy drew his sword, holding it at arms length in one hand, and leaving his other free. One of the men ran towards him, swinging at his neck. Haru leaned back, out of range of his blade, before lunging forward, thrusting the hidden blade into his neck. The man’s teammate caught the attack, saving his life, and kicked Haru away. Haru growled as he rolled to his feet, not allowing himself to stay down. He focused on his inner gates, opening the first gate. His hair spiked, and his skin tingd red.
“Ooh, we got a fighter! Come on, then, guys! Show us what you’re made of, kid!” Shouted one of them, lunging at Haru with a sword in hand. Haru dodged it, leaning back, out of his range, and punching him in the gut, the man leaned over from the pain, and Haru grimaced, flicking his wrist, and incapitating the man. He turned his attention to Timber, who was still struggling with the explosive tag.
“Hurry up, buddy….” Said haru telepathically, opening the next inner gate as one of the missing ninja used the shadow clone technique, forming a huge amount of clones, and sending them all after Haru. He ducked the fist attempted stab, thrusting the hidden blade into his skull, before turning and slicing the throat of the clone that was trying to sneak up on him. That clone, too, disappeared in dust, but Haru was soon to be overwhelmed if he didn’t think of something soon. He opened the third gate, his skin now almost completely red, as he twisted, slashed, and sliced at his enemies, trying to keep the hug amount of clones at bay. Where was he getting all this chakra?  He searched with the byakugan for an answer, and noticed that the remaining missing ninja were all placing a hand on the one making clones. They must be sharing chakra! Haru waded through the crowd, trying to get near them, but there were just too many clones. He opened the fourth gate, fighting with all his might, trying to buy time for timber.
“Almost there! Just a few more seconds!” Shouted Timber as he franticly tried to prepare the explosive tag. Haru groaned, trying to keep them at a safe distance.
“Eight Trigrams: Palms Revolving Heavens!” Shouted Haru, blasting away his attackers with one of the Hyuuga signature techniques. Still not enough. He needed help, soon. He focused on his inner gate one more time… and felt it slip open. Gate five, the gate of limit. It worked! He blasted away his attackers, cutting away at their ranks wih gentle fist attacks, until he heard Timber yip at him
“Explosive tag, Ready!” Yipped Timber at last. Haru pointed to the one making clones.
“There!” He shouted, and Timber obliged, hurling the tag at them. The explosion destroyed the missing nin’s focus, knocking them all out, and making all the clones dissipate. Haru sighed, finishing them off one by one. It had to be done.
 
 
“Well, that was fun, wasn’t it?” Asked Timber as they walked home, holding fresh bruises from a hard day’s training.
“Yeah, I’m glad we did that. I feel ready for the exams now. I can take whatever they dish out.” Said Haru confidently. They walked through the dark streets of tenkagure, lit with streetlights.
“You think any resturants are open?” Timber asked. Haru shrugged.
“Worth checking.” He said simply, checking the door to a ramen bar across the street. Even at this distance, he could read the sign. Closed.
“Crap, closed. Sorry, timber, we’ll just have to eat when we get home. C’mon, then.” He said, leading the dog to the Hyuuga apartment they lived in. As they neared the house, a man came from out of the alleyway, holding a knife to Haru’s neck.
“Your money our your life!” He threatened.
“Hey, buddy.” Said Haru calmly. “You see that knife you’re holding? Yeah? At my neck? Look down a few inches, would you?” Asked Haru calmly. The man’s gaze dropped to his headband, before looking back up at Haru, wide eyed. Haru nodded slowly, before grabbing his arm, pushing it away, slowly towards the man’s own neck.
“If I ever see you doing this again, I’ll shove this thing right down your throat. Understand?” Threatened Haru. The man nodded quickly. Haru let go of him, before punching him in the face, knocking him out. “Wuss. He didn’t even try to fight…” He said in a whiny tone.
“Overkill, Haru, overkill.” Said timber, shaking his head.
“I did what had to be done.” Replied Haru, holding open the door to the apartment for him. Timber stepped in, jumping up and punching the button for their floor. The elevator opened, and the two of them stepped in, heading up to their apartment.
 
They opened the door to a dark apartment. It seemed everyone had already gone to sleep… oh, well. They could eat in the morning. Haru lead the way to their room, holding the door open, and letting Timber in, before following him in himself. He paused at his desk to read over his letters from family, before slumping into his bed. Sleep took him almost instantly…
 
 
The man was holding my wrist, the blade from my bracer snapped in two. Without hesitating, I opened the next gate, overpowering him, and kicking him away. I rolled backwards, out of the way of the dark man’s slice, before coming up to my feet. It seemed the dream was continuing off from last night… well, this time, I was ready. I flipped the tomahawk in my hand hurling it at his face. It managed to get a good stick, and he roared in pain, my distraction had worked! I only took a moment to revel in that small victory, before quickly dodging to the right, circling him, before dashing in, and attacking him with my eight trigrams: sixty four palms. He blocked me somewhere in the middle of the technique, throwing me away. I rolled back to my feet, charging him down again. I ducked under his attack with that oversized sword of his, thrusting the hidden blade into his thigh, and rolling away. He held his thigh in pain, as I appeared behind him, stabbing him in the back. He reached around and grabbed me, holding me by the neck, and putting his sword against my chest, smiling evily. I grinned back weakly, as my breath began to leave my body, and thrust my hidden blade forward, stabbing him through the eye.
 
 
I sat bolt upright again. It was still the middle of the night, and I’d managed to not wake up timber. I guess I was ready for the exams… I finally killed off that guy. I felt far stronger then last time, stronger then anyone I’d fought last year at the chunin exams had been… And ready. I lied back in my bed, closing my eyes, and drifted back to sleep.


-------------------
 

(WC: 5666)
-Using Dan-Den Bar to reduce cost of stats to 150 words
-Using Memoirs of mite guy to reduce training cost for eight gates by 500 words

-4th gate unlocked
-5th gate unlocked

  2000 words
+4000 words
-500 words
=5,500 words needed. 

+ 37 stats for Haru and Timber
+ 55 JP for Haru and timber

Approved.

Haru stood up from the ground where he'd been sitting, picking up the scroll and putting it away. Now, if he ned how to do this right, he just had to preform the technique to summon a Siren. He looked at his hand, which was already bleeding. He didn't need to cut it again. He made the hand signs to use the technique, and placed his hand onto the ground. In a poof, a young girl appeared before him. She had dark hair that was waist length, piercing blue eyes, and dark blue robes tied at the waist. She looked around expectantly, with her arms folded. 
"So this is Earth? Hmm... It's... less then I expected..." She said, looking at Haru. "Are you the one who summoned me?" She asked. Haru pointed to himself.
"Me? Er... Yes! Yeah, I summoned you." He said. She radiated a strange power that made him feel sort of strange around her, even though possessing the scroll supposedly made him immune to her song.
"Hmm... That's... Disappointing..." She said, cocking her head at him. "No offense, but I was hoping for someone a little more... impressive, for my first summon. Like a Kage or at least a Master. You don't look old enough to be more then a Genin." She explained, discouraging Haru slightly. 
"I'm only a genin now, but my skills are on easily on par with a Jounin, maybe even an ANBU! I'm a Taijutsu expert, Fury of the Storm master, and now the only one in possession of a Siren scroll! I've fought a Kage twice before, and stood my ground against a Master-level Ninja, AND managed to damage him!" He would say, summing up all of the fights he'd fought stacked heavily against him. Maya looked him up and down, and frowned. 
"You talk big for such a little guy. You don't look much older then I do." She said, holding her arm out and looking at the back of her hand vainly. 
"Age isn't the only thing that factors in, you know. The new Kage of Tengakure is 16." He said, starting to get a little frustrated with this girl. She seemed a little too expectant, even though he himself was a very powerful ninja. Still, she just shrugged.
"What's Tengakure? A new village? You humans are so quick to move on from your old homes...
"I was born there!" Haru protested. She shrugged.
"I call it like I see it. Let's stop fighting for now. I'm Maya, the Siren. And you?" She asked, holding out her hand to shake. Haru stared at her for a moment, before taking her hand and shaking. 
"My name is Haru, Haru Hyuuga." He said, letting go of her hand. She stared at him for a moment longer.
"Ooh... a Hyuuga? I guess I did get someone impressive. Or at least, more impressive then I thought. You still haven't earned my respect." She told him, to which Haru shrugged.
"That will change soon enough." He said. 
"Was that all you brought me here for? Just for introductions?"  She asked. Heru nodded.
"For the moment. We could spar, but your song would be useless against me, since I signed the scroll. As well as that, you don't look like much of a physical fighter, whereas I specialize in it. I'll probably bring you out at my chunin exams fight, just as a warning. If I do, your song will be our priority. I can protect you from any physical attacks, and, hopefully most ranged attacks. It all depends on who we fight. And-"
"-Enough! I don't wanna listen to you talk battle. Is that all you summoned me for?" She asked one more time.
"I summoned you so that you could meet me before I summoned you into combat. I didn't want you confused as to what was going on." Explained Haru. Maya nodded slowly. 
"Well, I'll see you then. Give me a call if you need me, OR you just want to talk..." She said, disappearing in a poof of smoke. Haru stared at the spot she had been standing for a long time. 
"Well, she was... interesting." he said, picking up the scroll, and turning to walk back to his dormitory in Konoha. About halfway back, he noticed a rustling in the trees. He activated his byakugan, turning quickly to face the men who hopped through the trees after him. 
"Show yourselves before I level the forest, and you with it." Haru said threateningly. A kunia flew towards him, and he reacted in an invisible blur of speed, catching the kunia by the handle, and hurling it back at it's sender. A man fell from his hiding spot in the trees, and landed on the ground with a thud. Haru sighed.
"What do you want?" He asked. The men hopped down, surrounding him. One of them peeled off to care for the man who had been hit by the kunia. 
"That scroll of yours... We saw you buy it at the market. We've been after it for quite a while..." One of them said, stepping forward. Haru flicked his wrist, sprouting a hidden blade from it. 
"If you want it..." He began, lowering the blade to his finger on the other hand, and pricking it. He hen started making hand seals. The men's eyes widened, and they started to charge him down. Haru finished making his hand seals "...Come and get it." He finished, swatting his hand to the ground. In a poof, Maya appeared, glaring at him. 
"What now, Haru?" She said, slightly angry.
"Maya. Song. Now!!!" Haru shouted, blocking a sword aimed at his chest. 
"He's got a Siren!!!" Yelled one of them
"I can only hypnotize one at a time!!!" She yelled, as Haru flung a Kunia knife at a man trying to slice her to bits.
"Improvise!" He yelled. Maya shrugged, and began her song. The tune was strange and unnatural, yet captivating. Although he was immune to the genjutsu the song created, he couldn't help but wonder if the tune alone could be enough to stop a man in his tracks. One of the men, the leader presumably, was slowly pacing towards her, while he noticed the rest of them dropped in aggression by a lot. They were weaker to his punches, less aggressive in their blows, quicker to tire, and far slower. One at a time, he knocked them all unconscious. Yet, one of them was still giving him quite a bit of trouble. This man must be far more powerful then the rest.
"Maya! Target him!" He shouted, pointing at the man in front of him. Maya switched targets, yet still, he continued his onslaught. Haru couldn't figure it out. He charged him down at full speed, aiming a punch to his temple. He stepped back, and Haru felt his hand catch on the fabric of his mask, tearing it free. And, well... He was a she. Haru was smart enough to know Sirens were weak against women, who were resistant to their powers. He aimed another punch at his maximum speed, yet somehow she evaded it. Haru growled, backflipping away from her, and beginning to charge energy. Maya's song took a higher pitch, as she started to notice them steadily getting closer, as if she was warning Haru not to give up. Unknown to her, Haru had far from given up. He gathered the last bit of energy, capping off his limit, and released it. 
"Fury of the Storm..." He muttered, opening his bloodshot, empty eyes, and jumping to his feet with unnatural speed. He looked about the battlefield with his Byakugan, as time seemed to move slowly to him while he was in the fury. He saw a man about to snatch up Maya and her scroll, which he had set down next to her.
"Keep singing." He said, charging towards the man, and punching him in the face with an uppercut. The man flew backwards in what appeared to be slow motion to Haru, as he moved towards his next target, a man only a few more feet away. He kicked him in the face, sending him flying the other way. Then he moved to the next target, the woman who had been giving him so much trouble. With a sickening crack, he kicked her arm, possibly breaking it, before swinging his foot around to hit her in the head, knocking her out. Next, he targeted the three others that were a few feet away from him, punching one in the gut, another in the face, and roundhouse kicking the last in the stomach, sending them all sprawling to the ground. He exited fury, walking over to Maya.
"Sorry about that." He said simply. Maya shook her head.
"That was my first fight, and... Well, it felt pretty good..." She said excitedly. Haru nodded agreement. 
"It's definitely a good adrenaline rush. It's not for everyone, though." Agreed Haru.
"No, I liked that. It was fun." Maya asserted. She looked at him curiously. "You've definitely earned my respect, now." She said, nodding at him. 
"Thank you. I guess you can go now, if you like." Haru said, picking up the scroll. 
"See ya, Haru. Maybe sometime soon, you can come see my place." She said. Haru cocked his head.
"Your place?" He asked quizzically. She shook her head.
"I'd need mom's permission, first. Plus, you'd have to prove yourself to her once you got there." She told him, waving her goodbye, and disappearing in a poof of smoke. Haru stared at the empty space once again. This was the coolest power, ever.

(WC: 1608)

+8 Stats
+16 JP
Fury of the storm mastered

Approved

Haru stood staring into the mirror in his Konoha dormitory, where he had been staying in preparation for the Chunin exams. He held his toothbrush under the sink, scrubbing his teeth with it. On his bed lay timber, a dog who was more then happy to give up his place as a combat partner to make way for his newfound talent of summing Sirens. He spat into the sink, looking at himself in the mirror. One second, he was there, and the next he vanished in a *Poof!*. Timber looked up, confused, and stared where Haru had been standing. He lazily lay back down on the bed. It was probably nothing to worry about...

---------------------------

In the next moment, Haru appeared in a strange place. His vision was blurred, and he reflexively flicked his wrists and spun around, looking for an opponent. Who he found instead was Maya, staring at him expectantly. 
"Yes! It worked!" She said putting her arms in the air and cheering. Haru linked twice, looking around again.
"Where am I?" He asked, looking around the room. It had stone floors and walls, with the depressingly gothic designs, offset by the bright colors on the bed and rugs. This room was definitely the room of a child, but also a very rebellious child, for the room screamed of someone who wanted to break the mold.
"You're in my room." Said Maya, sitting down on her bed. "I reverse summoned you." She explained. Haru stared at her.
"So, I'm in..." Began Haru, looking around.
"Sirenum scopuli, home of the Sirens." She said, pulling back her curtains to reveal a dark atmosphered island with black sand on the beaches and sharp mountain cliffs obscuring the rest of the mountain. It seemed this house was built into one of the cliffs. In the distance, several women stood on the cliffs, too far away to see what they were doing, but Haru figured he knew what was going on. There were two boats navigating through the rocks, making a beeline towards the island. Those women were singing.
"This is... The Siren island?" Asked Haru, looking around. Maya nodded. Haru stared back at the ships. 
"And you're going to... Do what exactly with those ships?" He asked. Maya shook her head. 
"You know what will happen already. If it's any consolation, those men are fishing in these waters illegally. We saw them chased here by military vessels, but anyone in their right minds knows not to come here. It's their own fault." She said, closing the curtains. Haru shook his head, stepping away from the window. 
"You're going to... Eat them?" He asked. Maya just stared at him. 
"Eat them?" She asked, as if the idea was a foreign concept. "What are you talking about? Why would we EAT them?" She said, sickened by the idea. Haru cocked his head, 
"Then what do you do them, then?" He asked. 
"It's not their flesh we're after, it's their life force. Their chakra. We're immortal beings, but we need to live off SOMETHING. The elder sirens have a technique that lets them steal chakra, and that's how we survive." Explained Maya. Haru looked sickened.
"But you...suck out their chakra? And then just-"
"Haru, it's not worth talking about. You signed the contract, so you're safe." Maya assured him. Haru shook his head, turning to face her.
"Why did you bring me here?" Asked Haru. Maya tilted her head at him. 
"Well, long story, really-"
"Keep it short." Asserted Haru. Maya shrugged.
"I told my sister about you, and she wanted to meet you. She told our mother about you, and... she wanted to see you fight in the pit." Said Maya.
"The pit?" Asked Haru. Maya shrugged. 
"The pit. Basically an arena. Some of the men we capture are strong, so we let them fight in the arena to win their freedom. They fight whatever beasts we can find to send after them." She explained. 
"Oh, so I'm just going to be fighting for my life? Lovely." Said Haru sarcastically. "I'm not doing it. My exams are going on, and I need to be ready." He said. Maya sighed.
"Well, you see... Mom said you don't have a choice in the matter. My aunt said you have to, and everyone listens to auntie..." Said Maya, pointing to the door. "And I was supposed to have you there in five minutes." She added. Haru stared at his partner, before sighing. 
"What have you gotten me into?" 
-------------------------------------

Haru stood in the center of the arena, his legs folded, and his eyes closed. Since everyone was already taking bets on the outcome of the battle with the "Siren Summoner". The crowd was filled mostly with women and several male guards per woman. Haru assumed they were the lucky ones. Personal guards were a lot better off then the alternative...
"Welcome back, Sirenum scopuli!!! Are you ready for another fight?" Called a female announcer, to cheering from all around. There were probably somewhere between 100 and 200 people there total. Not a lot on terms of an arena this big.
"Today, we have the only known human to posses a Siren scroll, battle partner to Queen Jade's niece, Maya! It's... Haru Hyuuga!" Called the announcer, to cheers from the stands. Maya was related to royalty? Or was "Queen" just a name? Whatever it meant, Haru didn't have time to think. The doors opened, and on all sides, animals rushed in towards him. Haru opened his eyes, and saw Maya sitting in the stands, giving him a thumbs up. He sighed. 
"Let's get it started, then." He said, hopping to his feet, and doing a backflip in anticipation. To his right, a large grizzly bear was running towards him. He disappeared in a flash of speed, and the people in the audience went silent, trying to figure out where he went. Haru hurled himself at the wall, running up it, and flipping off it, landing right on top of the bear's head, crushing it's skull, and killing it. The crowd cheered, as a wolf lunged at Haru. He stepped aside, and lunged the hidden blade into the wolves' heart, grabbing it, and hurling his corpse at one of the pack members behind him. There were a lot of creatures attacking him, and he was pretty sure that he spotted a few men among their ranks. He needed to get an edge. "Gate one!" He yelled, as his hair spiked, and his skin gained a slight red tinge. He had opened the first of his eight inner gates. The crowd screamed as he used the speed and strength boost to fend off several wolves at once, before using the revolving heavens technique to send one that had gotten too close flying away. A clink of metal sounded through the arena, and the animals stopped moving. Up in the stadium, Haru saw a woman whispering something to Maya, who looked sort of distressed. Haru looked back to the battlefield, his Byakugan straining from use. Another two clinks of metal sounded, and the animals cleared away, leaving an opening in the center. A man stood in the clearing, a whip in one hand, a sword in the other. 
"Let's see what you've got, little boy." He said. Haru took up a fighting stance, opening the second gate.
"Bring it." Haru said, dashing at the man with his full speed. He lashed the man's chest with the hidden blade, but he disappeared from view when he struck. "What the-" He began. 
"Right here." Said the man, appearing behind him, and swiping at him with the sword. Haru ducked under it, sweeping his legs out from under him. He rolled back to his feet, opening the third gate. The man rolled from his fall, back to his feet, and snapped the whip at him. Haru twisted away, grabbing the whip with his hand, and twisting it around his arm. With a smirk, he yanked the whip away from the man, spinning, and swinging the handle at the man's head. It cracked as it connected, sending him sprawling on the ground. Something clicked with the animals, and they ran after him again, snarling and biting. He sighed, turning, and charging after them, ready to continue the fight. This was going to be a long battle.

--------------------------

"Sorry about that, Haru. You DID impress Auntie Jade, though, and the rest of my daily can't WAIT to meet you! Are you sure you have to go?" Asked Maya, holding an ice pack to his head. 
"Why would I stay? The hospitality?" He asked. Maya sighed.
"We were testing you! They wanted to make sure you were worthy!" Defended Maya, smacking the side of Haru's face. Haru held his face and raised an eyebrow at her. "I-... I'm sorry, Haru." Said Maya, hugging him from behind. Haru sighed. 
"How long do you want me to stay?" He asked, sitting up a little straighter. 
"Not long, Haru. Mom wanted to have you over for dinner before you leave." Said Maya.
"Well... What do Sirens eat?" Asked Haru. 
"Why? Are you considering staying?" Asked Maya hopefully. Haru nodded. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Screeched Maya, hugging him tightly again.
"Just... Don't try to kill me again." He said.
"I promise I won't..." Said Maya, emphasizing the word "I", and smiling deviously.

--------------------------

Haru walked single-file behind maya across the cliff face. Maya led him to their house, hopping up and down the cliffs as if they were nothing. Several times during their walk, an older Siren grabbed him by the neck, shoving their hand in his face, and trying to pull out his chakra. Each time, Haru had to headbut the woman before they took his chakra, while Maya apologized and helped them to their feet.
"You could do with being a little less hostile..." Said Maya. Haru rolled his eyes. 
"You can't get much more hostile then trying to steal my life force. What the heck is wrong with them, anyways?" He asked, infuriated about it. 
"Haru, you signed a SIREN scroll. You asked for sirens, and you got them. There's our house, right over there." Said Maya, pointing to an opening in between two rocks. "Just be polite, and don't make any comments on that kind of thing." Instructed Maya. Haru sighed. This would be the most difficult meal of his life. 
They stepped into the cave, as Haru looked around. He'd passed through here  to go to the arena, but he hadn't really gotten to look around. The stone walls were depressing, but the rest of the house looked pretty normal. He stepped behind Maya, as she waved to a girl sitting at the table. She wore a long sweatshirt that went don to her knees, she had blue streaked silver hair, and grey eyes like his. She looked around his age.
"You're Haru! Oh my gosh, I can't believe it! Maya actually got summoned before me? What the hell?" She complained, slamming her fists on the table. "Why'd you have to pick HER?" She asked, putting her head in her hands.
"Well... I don't have all that much chakra. I can't really pick who I summon yet, Maya is just the person I get every time, right?" He lied, looking over at Maya.
"Right. He'll get better with time." Agreed Maya. "In fact, I rather think he might grow fast enough to skip right past you, and get good enough to summon MOM some day! Maybe, just maybe, he could summon auntie Jade, too!" Said Maya teasingly.
"Stop it, stop it! You'll summon me, too, right?" Said the girl seductively, and Haru felt his legs turn to jelly. 
"Alice! Stop! Don't use your powers on Haru!" Yelled Maya. Alice shrugged, and Haru felt his strength come back.
"What was that?" Asked Haru. 
"Suggestion. A power sirens use to make you do their will. Most are only strong enough to do it here, including Alice, but the older sirens can actually use it outside the island. Of course, they haven't had to leave in quite a long time. That scroll of yours was out of commission for quite a while..."  Said Maya, sitting down. Haru sat down next to her. 
"Haruuu... Why do you always pick Maya? She's way to young for you, anyways." Teased Alice. Haru turned bright red, scooting down the bench, a little ways away from Maya.
"Haru, it's fine. She does that a lot..." Said Maya, folding her hands on the table.
"Is Alice teasing our guests again?" came a voice. A woman who appeared to be about 18 stepped into the room. She had red hair with grey streaks, and green eyes.
"Sorry mom..." Said Alice.
"Mom? She can't be much older then you are!" Said Haru, staring at her. Maya elbowed him.
"It's fine, Maya. He doesn't understand us, yet. That will change soon enough. Sirens age differently then humans. We stay in our primes, permanently. I'm actually... well... a fair bit older then your grandfather. 
"Wow... Wait, my grandfather? How do you-"
"Did you think all we could do was sing and speak? We can read minds, too." Said their mother, sitting down across from him. "I'm your friend Maya's mother... Lilith. Nice to meet you." She said. Haru nodded. 
"Likewise." he said politely, as a man carried in a platter of food. It seemed that Sirens ate just like they did, albeit more seafood-based. Haru was passed a plate of fish fillets, and a bowl of salad. He cut his food politely, taking small bites and listening to them talk. That worked to keep him out of their hair for a while, for he didn't know what to say, but eventually, Lilith picked him out.
"You're being awfully quiet, Haru." She said, folding her hands and resting her head on them. "Are you always like thin?" She said, looking over at Maya.
"I-"
"No, he's not, usually. Is something bothering you, Haru?" Interjected Maya, who didn't hear Haru begin to speak.
"Maybe he's intimidated? I'd be pretty freaked out in his position." Offered Alice, popping a shrimp in her mouth
"Girls, Girls, Let the boy speak." Said Lilith, looking over to Haru. "So, tell us a little bit about yourself, Haru. What's your story?" She asked, staring at him expectantly. 
"Well... I'm a member of the Hyuuga clan, born in Tangakure, the village hidden in the sky. The clan is not very dominant in that village, there's only a few of us at the moment, but there's enough for me to pick up what I need to learn. I'm an adept in the gentle fist fighting style, creator of fury of the storm, and one of the only people who can open the eight inner gates" Said Haru, staring at the table.
"My, My, My. That's impressive for someone your age. You must be, what, a jounin at least." Said Lilith. 
"No... I'm a genin..." Said Haru. Lilith and Alice's eyes widened. 
"Only a Genin? That's a crime! We saw you fight today!" Said Alice, standing up. 
"Is the kage in your village holding you back? I can speak to him, if you like..." Offered Lilith.
"No, it's just that I failed my first exams, and my next one is in progress." Said Haru, sitting back in his chair.
"You failed? How?" 
"The current Kazekage shot a rock at me while I was in the air. I was far weaker, and far stupider back then." Said Haru, trying to be humble. 
"Well, that's... Unfortunate." Said Lilith. 
"Yeah, I know. I should pass this time, however." Said Haru reassuringly. 
"Good for you. I look forward to seeing you on the battlefield very soon." Said Lilith. "Well, I think that was a very nice meal. Girls, time for bed. Maya, say goodbye to Haru." She said, standing up from the table, and walking away. 
"Bye, Haru. Don't be a stranger..." said Alice, blowing him a kiss, and walking upstairs.
"Is she always going to do that?" Asked Haru once she was gone. Maya nodded her head.
"She flirts for no reason with EVERYBODY." She said, scooting across the bench, and hugging him. 
"See you, Haru. I hope I see you soon, at your exams." Said Maya. Haru hugged her back.
"Count on it." he said, a he disappeared in a poof of smoke.

-------------------------------

Appearing right where he had been before his little adventure, Haru looked around the room. Apparently, Timber hadn't moved an inch since he left. Looking out the window, it was... VERY late. He shrugged, pulling off his equipment, and falling into his bed. Today had been fairly interesting, he'd gotten to see his partner's world, however morbid it seemed to him. In addition to that, he'd gotten quite a bit better at using the eight  gates technique. Today, he could say, was some of the best training he'd ever done. He felt more confident then ever about his chances of passing, whenever his exams began.

(WC:2844)

+14 stats
+28 JP
+2844 words eight gates training

Approved