Training in the borders (P, Training post)

Maku looked around him.  The trees were completely different than the jungle that surrounded his home.  It was a different kind of place.  He stood in the boarders between the great nations, the homes of all the hidden villages.  Which, weren’t really that hidden, I mean anyone could find them at this point.  But then again the hidden villages had a pretty nice ring to it.  His venture into the leaf had been a bit of a flop, but in the end that was fine.  Maku didn’t know what was with him but lately he really desired more power.  He no longer felt content with just being a genin from the waterfall.  He wanted to be someone and be someone known.  He had already taken these steps by developing his own jutsu and skills.  This would help him become famous and powerful, but he still wasn’t there yet.  The next thing he needed was a group to travel with.  No solitary ninja would ever truly change the world.  Even the best always had people behind them.  Maku wasn’t sure where he would meet this group of unknown individuals, but he was sure they’d supply themselves when the time was right. 

 

                He thought he might as well make use of some of his time by doing a little training.  Perhaps even work on a new jutsu he’d been working on.  Perhaps visit his summoning land, there was a lot of options of what he could do.  For now though, it wasn’t time to do anymore traveling.  The sun was shining and a gentle breeze tousled his hair.  Even the sweet smell of flowers was on the wind.  Stretching out Maku put up his transformation jutsu.  He had removed it to visit the leaf in an attempt of good will.  Now that he was back out in the world it was time to replace his guise.  He would have to come up with a new look for himself.  Running images through his mind he decided to look completely different than he normally would.  Finally he picked an image and made himself appear as such. He decided that this would be his new form when traveling and only the ones closest to him would see his true face.  Even as he threw up a guise, Maku realized that what might be better would be to change his face constantly.  So this is what he swore t himself he would do, as he moved about he would constantly change his look, that way he would always be different and remain an enigma to those around him.

 

                Maku made himself appear as a tall red head, thin and lean.  This would do for now as the training began.  He began jogging in the direction of the breeze.  Liking the feel on his back as he moved through the forest.  He let his legs stretch and feel the ground beneath him.  Moving swiftly with the wind, he ran until his lungs began to feel full.  Once the run had gone on for awhile he began doing squats.  After several of these he moved onto lunges and other stretches.  This part of the work out was always boring, it never was fun to stretch and warm up.  Alas this was what had to happen.  He needed his body to be stronger and ready for anything.  Now that he was out in the wilderness who knew what mysteries were about to unfold.  He could be attacked at any minute.  Working his muscles he kept working.  Maku finished stretching and wiped the sweat from his forehead.  It wasn’t hotter hear than in his home land, but all the same the work had caused him to begin to perspiration.  Once he had set himself up he went on to his next task.  Maku had abandoned his earth spikes ability for the use of more genjutsu.  He decided that he needed to focus on his specialty and not on the musing of other tiny abilities.  His strength was in illusion, but his abilities where also going to begin to effect the physical body.  He made his illusions; wear on the victims mind thus causing them to lose stamina faster as they tried to break free.  It was because of this Maku knew he could once again use his own illusions on himself to increase his speed. 

 

                Firstly Maku could increase the strength of all genjutsu.  SO by knowing this he used it on himself.  He would cast the temple of nirvana jutsu, and then try to avoid his own feathers.  His speed was just high enough to dodge the feathers as they fell.  This caused him to duck and weave as if dodging kunai or shuriken.  Surely he would encounter these sooner or later.  Truly it was a testament to his own determination that he had come this far.  He had started so lazy and so weak in the beginning when he went to the academy.  And now he was becoming a strong genjutsu user, and a fast individual.  His time was coming fast.  As he dogged each feather he felt his own powers slowing him down.  Once he had dodged the last fether he felt exhausted.  It was useful to do this.  His next strategy was to try out a new jutsu he had been working on.  The jutsu puts strain on the mind causing them to feel heavier and slower.  It was possible to move through it, but it did cost a lot of effort.  Knowing all this Maku paused briefly to catch his breath and ready the jutsu.  Once he was ready he made the necessary sound and placed the jutsu on himself. 

 

                Immediately he couldn’t believe how strong the feeling was.  There was no outward appearance to the jutsu.  So it would be hard for someone to discover that it was a genjutsu that had a hold on them.  Knowing what was ailing him though, Maku began to sprint.  Pushing through the slowness he ran on and on.  It was amazing how real it actually felt to him.  All this to make him faster, thus making him stronger in the world of shinobi.  Keeping ahold of his wits he kept up the jog though.  It wore him down until finally he had to release his own jutsu.  He sat kneeling, gasping for air.  He was so exhausted he couldn’t believe it.  Already he had pushed himself farther than he thought he was going to.  But wasn’t this the point.  He needed the training.  Maku lay against a nearby tree.  He removed his shirt, so he could let his body could breath.  Closing his eyes, he finally was able to catch his breath.  Once his strength was replenished he stood and was ready to go through the whole process over again.  The sun was moving across the sky and was on its downward descent now.  Maku reran the exercise he had just performed.  The dodging of feathers, and then the sprint to collapse of the heavy illusions.  Once again he wound up gasping for air on the forest floor.  Crawling up to a tree he replaced himself for rest.  At this point the sun was dipping below the line of the horizon and the night was beginning.  Climbing straight up the tree Maku prepared for some rest.  He hid himself in the tree, and transformed himself into looking like bark.  Since it didn’t take any chakra he would be able to hide himself even while he slept.

 

                Maku dreamed of taking over as a kage and pushing hi political influence to many lands.  It was a dream of grandeur. Surely many shinobi had the same dream, but for Maku he saw it as a matter of time and patience, not as a far off thing.  Awakening, Maku spied the sun already moving up the sky.  No matter how hard he worked, he couldn’t help sleeping in.  Call it habit or preference a late start to the day led to feeling more rested for the tasks.  Surely many would disagree, but it didn’t matter.  Once he was awake he started working on more jutsu.  He played around with using a genjutsu on animals making them exhausted.  It seemed to work, but he didn’t have a name or a reason for it.  He practiced and practiced.  He even worked on using it on himself.  These illusions where a key tactic to training.  Where others had to actually put their real body at risk, Maku was able to only do illusions.  SO even though he might feel tired, or look beat up, in the end it was fake.  Once the jutsu was strong enough he used it on himself again.  COntinuging to run and work Maku built up stamina and speed all at the same time.  He knew it was time to maybe use his summons and possibly find another summon to help him on his ventures.  The rock lobster he normally associated with was strong but wasn’t really his style any more.  He needed something that would help his genjutsu.  Between hiding in the mist and hiding underground, he had the ability to keep himself out of trouble.  It was easy to do that especially when his speed would be complete soon. 

 

                He summoned the rock lobster and spoke to him about what he might do.  They walked for awhile about the different denizens at the coast, and what powers they had.  The mighty lobster spoke of crabs as big as houses who could slice through steel.  Other creatures whose shells couldn’t be broken except by the most powerful of jutsu and sharpest of blades.  But it was one creature that caught his attention.  A small crab that had spikes all over  it.  It would hold onto the summoners head and give the summoner powers.  It was this one that caught his attention.  It was stronger than the rock lobster and seemed to have better synergy with what Maku wanted to create.  He asked where he might find such a creature and what he would have to do to gain its trust.  With that the lobster was released and summoned Maku to the coast.  There Maku walked for a day, and had to swim across many pools to reach the land where the creature sat.  Others called it the Bafukani, not knowing its real name, if it even had a real name.  Once Maku had arrived there was a small cave that he crawled into and found the creature.  It sat on a rock, it wasn’t large but it had no eyes, and the spikes where everywhere.  He spoke to the crab asking for its help.  At this the crab emitted a sound and for the first time in his life, he felt himself succumb to another’s genjutsu.

 

                Being someone who had used genjutsu all his life, he could feel the illusions around him, like they were part of him.  Horrifying images appeared all around him, but Maku just laughed.  This wasn’t scary it was laughable.  Maku knew he could break out.  And so he did.  Maku flexed his chakra and shattered the genjutsu.  He breathed heavly and then relized he was in another genjutsu.  The creature had layered itself on him.  Smart, Maku thought, clearly this was the beast he needed to work with.  Once again he flexed and shattered, leaving him in the cave with the beast.  The creature seemed incapable of speech until suddenly it leaped and landed on his head.  The spiny feet latched onto Maku’s head and dug just superficially into the skin.  Suddenly a voice appeared in his head.  “You, I likes you, I wills fights for yous.”  The voice was almost childish.  Maku reached and patted the creature, but this was a mistake as it was very spiky.  Maku was still pleased though.  He had gained a new friend and partner.  Leaving the coast he found himself back in the forest.  Maku was exhausted once again, it was hard traveling from the coast and back, and he hated the summoning.  But for gaining a new ally it was worth it.  It was time to rest again, this training had been more than useful.

 

(WC = 2030, 10 stat points, 20jp)

!Approved!