Late Training For Chuunin Exams

Life was a funny thing…hell lives were even funnier. Akiyama’s thick gloved finger dragged down the glass window of his apartment. It was difficult to believe how he had gotten to this place after dealing with the return of his Aunt Yuki. Though he had decided not to abandon his village, the thoughts returned every so often.

This was one of those moments as he was told he had to remain in the middle of the desert, in a shack with his Aunt Yuki. The wind whipped by the metal exterior, kicking up sand from the desert and slamming it against the pane of the window and the outside walls. Every now and then it would cause a loud screeching. Normally this would have taken the youth off guard as it was a warm day and not a sign of any storms.
Not that the days in the village of Sand were anything but hot or warm. It wasn’t uncommon for the area to see not a single ounce of rain in sight for weeks if not longer. He wasn’t here for rain water though, or to find his own personal oasis; there were several in the area if he wanted to go swim or relax.

He was here to do what ninjas his age and older did; train.
But as the wind’s pressure increased and caused the shack to shift slightly, he sighed and rolled his eyes. It was a sign that his Aunt Yuki was outside training one of her effective, but frustrating to handle and control; Wind jutsu.

It didn’t take long before he heard the woman’s familiar voice calling out to him, “Akiyama Lao! It’s time to train, so get your rear in gear!”. The wind seemed to carry it directly to the shack and once more he was sure it was due to her use of chakra.

“She must take me as a fool…I know she’s going to just try and knock me flat on my ass when I step outside. I may as well take the proper counter-measure to prevent such a thing from happening.” He thought.

Focusing his chakra to his feet, the Genin took a quick look at his clothing and stepped outside the shack. He wore simple yellow trousers and a matching gi, but wore no boots or sandals. It wasn’t every day he went without them but there were times he saw fit to simply feel nature beneath his fet.

The feeling of hot grainy sand sticking to the bottom of his feet was dull but still there, thanks to the layer of chakra he had molded there.

A smile lay upon his features as he faced his Aunt who seemed surprised by her nephew’s quick thinking, if he had not have taken the precaution to focus his chakra into his feet; a simple wind release jutsu would have knocked him flat on his butt.

“Like your late cousin, you always have been one of the best in our family and as far as I’m concerned you still are. But in our village you are nothing until you obtain a higher rank and establish a name for yourself.
To do this I have signed you up for the Chuunin exams in-“ before she could finish Akiyama’s brows lifted up and his features twisted into a grimace.

Flashbacks of his last attempt at the Chuunin exams washed over him and he wanted to tear his dreads from his head. It frustrated him to no end that the village, at the time without a Kage, saw fit to send him in without a proper teammate and to add insult to injury he was forced to buy his own supplies  to even have a chance to survive. And all of that happened after battling a Bijuu with a group of other shinobi. .

“What the hell do you mean you signed me up for another lame ass set of exams? You stupid sack of-“ as the brown skinned male spewed a list of profane insults towards his aunt, the older woman simply inhaled her breath until her chest rose and filled as if it were going to pop.

Realizing what was happening, Akiyama began to weave hand-signs. His own inability to control his emotions at that moment interfered with the molding of his chakra. Upon completion of the hand seal, a thinner and paler clone of himself appeared in front of him. “You have to be shitting me.” he exclaimed before he grabbed his clone and ducked behind it.

A series of high pitched whistles followed by a heavy blast of wind slammed funneled through his Aunt’s mouth began to crash into Akiyama’s clone. The force of the attack soon drove the clone and it’s owner back, skidding across the sand and driving them both against the shack.

In a cloud of smoke the clone vanished and Akiyama was left to feel the brutality of the attack as it shed his clothes and left shallow tears onto of his skin.

“Come now nephew, surely you’re capable of much more than that. I know you felt you were done wrong by the village but look past that. It now has a powerful Kage. The people are proud, happy and eager to show their strength. We are in a position to create new alliances and forge new friendships. You yourself are capable of doing such a thing should you enter the exams…and if you don’t, I’ll kill you. Unless you can beat me right now.” She stated while dropping into a low stance.

He tried to ignore the shallow cuts that her jutsu created but the natural wind began to pick up, throwing grains of sand into the injuries causing him to wince as they dug into his wounds.

Things for him had never been right at the village, when he deemed them as such. Everything turned sour in his life the moment he had returned to Sunakagure. He wasn’t a stupid child. He knew there was always a likelihood for war between the villages at any given moment, but here they were, the people of SUnagakure living their lives as if everything would be fine.

The fools were comfortable living without a kage for such a long time and now that they had one, they forgot how difficult it was to obtain a true peace of living and count on a leader…at least that’s how he felt.

If one thing was for sure, he knew things would never be alright. Since his Aunt’s return, she had come to the conclusion that the best way to deal with the wayward youth was to keep him busy. If it wasn’t some mission helping out the elderly denizens, it would be a training marathon with some of the younger children to teach them the basics.

It never ended. He didn’t have a moment to breathe and now here she stood springing this on him!

As his anger began to subside he knew that this was for the best. The basic fact was with training would come power and the chance to travel safely and maybe one day start his own village, or even take over as Kazekage one day

“Alright?” a voice pulled him out of his thoughts. Blinking several times, Akiyama noticed his Aunt had created several clones of her own while he was sorting through his inner-demons and thoughts.

He lifted his head and straightened his posture against the hot metal wall of the shed. “Fine. Lets make this happen!” he exclaimed before leaping forward and clasping his hands momentarily. He would began the motions of weaving familiar hand signs as he raced towards his Aunt.

With a shout he leapt up and inhaled deeply. Mind and body focused, he expertly molded his chakra within his upper body and parted his lips. A series of volleyball sized water bullets shot forth raining down upon his Aunt and her clones.

The impact of the water bullets left small impacts and holes in the sand while only one of the youth’s attacks found its target. The remainder of the water bullets would simple leave several deep puddles in the area beneath him. Upon impact the woman’s clone was destroyed while she and the other two flipped out of the way as Akiyama landed in their area.


 Skidding across the sand he paused and caught his breath. Panting rapidly he wouldn’t let up as he began to weave more hand signs, his eyes wide as he attempted to keep the trio in his sights. His chakra built up around him as he focused on his element of water.

“Hidden mist Jutsu!” he whispered.

Hearing the soft-spoken words caused his Aunt to pause and shake her head. “There is no way you’ve learned that technique boy! You’re too wet behind the ears…well I’ll be damned.” she muttered as a thick mist engulfed the area she and her clones were in.

Akiyama fought back an smile of satisfaction as he began to listen to the various sound of sand crunching beneath his enemies feet. “I am highly impressed Akiyama. But please entertain me by answering this question, how do you sense those around you once this jutsu is cast?” her voice rang out in a sing-song tone.

The question forced Akiyama to freeze in his position before he shook his head violently. He had been working on that particular technique and knew he had a while to go before he had enough confidence to even try and use it to sense the woman.

“Better now than later.” He thought before weaving another variety of hand signs. Within a matter of moments he would sense the chakra signal of his Aunt and her clones. At the expense of using the still developed technique he felt his body weaken and his brow drown in beads of sweat.

“Don’t you dare fall on me now Akiyama! You are showing me your will and focusing all of that animosity you have towards the past. Use it to fight or I will take you out.” She threatened.

Question after question swelled within her mind, and not an single answer could calm her thoughts. Where had her nephew mastered this technique and more importantly how would he use it to his advantage?

The mist was suffocating and nearly drove her to trip up and throw a kunai. She had only encountered this technique once before and it was performed by her fallen comrade, Walin. Her eyes were pinned by the mist and restricted to seeing nothing but white.

She swatted at a buzzing dessert wasp that had unfortunately made it’s way into the temporary field of battle and rubbed her temple with her thumb. All worrying was giving her a migraine so the woman returned to the task at hand, calming her mind to train her nephew.

As she turned around in the mist she suddenly felt the impact of a foot slamming into the back of her knee. Her leg giving out she would crumble and fall forward only to be placed in a headlock. Air began to become scarce as her chest felt the drumming of her heartbeat, overexcitement and terror overwhelmed her as her breathes became faster and her throat burned as she squirmed to stand but found no energy. She attempted to roll onto her side but was slammed face-first into the sand.

Akiyama continued to tighten his grip, driving his weight on top of what he assumed was his Aunt’s body. The woman struggled to free her neck from it’s prison yet every effort was useless versus the strength and higher ground of her opponent who was squeezing against her vulnerable windpipe.

Swaths of shadows devoured her world, enclosing her in darkness, nothingness. The teenagers forearm burrowed into her neck, the material of his long-sleeved gi drug across her skin leaving it bright red. Dazed and weak, the older woman felt her body go limp until she fell into the unwelcome state of unconsciousness.

Akiyama’s vision prevailed in the mist and once he felt his Aunt’s body slump down, he released his grip and slowly stood up. “Hell yeah! I finally beat you!” he shouted. He would drop down slightly to jump up and celebrate but his face was filled with smoke and his ears with an all too familiar ‘Poof’. Looking down he would soon realize he had merely done away with his Aunt’s clone.

Stunned and quite annoyed by the tactic, Akiyama fell into a defensive stance and looked around. He knew he had to focus and take time to gather his thoughts. Her voice would call out to him and at the moment he grimaced, knowing she would toy with him until he mastered the Chakra Sense technique; “Shame, you would have choked out little ol’ me? That’s the problem with you young kids today, you’ve no respect for your elders. Shadow Clone Jutsu!”.

A series of poofs and other odd sounds filled the misty area before she spoke again causing him to draw a kunai from his pocket. “Let us see how you fare against more of my beautiful clones. Get him girls!” she shouted.

His eyes widened as he tried to back away to find a better position, but he knew with her chakra she could afford to send in multiple clones to flush him out and to try and wear him down. Soon enough he was faced with two shilouttes that were moving quick from the distance, piercing the thick white mist around him.

Soon they got bigger and no longer contorted against the mist. Once they become a distinct figure he reacted, leaping forward he focused his chakra into his feet and leapt up high into the air to meet one that had done the same.

The youth drove his body forward catching the clone off-guard with an head-butt. With a heavy grunt he twisted his body around slamming his kunai into it’s neck severing it as if he were a human guillotine. With another white poof it would vanish and beneath him remained the second clone.

Before he could land she would utlize the same wind jutsu of her summoner. A stream of sharp wind shot forward cutting into Akiyama’s flesh. Wincing in pain would endure and aim downward with his knee extended. The force of the wind knocked him off his course but he would still find his target by driving his knee into the clone’s shoulder.

The duo would crash down as he would drive his Kunai into her gut causing her to vanish as well.

“Water Bullet Jutsu!” he shouted as he began shooting rapidly at the approaching Shadow Clones. Surprisingly each would hit their target and he felt a urge of satisfaction with each ‘poof’ that would fill his ears.
By this time his own chest rose and fell and without warning the hidden mist jutsu faded away.

“Damn it.” he wheezed before falling to one knee. As if she had merely been observing him without lifting a finger, his Aunt Yuki stood in front of him. Her arms crossed and a smile on her face.

“You train like this more often and you’ll be one of this village’s best ninjas. Get up, the day is just beginning young blood.”

He wasn’t happy about it but he knew it could not be avoided. At least he had a heads up this time around about the Chuunin Exam, and he had noticed the ‘gift basket’ of weapons his Aunt Yuki had in the shed. He smiled weakly as he lifted himself up…maybe just maybe he would be able to succeed this time around.

(2613 chakra training 13 st pt 26 jp)

approved for appropriate rewards

Hours had passed since his Aunt Yuki and himself had sparred after she revealed he would be taking part in the Chuunin exams. The young Sunagakure ninja had finished eating a late lunch with his Aunt Yuki and had consumed several homemade vitamin pills to replace his replenished chakra. It worked slowly but it was effective enough, though he despised their taste due to his Aunt’s inability to stop adding ‘secret ingredients’.

They remained in the shed for the time being, Yuki sat on a mat in the center of the room. Excusing the remnants of dust and the smell of oil from tools that lay in a corner, and sweat from his own attire he had discarded from past training sessions; Akiyama rifled through his Aunt’s desk. The majority of the near-ransacked shed was filled with ninja tools and equipment that was either worn out or unable to be put to use by the inexperienced shinobi. None of which would be of any use to anyone, unless they were strong enough to wear such things or capable of wielding the respective weapons; that is after they fixed them.

And as the fiery youth was not skilled in the hobby of fixing things, he moved on to the drawers and still found nothing useful. He grumbled away in silence hoping he could find one or two things to take with him once he left Sunagakure.

From the corner of her eyes, Akiyama was watched by his Aunt who still ate her lunch. She would choose her words carefully as she spoke, “You know Akiyama, if you would bring me the heads of a few desert rattle snakes, I could very well find you a sturdy blade to utilize during your Chuunin exams. There’s a trader back in town who will give you a top-notch weapon for a particular kind of poison.”

Moving on, the Sunagakure shinobi continued past a large desk and stopped at one that was already worn down by him sitting on it over the years and carving into it with any kunai he had on him at the time. The sudden news piqued his interest and he turned around to stare at Yuki.

“Seriously? I don’t know much about trading but know those damned rattlesnakes aren’t going to be easy to come by. Especially if you mean the ones near Geno’s canyon…you can’t mean those right? I would want far more than a damn sword for risking my butt.” he stated while shaking his head.

Yuki would stand and face her nephew. She was clad in simple garments, a short robe and trousers that stopped below her knee. Sandals covered her feet and her brown skin glistened slightly with sweat from the shed.

The two were used to the increased heat within the confines of the metal building. It served as two purposes: it acted as a temporary lodge when they were out in the elements and by drawing in more heat it enabled them both to train their bodies to endure more heat so they were used to being out in the desert.

Smiling she would nod and extend her arms, gesturing to the few weapons and armor that lay around or were hung up on the walls. “Those would be the snakes Akiyama. I’ll give you the option of taking any weapon you see here along with any armor you’ll think will come in handy. I will give you a sack to place the heads in, make sure you don’t cut too high; their glands need to be intact. Though I would not have thought to give you this errand and opportunity to better your chances at the exams, I challenge you to only use your speed while completing this task. No jutsu, aside from the very basics. Those you will need. But if you can abstain from using your jutsu and invest in your speed alone to accomplish this, you’ll reap the benefits. And plus you’ll be able to do something I could never have done at your age.”.

Akiyama would simply move on, he would continue past the desk and onto the section that held several abandoned weapons. They were obviously damaged and no good in a true battle, the smaller kunai and a few short-swods were scattered about but provided the young shinobi with a few choices in terms of supplies. He could tell they had already been picked over, probably by scavengers or other ninja from the village who found the shed and used it themselves.

He would clear his throat as he thought of what he knew about the snakes, “Nothing too heavy, especially if I’m going to take her up on this challenge…personal items first then.” He thought as he picked up a short sword. The hilt was rusted and the blade was worn a bit. In combat it would have made him look like an fool, but he knew it would do the job against a few animals.

Picking up several kunai he would sort them out and study them before grabbing a small pouch and placing them inside. Using a small piece of leather he wrapped it around his waist and placed the short sword inside. As he turned around he would stand on the tip of his toes to stretch and gesture to his Aunt.

“I’ll take you up on this challenge. Let’s get started.” He said as he turned and headed for the door. Before he could touch the handle he felt a heavy weight on his shoulders. Turning around he would catch his Aunt quickly attaching several seals to his body. “These will slow you down as if you’re wearing weights…and you’ll be going alone. I have some things to tend to here before you go to these exams. I trust that you’ll abide by our honor system, meaning if I catch you lying I will rip you to shreds and feed you my cats back home.” She threatened.

Swallowing hard Akiyama would try to see the formation of the seals but since they were on his back he looked like a dog trying to chase his tail. As he turned around in circles his aunt would throw an empty bag at his face blinding him momentarily.

Once he ripped it off he would find himself alone in the shed. “Fuck.” He grumbled before walking out the door.

Out in the open he felt cooler despite the hot sun beaming down on him and the dry wind blowing across his body. Without hesitation he allowed his muscles to relax momentarily as he dropped into a low stance. Pushing his left foot out and digging a small trench in the sand, he placed his hands on the ground in front of him and took a small breath.

The moment he exhaled he took off running. His legs pumped furious and his arms rose and fell as he attempted to adjust to the weight of the seals on his back. The boy’s feet would skid from time to time and his body would waver under the weight but he would retain his balance and continue forward.

His calf muscles bulged as he leapt over an rogue cactus and flipped over a passing tortoise. Sweat, his old friend, returned to his body causing his clothing to mat to his flesh but he still ran. Each calculated step was planned in his head, he had no choice but to think ahead before he allowed his feet to touch the ground; those seals were keeping him from moving at his full momentum.

“It will be tough to fight someone in this state. I’m going to consider myself lucky my opponents don’t have arms. Or legs.” He thought as he attempted to run faster. His feet nearly tripped over themselves as he leaned up slightly no longer could he run with his body bent slightly; not at the moment. He would still attempt it though and would succeed several times. It wasn’t until he face-planted into the ground at his last attempt did he call that little test quits and stand back up.

At least nobody saw him falling. Once more he began running, his thigh muscles and calf muscles worked hard but since his feet had to bear the weight of his body and the seal; he felt everything there.

Instead of complaining he would simply bring his hands in front of him and began practicing his hand signs, knowing he could attempt to kill two birds with one stone by training his speed on casting his own jutsu. The body was one big muscle and if he failed to invest in every muscle throughout his form, his life as a shinobi was for naught.

Each completed hand sign formation wouldn’t bring forth a jutsu, he wasn’t even focusing his chakra; aside from keeping his balance.

The terrain didn’t change drastically as he covered half a mile to a mile. Sand hills would appear and he would cross over them as quickly as possible, his muscles tightening every now and again threatening to cause him to fall or catch a cramp. Normally he would have no problem but those damn invisible weights upon his body were keeping him in a state of constant discomfort and caused his muscles to work overtime.

Soon enough he would come onto his destination, Geno’s valley. The valley was nothing more than several small mountains and hills with a narrow crevice separating them. His eyes fell to the earth beneath him as he found signs of life, particularly snake lives.

The imprint of slithering bodies crossing the sand were visible and they were quite large enough to rival a python.

While he wanted to close his eyes, he kept them open and merely focused on listening to his environment. Every now and again the cry of an hawk would greet him but it wasn’t the sound he was looking for. “Come on now, where are you?” he inquired aloud.

His voice echoed into the small valley and several loud rattles and hisses would respond to his question. Eyes wide and body tense, Akiyama looked around in time to see one snake emerging from beneath the sand. It’s dark brown scales were nearly a match for the complexion of the sand itself and it’s rough terrain but those bright green eyes were a dead give-away.

The youth was too slow in drawing the sword or a kunai but his legs worked just fine as the snake’s body shot forth and slithered quickly towards him. Out of instinct he brought his hands forth and began to weave signs before he caught himself and landed with a thud. “Shit. No jutsu!” he reminded himself.

Focusing his chakra into his feet and shifting his weight from side to side, he backed away from the valley and focused on the approaching snake. In his peripheral vision he could see movement of the sand to his sides and his ears were filled with more rattling and hissing.

“Strike before they strike.” He thought as he crouched and quickly drew the borrowed short-sword. The snake’s speed increased and it’s jaws opened up showing fangs dripping with surprisingly thin looking venom, it looked harmless enough but Akiyama knew that these snakes were dangerous.

Digging his feet into the ground he would wait. With a loud hiss the snake coiled back temporarily and it’s body sprang forth towards Akiyama. His body reacted quickly as he shot forward meeting the snake halfway. His feet slammed into the sand until he was within several inches of the creature and he would duck down and bring the sword up. Using the momentum of his running body he decapitated the beast and spun around.

Skidding to a stop he wouldn’t see the snake’s head fall from it’s body but the familiar sound of two heavy limbs hitting the ground gave him pleasure. His attention turned to the now two visible snakes, both the same species but each wore different colored scales.

The duo seemed to work in harmony as they crossed one another’s path, one at a time they would give the other leeway and space as they neared the shinobi. Placing the sword back into it’s makeshift leather sheath, he quickly pulled forth two kunai and examined his surroundings.

Nothing but sand and the valley in the opposite direction. He could hear more hissing from behind him and he knew this would have to be a quick fight unless he wished to go back on his word to his Aunt pertaining to the use of jutsu in this little event.

His body was even heavier with the sweat-drenched clothing but he dove forward. Pulling his arms down and into his sides he watched the two snakes rush towards him as he ran forth tightening his grip upon his Kunai. He would stop suddenly only to flip backwards as the two rattlesnakes struck and nearly wound up headbutting one another.

Akiyama’s body would land only to leap up and throw the kunai into the snake’s bodies leaving both incapacitated and hissing violently. Before he would come down he rained down the rest of the kunai into their bodies killing them.

Landing between them he quickly removed their heads with his blade and placed them into the sack he carried. Running to the third body of the deceased snake from earlier, he would take it’s head too and began to run back towards the shed, unaware he had been watched this whole time…

An old man stood at the entrance of the valley staring out at the bodies of the giant rattlesnakes. He looked filthy and was covered with scars that appeared to be multiple fang marks on his face.

One eye was bright yellow as if he was likely battling an infection while the other was white indicating it no longer worked. His trousers and vest were ragged and torn but looked as if they belonged to someone else altogether, as they were a size too big. Sadness appeared over his features but that was quickly replaced with anger as his body shook violently. Clenching his skeleton like fists he glared at the boy’s vanishing body with his one good eye; “That fucking boy killed my pets! HE KILLED MY PETS! Don’t you worry boys, don’t you worry one bit. I will find him and tear him limb from limb, that is after you two have had your fun with him”.

By his side two large snakes appeared, their own eyes staring off at Akiyama before they turned to the old man and bit him several times. He would scream in pain and terror before the venom took affect, ‘You traitorous bastards!” he cried out before he succumb to the wounds. Obviously he was just a crazy old man and posed no threat to the teen who continued running to the shed to meet his Aunt Yuki.

(WC 2490 Speed training, 12 Speed 24 JP)

approved

Akiyama waited patiently inside the comfort of his own apartment. He stood over a table in his kitchen and looked down at a case that was marked with his namesake, Lao. Like the rest of the cases he had been given from his annoying but loving Aunt, in this life, he was sure they contained something good. In the past each case contained typical gear he needed to achieve his goals.

Opening it up he noticed it wasn’t regular gear, they were carefully chosen items for the upcoming exams. The top of the case had three panels that folded outward expanding the case even further while the inside was lined with leather padding and carved into the material were the imprint of the kunai and sheathed sword with a simple strap keeping them in their respective places.  

There were several scrolls, newly forged kunai and the sword she had promised him. While it was standard issue equipment for some, for him it was great. He couldn’t help but smile as he thought that this time around may be different especially since there was someone looking out for him for these exams.

He would return to his room and access his closet. Pulling out his unworn clothing he would change quickly. Upon stepping back inside his kitchen he would be dressed differently. A thin white short sleeved shirt covered his upper-body while a dark yellow gi covered it leaving only the sleeves exposed, while dark yellow trousers and black boots covered his lower form.

Knee pads and braces were worn to protect him from injury from falling if it came to that yet he was very aware that they wouldn’t protect him much if at all from any attack at the legs. While jagged elbow guards coupled with saw-toothed forearm guards allowed for efficient hand to hand combat if necessary but again he knew it would add nothing to his attack or his personal protection. These were just basic equipment he had acquired.

Over the next several minutes he would take his time preparing each item and placing it on his person as carefully and strategically as possible. The young shinobi looked formidable enough but he was certain there were going to be many more opponents who were going to push him to his limits.

Akiyama Lao’s kunai got an pouch to themselves while his scrolls would be placed in a pouch of their own upon his waist. An inexperienced ninja would be paranoid about the explosives that would coat anyone in the immediate radius with an explosive. He had everything he needed to bring someone down equipment wise. But as any ninja knew, the real firepower was presenting one with the skills and ability to use their intelligence and technique along with any teammate to their advantage.

Finally he would examine the sword. Taking hold of the blackened handle and hilt, he pulled the weapon from it’s place and studied it before sheathing it again. Smiling contently Akiyama left his apartment to meet his Aunt Yuki.

The older woman met the youth at the Village Gates and seemed amused to see her nephew  dressed to the tee and walking straight and tall. His confidence radiated and she was proud of him at that moment.  She would remain quiet before removing her cloak and stepping towards him to place it around his shoulders. He wore none of the usual tactical armor or light armor that resisted some attacks. Her cloak was nothing special, the fabric was dark like midnight and adorned with slight tears and the insignia of the Sunagakura village.

She was busy assessing the training gadgets she had presented him. Yuki appeared peculiar. There was something about Akiyama now, something that made her happy. He was slowly becoming a man. Stroking her chin she quickly pulled a Kunai from behind her back and chuckled aloud. Her eyes sparkle with amusement as she noticed the youth had followed suit and fell into a defensive stance. He was already aware that she wanted to test him one last time before the boy was sent to the exams.

The youth heard the voices of several unknown individuals who had gathered to see off their own respective relatives. “Hmm lets go further out into the desert.” He suggested.
In a flash the two were gone, running off to get in a quick spar. As he ran side by side with his Aunt he wasn’t aware of the area in which they ended up. The two stumbled across a sight they didn’t intend to see that day.


 The sand had been plastered with blood and guts and two unknown individuals stood over several bodies and horses. Wagons that the beasts would have been pulling had been destroyed, crates and boxes were smashed and scattered while small pieces of the deceased’s body were toppled over unnaturally, relaying to some of the bizarre struggles that had likely taken place there.

Soon enough he and his Aunt would hear growling from behind the large carcases of the horses. “Fucking heat-wolves.” he said while gesturing to the pack who was emerging from behind their meal.

Heat wolves were nothing special, they were capable of driving travelers mad due to their intelligence and ability to withstand the conditions of the desert. This was due to them finding their own personal oasis and eating whatever they were capable of taking down, plus they didn’t mind traveling long-distances.

Soon enough two wolves turned into four, four into six and six into eight. The growing horde of beasts that had ended as an octet had now grown into a dozen. They occupied the area and despite eating the horse, most of it anyway, they were still hungry enough to devour two Sunagakura Shinobi if they were capable. And unfortunately for Akiyama and Yuki the beasts had found their dessert.

Akiyama’s arm raised quickly as he drew his blade from its obsidian colored sheath. The blade gleamed in the bright light of the sun as he fell into a stance he adopted to fight with his newly acquired ninjato. “There is no way in hell I’m giving any of your tongues the chance to get a taste of me. Aunt Yuki, leave this to me.” He stated. The old woman would smile and nod before crossing her arms to watch her nephew work.  

Even at this distance he could smell and feel the creatures’ stagnant breathes  as they inched closer to him. Confident in his skill he would take a mere second to study the blade. It was crafted with the utmost care and he would use it wisely.

He would move quicker than what the beasts were used to but he was using nothing but brute strength at that moment with his own natural speed. The shinobi spun around, his heaven’s sorrow blade lashing out to taste the blood of it’s owners’ enemies. Three closets wolves had been caught up in the spinning attack, losing the top of their heads in the process, a loud yelp would be their last cry before some scattered to run away while the others leapt forward to avenge their fallen comrades and obtain a new meal.

Akiyama’s body stopped spinning and his foot shot forward catching one of the leaping wolves with a fierce kick that sent it flying through the air and crashing elsewhere. The rest of the remaining doggies would growl and try to circle the male only to find themselves being attacked. Jabbing to the left, the tip of his blade pierced through one wolve’s side and the moment it withdrew from it’s soft but heavy flesh, it once more found a home inside another wolf’s skull. The inexperienced ninjato wielder sliced and diced, dispatching one after another, using his brute strength and speed to cleave into and through those who remained.

Leaning down he would wipe the blade free of blood on the fur of one of the fallen wolves and move back towards his Aunt. As the two turned to return to the village to report the finding of the bodies, a voice rang out to them, “Son of a bitch killed our pets Vinnie.” “Yeah now..that just won’t do. We took too damn long to train those wolves. They came in handy, hunting down our next target.”.

Turning around Akiyama and Yuki would be faced with two strangers.


The four stood in front of one another staring. “Bandits.” Exclaimed Akiyama before he narrowed his eyes at them. “It is clear the wolves weren’t entirely responsible for this massacre. But those two beasts were.” Replied his Aunt.

The two were bigger men, each wore nothing more than grey shirts and black trousers with sandals. They carried hefty blades that were coated with blood.


“You know we’re unable to leave any witnesses brother. Let us do what we do best…and rip these little people apart. The buzzards around here need more food and maybe they have enough ryo on them to fill out pockets. Unlike these poor fools who tried to pay for their lives in trinkets. Don’t tell me you two are-”

Before he could even finish Akiyama interrupted him. “Well I guess we’ll be leaving. Right after I get rid of you and your brother. These people didn’t deserve to die like this, not by your hands or the hands of anyone else. Unlike you two, their lives were possibly worth something“ the young boy shouted before vanishing before the duo’s eyes.

Once he reappeared his entire demeanor had changed, he was overtaken by the need to avenge these fallen innocents and remove scum from this earth. Time seemed to slow down for all whom were there as his knee approached his chest building up energy. A mere moment later, his boot-clad foot slammed into the stomach of the man whom he had interrupted.

The blow split the older man’s ribs apart with a loud crunch and he quickly doubled over spewing forth blood that intertwined with the lives he and his sibling had taken earlier. Akiyama’s body flowed as if it were already capable of acting without the use of a brain or instructions. Lifting his arm up quickly his elbow shot down into the back of the man’s neck leaving it broken and sentencing him to death.

Yuki followed suit casting aside her earlier focus to her newfound respect for her nephew. She would finish off the fallen bandit with a well aimed kunai to the man’s skull. The sickening sound caused his brother to cry out and raise his sword to the Sunagakura ninja. “You bastards! I will-“

Just like his brother he would be interrupted, “Fall silent bastard. My Aunt gave your brother an far better death than he deserved and one that you deserve. I swear I wish people like you didn’t live in this world. And to think you yourself had the audacity to perform such an act outside of Sunagakura! You’ll regret this bandit.”

His muscles bulging, Akiyama would shoot forward using his momentum to add to his strength. This time he focused his assault on the man’s upper body. A well placed kick to the hand, disarmed the large man and his heavy blade stuck blade first into the sand and sunk halfway.

Not having the opportunity to even dwell or handle the pain from the kick, the bandit would be plagued with a violent series of punches and elbows to his upper body. Each impact from the blows would leave bruises beneath his attire and the crack of bones could be heard, from him and Akiyama who’s body was tense but relaxed as he used every ounce of his strength to use the bully as his personal punching bag.

Fists clenched he ducked down low enough to glare up at the man who was unsturdy on his feet and bleeding profusely from his mouth. Before he could utter an insult or complete a blink of his eyes, Akiyama would swiftly capture the man’s arm and tighten his grip upon it. With a shout he focused his chakra into his muscles until he heard the satisfying snap of the man’s bones.

He would hesitate briefly to deliver a atrocious uppercut to the man’s jaw knocking him flat on his back. Breathing heavily Akiyama would stare down at the man before walking towards him. “In our world the strong truly survive. But that is no cause to prey on the weak and helpless. I pray your soul burns in a place far worse than hell…I thank you though you murderous filth. You have added on to my determination to grow and become a better man than those who have ruled and currently do rule these countries. One day I’ll ensure nobody like you survives. You won’t even have a rock to hide under or cave to slither into. People like you deserve nothingness!” he shouted as he lifted his leg up and slammed his boot-clad foot into the man’s throat crushing his windpipe.

(WC 2170 Strength Training 10 stat, 20 jp)

Approved

Periodically, a rouge wolf would pop its thoughtless head out from a boulder taking a notice to the loud noise Akiyama was making. He saw fit to hunt down the remaining pets of the bandits. A well placed water bullet jutsu or kick to their head was more than enough to incapacitate the beasts if not kill them. He would allow mother nature to do the rest.

Personally, he thought it was quite cruel to allow them to live.

It was needed.


 They no longer could survive in the wild, at least not in his mind. The male knew that a trained dog was more than likely as good as dead in some elements. Besides, they were far too used to killing humans and he could not have that threat hanging around Sunagakura.


His Aunt Yuki had wished him luck and left his side hours ago and saw fit to report to the authorities about the murder and the bandits whom he had killed.

As he rounded a corner of another large boulder, he was struck with a rush of warm wind and the brightness of the sun as it came from behind a cloud. He was momentarily blinded and soon felt the weight of a furry and nasty smelling creature on his body. With a growl it began to snap at his face but found it’s prey difficult to grasp onto as Akiyama had began to struggle and slam his fists into the wolf’s exposed ribs.

It was obvious that unlike last time, this attack was calculated on it’s own free will as it’s kin were scattered about. Immediately the dangerous creature stirred with renewed vigor and life, picking up on the scent of his next meal that struggled beneath him. Pushing forward Akiyama’s fists continued slamming into the ribcage of the wolf until it whelped loudly and rolled off of the shinobi.

Standing up Akiyama spat out a bit of blood from his busted lip and glared down. The two circled each other knowing another creature had to go down for the sake of the other surviving and walking their own path. Shuffling from the side, Akiyama began to weave hand signs, a movement that the wolf had known all too well during it’s travels with the bandits.

Concentrating on his element, Akiyama attempted to mold his chakra into a different form; one he watched his Aunt perform several times years ago. His breath turned cold and the water that swirled around in his mouth creating moisture sent a chill throughout his body. “Water bullet jutsu!” he shouted before a series of water bullets shot out of his mouth.

With it’s athletic frame the wolf dodged without an issue and growled loudly before racing towards Akiyama.

Smirking the teen merely cast more hand signs, focusing on the water that his prior jutsu had created.”Water Style…Ice Needle Jutsu!” he shouted before bringing forth a series of sharp ice needles from the water puddles nearby. They would lift up and fly towards the wolf impaling it and leaving it in a puddle of it’s own blood.

“Good enough for me.” He thought before moving on to find and hunt down the remainder of the escaped wolves.

(WC 537, Jutsu learned Ice Needle Jutsu)

Approved