Trails of Fire IV.

      Muu had awoken to the gloomy day with a messenger beating down his door. The currier had come to deliver a message that the creature he’d requested fro training had been released inside Muu’s preferred trained center in the forest section. That meant the day had to begin. Muu had been waiting for this day for a while now and it was time to truly put his skills to the test. Unlike his previous tests of his abilities which were primarily for support and utility uses as a shinobi for his teams benefit, todays training was going to be a bot more intense and a whole hell of a lot more physically demanding. He was dressed in a more simple fashion today instead of his normal fancier tie and purple coat. He wore lose fitting darker gray pants, a single kunai holster around his right leg and his item pouch on the back of his belt. A loose fitting white long sleeved shirt hung around his upper body, but his long dark green fingerless gloves were still visible peeking out form under his white sleeves, reaching up to the mid part of his bicep on both arms. His Kumo headband was tied around his right arm on the outside of his clothes as well, and normal shinobi footwear upon his feet made the outfit very different form what Muu was normally seen in. But today was a very different day for him thus the unusual laid back outfit.
 
He had quickly made his way through the village from his apartment before most had awoken for the day. In fact the sun was just starting to climb in the sky, and a thin cloud hung around the village like an almost eerie fog. But Muu paid it no mind, focusing on the tasks he had set for himself today. He was at the foot of the long staircase that lead up the mountain of his favorite training building in minutes and his ascent began. He had to take the time it took him to climb the stairs to allow the doubt he had in his mind be managed. Once he entered the facility there was no going back, he’d either walk out of this place much much stronger then when he walked in, or come out in a body bag… Or maybe on a stretcher but regardless this was going to be the most dangerous training exercise he’d done yet and that little bit of doubt that maybe he wasn’t ready for it caused his normally lazy and bored expression become clouded with worry and an almost serious expression.
 
He rounded the top step and paused, hands in his pockets as he stared at the sliding glass doors. Today they had been replaced with sliding metal doors because of what was waiting on the other side. He took a deep breath and gulped audibly. He smacked his face with both hands and took a second to look over the railing at the expanse of empty space, clouds and mountains, and in the distance the slowly, but ever rising sun just waking up for the day ahead. Beautiful, he thought. And if he didn’t master todays training he might never see it again… NO! He gritted his teeth and straightened his expression into one of determination or maybe even anger. He was going to see these mountains again because he was going to win today. He was not gonna be beaten by some pathetic creature and he was going to become stronger, not merely a force to consider because of his utility for a team, but because of his danger to the enemy. He was going to sharpen himself into an edge that would be able to tear through any enemy to keep people safe… or to destroy them completely.  He balled his hands into fists and gathered his chakra. Much like when he’d gather chakra to his arms for medical technique, today he was going to focus on gathering chakra for a similar but much more devastating fashion. He set his eyes on the metal doors and walked towards them with a purpose to his step, and they slide open for him and slammed shut behind him, a lock slamming into place like thunder to seal the door and keep whatever Muu had requested for the room, to be kept in.
 
           
 
            Once inside Muu took a slow breath, inhaling through his nose and getting his first whiff of the stink the creature in question had around it. It was like death and some kind of sweat mixed together and it was revolting. Even in this vast space of one hundred meters it was horrible and almost overbearing. Somehow in the short time the beast had managed to spread its smell over the entirety of the room, which would eliminate the chance of smelling the best coming Muu supposed. Good thing Muu never really counted on smell as how he was going to track the beastie. Muu focused his senses, which had become much easier since his recent trainings, and was able to quickly pick up on the only other life force in the enclosure, and it was menacing in its very feeling. The way it’s life force felt , was almost like it could feel Muu sensing it, and its body tensed if Muu wasn’t mistaken and began moving towards him, roughly forty meters out in the man made forest below.
 
Chakra still pumping in him and being focused into his fists, Muu wasted no time himself, dashing to the metal railing separating the raised observation training area form the lower and more expansive forest area of the building. He was over the rail and down racing along the tree branches within moments, sparing no time to go meet the creature among the trees of its new domain. While the beast had only recently made this place it’s home, Muu was already very familiar with it and not ready to surrender it to some monster. It didn’t take long, for as he raced to confrontation, which was already against his nature as a medical shinobi, he was tracking the beast as it too raced to meet him.  It made the first move, being more at home among the trees, the beast known as a Baku came tearing form the trees above Muu, crashing down over him and swigging its dangerously sharp, dagger-like claws at him as it narrowly missed and landed on the same branch as Muu. The green haired boy was able to duck and roll over to come up facing the creature in a ready position for action.

Spoiler:

 
The Baku had thick dark red skin, pulled tight over its muscular body, a blue tone colored odd parts and extremities of the beast. It had fingers almost like a human, but only 4 of them and sharp pointed claws at each end. Along its back blue quill looking things poked out of its back from its head to its tail end, but Muu knew that these were for sensing tempeture changed and wind movements to help it detect prey accurately.  The creature had these angry, soulless looking white eyes, and a mouth full of rows of pointed yellowed teeth that were covered in saliva as it stared at its next intended meal, Muu. The beast resembled a very large dog or cat in it’s movement and mannerisms. It was about as tall as a seven or eight foot man when it stood on its hind legs, and in its entirety it had a menacing posture all focused at little Muu. This creature was strictly a monster of nature, its only purpose to scavenge from larger kills, and kill smaller beings that wandered into its territory. Baku’s were known for attacking travelers who had wandered off the beaten paths or even on the well traveled paths just for a tempting meal. They were nightmares of travelers and served no purpose other then hounds of death. While animals, they often fought like men in the regard they enjoyed the conflict, the battle. They had been known to toy with prey, throw them around to get them to fight the Baku for their lives. Even travelers have been found with bot defensive and offensive wounds on their bodies suggesting the beast kept them alive long enough to fight before killing them. They had no special talents gifted form nature other then their agility, speed, senses and strength and that’s why Muu had chosen this thing. He wanted a fight against a powerful monster and this was the perfect candidate, he’d feel no remorse for beating the living heal out of it, and he had to take it seriously or it would likely kill him.
 
Feeling the chakra having built up in his fists, he decided to make the first move, dashing toward the Baku at full speed, pushing off the branch hard enough to send a small amount of bark up in his wake. The Baku, snarled in acceptance of the Muu’s challenge and clawed up the branch as it too bounded forward to try to sink its teeth into the boy. Just as they closed in on one another Muu jumped forward, the Baku attempting to stop, clawing up the tree further, and looking up to keep sight of Muu and lung to try to bite him as he flew over the beast. But Before it could open its mouth wide enough, Muu came slamming his fist into the creatures skull from above. The hit was loud, forcing the creatures jaws to slammed together forcefully and with bone crunching force, and the white eyes of the beast opened wide in surprise as it was driven down, through the branch and those under it fast, flying down as if gravity had been magnified just for it until finally it met the ground with a thunderous impact and a mass of dust to fill the space around it.
 
Muu landed on the other side of where the create had been, Looking down after it for any sort of movement, feeling with his senses as well. He found it, slowly moving to regain itself in the dust below. Muu glanced at his hand , flexing his fingers, opening and closing into a fist again. He smirked, satisfied with his strength as it was amplified by the Chakra strength technique. This ability was used by many medics to scare off enemies in combat or as a brute force method of getting injured allies out of harms way if need be. He was feeling confidant so far, until a deadly sound between a squeal and howl echoed through he trees below him. Directing his attention to eh impact sight, Muu began jumping for branch to branch down to meet his foe when the beast came flaying up at him. It caught him by surprise, slashing him across the side as it effectively tossed him in mid jump into the truck of a thick tree about 5 meters away.  The collision knocked the wind out of him and made him see stars for a moment as he feel to a branch below, landing on a knee and steadying himself against the truck as he regained his sense.
 
He turned back in time to see the beast opening its jaws, moving them around after the hit, and yellow tooth pieces fall out of its mouth. It had a mean and angry look across its ugly mug as it began racing at Muu again. Muu stood  and readied himself, feeling the chakra within his arms flow quickly as the beast grew close at a rapid pace. He swung, but the Baku was to fast, it rammed into him, slamming him against the tree again hard, but Muu quickly retaliated with a right hook to the beast body. But nothing happened! Muus eyes opened wide but before he could think about why, the Back stepped back and rammed him against the tree once more knocking the air from his lungs and sending pain tearing through his left side. The beast stepped back and ripped its claw through the air and Muu left shoulder, slicing his shoulder and tears the cloth of his shirt like it wasn’t even there, and throwing Muu again another 10 meters into another tree. The little Muu hit hard but this time there was no branch to catch him, so he fell a good 10 feet, breaking smaller branches as he went before he was able to right himself and land on a branch on his feet, but just as he looked back to the creature, it was above him moments from closing its jaws over him. Muu was able to lunge of the branch, making the creature close its jaws around the tree trunk instead, and a massive gouge taken form the tree as it did. Muu landed on the ground a 5 meters away facing the Baku once more.
 
The young shinobi was breathing harder now, eyes locked on the Baku in a serious expression, a little blood trickled from his mouth, his shoulder was bleeding now as 3 nice sized cuts burned in his arm, noticed able form the ripped clothing. The same was said about his left ribs, as 2 cut marks let blood pour slowly over his white shirt. Muu had to be more careful, he wasn’t proficient with the chakra strength method yet and risky things like that would get him killed. The baku focused on him, and let out a bone rattling howl that echoed through the trees as it came racing to the ground and at its prey once more. Muu gathered chakra to his hands again, this time determined to not waste his shot this time. As the beast closed in on him and lunged off the ground to tackle Muu, the boy lunged forward as well, but low, while the beast went high, sliding under it, and jumping up onto a low branch the second he was clear of it. The beast slammed onto the ground and turned to pursue. Muu had rebounded off a tree from above, drawing a Kunai form his right side and throwing it at the beast as it jumped up to catch him.
 
The blade found its mark in the tough hide of the baku, digging into its left upper shoulder, but it didn’t seem to slow it down as it wrapped its hand like claws around Muu and pinned him to the tree truck, both of them on the branch above the ground.  It roared in triumph, but Muu hadn’t given up yet. Even though the laws of the beast were a noticeable pain in his arms and upper back, Muu reached and took hold off the Kunai sticking out of the beasts body, removing it and then jamming it into the side of the baku again and again between he rib area of its flank. Warm red blood flowed out and covered Muus arm and the beasts side as Muu stabbed it again and again. The baku howled in pain and rage before bighting Muu on his left shoulder, the big jaws able to engulf his whole shoulder and the teeth digging into his flesh with ease. “AHHHHHHHHH” Muu yelled in pain, forcing chakra to his left foot fast, he only had one chance to get the beast off him or he could die. He slammed his left foot down onto the branch with the force of his chakra enhanced strength, splitting eh wood and the loud crack of it sounded like thunder in the forest, sending both the Baku and Muu hurtling to the ground not far below.
 
As the dust started to settle, Muu slowly pushed himself off the ground, wincing in pain but gritting his teeth, He knew this wasn’t over yet. Chakra coursed through his body, he focused it as best he could, sending it to his fists, trying to condense it to the pinpoints of hit knuckles and fingers. The Backu rose as well, shrugging off a part of the branch that had fallen atop him as it searched for Muu. The two locked eyes, Muu bleeding badly form the left side, a bloody kunai in his right hand but fire in his dark eyes. “ECCKKKKKKKKKK” the Baku screeched as it dug its claws into the ground and charged at Muu. The young shinobi, with his weakened body and bent knees was not ready to die. He threw the Kunai as the beast got close, making his chance of missing near impossible, and it found its mark in the left eye of the charging beast who faltered just before Muu, reacting in pain and agony. But the injured boy wasn’t going to give it a moment to sort itself out, he Jumped up at the beast as it threw its head back in pain again, and brought all the his fury down in the form of a chakra infused left hook to the face.  The punch connected with the Kunai sticking out of the beasts eye, driving it all the way through the beasts head and the sound of bones cracking and shattering sounded like fire crackers through the night, loud and cutting out any other noise. The Baku instantly went limp, its cries dying immediately as it fell motionless to the ground, sliding back a few feet from the force of the impact. Muu himself landed a few feet from the body of the beast, taking a knee immediately.
 
He slowly got up, steadying himself and looking over his injuries. Although the looked quite bloody form the sliced over his left ribs and shoulder, and the bite marks along his upper left arm and around his shoulder, the bit of blood that came from his mouth was from him biting his  inner cheek when he was thrown against one of the trees it seemed, and otherwise he was dirty and sore, probably covered in bruises but overall fine. The blood covering his right hand and forearm was from when he stabbed the side of the Baku and only made him look worse then he was. After doing a once over, he slowly made his way over the body of the Baku, eyeing it with hate. He gathered chakra to his hands again, reaching into its head and ripping out his kunai, he wiped it off, barely getting off all the blood, and put it back in his holster, before reaching down and using his chakra strength to grab the beast in both hands and throw it up through the branches and into a tree a few meters away just for good measure. The sound of the breaking tree limbs falling and its body being pulled back to earth form gravity echoed in the trees as Muu started walking away.  Today was just as hard as he’d feared it’d be, he held his left shoulder as he made his way to the exit. But regardless of the difficulties he faced here, he flet as if he learned a lot about the finesse needed to control chakra strength. Next time he used it he felt confident in his ability. Next time he’d be able to use it perfectly. At least that’s what he told himself because if he didn’t improve with it, the next “baku” or whatever he faced to test it, he might be the one lying dead among these trees. He chuckled softly, no, he wasn’t gonna die here training, that much he was certain of. He started gathering chakra to his right hand, activating the Soothing Touch technique to slow his bruising and bleeding of his shoulder, which hurt the worst. Next time he’d be even better and no Baku would stand a chance, he was sure of that, he thought to himself as he made his way out of the metal doors, and into the bright day.