The Bonds that Tie [CLOSED]

The grunts and swift exhalations of a young man hard at work filled the tranquil air of a hot afternoon in the village hidden in the leaves, more commonly referred to as Konoha - our hero's home. The sun hung low fat and red. It burned the sky and clouds into a mix of pink and orange hues, quite the romantic scene. But alas, there was nothing romantic about our hero's afternoon. Instead of squeezing a lover's hand tight, his cloth wrapped knuckles were sore and inflated. Instead of mingling and interlocking his legs with the silky smooth limbs of a tantalizing companion, his shins felt splintered and barely able to support his weight. Why, you ask. The simple answer - he is weak. But that is an incomplete answer, for it raises the question of why does he wish to become stronger? The answer to that question, for another day, perhaps.
Jin began walking over to the tree stump where his bag was resting in the shade. He slowly undid the white, cloth wrappings binding his fists. As expected, the skin of his knuckles had still managed to open a little and lightly stained the inner cloth red. He had come to one of the public, outdoor training grounds to sharpen his body and hand-to-hand combat skills, as well as his cardio and muscle endurance. Multiple tree stumps were lined up, each fixed with a thin cushion hugging the tree trunks. Some had no cushion at all and were mostly used for target practice with projectiles, but some brutal indentations in the bark suggested that slightly more vicious martial practices had been implemented on them. Maybe one day, Jin would think to himself, but then look down at his bloody knuckles and broken shins and conclude, maybe not.
Sweat dripped from him like water dripping from a mermaid stepping onto land for the first time after living an entire lifetime in the depths of the sea. Even his hair, normally up and pointing every which way, hung damp and stuck to his head and neck. His white tank top looked as though it had been used to try soaking in all the water of a lake, and his midnight blue shorts appeared black to the unassuming eye.
With visible difficulty, Jin sat down by his bag, straining painfully throughout the entire motion. After a deep sigh, relieving some pain, he unzipped the bag and opened it up before tossing in the somewhat bloody rags which had previously been wrapped around his hands. Digging deep into the bag he fumbled around, searching for something very precious, like a man on a beach, wielding a shovel and beeping metal detector. The blonde haired young man's busted up hand re-emerged with a half full water bottle. The Yamanaka's blue eyes fell upon it as if he was sailor who had been out at sea for countless years and was returning to land for first time and  beholding the fairest working girl an upscale brothel had to offer.
The cap was off and flung aside like a blouse that had taken a second too long to undo. Jin brought the bottle up to his lips, paying more attention and care than a bomb defusing specialist working in a packed baby infirmary, for if he spilt even a drop it could be the difference between life and death. Jin titled the bottle ever so slightly, a ray of setting sun catching some water droplets on the inside of the cheap plastic bottle and reflecting ever so incandescently.          
A kunai sliced through the air unforgiving and obliterated the bottle. It was ripped from Jin's hand, a feeling so surreal and cruel only a mother having her newborn infant murdered in her arms would understand. He watched in horrid disbelief as the bottles invaluable contents fell back to the Earth and were greedily absorbed the thirsty clay upon which he sat.
His hand still up, holding a bottle that was no longer there, Jin's cold eyes slowly shifted in their sockets. The foulest of demons would not commit such a heinous crime. Who was this soulless interloper, come to deny Jin of his liberating hydration?  

words: 699 -- 699

"What's up, bro?" Tsunade greeted her fraternal twin brother Jin with an unassuming smile, as if she had walked onto the scene a second after her brother's replenishing refreshment was scattered into oblivion. She was wearing her combat outfit, leading Jin to believe she had just returned from her most recent mission. Her figure was devoid of any sign of struggle. There wasn't even a single crease in her traditional style crimson dress. Another mission completed flawlessly, no doubt.
Forcing himself up to his feet without trying to make it too obvious that it was an unbearable struggle to do so, Jin asked, "Why did you do that?" Tsunade's expression shifted - the jig was up.
"You feel you deserve a break?" she asked, rhetorically. After a short moment of silence, she went on, "You're not going to be able to brawl your way through every situation, like you've been accustom to so far. It might have worked so far, but out there it won't. I think it's about time you start learning some real techniques. Taijutsu has its place, don't get me wrong, but..." Her hands came together just beneath her bosom, opposing fingers and thumbs touching to make a rectangle while her other fingers were completely spread out. Jin's eyes opened wide as he became aware that he was no longer in control of his body. "You shouldn't sleep on our family's secret techniques." Jin clenched his teeth and veins bulged on either side of his neck as well as his temples as he tried to physically force his control back. It was futile, and Tsunade let him know. Against his will, he began running awkwardly towards the slender brunette. The gap between them closed and when he was within distance, he threw a terribly telegraphed punch to which his sister easily countered by deflecting it, grabbing his arm, and using her body as leverage to toss him over and away like a sack of potatoes.
Dust kicked up into the hot air as Jin rolled across the dirt and came to a drudgingly painful halt. Control over his body had returned, or was given back to him, at least. "Well, come on then, let's see what you've got. Someone has to avenge those defenceless punching bags!" Tsunade taunted with a smug smirk as she struck a series of martial arts poses.
Jin forced himself back up again. If there was one thing he had mastered, it was learning how to do just that. He knew that his sister was well aware he was already completely drained, and that even if he wasn't, he would be no match for her. It wasn't the first time she had pulled something like this, but Jin knew she only had his best interest in mind, she just enjoyed it a little too much. Despite them being the same age, the gap in power and experience was nearly a decade. Embarrassing as that truth was, the young Yamanaka would have to put his pride aside if he wished to progress at all. Humility is the oil that greases the gears of growth, after all.
Jin wiped the hair from his brow before warning, "Here I come." With a few quick yet careful steps he was within striking distance. He threw a flurry of forearms strikes to Tsunade's head. Holding back was not an option for two reasons. The first being that it would be an insult to her, and the second reason being that simulating a real life fight is impossible if one doesn't approach it as such. Each strike was easily blocked by Tsunade's forearms, for one strike she blocked Jin's right arm with her own right arm, just to show how much quicker she was. In a flash of silky brown hair, Tsunade ducked under a swing and hugged Jin's waist. Without a single sound of exertion, she picked the blonde haired Yamanaka up off his feet. The frightening thing was that her physical strength was actually her most dominant attribute, not speed or toughness, which both outranked Jin's by light years, anyway.
Mercilessly, she slammed him back first into the ground. Jin couldn't help but to let out a grunt of pain, grateful he could still feel the pain coursing through him instead of numbness. Tsunade placed a deceptively delicate hand on his chest to support herself as she got back up, turned, and walked a few paces away. With her back to him, she sullenly said, "Again."  

words: 749 -- 1448

Jin grunted and moaned in pain as he slowly forced himself onto his side, and then onto his belly. Tsunade looked over her shoulder and down at Jin with her unforgiving hazel eyes. "You're enemies won't wait for you to get back up. I don't care how badly you've been hurt - if you've got legs to stand on, get back up right away." Gritting his teeth Jin thought to himself, "Jeez... you can't take it easy on me for one minute? I haven't been training in the ninja arts since I was five damn it." As he managed to come up into a half assed push up position, he wondered if his twin sister was reading his mind. She hadn't revealed to him that she had the ability to do so, but maybe she was keeping it a secret on purpose to always have the edge. He trusted his sister not to be so invasive, but you never know. The only way he could truly be sure is if he learned the Yamanaka family technique himself. Jin dug a knee into the dirt, and stomped down with his other foot. Slapping a hand onto his knee that wasn't grinding into the ground, he used it's stability to help himself up - a fierce pain shooting out from his back and through each and every nerve in his body every inch of the way. Finally back up, he didn't bother slapping off the dirt from himself, first thing was first, he would turn to face his twin sister again. Right after he took his first step, he felt the breeze of Tsunade coming to an abrupt stop right behind him. He braced himself for the pain to come as she lifted her foot and thrusted its sole into her brother's back, launching him forward and literally lifting him off his feet. Jin proceed to bound across the training field a few times, kicking up small puffs of dirt each time, before rolling to a mangled stop. He lay there for a few seconds, seemingly dead, as Tsunade casually walked over to him, slowly closing the distance. "She's going to do it, she's really going to break my back..." Jin thought to himself as he drew enough energy from some unknown plane to allow himself to drudgingly get back up onto his feet. "That's it! Now I can feel the fire!" Tsunade cried enthusiastically, and Jin was actually a little intimidated at how carried away she got by the prospect of a thrilling fight. She lunged forward with a straight right punch. Jin barely made it out of the way by jerking his whole upper body to the side. As her small delicate fist passed by him, the wind caused Jin's hair and clothes to flutter. He threw a hook to her body that she intentionally let connect. Jin's bloody fist smacked his sister in the ribs with a thud. She exhaled sharply, but otherwise completely shrugged off the blow. The blonde haired Yamanaka followed up with a roundhouse to her face. This one she would not allow to connect as she brought up a hand caught his kick by snatching his ankle. Even though her hand felt so fragile, Jin had the impression he was a little kid fighting with his dad. Tsunade kicked Jin's other ankle, causing him to be swept off his last leg and fall back first into the dusty ground again. A jolt of pain coursed through like lightning radiating from his spine as his back arced and he grimaced. Never having let go of the leg she was holding, Tsunade pinned Jin's other foot using her own. She then took hold of Jin's elevated ankle with both of her hands and began twisting his leg. The extreme torsion would be felt in his ankle, knee, and hip. Jin could not help but to cry out in pain and slam the ground with his fist. Right before the point of breaking, his fraternal twin sister released her grip on his leg, letting it fall like a piece of biodegradable garbage she was done with. Shortly following, she stepped off his other foot. Jin twitched and jerked into awkward positions on the ground. Tsunade couldn't tell if it was because of the pain he was in, or if it was because he was trying to get back up. As it turned out, it was both possibilities. She leaned over, grabbed his filthy color with one hand and casually picked him up onto his powerless legs, doing so as easily as a child picking her doll up from the floor. Feeling that Jin would fall back to the ground as soon as she let go, Tsunade used her free hand to delivered a pummeling flurry of punches to his body. When she saw that he could truly no longer take it, she opened the hand that was clutching previously white shirt and let him collapse like a sack of potatoes. Placing her hands on her hips, she looked down at her brother with what appeared to be compassion. Jin just lay there spread out like a star fish, wincing. His breaths were short and shallow, anything more and he'd feel every bump, bruise, and fracture. "Sure you still want to be a ninja?" Tsunade asked him. She knew what his motivations were, and she did not approve. Apart from wanting to help provide, the true reason Jin finally decided to pick this path was so that it could lead him to their father. Tsunade felt nothing good could come of this ideal, and wanted to deter Jin by exposing him to the brutality of the real world. "If that's all you got, then out there will be a cake walk." Jin joked around, every word sounding like he was trying to hold back a cough while he spoke it. All kidding aside, the young Yamanaka had no intention of ever quitting, not until he got answers. He was weak now, and welcomed these beatings. They would make him tough mentally and physically, and even spiritually. "Idiot. Come on, let's go home." Tsunade said and carefully picked Jin up to give him a piggy back ride. "Ok, but take it slow, I think I have a few of my ribs are cracked." Jin warned his sister. "Oh god, stop complaining, it could be a lot worse, trust me." The two went back and forth as Tsunade walked them home, and the fat red sun continued to sink into the horizon, night now creeping across the sky, chasing the fading light away.  
1102//2550

They finally reached their apartment building. Standing in front of the entrance doors, Tsunade asked, "Are you good to walk on your own yet?" Jin replied, "Yeah, I'll give it a go, but we're definitely taking the elevator." Tsunade let her twin brother down. He kept his hands on her shoulders for support as he brought his feet back down to the ground for the first time in a while. Literally every movement activated a jolt of pain somewhere on his body. He may have winced every now and then, but he would not allow himself to make a noise. "Ok, I think I'm good." Jin asserted, and slowly removed his hands from Tsunade's shoulders. They entered the lobby and made their way to the elevator, where Tsunade would push the button to call it down. The two watched the red digital number over the door decrement at a steady pace as the lift descended the levels of the building. The metal doors slid open after a loud 'ding' noise rang, signalling the arrival of their transport. The Yamanaka siblings stepped into the rectangular box, and this time Jin pushed the button for the third floor, then the button to manually close the doors. With a screech, the doors slid back shut, and the metal box took off, causing that familiar feeling of being temporarily crushed. "Never understood why it screeches while closing but not when it opens..." Tsunade thought out loud. Jin simply responded with a throaty sound. He leaned against the wall for support, and Tsunade slightly turned her head to look at him. "So what's it feel like being a Genin?" she asked him with a smile. "You were a Genin once upon a time too, sis." he answered. The elevator came to a stop, the familiar electronic bell ringing, and the door opened. The twins exited and started down the hall, hearing the annoying but minor screech of the closing door as the lift then moved up its shaft to a neighbor. "You can't mean to tell me you've already forgotten what it was like." the blonde haired Yamanaka boy added as they made their way down the hall and towards their small apartment. "Of course not, becoming a Genin is a special moment in anyone's life, just like turning twenty. Not like that's stopped you from drinking, anyway." she joked, and he played along, "Or you." Tsunade chuckled before going on, "That's beside the point. Becoming an official ninja of the village only happens once, and everyone experiences it differently because everyone has their own hopes, dreams, expectations, and baggage. Some more than others when it comes to the latter." They arrived to their door, and Jin placed a scratched up, bloody, dusty hand on the metal doorknob. "It's a means to an end. I don't care about ranks, I don't care about a cute headband. I just want to become stronger, and this opens more doors that will ultimately lead to the same place." He twisted the handle and pushed the door open, feeling a sharp pain in his bruised lateral muscles in the process. He knew Auntie Mai was home, so Tsunade wouldn't want to push the topic now that Auntie could hear. His sister's expression was one of disapproval and perhaps there may have even been a splash of genuine concern and worry in there. The two walked in and right away the delicious smell of Aunt Mai's curry hit their senses like a warm welcome for someone who had been away far too long. "We're home Auntie Mai!" Tsunade announced and then closed the door behind them.

606//3156

"Oh hey guys! Dinner will be ready in half an hour so that should be plenty of time to get ready." Auntie Mai shouted back from the kitchen, speaking loud enough so she could be comprehended over the sound of rushing water and a knife chopping against a wooden cutting board. "Lady's first!" Tsunade said merrily to Jin, referring to the shower. "Whatever, just don't use up all the hot water like last time..." the blonde haired Yamanaka replied dismissively. "Yeah yeah yeah." Tsunade said as she waived her hand at him while marching to her room. Jin made his way to his own room, tossing his bag onto the floor and then taking his shirt off and also tossing it to the ground, right next to his bag (there wasn't really anywhere else to toss it given the size, or lack thereof, of his room). Sitting down onto his bed with a muted thud and sigh, Jin reached over and grasped a book that had been resting there before he broke the stillness of the mattress. It was a relatively small tome, hardcover, describing the Yamanaka history and the basics of some of the clans more well known techniques. Jin had worked his body to the bones, so he figured he might as well get the noodle in his head some exercise as well. The word noodle made his stomach growl, so he quickly flipped open the book to where he had left off in order to try distracting himself from the reality of his starvation. Putting the bookmark down onto his sheets, he snuck a quick peek at the image of kittens on it. As Jin's eyes focused on the words (and if he was lucky, pictures), he heard the shower turn on as water began hitting the floor like a machine gun. Jin had nearly finished the chapter on poisons that could be derived from certain flowers which grow naturally right here in the fire country when his fraternal twin sister Tsunade announced she was done with the bathroom and he could have at it. He jammed the bookmark into his tome, smacked it shut and placed it back onto his bed before getting up and digging for a clean pair of briefs. A few moments later he emerged from his room with a relatively clean bundle of clothes in his arms. On his way to the bathroom Jin picked up a towel and then got the shower going. Luckily the water was still warm, but in either case, it felt like hell. His body was stinging all over due to the scratches and scrapes resulting from his beating and or training. The stinging only intensified when he brought shampoo and soap into the equation, turning what he thought would be a pleasant, relaxing shower into a grueling torture session. When Jin got out and started drying himself off he could hear Tsunade bang on the door a couple of times and shout that dinner was ready. He sped up the process and exited the steamy bathroom still a little damp to rush to the kitchen - he didn't want to keep someone who made dinner for him waiting. He was also starving to death. Entering the small kitchen merged with dining room, Jin froze in place, eyes widening, when he saw the feast laid out before him on the round table. Auntie Mai had whipped up her signature beef curry and steamed rice, and it appeared she also had picked up some fresh sushi during her trip to the market. His mouth watering, the young blonde haired Yamanaka slowly took his seat, never taking his eyes off all the food. "Geez, you'd think I never feed you!" Auntie Mai exclaimed while observing Jin's expression. The young man laughed it off and replied, "It's just nice to see a feast like this after a long," he shot a glance at his sister, "hard, day of training." Auntie Mai smiled and clapped her hands together, "Well, we are celebrating your graduation to genin tonight, so I pulled all the stops. Dig in guys!" Jin picked up his chop sticks so quick it was actually quite impressing, and began scoffing food down like he was in a professional eating competition and his title was on the line. Auntie Mai and Tsunade shook their heads, smiling warmly at each other. "Hey, you guys want a beer?" Auntie Mai asked as she cracked one of her own open. "You know we're still not old enough." Tsunade replied with an interested eyebrow raised. "One year away. Come on, I won't tell." their caretaker responded before taking a swig. "Hell, why not, we're celebrating right?" Jin said with a mouth full of food. Neither of the other two understood what he said, but they got the message. "That's the spirit!" Auntie Mai said as she rose from the table and slapped Jin on the shoulder. She walked over to the fridge and extracted two cold ones. She tossed one at Tsunade with a wink, and put the other one down by Jin's nearly spotless plate. The fraternal twins cracked their beers, and the three rose the fresh brews in unison. "To Jin, Konoha's newest leaf!" Auntie Mai toasted. "And to a long, fruitful career." Tsunade added. "Thanks guys..." Jin said with a smile, feeling truly at home. The three knocked their heads back as they gulped down some beer, judging by their lack of difficulty in doing so it was clear that none of them were new to it. When dinner was over, and there was nothing left to eat, thanks to Jin, Auntie Mai and Tsunade cleaned up, telling Jin they were going to let him off the hook this one time, even though he was usually the first to willingly clean everything up after dinner. "You two wait here, I'll go get it." Auntie Mai said before exiting the kitchen, leaving Jin with a confused and intrigued expression on his face. When he noticed his sister didn't have the same, he inquired, "What's she talking about? She didn't get me a gift did she?" Tsunade smirked and shook her head as she took her seat again. "You didn't think Mom would leave something behind just for me, did you?" his fraternal twin sister said, using her thumb to point to the thin chain necklace she was wearing. On cue, Auntie Mai re-entered the kitchen. Jin and Tsunade turned to look at her walking in carrying a sheathed katana as if it was a delicate crystal sculpture. The way it looked, it could have very possibly been as fragile as one. The sheath was covered in cracks and wrapped in old white bandages, seemingly holding it together. Jin wondered if the blade looked the same. Maybe it was just an ornamental piece and not meant to actually be used. "This was your mother's sword. Before she passed, she made me swear to give it to you when you became a genin, because that's when she had received it from her father, who had received it from his when he graduated to genin - you get the point." she extended her arms, inviting Jin to accept the heirloom weapon. Jin rose to his feet and stood before it. He hadn't noticed it before, but there was definitely a weight to this weapon, and not just a physical one. Its aura was filling the room. There was definitely more to it than meets the eye. Jin reached out and grasped it just below the guard, on the sheath side. He instantly felt a warmth to it, as if he was shaking someone's hand. As he pulled it away, Auntie Mai brought her hands together and watched with a smile, like a nurse giving a baby to their parent for the first time. Tsunade watched from the table, also with a smile on her face, but hers was one of anticipation and excitement. Perhaps she knew something Jin didn't? "So, guess this is for real now." Jin said, holding up the sheathed antiquity, acknowledging the start of his life as a shinobi.


1357//4513


Thread Complete
4000 words to acquire [url=http://naruto-role-play-rpg.forumotion.com/t28224-ryujin]Ryujin[/url]
+10 Chakra
+2 Stamina
+8 Speed
513 words applied to learning Vacuum Blade
Spending 500 ryo for that starter pack thing, can't seem to find the page for it though...

Don't know why the link is appearing broken like that..