Mastering Leaf Whirlwind [private, complete]

Taiyo stares intently at the picture of Rock Lee taped to his wall a few a meter or so from the door. He stands a good distance away, his hand on the door handle.

"A taijutsu master..." Taiyo thinks as he pictures himself attacks as powerful as Rock Lee's. His signature techniques come to Taiyo's mind. "Though we are different in that you could not use ninjutsu or genjutsu while I can, I will do my best to match your taijutsu ability."

Taiyo opens the door, feeling the autumn breeze rush past him and into his home. The trees are too far away for leaves to enter, though.

The scenery as Taiyo shuts the door behind him is beautiful. The tree's leaves are splattered with reds, oranges, and yellows. Some even look like radiant fire. The winds make this illusion even more believable as the leaves dance on their branches and some rise up into the air with the wind like the way small embers do.

"It's autumn. But it isn't all that cold. And everything looks quite nice." Taiyo whispers. "I can't just let this fine evening go to waste, can I? An evening perfect for training."

(198/198)
(198/1,250 towards Leaf Whirlwind)

Taiyo continues down the open field covered like a blanket with fallen leaves. A few dance in circles as the wind moves them. The sky is beginning to match the trees as the sunset's colors show in the thin clouds.

He stops before a tree at the edge of the clearing. "One of Lee's signature techniques was the Leaf Whirlwind. There are variants, of course. Like the Leaf Great Whirlwind, the Leaf Coiling Whirlwind, the Leaf Strong Whirlwind. But the original move, that's the starting point." Taiyo places his hand on the rough surface of the tree's trunk. "So, I'm going to start there."

Remembering his most recent walk though the village's training grounds, Taiyo reimagines seeing one shinobi perform the Leaf Whirlwind after yelling the name of the technique. "First, a high kick." Taiyo tells himself as the entire execution of the move replays in his head. "But that doesn't really hit. It's a feint for the low kick. The attack is nothing but kicks. So, if I'm going to have an effective Leaf Whirlwind, I need to understand how to perform a good kick."

With that, Taiyo takes one step back from the tree. He turns his body slightly to the left, letting his right leg drift back. In one large motion, his leg swings into the trunk of the tree. The wooden sound echoes as Taiyo repeats the process multiple times.

(234/432)
(432/1,250 towards Leaf Whirlwind)

---------- 200 powerful kicks later ----------

"If I remember correctly," Taiyo begins, holding his right leg against the tree. "Rock Lee often used this technique as an opening attack to catch his opponents off guard. That should increase the effect of the initial feint attack. A true taijutsu genius..."

Taiyo removes his leg, standing on his two feet, and analyzes the tree. The area which he repeatedly kicked has been worn down by the relentless kicks. His lower shin is sore but there are no cuts because of the partial protection of his socks which reach to the middle of his lower leg.

Darkness covers the forest. "It's late." Taiyo tells himself as he turns around towards his home in the distance. He begins his walk home. "Maybe I should try wearing ankle weights tomorrow. That should accelerate my training. Also, I have to work on jumping into the kick. I won't be standing right in front of my enemy when I perform the Leaf Whirlwind. All things I will have to work out..."

(168/600)
(600/1,250 towards Leaf Whirlwind)

The sun rises and it's light shines through the maple trees surrounding the open field before Taiyo's home. They make long shadows over the grass. Birds soar through the brisk air. Others perch in nests within the fire-colored tree's. Leaves float above the ground and dance with the wind currents.

The light flares through the window of Taiyo's kitchen illuminating the room and reflecting off his eyes. He sits, slowly eating his breakfast, a bowl of steamed white rice. Most breakfasts usually include miso soup as well but Taiyo takes no liking to that dish. Steamed rice, though, he enjoys.

"Now that I think about it," Taiyo whispers, "I like many steamed foods, don't I? There's steamed rice, steamed dumplings, steamed buns, steamed sushi. I like ramen and that can be steamed too."

Taiyo continues eating his breakfast rice, finishing the bowl in a few minutes. He looks out the window at the rising sun and the orange-red tree leaves. Through the forest, the tree he trained with by kicking can be seen.

"I think I'll try a different tree today. And I will put on a shin guard so that I don't injure myself." Taiyo thinks, getting up from his seat and placing his empty bowl down into the sink. "I think I remember seeing some ankle weights in that chest in the living room. And an axe."

(229/829)
(829/1,250 towards Leaf Whirlwind)

Taiyo stands before a new maple tree. The the sun's rays scatter on the ground, some of it blocked by leaves. The birds still chirp. The wind still blows.

"This one seems good for a training post. It's tall enough, pretty thick."He tells himself, swinging his axe off his shoulder and into the lower trunk of the tree. The axe cuts deep. The vibrations of continuous swings shakes his shin guard. Under the shin guard is he wears a 35 pound ankle weight.

Taiyo need only make a few chops into the trunk before the tree slowly topples over and lands on the ground. The leaves ruffle and the wind blows away some of the weaker ones. Off they fly into the wind.

He makes his way to the downed tree and lifts his axe. When he swings, Taiyo aims for the area just below the lowest branch. That way, he can stick it into the ground without any protrusions. He swings many times, without the aid of gravity to do the rest of the work in detaching the tree, before the post he wants is singular. Then, with the log before him, he chops into one end of it at a 45 degree angle towards the bottom so that doing this all around the trunk would make a pointed end. And Taiyo does just so, creating the point which will be struck into the ground so as to make it easier to impale the post into the ground and hold it in place.

It takes some time for him to drag the solid log of wood over his shoulder out to the field in front of his home. The entire way, he lifts with his legs to build their strength. When he reaches the center of the field, Taiyo drops the log with the point down onto the grass. There, it penetrates. Taiyo, being 6' 1'', reaches to the top of the post and pushes down on it until the light insides of the tree, that is the point, is covered by the ground, invisible.

"There it is..." Taiyo thinks, looking up and down the wooden trunk. He knows there's no time to celebrate. Not when he can train.

Taiyo takes three steps back, not dragging his kicking leg back because he has learned from yesterday how to perform a powerful kick without needing to sling back. The distance he creates is for a running start when jumping. After all, he will be using this when starting a fight.

He leans in and dashes towards the post. When he gets close enough, he jumps into the air and kicks with his right leg into the post. Inertia causes him to continue past the post and, when he hits the ground, he skids forward by a large enough distance to get a new running start for performing a second jump kick. He continues this action, stopping every so often to catch his breath.

---------- :Gai: 2,000 kicks later :Gai: ----------

Evening has come.

Taiyo is breathing heavily, sweat dripping down his cheeks.

"I think that's enough..." He begins, walking back to his home... "LEAF WHIRLWIND!!" Taiyo charges back at the post, swinging his leg with what force he as left, barely feeling ankle weight anymore. The wood cracks. Chips of both the wooden post and Taiyo's shin guard fly outward.

He nods his head, making his way back to his home for a well deserved meal. "That's it."

(576/1,406)
(1,250/1,250 towards Leaf Whirlwind)

[Exit]
[Claims: 7 stats, Leaf Whirlwind]

Thanks, edited.

I added my ankle weight and the parts that should be there due to my having an ankle weight on.