Young Pup [P,IO]

For a village hidden in leaves mist really fit Konohagakure well. The cool mist hung in the morning air veiling the training grounds in a low lying white fog. Sounds were muted and the world seemed to slow to a stop in the grasp of the mist as it contorted itself through the air. It was rare days such these during which Konohagkure was truly peaceful. Certainly the village was not at war, but it could get chaotic with the everyday hustle and bustle. It was days like these Ashi lived for; the small breaks in her work, this made it all worth it-the fruits of her labor as an anbu. A peaceful village.

So, it was with a contented smile that Ashi the teacher, not the killer, made her way to the training guards with short sandaled steps. Wearing a pair of black leggings and a short sleeved black top accented by a crimson sash around her waist one might think Ashi delicate were it not for her wild mess of hair that spiked every which way and her wild eyes. Oh, and of course the large brown mutt at her side, one mustn't forget the companion she loves above all else: Chairomaru.

The pair were quite the common sight for these parts. Ashi was, after all, a teacher at the academy or so the official records said were anyone to look at them. Her other life, her life as operative wolf, lay hidden from the world.  Today she was but  a jounin of the village taking a morning stroll, nothing more nothing less. In fact she did not even expect to see anyone out this early.

This was her alone time. Time in which she could turn over thoughts and ideas she otherwise had to suppress in service to the Hokage. However, most of all, it was times such as these in which she tried to stop thinking about her duties that lay but a signal away. She could be herself.

Stopping the anbu cast a lazy gaze across the vast expanse of the mist shrouded training fields. Absent mindedly petting Chairomaru who sat to her right, Ashi's thoughts flowed. Times were changing again. Konogakure had a new kage and she had a new master Kurisu. No, she had not met him. She did not need to, he was her kage and his word was law. Such was life. Yet still she wondered where would the new Hokage lead Konoha? Would he fall flat like Jason? Time would tell. For now all the woman had was the empty training fields in front of her. All she had was her home.

Kyo was in his house in the Uchiha district of Konoha as he looked for two scrolls that he had been studying in order to learn Bidy Flicker and Genjutsu release. He was sure he had it sitting on his nightstand, maybe he had misplaced it when he cleaned up his room the night before. Checking under his bed he pulled his boots from up under it putting them on his feet when he felt something unusual in his left boot. Taking it off he saw two balled up scrolls in the boot." How the hell did those get in there balled up " thought Kyo as he grabbed the scrolls out of the boot and uncrumbled them as he brought them to his face to be sure that they were the correct scrolls, after making sure he would stuff them into the pocket of his black leather pants the type he always wore through the winter of the leaf as it always seemed to get really cold around this time of the year. Putting his left boot back on he would jump out of his window and into the trees by his room heading to the training grounds to begin training. It did not take long for him to get to the grounds as he had learned a short cut to get to the grounds.

As he got to the grounds he would see a woman and a large dog walking within the grounds meaning that she could only be one of the very many Inuzuka within the village. He knew how those of the Inuzuka clan liked their privacy so he would lay on the tree branch of the tree he was perched in as he began to close his eyes trying to get a little rest before the training began.

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Very little escaped the notice of the dynamic duo of Ashi and Chairomaru. Living and growing together dog and woman had become one. Their trust ran both ways; they looked out for each other. Weakness in one was covered by strength in another their relationship ran thicker than blood and beyond. Mission after mission the two protected each other with the ferocity only found in the closest of siblings. Their trust was unshakeable. So, when Chairomaru roused the young woman from her musings with a low almost unperceivable growl.

Yes, yes, even anbu get complacent.

Cursing inwardly at her misstep she could only imagine the scolding she would have gotten from her captain. Giving Chai a small pat on the head, Ashi reached out with her chakra senses. The world around her felt as empty as it looked, a small familiar blip of Chai at her side. Wait...wait! There it was: a chakra signature in a nearby tree. Foreign to her? Yes. Strong enough to be a threat? Probably not. Pursing her lips she had hoped to lose herself further. Alas, she never seemed to get what she wanted, how troublesome.

"Come on down," Ashi called out playfully. "What brings you here so early in the morning, little one?"

At the sound of his partner's voice Chai's ears perked up and he waited for a response. Soon the duo would find out just how off using the name 'little one' was.

I really hope this isn't some vagrant drunk...

As Kyo lay on the the tree branch he would begin to see a part of Konoha that he never seen in the winter time he had only just realized the sky was really clear and most of the snow that was on the ground had turned into puddles of water. The cool breeze blowing in from the south also brought the smells of trees." Come on down, what brings you here early in the morning little one " said a voice from below. Turning his head slightlt and looking down at the direction from which the voice came he would see the woman he had seen walk into the training grounds and her dog looking up at him. It was pretty wierd being called little one as he was always called the oldest. Kyo slid off of the tree landing on his feet and said "Well hello how goes you today ". Looking at the dog he was attempted to go pat it but shows not to instead saying " Hey there buddy ".

Phew, no drunks today!

As the boy descended from his tree, Ashi's stance softened a bit. It was clear she wasn't being stalked by some assassin in the mist. Or, well, were he an assassin he was especially tactless. Then again, maybe it was the other way around? Yes, the woman got inside her own head a bit too often. However, such was the nature of the life she led.

Ah, he is rather tall, great.

Standing more than five inches taller than the diminutive Ashi, the tree-boy made his way towards the woman and her dog. That being said she had seen taller men and even taller women. Hell, she had killed taller than him. All the same, the boy, as he clearly was a boy considering his youthful face, seemed fairly harmless.

We're in the village, why am I so on edge?

"It's as good as any I suppose," Ashi responded quickly re-pursing her lips. She really did not want to bothered right now.

However, the boy's next move was enough to conjure a genuinely smile from Ashi. Well, maybe it was more-so Chai's response than the boy's actions. One thing you must know about Chai is that he hates being touched by strangers. So, when the boy tried to reach down, Chai's ears went flat to his head and just a sliver of his canines showed. Luckily for the the boy he elected to draw his hand back.

"Smart choice," Ashi stated matter-of-factly and Chai relaxed accordingly. "He probably would have taken your hand off."

Pausing for a second Ashi tilted her head ever so slightly before speaking up again.

"Though, the question still remains, what are you doing out here so early? Surely you aren't spying on a woman and her dog as they enjoy the morning air, are you?"

Shaking her head as if scolding a small child she waited for an answer. She really hoped her jab was only that a jab, she had her fair share of creeps.

As Kyo stood in front of the women he would see that he was quite taller than her, maybe more than four or five inches if his corrections were correct. He saw that the dog had put it ears down and bared it's fangs as if it would attack Kyo if it would have petted it, he knew how Inuzuka dogs were that was why he had retracted his hand. Though replying to his question the woman would say "It's as good as any I suppose," it had seemed she answered quite truthfully. In this world almost everyday was the same, train, train, and more training until the day a village challenged another one to a war which most people hope wouldn't happen for a very long time. He would study the woman looking at her red markings on her face and her fair white skin as if it was kissed by the sun. She war cloths as if she were a barbarian but he knew she was not because why would a barbarian be a ninja of the city. Well he thought she was the ninja of the leaf as she wore a Konoha headband.

After studying the woman and her clothing his eyes would focus on her dog for a brief time see that it's brown fur was rather beautiful. As well as it's left ear which was a darker brown color.n"Smart choice, He probably would have taken your hand off." said the woman taking him out of his thoughts Kyo realizing that she may be talking about the actions he had taken earlier when reaching for the dog. He would see that she had tilted her head slight before again speaking saying "Though, the question still remains, what are you doing out here so early? Surely you aren't spying on a woman and her dog as they enjoy the morning air, are you?" after then woman asked her many questions Kyo would laugh and saying " I just like to train early as not many people are here in this time of the day and no I am not spying on you if that was what you were thinking " said Kyo as he still continued to laugh.

He had saw that she had began to scold him." So you would not happen to have learned Genjutsu Release or Body Flicker, I have been intending to learn it though the scrolls I have on it do not tell that many details " said Kyo.

"Well little one, you are in luck," Ashi said with toothy grin not unlike Chairomaru's not a few moments ago. "I happen to teach at the academy here."

Pausing for a second she brought her index finger to her mouth as if shushing someone. Though it was clear she was thinking as she looked up at the boy. Then, all at once, she removed her finger from in front of her mouth a gave a triumphant snap of her fingers as if coming to conclusion.

"You can call me Inuzuka-Sensei, pleasant to meet you." She said with a very slight bow befitting a master to a student. "Those two jutsu are not too hard to get a handle on. Though they do need a bit of practical experience. Especially the genjutsu release. In fact, let's try it right now, the genjutsu release is, after all, the easier of the two."

Genjutsu was perhaps Ashi's weakest point as a shinobi. The physical world was more her arena; Taijutsu, swords, daggers anything was better than genjutsu. Why break someone's mind when you could break their bones? That being said the anbu operative was not entirely inept; she understood the basics. Luckily that was all she would need to teach.

Allowing chakra to flow through he body and out a slight chill went over her. Chai whimpered a bit, yet still she forged onwards. The world around the two figures warped and bent to Ashi's will. She was never much of an artist, but this would do. The world around them was gone, replaced with a world of swirling fog. No more were there trees, dirt or even building in the distance. This world was alien and result of the false surroundings technique.

"Now we are, all three of us, within a genjutsu," Ashi said. "The hardest part of using the genjutsu release is knowing when to use it. You must first realize you under a genjutsu, which is often harder than it sounds."

Ashi knew from experience a few years back she had a run in with a particularly nasty genjutsu user. He was, of course, a criminal and Ashi, of course, killed him. But the things she saw while facing him were unimaginable.

"What I want you to do now is break us from this genjutsu. First make the tiger hand seal." Ashi demonstrated making a quick hand seal and holding it front of her. "This will serve as a way to channel your chakra. Now, focus and bring up as much chakra as you can through your hands. Once you feel you are ready let all that chakra go. The idea is to simply rejog your chakra system, which has no doubt been scrambled by this genjutsu."

Nodding once she waited for the boy to do as he was told. No longer was she mad at the boy for interrupting. Now all she wanted to see was his success. Such was the joy of teaching that now danced behind her eyes. Truthfully she would have probably made a better full-time teacher as opposed to anbu. But, such was life; unfair.

As Kyo would take his eyes away from the women slightly he would look up at the sky slightly to see that the clouds of snow were being brought down from the north to once again bring the winter wonderland to Konohagakure. Taking him out of his thoughts the woman would say "Well little one, you are in luck, I happen to teach at the academy here." he saw that she had a tooty grin or more like glare like her dog had on his face just a few minutes ago. Thinking that it was cool she was a sensei at the academy he would say "That is amazing." as he actually wanted to learn the two jutsu. But while he was speaking she had brought her index finger of her hand to her mouth as if she was silencing him. Kyo would wonder what he had done as he would continue to look at the woman. Then she would snap her fingers and say "You can call me Inuzuka-Sensei, pleasant to meet you." She said with a very slight bow befitting a master to a student. "Those two jutsu are not too hard to get a handle on. Though they do need a bit of practical experience. Especially the genjutsu release. In fact, let's try it right now, the genjutsu release is, after all, the easier of the two." said the woman he would now begin to call Inuzuka Sensei.

Kyo would nod and almost instantly after he had nodded he appeared to be in an completely different world, everything around him was so foggy.

"Now we are, all three of us, within a genjutsu," Ashi said. "The hardest part of using the genjutsu release is knowing when to use it. You must first realize you under a genjutsu, which is often harder than it sounds." said Sensei. Kyo would nod as she said  "What I want you to do now is break us from this genjutsu. First make the tiger hand seal." Ashi demonstrated making a quick hand seal and holding it front of her. "This will serve as a way to channel your chakra. Now, focus and bring up as much chakra as you can through your hands. Once you feel you are ready let all that chakra go. The idea is to simply rejog your chakra system, which has no doubt been scrambled by this genjutsu."

Kyori nod thinking that the Genjutsu Release would become easy to him as he would point his head to the floor and closed his eyes allowing his Sharingan to blaze under his eyelids as he would make the Tiger handseal while his eyes were closed and began to open his eyes looking for some type of chakrs to disrupt, with his Sharingan he saw the chakra and turned his doujutsu off as he thrusted chakra into the seal disturbing the chakra used to create the Doujutsu showing him the original world he had been in. He looked around making sure it was not another doujutsu and had come to see that it was not. Lifting his head back up he would look into Sensei's eyes and say "Done."

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"Not too bad, I've seen worse," Ashi said with an unenthusiastic shrug. She was nothing if not honest. Sugarcoating never helped a soul. She had seen academy students go through school never being told they were wrong. It never ended up well-they often stalled out after achieving the rank of chuunin. Being told you aren't the best is an important step to actually becoming the best. Simple. As. That.

"The body flicker, as I hope you know, is a shinobi's bread and butter. In a sticky situation? Body flicker away. Need to get in close for an attack? Body flicker. Forgot your homework? Body flicker. I'm sure you get the picture."

Bringing her hands together in the ram seal Ashi took a slight breath. This form of shunshin was so inefficient. She much preferred the simplicity of it's taijutsu derivative. No need to gather chakra and all that jazz.

Stay on track...

"Conceptually the body flicker is quite similar to the genjutsu release. Like most things in life it is a matter of application. First make the ram hand seal. Next allow chakra to flow into your extremities at an increased rate. Feel it building like a spring being pushed back. Then you simply..."

Ashi was gone in a blur. Chairomaru was used to it by now so he didn't flinch a single bit. But, the boy Ashi was teaching just might considering the use of body flicker allowed the anbu to end up about two meters behind him. Clearing her throat she would continue as if nothing had happened.

"...release said spring and go. It is much like running only you are running fast than you ever have in your life. Now, you try."

Folding her arms across her chest Ashi tapped her toe ever so slightly. One might even think she was getting impatient. Of course one wouldn't know Ashi then. Twas merely a nervous habit she often did, as you might expect, out of habit.

As Kyo waited for a remark his "new" sensei would say "Not too bad, I've seen worse," of course he knew she was not lying. Being an Uchiha most genjutsu came easy to him because of his eyes. Even though he did not love the way the Sharingan was unlocked he knew that it was a good skill to have in a battle, exspecially a hard battle that you probably can not win. He knew having access to the Sharingan could turn the tide of any battle.


"The body flicker, as I hope you know, is a shinobi's bread and butter. In a sticky situation? Body flicker away. Need to get in close for an attack? Body flicker. Forgot your homework? Body flicker. I'm sure you get the picture." said sensei Inuzuka as Kyo would nod saying "I get the picture." he would look at the dog who was still in his same stance as if it was an statue. He saw that his new sensei had brought her hands together to perform one of the many hand seals the ram seal. "Conceptually the body flicker is quite similar to the genjutsu release. Like most things in life it is a matter of application. First make the ram hand seal. Next allow chakra to flow into your extremities at an increased rate. Feel it building like a spring being pushed back. Then you simply..."  said the woman as she would pause and disapeer from in front of Kyo her dog did not even flinch which was kind of creepy, he heard a cough behind him making him turn around seeing the body of the woman who's clan's name he only knew.  "...release said spring and go. It is much like running only you are running fast than you ever have in your life. Now, you try." said the woman as Kyo would nod and stay in the same place he was as he put his left foot forward slightly.

He saw that she had folded her arms across her chest as if she was inpatient, deciding to speed things up a bit Kyo would aim his body to the tree as he performed the ram handseal thrusting chakra to his hands and feet as he shot forward at an incredible speed with everything around him being a blur. First he was performing the jutsu next he was lying in front of a tree with a growing hickey on his head as he got up and began to rub it saying "Well I think I have that jutsu down packed' walking a few feet away from the tree as if it was going to attack him at any moment he would come up to 5 meters behind Inuzuka Sensei and would say " If you do not mind we can spar before you have to go, I feel like I am getting quite lazy ".

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