Brother......Brother (Muu)

The punch to his stomach had, unfortunately, come off as a surprise. He could feel the wind getting knocked out of his system, leaving him in a small coughing fit as he reflexively took a few steps back. The blond wasted no time in wrapping his arms around his abdomen, wishing to protect it from any further harm. Ichiro's follow-up insult passed over Jiro's head as he instead focused on the lingering pain from the "attack." It wasn't unbearable, no, but it certainly hurt like hell. If anything, he would have preferred a simply punch to the face. In fact, wasn't he expecting that from the beginning? After taking a few moments to catch his breath, he glared in response to his older's brother head shake. He hated when people did that... as if he was a mere nuisance...

Fortunately, his brother's mix of a serious and lighthearted tone managed to ease Jiro's mood, and his glare simmered back down to a sharpened gaze. Focused. Attentive. He was prepared to listen and learn for once.

The blond quirked an eyebrow at the created clone, confused as to why a single seal was made rather than the usual three... along with the shadow by the clone's feet. Clearly, it was a solid replica. While it was expected, considering the idea of clones was painfully useful, since when had Ichiro gained the technique? He wished to know more about it, if not for use in battle then simply for future reference. Knowledge is a dangerous and powerful thing; it is nothing but fact. However, there not many who happen to actually see this. Almost automatically, Jiro nodded his head at Ichiro's mention of teaching him the technique; how satisfying. Rather than focus on the clone – which is what he desperately wanted to do – the academy student payed close attention to his sibling's words, and watched the performance of the jutsu. What it does and how it can be used... the former was easy to explain, but the latter question...

"Okay..." he said, hesitating as he replayed the jutsu within his mind. After the small pause, his hands flew through the necessary hand seals. It was easy, considering how many times he'd been forced to memorize them. The real issue... was his chakra. Jiro put every ounce of focus into conducting the jutsu, pulling out as little chakra as possible, but not yet reaching too small of an amount. A small "pop" reached his ears, and before Jiro knew it, a clone of himself was standing to his left.

"Like that, right?" he questioned, staring at his creation in slight awe. Did he really just do that? Wow. "So, uh... how are we supposed to use this? For traps? And, well, if that's the case... can the clone go far away from the user for more efficient traps than, say, ones meant for close range?"

My god, it was as if a waterfall of words kept rushing out his mouth.

Jiro put all his effort into suppressing the pink that threatened to tinge his cheeks, and it was all because of the applause he was given. Truth be told, it was only their parents who truly bothered to praise him with every second they received. Everyone else around the blond had seen him as another face in the crowd, and not only was it a breath of fresh air (but not exactly in an positive sense) compared to his home life... somehow, it managed to humble him, although only slightly. So receiving acknowledgement from someone he actually held a large amount of respect for was just... well, it was nice. He certainly felt a bit proud of himself. His thoughts were cut short however, once his brother began to offer him a free hit.

Barely a second after the "suggestion" – or request as Jiro liked to see it – he aimed a punch for Ichiro's stomach with all the strength and speed he possessed... only to retract his fist seconds after the attack and wince in pain. Well, based upon the lingering sting on his hand, it would be safe to assume that his sibling would not be affected by the punch unfortunately. Sadly, he could not focus on Chi's strange durability. There were still jutsu he was required to learn. Lightly blowing and occasionally rubbing his pained knuckles, the boy tried to focus the majority of his attention on the answers to his questions, gladly drinking in the knowledge. He'd surely put it to good use, whether that be during the genin exams or out in the field, the latter for if he was to ever make it in the first place.

While the boy had begun to ponder just how useful shadow clones seemed to be, already plotting out different methods in which to use them during battle instances (well as much plotting as an academy student could do/handle), a hand suddenly fell onto his messy blond hair. He blinked in surprise, gazing up at his sibling with apricot colored orbs, a pair which shone with confusion. But then Ichiro had ruffled it, and commended his efforts on the clone jutsu... Jiro could do nothing to stop the smile which appeared on his pink lips. Nothing came out of his mouth, but everything was put on display using his facial expression.

He was quick to straighten himself though and continue listening once more, finding a sudden push in motivation after his brother's compliment. Apparently, transformation was the next technique he was to learn. Like he did throughout their meeting, Jiro took in the information being fed to his brain and carefully examined the form his sibling had taken on. It looked like an exact replica of their kage. Already knowing the needed handseals, but not was well as the jutsu prior to this one, the blond went through them to the best of his ability all while picturing someone in his mind. Who to transform into... who to transform into... Suddenly, a light bulb flickered within his head, and the youth was enveloped in smoke. Once it cleared, in Jiro's original position was Ichiro. The blond figured, why not give Ichiro a mirror?

Counting down from ten, he dispelled the transformation once he reached the number one.

"How was that?"