Sento's First Day as a Gennin [IO]

Sento held his headband up to eye level to look at its shiny metallic surface. It was so clean and new, completely absent of any wear and tear, Just like him. He still couldn’t believe that his days at the academy where behind him. The senju boy was now a shinobi of the hidden leaf. “God what would dad think” He’d say to himself feeling guilty. He knew his father never wanted him to become a ninja, and it felt strange to be going against his wishes now that he was gone. But Sento had his own path to forge, he couldn’t follow his father's wishes and live a happy life at the same time.

As he walked out of the academy he would flip the headband so that the metal was now facing outwards and press the fabric of the band against his forehead, before tying it into place. The headband was basically his badge, and he intended to wear it as such. “I’m sorry dad” He’d mutter as he made his way to the training grounds.

During his time at the academy the class had gone over clans briefly and sento had been surprised to find that the senju had something called a kekkei genkai. Something called wood release. He didn’t fully understand it yet but he knew that it was powerful, and that to get it he would first have to learn how to wield water chakra nature. Something he was currently on his way to figure out.

But as he stood at the barren training ground he realized he had not the slightest clue on how to start, he knew he had learned the earth element pretty easily but that had just come naturally to him. To learn water, that was a whole nother world for him. “I’m gonna need some help” He’d say aloud to himself expecting nobody to hear him.

WC: 316

Basic training, assassinations and war, Ashi'd seen it all as the headband that so often hung loosely around her neck could attest to. It lacked the immaculate sheen of a freshly buffed metal and instead had a dull worn look to it. Moreover, scratches littered its face with a particularly large one coming courtesy of a now dead Kumogakure Jounin. Yet, despite all its defects, one could still clearly see the proud emblem of Konohagakure chiseled into the worn metal.

Today Ashi's headband could be found in the usual place, but the woman herself could not be. Instead of stalking the borders of the Leaf village with Chai and instead of relaxing at the anbu barracks, she stood before a group of chuunin and jounin. These men and women were the teachers of Konoha and Ashi'd been brought in for an instructional rundown of the village evacuation routes. Thankfully, she was just about done—somehow Chairomaru had gotten out of attending, lucky dog.

"Thank you for your time. We will expect your personal reports and route timings by the end of the week."

A soft murmur swept over the small crowd and people began to file out. Unfortunately, Ashi could not duck out right away, it would be rude. She had to wait for each and every person to leave before she could leave herself, but rest assured she was right behind the crowd. Teaching other adults was irksome, they were all too set in their ways and ego always came into play, always. And whoever decided to have the meeting at the academy made a poor choice; watching adults try to fit into the small chairs had been embarrassing to behold.

Could've been worse...

Stepping out of the academy out the back door, Ashi found herself looking out at the training grounds. For the most part they seemed deserted, which was expected considering so many had gone to Sunagakure for the exams. That said, it felt bit strange.

Perhaps a shinobi not used to noticing the details would not have heard it, but the Inuzuka's heard a distant voice and could just make out the word 'help'. It didn't sound urgent, but it was worth checking out. With short easy strides, the woman turned the corner only to find a strange boy with white hair standing a few inches taller than Ashi herself, nothing new.

"Hello there," She revealed her distinctive canine teeth in a kind smile. "What brings you here today?"

If there was one thing Ashi excelled at it was helping others be it with a blade or instructions.

Still standing in the barren training field Sento would turn to face a woman. She seemed to be a shinobi but Sento had no way of telling what rank. She did however seem interested in what he was doing based on her question. “Uh hi, my name is Sento” He’d say as he stretched his hand out to offer a handshake. If the woman accepted it he’d tell her that he was a fresh out of the academy gennin, which would probably seem strange for someone his age, and of his height. But then again he had a good excuse for his late start in learning ninjutsu. If she didn’t accept his handshake he’d awkwardly put his hand back down and tell her the same thing.

As he finished telling her his name and rank he would look kind of puzzled at the silence before he realized that it was due to the fact that he had not answered her question. “OH” He’d say quickly before giving her an answer. He scratched the back of his head with his left hand while he talked. “Well, I’m trying to learn how to use water nature chakra techniques, but um… I’m kind of lost. I’ve only ever used earth and that just kind of came naturally to me. This is completely different and I don't really know where to start.” He’d smile as he finished his sentence.

WC: 551

"Nice to meet you Sento," She took his hand giving it a firm shake. "Name's Ashi."

The boy then went on to explain that he had recently graduated from the academy, a genin. Quite frankly, the boy's size did not bother the woman in the slightest. In her line of work, she'd seen many things and taken down people much larger. Sizing people up had become a bad habit for the seasoned anbu operative; she saw daggers in the shadows and ill intent behind smiles. In battle such instincts kept her and Chai alive, but in civilian life, it made for undue paranoia. Such was the price one paid to be in her position, a killer instinct can't be turned off.

Water, eh?

"That's totally normal," Ashi reassured the boy. "The second element is always the hardest."

A brief pause as Ashi glanced up at the sky gauging just how much daylight they had left, enough was the answer.

"If you'd like I could help you out," She shrugged. "I am fairly proficient with water chakra and not the worst teacher in the world. What do ya say?"

Ashi left out that she had nothing better to do. If she went back to the barracks she'd probably end up playing cards or drinking away the day with operative parrot. Why not do something mildly productive? Plus, she could do all that stuff later.

“Ashi’s a cool name” He’d say after the woman gave the handshake, it was an unnecessary comment on his part, but it served two purposes for him. One it was polite, and two he tended to forget names if he didn’t immediately repeat them outloud. He didn’t know why but it just happened and this was how he dealt with it. As the hands left he couldn’t help but notice she had a strong grip, He supposed it made sense, since she was supposedly a shinobi. And shinobi had to be strong to do their jobs.

She seemed like a nice person too, instantly reassuring him that most people had trouble with their second element, Sento began to piece together that most people probably just stuck to the first element they could comprehend. Which made the others harder by default. Well… At least its normal. He thought as he continued to listen to her.

The next words however made the senju gennin significantly more happy than the previous one, the woman had offered to train him in the very element he had been having trouble with. Supposedly she had it too. Logic dictated that it would be significantly easier to learn from someone who already knew it than to try and teach it to himself.

Happy with the resources he had been handed he let a smile before he responded “Yeah that would be great thanks!”

WC: 787

A cool name? She'd never thought so, but the sentiment was nice. Throughout her career, she'd taken on many names with Operative Wolf being the most prolific and, in her experience, a name didn't much matter. She could change names three times a day and she'd still be her. A name is an arbitrary label, nothing more. That said, the Inuzuka could not help the pride that swelled in her breast at the compliment, she rarely got them.

"Alright," She clapped her hands together. "Follow me."

Ashi was very much a physical person and this extended to her teaching methods. Theory was nice and all, but it wasn't worth much in the long run. She'd long outpaced people supposedly smarter than her by just doing what they thought about doing. In this case, she wouldn't bother explaining the finer points of water chakra. Instead, the pair of shinobi would take a closer look at water itself.

A few strides brought Ashi, hopefully with Sento in tow, to a small creek which ran on the far side of the training grounds. This creek, in particular, ran down deep into Konoha's forest ultimately ending in a deep pool perfect for bathing after a long day, but that was for a different time. For now, the creek would serve as a teaching aide.

"Tell me what you see here," The woman bent down and ran her hand through the water before standing up again. "And please don't say 'water', tell me what you know about water."

She then fell silent and for a moment the only sounds came from the bubbling creek. To harness an element one had to understand how existed in the natural world. This would be the first step in learning to mold water chakra.

Sento was not one to refuse orders and when the woman told him to follow her he of course did. The brown haired ninja seemed to stride towards the creek on the side of the training ground standing opposite to sento. It looked like he was in for a bit of a walk, as the pair made their way across the field he couldn’t help but feel a bit happy. He was going to learn a second element. He recomposed himself as they arrived at the water though and began to listen to Ashi’s instructions.

The woman bent down and stuck her hand in the water, running it through before reaching out. Sento tilted his head in interest, as she began to speak, asking him specifically what he saw in the creek. He instantly went to respond and started to say “Wa…” However he would be interrupted by her specifically telling him not to give that exact answer so he just kind of laughed it off before taking a seat in the grass next to the creek. Studying the liquid environment with a level of detail he had never before bothered too.

On first inspection he began to note only the physical aspects, things like bubbles, and color. Tadpoles running through it and small blades of grass sticking out from the shallow sections of the creek. But he had a feeling this was not what Ashi had meant when she asked him what he knew about the water. So he began to think of it from another angle, looking at the motion of the water, how it seemed to come alive. How it shaped itself to the environment it was in. How it splashed at rocks that poked out of the water blocking its path. But most of all the water was fluid and calming.

And so he decided it was time to tell her what he had discovered. “Well, what I’ve recently gathered about the creek is that it has a somewhat calming effect, the simple noise it creates is relaxing in itself. Another thing I noted was that water seems to adapt to its environment, for instance when you stuck your hand in the creek, instead of being stopped your hand passed through, because the water split with no resistance. But what I’ve gathered most is that the water is fluid, never completely still or at rest.”

He’d pause as he finished. He wasn’t completely sure his answer would satisfy Ashi’s question but he hoped it would suffice.

WC: 1207

"Very good," Ashi affirmed with a nod. "Now, off with your shoes and roll up your pants."

This was not a question, it was a command. Though, it was also a command that Ashi would comply with as well. Slipping out of her shoes, she bent over and rolled up her pants before taking a seat next to the creek itself. Considering the bite of winter that still persisted she doubted the next part was going to be all that enjoyable, but it did make learning to use water chakra much easier. If she wanted to get really cheesy about it she'd call it 'one with nature' and all that, but she wouldn't stoop that low.

"The water will be a bit brisk," she plunged her feet into the water while sitting on the side of the creek. "I promise you this will help."

A brief pause as her feet acclimated to the water, she'd endured much much worse.

"So, the next step is to channel your chakra," she brought her hands into a ram seal. "Feel the water on your feet and try to make your chakra feel the same way. I know that sounds a bit odd now, but you'll understand in time."

Breaking the seal she'd been holding and dispersing the aura of blue chakra that had gathered around her, Ashi gave the ground next to her an inviting pat.

"'Cmon it isn't so bad."

Now wasn't the time for getting cold-feet.

A small smile of pride appeared on Sento’s face as the woman seemed to like his response, confirming it with the word “good” then she ordered him to take of his shoes and roll up his pants, to which his head tilted in confusion.

The water would surely be cold around this time of year, winter had only recently left and he was in no rush to get in truth be told. But it seemed ashi would lead by example quickly slipping off her shoes and rolling up the legs to her pants so that they reached her knees, and Sento would be dammed if he looked like a wimp in front of another ninja.

“Alrighty” He’d say as he bent down and grabbed the legs to his pants folding it upon itself until it rested firmly above his knee, then slipped his hands down to remove his shoes which were already damp from standing on the muddy surface of the creek. As his bare feet touched the mud he couldn’t help but wince at the cold surface, surely if the terrain around the creek was this cold the water would be no better.

He took a deep breath as he waded into the water the cold liquid rushing past his leg causing his body to shiver despite his mental protests. As he stood in the center of the creek he turned to face the woman waiting for his next set of instructions so that he might be able to get out of this horrible creek any sooner. “Wha wha what's next” He said the cold forcing his body to stutter as he talked.

Ashi then went on to explain that he had to make his chakra feel like the water at his feet. “That would be nice if I could feel my feet” He’d mutter as he wriggled his toes to get a better feel for the water, the light soft muddy surface of the creek kicking up slightly as he did so. The water felt as it looked in all honesty, a gentle flow brushing against him and carrying on its way as if he was just another rock in the water.

He had learned the basics to jutsu in the academy and had a limited understanding of chakra, it was something that flowed through you, it gave you life. The young senju decided that the water element would be easier to obtain if he could let that chakra flowing through him mimic the properties of the water. He would start with the chakra in his feet letting it rock back and forth like a cup of water being set on a table with a bit too much force. His chakra seeming to mimic a wave back and forth and rising from his feet to the rest of his body.

He gasped as he realized what he was doing. “What should it feel like? You know if I’m doing it right” He’d say wanting to either confirm or deny if was doing it properly.

WC: 1713

Was the water really that cold? Ashi swished her legs back and forth splashing up some water but still couldn't feel it. And yet, her feet weren't numb; she simply couldn't feel the cold. Perhaps she had been out on too many winter raids or maybe it was that excursion to Yukigakure during the rise of the Fire Nation? Honestly, she couldn't remember when discomfort became the norm. Suffice to say it had been more than a while since she truly felt the nip of the wind or the unrelenting heat of the summer sun, it all felt the same to her.

As for what it should feel like, well, that was a good question. Though, in the Inuzuka's experience, it varied from person to person. Chakra may be a universal force in a shinobi's life, but people felt it in different ways. Perspective was, as always, important when discussing matters such as these.

"Hmm, think of it as ice in your veins, at least for now. Water is interesting as it can take on many forms; the liquid in you bathe in, the ice you skate on or the white wisps billowing from your morning tea. You'll feel your body loosen up just a bit, movements will feel effortless and your thoughts more fluid. That is what water is, flexible."

A brief pause as she allowed Sento the chance to internalize what she'd said, information dumps are a poor form of teaching after all.

"Now, give it a try and don't be disappointed if you don't get it on your first try, we have plenty of time."

Plenty of time wasn't necessarily correct as it came down to how long Sento could last in the cold water. Sure, the temperature wasn't so frigid as to induce shock, but prolonged exposure would probably not be all that wise. One could catch a nasty cold or worse. Yes, sickness would be bad.