Journey on getting stronger (P) (Sal)

Ryou quickly picked up his sweat shirt and rushed outside the apartment. His aunt wasn't home, so Ryou had the day to himself. He wanted to use this time to practice his other A ranked jutsu and meet some friends, but he didn't know who he would find. Ryou didn't really care who at the moment but he knew that most of his friend he had challenged to spar them once they saw each other again. 

Before Ryou went to the training field, he want to trying learning wind rejuvination. The young genin wanted to learn this jutsu badly with it being able to boost his speed and chakra to levels like Sal and Aya. He took some deep breaths to get some wind chakra flowing threw him, like it instructed. The breath was refreshing with the wind not being bad and sand not kicking around but he wasn't feeling any boost. He tried several more times, so much so that he was getting light headed. Then he noticed the problem, he wasn't taking in the air calmly. At first, Ryou didn't understand why he wasn't taking it in calmly. Then he realized that he was afraid that all this hard work would go to waste if he was wrong about it. Ryou shook off this feeling and tried again. He clapped his hand together and took a deep breath. This time, he felt a slight boost. He tested this by running towards the apartment. He noted that his speed did increase but not to the speed he needed, and his chakra did feel boosted as well. With all this, Ryou choose to head to the training field like initially planned.

The training field was empty but it looked like some people came by here as there were footprints that have yet to be blown away. Ryou looked around for a bit to see if any of friends were around. At the moment, it looked like there was none. So Ryou went on to some more training. He pulled out his fuma shuriken from his back. He position himself to a throwing position. His aim was at a wooden pole. Once he felt he had a good shot, he flung his shuriken at wooden pole. The pole was cut deep with the blade. He swiped the sweat from his brow, it took a lot to throw something of that scale. Ryou then went to go retrive the huge shuriken and placed it back on his back. The next thing Ryou wanted to try was practicing his chakra sensory. For two reasons he wanted to do this. One was that he want to practice, it had been awhile sense the used it last. The second reason was to find his friends. He sat himself on the wooden pole he had throw his fuma shuriken at. Then he placed hands into each other, intertwining them. Then he sent the chakra out in waves to receive charka like his friend Ryu taught him. 

WC: 500
TWC:500

Wind style: wind rejuvination: 2177/4000

Salzem watched from a distance as he had before as the boy went to town on the wooden stick he had taken a particular interest in. He hurled a massive shuriken blade at the center of the pole, cutting it deep, but not necessarily cutting it in half as they lycan would have liked, crossing his arms as he watched from afar. Ryou was nothing special as far as he could tell... He didn't have any super talents, didn't seem particularly strong in any attribute, didn't hold any respect from his peers as far as he could tell. He was just... Ryou Kenshin, a boy from the village doing his best to become the best ninja he could be... And Salzem respected that. The poor kid didn't have enough confidence for it to become excessive and annoying, he was respectful and kind and knew his limits... In truth, the konoha ninja respected him as if he were his own student and perhaps may've even asked he become such... if the situation had permitted such...

Salzem watched as the kid pried free his weapon, slipping it back in his pack before climbing atop the pole and sting on it's flat head and taking a meditative stance... Ah meditation... At this point in his life, it was an excuse to catch a nap in the middle of the day AND out in public. Why did he need so much sleep you may wonder? Why... because training was useless to him now! There was nothing more he could learn before the exams coming up around the corner so he might as well use this time to recuperate rather than to burn himself out before he even begins... With this kid, though, he seemed to be trying to hone his mental discipline and such an act seemed to have been taking a tole on his body as well... Salzem could see it on his face...

"Sup, kid?" Salzem would ask, gently tapping Ryu's shoulder as he let out his first pulse of chakra. "Having a nice nap?"

Once the Lycan spoke, Ryou turned to face him showing that he wasn't sleeping. Although, Ryou found it funny that Sal thought he was sleeping so laughed. "Hey Sal." He hugs him from the pole, wither the chunin liked it or not. Once the hug was over Ryou jumped off the damaged wooden pole. "I wasn't taking a nap." Ryou laughed again, "I was practicing charka sensory, I don't wanna lose the ability to do that." He explained. "Comes in handy." Ryou added. 

Ryou started to pace a bit, it was a new found habit of his. Ryou then looked at Sal, "I was looking for a friend to hang out with." Ryou remember the first time they met, which wasn't that long ago. Ryou was training and Sal just randomly started to spar with him, scaring the hell out of him. Ryou then found out that he simply wanted to train with a surprise spar. Though the spar ended up with a injured leg, Ryou found it very experiencing. 

With the thought of Sal and his spar, Ryou began to think of that form he took. Ryou remembered trying to look up about the maybe kekki genki but found nothing on it in the hidden sand libraries. Ryou still learned a lot on the topic of kekki genki though on the journey to the library. He found out there were basically three types of kekki genki, elemental, dojutsu and bodily. Elemental kekki genki was like Ryu scorch style. Dojutsu was like the byuaguan that Love had. Then finally, bodily that he had with his bone jutsu and also maybe Sal's if it was a kekki genki.

Ryou got his mind back on the topic he was thinking of earlier, the spar. "So Sal," He began, "Wanna do that spar we talked about?"     

WC: 303
TWC:803

Wind style: wind rejuvination: 2480/4000

"Hey, buddy." Salzem smiled, returning the boy's hug and even plucking him off the pole on which he sat, holding him to his chest gently before setting him down once more, this time in the sand. The lycan smirked as the kid explained that he was, in fact, not sleeping, rather he was learning the Chakra sensory technique, a useful skill to have in his own words.

"Probably just a bit useful." He agreed, nodding his head. "Though, I prefer just enhanced senses. Work just as well and can hardly be suppressed." Perhaps not COMPLETELY true, but he stood by his bias. The boy began to pace a bit, explaining that he was ACTUALLY looking for a friend the whole entire time, contradicting himself and making the lycan cock his head to the side in confusion. Was this some kind technique he was working on...? Some kind of chakra locator that allowed him to seek out specific chakra-signatures akin to how he can remember certain scents? As it turned out... Ryou was just looking for a friend to spend time with in general. When he asked if he wanted to do a spar, one he offered back when they first encountered one-another, The lycan simply grinned, taking a few steps back and taking up a defensive pose.

"The first move is yours, my friend." Salzem offered, curling his fingers into fists, ready to engage the boy at reduced power.

Once Sal moved into his position and told him he could go first, Ryou jumped back about 10. He pulls out two shuriken out of his weapon pouch. Once the blades were in between his fingers he moved his arm back. With the momentum of him putting his arm back build up, he threw the tiny throwing blades. 

Ryou wasn't an idiot though, he remembered the speed of Sal from last time. So Ryou pulled out his kunai from the same pouch as before. Once the blade was in his grip, he infused it with wind chakra (+25 to sharpness and +10 to durability). Ryou was looking at him but also looking side to side. Ryou was also using his charka sensory, which it wasn't very to read with all his chakra. He did this to that if Sal was to uses something like the body flicker to dodge and appear behind him. Ryou also could remember that the beast was big so he hoped to use that to his atvantage in the future.

If Sal appears behind him with body flicker, then Ryou would turn with the reaction time of 90 and uses his kunai against him. 

350-20=330 ap left 
WC: 197
TWC: 1000

Wind style: wind rejuvination: 2677/4000

Wasting no time, the kid jumped back about 10 (unspecified lol so) feet, putting a little more distance between him and the wolf, but not much. He them plucked two shuriken from his pouch, seeming to focus his strength into his arms before letting the pointed steel fly. Salzem was actually quite disappointed with how slow these projectiles were moving and easily deflected them off the glove of one hand, moving from one shuriken to the other (speed 125, health of gloves =100), the edged metal ricocheting off the plated steel of his glove and off into the sand. Again, the lycan waited, anticipating some kind of follow-up but instead of capitalizing on his momentum, Ryou was as content as a cucumber to just sit there and wait, pulling out a kunai from his pouch this time and flooding it with his own chakra to increase it's general usefulness. The lycan wondered if he was becoming predictable in his over-all fighting style, that Ryou was anticipating a certain plan of attack from the lycan. Then again, how could one mix up punching-someone-in-the-face more than it already was? Throw a kick in there as well?

Instead of falling for whatever trap the kid had in mind, Salzem would rush down the kid at speeds of 60, catching Ryou's dagger hand in one of his as the kid brought it up to defend himself (assuming his strategy didn't change). Salzem's fingers would be wrapped around the kid's wrist, the one that held the dagger, the other cocked back and slamming into his cheek (strength 50, speed 100), then his stomach, (same stats) his face stone as he "laid the smack-down" on this kid and he wasn't done yet. Gritting his teeth, Salzem would slam his forehead into the kid's own, (strength 50, speed 100), pulling away as both their heads began to bleed from shared trauma...

Sal invaded and attacked with such amazing power, Ryou expected something like this from him. His head launched back from Sal's counter attack and he dropped his kunai that was infused with his chakra, even Ryou's bloodline couldn't save him from this. He felt a bit disorient at first but Ryou shook his head and wiped his forehead free from the blood, leaving little stains. 

Now Ryou turn again, he wasn't about to give up against his greatest foe so far. Ryou weaved his hands and stuck his index fingers up touching tips, forming the tiger hand sign. He used his chakra to boost his speed with the body flicker. With a speed of 75, he appeared behind 10 meters to Sal's left. He then wasn't about to make the same mistake, he weaves two hand signs. To Sal nothing happened but to Ryou everything was slower. With Sal in sight, Ryou forms wind chakra in the tips of his fingers. With an arm speed of 40, he launches three nigh invisible, 2 inched wind blades with a speed of 50. Watching everything in slow motion, Ryou was wondering why Sal hadn't turned into his werewolf from. Ryou thought two things, either there was a risk or he wanted to see Ryou's skills without going full out. 

330-10-10-40= 270 ap left
WC:217
TWC: 1217

Wind style: wind rejuvination: 2894/4000

All three of Salzem's punches seemed to hit right where they were aimed to, but much to the lycan's surprise, they didn't ring Ryou's bell enough... There he was, still standing, still moving fluidly in fact and with no healing-factor to speak of! Clearly, he had underestimated the over-all toughness of his opponent... Ryou wiped the blood from his forehead with his freehand while Salzem's torn skin began to heal on it's own, his healing factor allowing to regenerate from such injuries (though his ears were still ringing just a bit). When the kid attempted to weave together a sign in an effort to escape, the kid had clearly forgotten Salzem's grip on his wrist, encouraging him to remind the poor child. With a strength of 55, Salzem would increase the pressure around that oh-so fragile location, causing a great deal of pain to the kid no-doubt. However... He saw what the kid was trying to form... He was thinking of using the body-flicker in an attempted escape... well... why not let him try?

Simulating a struggle against Ryou in the meanwhile, the kaguya managed to connect his hands together in the sign of the ram, his body beginning to flicker and jolt in some attempt to move away to Salzem's left.... Unfortunately... Ryou's hand was still in the grip of the lycan and he was not letting go. With a snort, the lycan pulled back in his direction (speed 85, strength 50), yanking the kid RIGHT OUT of his body-flicker, and sending him stumbling back in the direction of his opponent, no doubt with his arm either sprained or dislocated from it being caught between two powerful forces. Salzem cocked his fist back again, focusing his strength into this blow, but also his concentration so that he didn't clock this kid so hard his head exploded, but just enough  to knock him out...

With a snort, Salzem unleashed his punch, his knuckles colliding with Ryou's cheek with such force, his head would snap back, the lycan releasing him from his grasp as he slammed into the ground (speed 125, strength 60). At worst, the kid would be off in painful dream-land, dreaming of healing, of warm fuzzy beds, of medicine and recovery. At best.... (or worst depending on how you saw it), he was barely awake and suffering through each and every moment of pain his fist brought.

Ryou panicked once the body flicker was not successful. All the panic changed to pain to his cheek, leave it to Sal to give Ryou immense pain. First time they met, he bite him and torn his leg, now this. Sal's grip loosened and Ryou was knocked to the ground. He felt his body all numb.  The cheek he punched was getting swollen. There was still pain in his stomach, hand, waist and cheek but the numbing helped a bit. With the punch also came the ringing in his ears, so he wasn't able to hear anything beside his own breath. Blood ran down his nose and to his cheek, he had also hit his dental stuff so blood also came out of his mouth, the taste was terrible on his tongue  He didn't want to move fearing the pain it could cause him. Before Ryou would close his eyes to recover, he saw Sal. Ryou felt anger but not towards Sal, but towards himself. He felt super idiotic, weak, and worthless towards the village. Now came the waterworks, after all he was only eleven, it mixed with the blood on his cheek as well falling off his cheek and on to the hot sand that they laid and stood on. So much for the training, my bloodline and becoming a shinobi in general when down the drain...I'm so weak.


Ryou remembered the time that Sal asked why he wanted to become a shinobi. Ryou replied with he wanted to protect his loved ones. In this state, how am I supposed to do that? These thoughts didn't help with the embarrassing fact that he was crying. He couldn't help himself. 

Ryou had trained almost every day for this and even went off into the desert to get a summoning race. Nothing he did helped, Sal was just to strong. His speed was god like to Ryou, his strength was also able to get through his supposly strong bones, but they didn't do anything. Lastly what made Ryou really mad at himself was the fact that Sal never turned into his Lycan form, Sal wasn't even going full out. 

(Still has 330 ap since none of the jutsu happened)
WC: 358
TWC: 1575

Wind style: wind rejuvination:3252/4000

Salzem immediately regretted hitting the boy so hard, seeing blood spring up from his mouth and his cheek beginning to swell as he lay there on the ground. He'd definitely let this fight get out of hand once again, not realizing until it was too late that this kid really WAS doing the best he could against him. With any force of superior power, it's hard to forget you can do this to people... Often, he's stuck in the past in those days where he WASN'T so strong by comparison, that just about anyone could rival him in strength and power... This little play fight for him might've been deathly serious to the kid, and that was why he was laying on the sand now, bawling his swelling little eyes out. Without wasting a moment, the lycan knelt by the boy's side, weaving a series of 3 signs before his hands began to glow with a gentle blue light with which he proceeded to heal the boy's wounds.

"It was a good fight!" He complimented Ryou, gently patting his swollen cheek with a glowing hand before letting it rest there, allowing it's light to soothe his pain. Over the course of a few minutes, the lycan would've healed the worst of Ryou's wounds, leaving him a little sore, but no worse for wear. His swelling would have gone down, whatever damage he sustained to his teeth would've been taken care of, and the worst he'd have to deal with now as his wounded pride and that... that would much harder to fix. If Ryou didn't stop sobbing, even after he was taken care of medically, the lycan would sit himself down besides the kid, pulling the little 11 year old into a hug, hoping that maybe he could soothe him if only a little.

"Hey..." He'd say. "Hey, it's alright, Ryou... You're a lot tougher than I thought... I'm actually kind of impressed actually." Salzem ruffled the boy's hair as he sat there with him, smiling down at the poor kid who was beaten to a pulp. He'd be obviously lying if he said that with a little more training, the kid might actually beat him. The power difference was too obvious and the kid had already experienced Sal's Lycan form. All he could do now was make him feel better about his loss.