Hello Again, Yen (P, NK)

Yen seemed to stop and think with Salzem's analysis, much to his satisfaction, waiting a few moments before the Aburame returned with his own counter. Yen mused about how that instead of there being definite good and evil, there was relative good and evil... Morals that lined up with one guy but didn't with a group was considered evil... The lycan nodded in agreement, completely siding with this expansion on his analysis. However, then Yensung turned it from the abstract to the concrete, asking that if he adopted a killer's mindset, if he decided to go down that road, would Salzem be there to protect him and, as a result, the reverse be true? That stopped him dead And the lycan's sanguine eyes met with the intense yellow one of Yensung. What could he possibly say to that...? Yes, because you're my friend...? No, because you'd stand against everything I've sworn to protect? How the hell could he look at his friend and say 'I'd kill you where you stand'? To do so would make him completely insane... but to not do so... Would it be lying...?

Instead of answering with a definite answer, Salzem instead scooted closer a bit and wrapped an arm around the older ninja, pulling him into a side-hug, one only the closest of friends could have.

"I don't know..." He finally whispered, his gaze flicking up into the stars, his only grounding being his friend and COMPLETE polar opposite beside him. After a bit, Yen would finally look back at him and Salzem him, the aburame's face looking more worn and wasted. It broke his heart to hear Yen's statement, that he'd have to return to his warrior mindset soon... that he didn't want to... The lycan gently held him a tad closer, rubbing his arm lightly.

"Not yet, you don't." Salzem stated, smiling at his friend. "We have all night, don't we?"

Yen accepted the hug and smiled. As he gave sal a pat on the shoulder and smiled.

"You are too honest buddy. However, we have a night of preperations and such. Im going to get you back into shape. Since we never truely trained  fully i shall assist you in my more delicate arts...."

Yen paused a moment as he gazed ahead. The fact being that sal had his werewolf form showed yen  that he was  straight  as an arrow. Yet unusually to yen he had perhaps an greater understanding of the art due to seeing how complex he was.

"I note that there are a few things perhaps i can teach, but you know sal. I say being well versed is the most important thing. Which is important. If you know genjutsu, you learn to recongnize it a bit better. More you know the more you can see."

Yen stated as he took his cloak off and revealed his jacket  and held it in his hand.  The jouninn jacket fresh, but that was the trick yen with some clever work changed it into a sleek leather jacket utilizing the false sorroundings technique.

"Hm well i dont always wear leather... but when i do im a bad ass. Still sal how does this genjutsu work buddy? Discern and examine it carefully. Study the works of the illusion. Detail is everything."

Yen would state with a smile as he would follow the age old advise of what he once did. Long ago. Ninjutsu was an art that while chakra use was apparent. There was an aubundance of uses for it. Yen concentratedcand focused his chakra into  and around his body. He patiently awaited sal to work the genjutsu peice by peice.

"Get ME into shape?" Salzem laughed as if Yen had just told the joke of the century. "The day you could lift more than I is the day I need to get in shape!" The lycan chuckled a little more to himself before he eventually drew quiet, listening intently to what Yen had to say. Apparently, the yelled eyed man was determined to teach Salzem about the "finer arts", Presumably the art of genjutsu. Of course, Salzem had little in the ways of defending himself from such illusions so he'd be a complete idiot to ignore the help he was offering. Apparently the first test of this, Yen removed his signature cloak to reveal a certain vest around him, one made of leather... Now, Salzem knew not what kind of clothes this guy liked to wear by himself, but he knew for a FACT that he never wore anything like this. Leather jackets were for the toughies, those who tried to look strong and intimidating but were only squishy and weak. Genjutsu. Easy. Yen wouldn't ever put himself in one of these if he could help it.

Apparently though, he was wrong as the aburame comment that he didn't always wear leather, but when he did, he looked like a "bad-ass." He'd never known Yen to be especially blunt either, preferring to stay elaborate and detailed rather than as blunt as a rock. Salzem began to wonder if this WHOLE ENCOUNTER was some kind of genjutsu spell Yen had put him under. If that ere true, Yen was literally the most insideous mind in the leaf. If not... well... he still was. Case closed.

Allowing the Lycan to observe, Salzem's arms mutated and expanded into that of his lycan-form as well as his face, granting him smell, hearing and feeling on top of the claws to test the leather's well known lack of durability. The first thing the lycan did was take a whiff of the air, attempting to smell the leather for tanning agents, the raw smell of treated skin that often went unnoticed by man's weaker senses.

Next, he reached out with a clawed hand, gently taking the end of the jacket between his fingers, running his claws across it's surface, just enough to supposedly barely cut into a real leather jacket's hide.

Thirdly, he felt it's texture, each individual fold, the slight softness over a smooth surface that once was the hairs of the animal skinned... not even a master of tanning could eliminate every last hair on the surface... Satisfied with this conclusion, the lycan sounded off what made this exactly a genjutsu.

"Ignoring that you told me this was an illusion, I've never known you to wear leather. You're too... smooth for that kind of thing, too confident and intelegent to need something like a piece of clothing to make you look like a... 'badass'. "

"Secondly, the smell. One that would normally go unnoticed to the average man was actually too strong here. In fact, it smells like it came straight off the tanning rack and made into a coat. Sure, you might say it's freshly made but this jacket would never sell if the scent was still detectable fore it would surely get on the buyer's nerves, smelling tanned leather day in and day out. Sure Yen, you may have the patience to deal with it, but a smart shop-keeper wouldn't but out a product they weren't confident in selling."

"Thirdly, it's too tough. My claws are sharper than the steel on our katanas and if my claws didn't cut or rip your jacket gently running them down, then either we need to up our game forging our weapons or this isn't a leather jacket. This is something else."

Yen nodded as the illusion was unravled and he was simply in the jouninn flak jacket.

"You pick up quick. In that case by discerning and trusting your senses. You can easily pick a simple illusion such as that. There are simpler ones, but take note of how much you needed to break down and observe.. in genjutsu, the process of life gets tricky. Say i rob you your sense of smell. You may be able to see and hear better. But by being robbed smell you wont detect the faint traces of poision in the air. Or that pollen that may be neigh invisible to the naked eye. Genjutsu adds a requirement to see and find the truth. While its easy to notice. Some have special requirements sal. Not everything can be muscled through. Thats the edge. Of genjutsu though. It may be simple to escape from, but you have to go completely out of your way to do it."

Yen spoke almost as if reading from a text book. Yet it was not covered in some academy of course. It was tgrough his sheer experience in the art and the use of the art of illusions that fuled his work. 

"For you however as i noted before. You look into medical and your heart to work in taijutsu. So a few illusions under your belt will give you an edge. An easy enough thing to do all you need is the know how."

Yen stated matter of factly as he merely weaved a few more handsigns and hence even sal would notice the heat. Plus the mere orange glow shining up the sky at that point. A large smoldering ball of fire decending upon the two of them with seemingly impeading doom. As yen continued to speak.

"Another example is amid chaos and confusion. Comes the power of utilizing a genjutsu. It may be easy to break, but you must as i say take another step. Always take a step, put up the roadblocks and consitently distract. Now in your case. You can make a person have to release them from an illusion. But also attack.  They must choose which they value the most. If they can even see you my freind of course. To fool the senses is more powerful then many can imagine."

Salzem seemed to slightly zone out as Yen began to explain all the benefits and work-arounds genjutsu provided, sounding almost exactly like some kind of academy professor. It appeared that the aburame had payed attention in class because from the words he said to the way he said them, it sounded as if he was reading right out of the basics of a student's first ninja handbook. Of course, the lycan knew the basics already, having it be required one had basic knowledge in all criteria, but he never fully UNDERSTOOD what it meant to have an arsenal of illusions. It all depended on what he considered effective really... If he punched someone in the face with enough strength it sent them flying into nearby collateral, then that was effective! If he put them under a spell and had to divide his attention between the spell and attacking, then that seemed more trouble than it was worth... They lycan didn't object, however as expanding his knowledge was a way only to get stronger and did his VERY BEST to remain fully attentive.

Seeming to notice Salzem's wavering attention-span. Yen weaved a few more handsigns and the sun seemed to get brighter.... and hotter.... and more orange... When the lycan looked up to see what was going on, it was revealed to him that it wasn't, in fact, the sun but a GIANT MOLTEN FIREBALL falling on top of them.

"Ah, dammit...." Salzem silently cursed under his breath, looking at Yensung with minor annoyance. "I hate this one."

Yen went on to explain that there were two different ways he could escape the illusion in either attacking the user or trying to fight against the illusion itself... Before Yen even finished speaking, He'd feel a fist slam into his face, (speed 145, strength 75), smashing him into the ground at the base of the bench. While this wouldn't do any real damage, the sudden shock alone and the inability to track his movements would be enough to break his concentration ENOUGH that Salzem would be able to do what he needed to next. His arms suddenly returning to normal, Salzem would weave the tiger sign (at speeds of 125), his chakra flooding out and with it, forcing out Yen's foreign chakra playing tricks on his senses, thereby ending the illusion.

"You okay there, Yen?" Salzem asked, looking at the Aburame. "Did I hit you too hard?"

Yen simply flew back as he assumed once more he was struck at a speed much greater then his own. Yen simply stood up and brushedcoff his cloak and looked at sal. 

"Even at your strongest i stood up buddy. So little reason to ask at that level sal. But as i was saying. You noted the genjutsu, however, you noted as well you needed to take an additional step before releasing it. This i request you practice on me. You saw the signs, and hence know enough. So now it is time to take advantage. Proceed to use a genjutsu and a normal punch. No wolf power. Trust yourself.  Ill judge the power of your genjutsu. Hey maybe you will get it the first time buddy. But that depends. Your chakra is meant to instigate an image, and stimulate the power of heat. Make it intense and even i will begin to worry. Give it a wirl"

Yen spoke encouragedly as he took a stand and remained still at power. Weaving and reawakening his agressive chakra. Ninjutsu alone as yen recalled was more than a technique, but was taking many techniques to the next level. 

I did promise to return to this... eventually. Now i assume im ready to come back to my agressive nature. Chakra control at its greatest. Still i can still recall each move i used to do. From rain falling from the heavens to my own duplicate. Its still there i could feel it.

Salzem was hardly surprised that Yen was able to get up after taking a hit like that, but it was what he said next that made him smirk. "At his strongest?" Was that arrogance he heard in Yen's voice? It seemed he was becoming a lot deeper character than he initially thought, perhaps seeming more human would be the correct metaphor for it. Suffice it to say, it was refreshing to see a very human aspect in confidence from this man, confidence that didn't break down into a long speech of which the lycan was required to listen.

His next task, apparently was to summon the same Genjutsu Yen had first done, simulating the attack of an oncoming seemingly village-wasting fireball and all the adverse effects that came with it: Its fluid nature, heat, the sense of a colossal presence, all things must be there to create a convincing image. Despite how he was when he was a kid, he was never any good at this kind of stuff because it required he divide his attention and chakra into several different places at once WHILE dividing it once more for the real world. He simply grew to realize that he lacked any real talent with the art and now here he was, giving it another whirl a few years later... how wonderful...

Salzem quietly imagined what it was like with that massive fireball falling down atop them, how massive it was... how initially intimidating... He recreated the situation in his mind, capturing the small details such as the fluidity of the fire and how it slowly, but consistently closed the distance and how the heat quickly began to pick up...

He quickly began weaving signs, copying those the aburame had done a few moments ago with this technique. He was so much faster than Yen, even in his lycan form with this so he easily managed to complete his signs before his friend did his... Suddenly a bright light and massive heat would bombard Yen from behind, the glare seeming to tear at his good eye while the heat pierced his skin. Should he look up, he'd find a similar massive fireball headed his way as well, though it seemed a little larger and a tad bit cooler than the one Yen had provided.... Should Yen turn his back to look at Salzem's creation, the lycan would then enact stage 2 of his plan, the supposed punch he was supposed to combo with this technique. Dashing up behind the ninja at speeds of 125, Salzem would grip Yen's collar, that of his cloak and vest underneath and, with a grunt, Salzem would toss Yen straight up (maybe 20 meters with 75 strength), right into the path of the fireball. Of course, Salzem would be there to catch him when he came down but in the meanwhile, the heat of the fireball picked up immensely the closer he got.

Yen felt it. The very heat emmiting from sal's practical illusion was to the best. Impressive in one go.  The seemingly basic fact that indeed the grass burned away, and the ground cracked under such primal force. The raw power of fire. While alone it was merely a form of destruction yen had to admit what it needed the most to sustain. Was the greatest down fall.


Good sal good, bit more should do nicely for him.


Yen thought as he took a glance upward to confirm. And hence there it was speeding on its way down towards the duo. There was that and then the fact yen was finding himself 20 meters away from where he was. Once more sal moved that much faster then yen could percive. And hence he was tossed in that case and point.

Hmmm. He just like ryu, and many move that much faster... perhaps its simply because they are at a higher speed than i am. Still there is nothing to fret over, the assumption is always good. The mindgames and the endless woven reality that as long as i can stand i can fight. Seals have to be used as per the usual to keep them guessing, but as slow as i may move to them it is easy to throw faster people off. Soo simple.


Yen thought as  he looked at the ground below him and at sal.  As he was simply 20 meters in the air yen could feel the heat of the fire ball picking up many times higher with each meter he travled. He grunted in concentration from the heat and the mere fact he was in the air. His options would in a simple case be limited.


With weaving a couple handsigns. (Dog, snake, monkey, ox, tiger,) while simotaniously breathing a thick mist from  his mouth. Yen would simply finishing this tricky manuver before he even fell down to 10 meters from the ground. Yen would seemingly vanish while preforming the hidden mist technique. 

However, if sal would pay close enough attention he would notice that yen would have vanished from his visual range too. This little manuver would wash the hidden mist over the duo. In fact the genjutsu yen used was the tree binding death technique. Utilizing hidden mist to hide from sal his vanishing method and  cloaking it with a hidden mist technique. Making it seem yen vanished away with the mist.  Should sal have seen yen he would find that he would be unable to move. Being that he was trapped by an evergrowing tree. 

Yen however, would still keep falling to the ground and land softly on the ground next to sal. Speaking up. 

"Very nice genjutsu sal. You might be better in this then you give yourself credit for. Defintley made the fireball as real as possible. Still the art as you notice has many ways of working. Striking, defending, all for a slight advantage."

As Yen came falling down from his place in the air, he let off a great cloud of mist from his mouth, blocking him from Salzem's sight, the cloud eventually falling over him as well, cloaking them both in an invisible veil of white. What Yen seemed to forget was that this technique was next to useless against someone like Salzem now because, in his human form, he could hear, smell and see things up to 45 meters away. Although Yen had effectively blinded him now, his other two senses were just as sharp and, between the rustling of his clothes, the sweat on his brow from Salzem's mockery-of-a-genjutsu, and the movement of sand beneath his feet, the lycan knew exactly where Yensung was. With that being said, Salzem wasn't an idiot either, at least not much of one in this moment. He remembered in the academy, he was taught about occular jutsu, techniques that could only be activated via direct eye-contact with the foe, specifically, genjutsu. Of course, this still left Yen with several different techiques at his disposal, but Salzem wasn't about to let him gain any advantage. He closed his eyes and focused on hearing and smell alone. With his inability to see Yen, his tree-jutsu would be rendered inert, allowing Salzem to attack in any way he wished...

Suddenly, the lycan would slam his hands together in the Ram sign and disappear from his spot where he stood, reappearing besides the aburame at speeds of 195, far beyond Yen's ability to detect, let alone react to. Following up quickly, Salzem would spin around swiftly, his heel coliding with Yen's cheek, sending him spinning off into the mist at least 10 meters away (speed 160, Strength 110), Of course, this wouldn't do much damage to someone like Yen, but at least if felt good... The heat of Salzem's fireball would still bare down on the aburame, growing more and more intense. Salzem listened and waited for the slightest movement... allowing his blindness to be a strength rather than a weakness.

AP: 887

929-42

-32 Leaf Strong Wind
-10 Body Flicker

Yen would land and feel the impact of a foot going across his chin. A resounding crack could be heard throughout the area as sal would simply break yens jaw and yen would shake his  head as he blocked out the pain amid weaving the hand seals for mystical healing palm.

Yen would concentrate on maintaining the healing power of the jutsu as he  kept on healing the broken his jaw. A simple wipe from one side to tge other continuing the healing to his hindged joint. Bit of blood seeping from his mouth as his head pounded. Yet he spoke up.

"Yeah that hurt. You defintley are powerful sal buddy. Its why i belive you can truely be devistating with some genjutsu at hand. Flames are powerful  but as you seeth its an effective distraction."

Yen grunted jaw sore from the impact as he took a breath. The healing was effective but he knew that a ton of prolonged contact at that strength without any of his ways of minimizing damage. Were gonna prove alot more of a challenge to even his durible frame.

Lets see.


Yen thought as he proceeded to work on weaving a clone handsign. And created the base clone jutsu. He recalled how it worked it would  require concentration to recall the exact chakra movement required.

"Dont mind im practicing a few old techniques sal"