Learning Taijutsu From A Wolf (Salzem)

The morning sun shined bright in the clear blue sky as a white haired Hyuuga made her way to the training grounds with her loyal companion, Kuro, by her side. The wolf’s ebony fur stood out on this warm summer’s day, and despite the heat beating down upon his back, the wolf wasn’t fazed by the temperature. As they made their way through the bustling marketplace, a gentle June breeze blew, pulling Hikari’s snowy hair along with it. The Hyuuga enjoyed these kinds of days the most; when people were out and about, milling their way through the throng of people to see what the vendors were selling that day, the kind of day that was just perfect for training due to the weather. It was tougher during the cold winter months to train, but she trained even when the wind nipped at her nose and her feet felt frozen, as she believed even those conditions were perfect for training endurance to brave any weather that a shinobi may face while on missions.

Hikari found joy in walking through the village, watching the people as they went on their merry way. She saw families with their children at the toy store, the little ones amazed by all the inventions and toys, couples taking strolls, their hands intertwined, but what she loved the most was the flower shop. Many people were always flooding the quaint little store, most buying large bouquets of flowers, some Hikari could name, such as roses or daisies, while others she could not, but their beauty was all the same. Flowers were a favorite of hers, even if they wilted so soon after being brought home.

The young girl continued her pleasant walk, leaving the noisy marketplace behind, the streets and paths more silent and deserted the farther she traveled away. The kunoichi was used to the change in scenery, it became routinely for her as she trained. Now that Salzem was the only person she had left, she knew she had to become stronger if she was ever going to be able to protect him. Thus, she decided it was best for her to learn Taijutsu and become a master in the techniques her clan was famous for. Although she was a Hyuuga, she only knew one of the famed multitude of jutsu the Hyuuga’s were renowned for possessing.

“Okay Kuro, wanna help me train and learn what it means to be a specialist in Taijutsu?” Hikari asked her friend as they made their way through the training grounds until they found their usual spot: an area near the outskirts of the area, with a rather large tree, its leaves a vibrant shade of green. There were not many ninja training in this area, and because of that one could hear the birds chirping from their nests. It was a serene place for her to train. Kuro barked his reply to her question as she laid down her things: both her katana and ninjato and a bag she used to carry the books she had obtained from the Konohagakure Library earlier that day. The Konoha Library was where the kunoichi went for all of her information regarding the shinobi world, this due to the fact that her parents were no longer alive and thus, she could not ask them for help.

She sat down alongside her belongings and pulled out the first of two books, the one that mentioned the origin and history of Taijutsu. The other book contained the techniques known only by her clan or those that inherit the Byakugan. Her bag held a few more books, but those were for other fields of study that she hoped to learn in the near future. Kuro sat down beside her, waiting for her to begin reading aloud what the book contained.

Hikari figured it would be best to understand the fundamentals of Taijutsu before she began practicing and trying to become proficient with it. She opened the first page of the book, “Taijutsu refers to any technique involving martial arts or the optimization of natural human abilities. While Ninjutsu utilizes chakra, Taijutsu relies on one’s strength and stamina, and because of this, Taijutsu requires no hand seals to perform. This makes it quicker to use than both Ninjutsu and Genjutsu.” Although she already knew the starting information, Hikari continued to read the book, hoping it would enlighten her about Taijutsu- as there was still a vast majority of knowledge she needed to know in order to become a specialist in Taijutsu like the Hyuuga clan.


(WC: 760)

It was one of those days that Salzem wanted to spend time with his newest (and only) family member, Hikari. Until recently, he had never been much of a family man, though the reason of which was oh-so unclear to him. Perhaps it was because more of their bodies kept piling up on his door step or perhaps some went and stabbed him in the back and disappeared for no reason. Perhaps it was because he blamed them and himself for what had happened to him, for all the pain and blood and death...

But now someone was alive... someone he loved was alive and smiling and talking to him... If he were 2 years younger physically and a year younger mentally, Salzem would have shoved Hikari away just as quickly as he would've anyone else because of how much he didn't think she'd understand... But she did... she did understand far too well... She lost not only her family, her brothers, her parents, but the men she loved... both of them and Salzem was the only person she cared about still alive or around... No. He wasn't going to leave her alone to suffer the way he and everyone he'd shoved away had suffered.

And so, he went looking for her, even in the place he held the most familiarity and disdain with, the training grounds... Oh, the training grounds... The only time it ever looked any different was if there was some kind of major weather event outside. Rain, snow, or fog was the only events that might get Salzem to come out here by choice regularly, but now it was because he sought his sister...

And there she was, sitting right there in the grass, reading from a book he couldn't quite make the words out from there... Deciding to be sneaky, the lycan crouched down low, approaching Hikari from behind, moving quietly and stealthily in such a way that he wouldn't be easily detected... though Kuro would likely catch on.

If the dog played nice and kept quiet and unassuming, Salzem would suddenly spring forward as he got close, wrapping his arms around Hikari's stomach and pulling her into a hug from behind as he looked over her shoulder curiously, peering into the words she was reading on the page.

"Hi!" He greeted, glancing at his sister with a wide smile. "What're you reading?"

Hikari pondered the words she had read from the Taijutsu book, too lost in thought and discussion to notice the lycan shinobi creeping up on her. “Kuro, think it would be easier if we started practicing some of the stances used in this book? Maybe even try to incorporate some of the Hyuuga techniques as a form of training Taijutsu?” She asked her companion, awaiting his nonverbal response. It was common for the girl to think aloud, it helped her figure out what she needed to do or what the best strategy would be.

Kuro, having quickly picked up on the scent of Salzem, kept quiet about his presence due to being aware of how much Hikari trusted him. He, however, still needed a bit more convincing before he could fully trust Salzem. As Hikari questioned the wolf, he nodded his head in agreement, thinking it would be easier to practice and try than to continue reading.

Then, as Salzem made his move, Hikari quietly squealed in surprise as two strong arms wrapped around her torso, pulling her into a hug. “Why hello there!” Hikari said as she gave her brother a sideways glance, grinning widely as she did so. “I figured it was about time I familiarized myself with Taijutsu, being a Hyuuga and all. That’s why I’ve been reading about it, so I can become more specialized with using it.”

It dawned on her then that he was a giant compared to herself. He had to be at least a foot taller than she, his head easily being able to rest on her own if he really felt like it. It amazed Hikari, that although he was quite younger, he looked much older than her. She figured that was the price to pay for being such a tiny kunoichi.


(WC: 1,061)

"Oh! So that must be some kind of taijutsu manual, huh?" He inquired looking at the book, the first couple of words being a quick description of the benefits of the art. The lycan would grin softly, gently hugging the smaller, older shinobi a little closer, almost as if she were some kind of huggable toy. It was really comical the difference in their height... If he desired, the lycan could easily rest his chin on the top of her head from where he hugged her if he was in a "superior" mood today.

No, instead he merely let go of the girl, stepping back a bit and crossing his arms, a skeptical look crossing his face.

"I hate to break it to you, sis, but you'll never learn anything about a martial art by reading it in a book. It takes practice... scrapes and bruises... You must become physically imposing!" He glanced down at the girl of meek figure standing before him, forcing the lycan to rephrase his statement. "Well... MORE physically imposing. The point is... I can teach you how to learn the basics of taijutsu if you want... It's my specialty after all and you probably won't find another teacher around the leaf so easily..."

Salzem raised a clenched fist above his head before thrusting it out to the side, his knuckles slamming into a tree trunk, taking a large bite out of it's side with just a quick jab (Speed 125, strength 75). Such a display of strength was meant to display what she could become, a minor taste of what she'd be able to do if she took this profession, rather than put her to shame and judge her gentler abilities.

"I'm no expert in gentle fist... I've never had a teacher but maybe... maybe you could teach me the basics sometime Hikari... But for now, I'll be teaching you how to throw a punch, a kick or defend against those effectively! ...That is, If you'll have me."

“Sort of. It is about the origin of Taijutsu. I thought maybe knowing that kind of information might be helpful.” She wasn’t quite sure if her approach was the best method, but she figured it didn’t hurt her to try it that way.  As she responded to Salzem, the young shinobi gave her a light squeeze, reminding her of a child holding onto their beloved teddy bear. She didn’t mind, after all teddy bears were adorable so it obviously meant she was adorable as well.

Hikari was proven wrong about her method as Salzem released her, stepped back, and crossed his arms over his chest, explaining the error in her ways. She figured it wouldn’t be easy learning Taijutsu with a book as her only guide, but at the time it was all the resources she had. Hikari opened her mouth to reply to his offer of assistance when he raised a fist above his head and slammed it into a nearby tree trunk, a proportionate sized chunk of the tree was taken out due to the force behind his fists. Her eyes widened at the damage he had done with his bare fists, no aid from chakra at all. She was amazed by his abilities, and wanted more than ever to be just as powerful. If she were, no one would be able to dodge her Gentle Fist techniques.

The Hyuuga was never thought about attempting to teach the Gentle Fist to anyone before, mostly due to the fact that no other Byakugan users ever came to her pleading for help with their Gentle Fist techniques. “I could try to teach you the Gentle Fist techniques sometime, although I don’t know how you’d fare without the Byakugan.” Her excitement grew as she spoke her next few words, “Of course I’d want you to teach me, you are the best teacher anyone could ever ask for!” Hikari was not trying to suck up to Salzem, she genuinely felt he was an excellent teacher.

She laid her book down, knowing it would be useless now that she had a real teacher to show her the basics of Taijutsu. Hikari rose to her feet, preparing herself for the practice that was about to ensue. Kuro continued staying in his position next to her belongings, curious to see how Salzem would show her Taijutsu (besides the punch he previously demonstrated).

(WC: 1,458)

Salzem blushed with surprise as Hikari declared how utterly capable as a teacher he was, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. He didn't expect her to be so enthusiastic, let alone pay him such a compliment and such a turn of events easily caught the lycan off guard. Still, after a moment of working through his surprise, the lycan recovered, the blush fading from his face, his expression growing serious as he lowered himself into a fighting stance.

"Taijutsu is about strength and speed, but also momentum and precision. Someone can hurl fireballs all day the size of trees, but such things take a long time to summon and it leaves you open to assault." To demonstrate, he turned his attention to one of those wooden training dummies that was the trademark of the grounds. From where they were standing, they were a good 60 meters distance from it's wooden hide, a fair enough distance for what the lycan was about to do. Taking a deep breath, Salzem raised his hands, holding them cocked at his sides before suddenly throwing them forward with SUCH force, a massive shockwave ripped across Konoha's grassy earth, the air around it taking the shape of a tiger head. Still, despite it's raw power clear in the way it tore through the air, it still only moved at a speed of 50, giving Salzem ample time to do what he planned to do next.

Dashing ahead of his own attack (speed 125), Salzem crossed the distance between him and the dummy faster than the attack could even reach half the distance, already unleashing a barrage of quick kicks and and punches upon the wood, taking out a small chunk each time (speed 125, strength 50). Each blow was a nip, a strike light enough to disorient but not to kill on it's own, that's what the massive tiger-head was for, and, with that being said, it was nearing closer by the second. With a loud yell, Salzem circled around the dummy so that it was between him and the oncoming attack, letting off a massive kick that threw the dummy in the direction of the blast (speed 125, strength 75), all the while Salzem dashing right back to where he was. He made it just as the head consumed the wooden dummy, but there was yet one last step to this demonstration... Forming his hands into something that appeared to be a tiger face, he pointed his hands in the direction of the massive air-blast and suddenly, it exploded, obliterating the dummy and everything around it up to 50 meters. The lycan turned back to his sister, nodding at the destruction.

"While we can certainly do something like that, it's merely a supplement, as you saw... it's not our... go-to. What WE will be focusing on, today is getting you to know the basics... Please... try to hit me with a punch or kick. No gentle fist or ninjutsu. I want to see what you think a punch is."

Despite his confident demeanor, Hikari was surprised to see Salzem become modest when she complimented him. His cheeks grew a rosy tint as he rubbed the back of his head in an embarrassed manner. However, Salzem soon recovered from his modesty, the red leaving his face as he turned his lips downward into a serious expression. He took on a fighting stance and began speaking, informing her about how taijutsu not only focuses on strength and speed but also on precision and momentum. He also mentioned how Taijutsu is instant while when using ninjutsu you are, mostly, left wide open for attacks.

The lycan indicated what he was talking about into an example, showcasing both taijutsu and ninjutsu, although his demonstration utilized both specialized jutsu types. Hikari intently watched as he turned to one of the practice dummies that laid stuck in the ground 60 meters from where they stood and raised his hands at his sides in an angled position before he shoved them forward, creating a shockwave that rippled over everything it came into contact with. Upon closer inspection, the shockwave resembled a tiger’s head as it slowly made its way toward the wooden dummy. She never knew one was capable of making sure a thing with taijutsu, she would have assumed he had performed ninjutsu.

Hikari thought the demonstration was over, but was proven wrong as Salzem dashed forward at lightning speed, stopping at the woodening dummy before the tiger’s head had moved a few feet. Without hesitation he assaulted the dummy with an array of punches and kicks, splintering the wood each time an appendage came into contact with the wooden figure. If the dummy had been a real person, Salzem would have done heavy damage, but not enough to fatally wound the victim. With the tiger’s head almost upon him, Salzem let out a battle cry as he moved around the dummy and unleashed a powerful kick that sent the thing flying into the tiger’s head. Once he finished his business, the young man ran back to where he began, yet instead of speaking with her once more he shaped his hands into a tiny replica of the tiger’s head and pointed his hand in the direction of the shockwave. Instantly an explosion went off, disintegrating everything within a 50 mile radius of the explosion site, including the wooden dummy. If that had been a real ninja, they would have surely met their demise at the hand’s of Salzem’s taijutsu.

Smoke and ashes danced behind Salzem as he turned back around to face Hikari, and began explaining what took place. She thought he would explain the benefits of using a combination such as the one he just performed; however, he mentioned how what he just showed her was not a go-to method of performing taijutsu. Hikari was taken slightly aback by his next request to punch or kick him, not wanting to hurt him in any way.

The Hyuuga obliged with his request as she stepped closer to the young shinobi (to be within punching range), forming her right hand into a fist and clutching it tightly. She pulled her arm back, giving her fist momentum as she thrust it forward (speed 115, strength 50), aiming to punch him right in the gut. As she went in for the punch, her body twisted with her to increase her power and velocity.

(WC: 2,020)

Salzem was honestly surprised by her surprise when he asked her to punch him. What... It wasn't like he was asking her to attack him with a weapon or ninjutsu! This was his niche, what he trained for and now he was going to pass it on! He understood not wanting to hurt anyone but nobody got anywhere by neglecting physical demonstrations. Ablidging, seemingly begrudgingly, Hikari threw an uppercut at the lycan's stomach, the force of which easily capable of bringing the lycan to his knees if it hit. Salzem, however, easily stepped to the side, turning away from hikari's punch (Speed 125), bringing his own fist up in a similar uppercut (speed 125, strength 5) that gently tapped her stomach. The lycan didn't look displeased per-say, but hard... analytical. He wanted to make sure his teachings got through.

"Your punch was too wide, leaving your torso open." He explained, withdrawing his fist. "The punch was also somewhat wild, not a solid extension of your will... Ugh. Let me see how I can explain this..." The lycan seemed somewhat frustrated, closing his eyes as he thought how he could possibly explain how to through a punch correctly. He had never needed to do this before... besides the basics, he was almost entirely self taught, and never needed real training... Bah... what was he going to do...

"You see... Your stance needs to be firm... stable with each attack... to make it harder for opponents to find openings to trip you up. At the same time, it must be fluid able to react and move in response to that opponent. Your punch, while fluid, was too chaotic... It lacked a precise direction, allowing me to read it that much easier."

Hikari mentally rolled her eyes at herself for being surprised that he asked her to punch him, watching as he easily sidestepped away from her punch before it got close to hitting its mark. With the same dashing speed he’s been using the whole time, he showed her how to properly do an uppercut as he landed a weak punch to her stomach, his fight lightly tapping her. If he had been using his full force, he could have easily sent her flying.

He removed his fist from her stomach and began teaching her what she did wrong with the punch, a stern expression written all over his face. He explained that her punch had been too wide, leaving her torso exposed and open to attacks. He also said that her punch was too wild, as if it wasn’t an extension of her will- which she understood to mean an extension of herself. He stopped himself mid speech, closing his eyes as he gathered his thoughts. Hikari, having never had to explain a simple task to another, did not know what it was like teaching something to someone that was like breathing to her, but she could easily tell it was difficult to be a teacher. Finding the right words to use so what was said could be understood, demonstrating correctly how to do something, etc. were all challenging things teachers had to go through with their students.

Recollecting himself, Salzem began his speech again, enlightening the Hyuuga on how to punch correctly. She listened intently to his every word, taking mental notes along the way. He informed her that she needed a more firm and stable stance as she punched, making it more difficult for enemies to find an opening or weak spot. However, he said that her stance had to also be fluid, able to react quickly to whatever the enemy threw her way. Her punch, he stated, was fluid, yet also too chaotic, which made it easier for him to detect where it would go and gave him enough time to dodge it.

After listening to everything her teacher had to say, Hikari thought over what he said and came up with a response, “Is there one specific stance that is the best, or are there numerous stances one could have? I guess a better way to word that would be: is there a universal stance or does the stance vary depending on the user? With the Gentle Fist, it is basically a universal stance within the Eight Trigrams Divination circle, so I thought maybe they were similar in that aspect.”

(WC: 2,454)

"Well..." Salzem mused at Hikari's inquiry before taking a light squat. "As simple as it may seem, this simple stance is what most beginners tend to take." He gestured for Hikari to emulate him so that she could too feel the position of the stance. "You see... this gentle squat allows for both attacks and defenses to be accurately delivered while keeping one stable and agile as needed. For example... I could throw a punch from this position and this stance would add additional force to the blow... Or, in contrast, I could just as easily leap away from an oncoming blow or hold my ground in a stable stance. There are many others for different kinds of martial arts, your clan's gentle-fist for example, but this one right here is the universally held pose you should take if you're unsure, though there are many others you may take as well."

Salzem shifted his weight just a bit so that he was leaning on his back foot so that the majority of his body-weight was leaning back in anticipation for a strike.

"This is a weighted defensive stance. The reason it's called weighted is because I put the majority of my weight on one foot, allowing for one of two perks... With my weight on my back foot, it allows me to fall back much easier and play defensive. While in contrast..." Salzem leaned forward just a bit, this time his weight on his front foot. "In this stance, a front-weighted one, I'm able to thrown more powerful punches and kicks."

"And finally... there are two kinds of vertical stances: High and low. Salzem straightened his legs a bit more, making him stand a bit taller than in his squatting stance, barely a bend in his knees at all. "In a high stance, I'm able to move quicker, with more agility thus making it easier for me to reposition. On the other hand..." Salzem squatted lower this time, his body becoming more rigid... powerful in this stance. "In a low stance, I have more access to my power, able to direct it through my torso and into my arms or legs, though I'm less mobile."

"Its.. uh... a bit complicated, I know." He laughed, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "If you keep practicing, transitioning between stances will be second nature to you!"