Training in Wood

The young never did have much patience. Wet wood could be dried in time and even before that it had its uses. That said, the boy had done as she asked and that was a step in the right direction, she would give him that. His interpretation, while more than a bit blunt, had merit and showed that at some level he did indeed grasp the point of the exercise. Learning involved quite a few steps and the Senju, though Ashi hated to admit it, was on the road to understanding—understanding being the end goal of many a learner.

"Good, good," she nodded once. "Now, focus your chakra."

Ashi brought her hands together in the familiar ram seal.

"The trick with advanced elements such as wood is to mix them. As you no doubt know the wood element is a combination of water and earth. A trick I've seen others use is to first channel one chakra nature and slowly try to add the second. As you add the second envision what wood is to you and allow the chakra inside of you to take that form."

As if to prompt the genin onwards, a blue aura sprung up around Ashi. She couldn't follow the boy in his quest to achieve mastery of the wood element, but she could show him the first few steps. She didn't expect the boy to suceed on his first try, naturally

Atarashī sat down and made the snake seal. He starts calming his mind by taking deep breaths in and out. He starts building his water chakra first. He lets his neutral chakra start grinding against his chakra network to generate the required water release chakra. When he feels as though he's gathered enough water release chakra he starts taking some more of his neutral chakra and freezing it in his chakra network. After he's stopped enough of his neutral chakra and turned it into earth release chakra and starts meditating "harder". He concentrated on the two masses of earth release chakra and water release chakra in his chakra network. He then starts moving them towards the other. When the two energy's meet they start clashing. after a little bit both chakra's have cancelled out.

(hello?)

“Good” Ashi commented idly.

She kept careful watch on the boy’s fluctuating chakra with her superior chakra sense. The ebb and flow of the chakra within him was not physically visible, but in her mind’s eye she could make out the treelike network within the boy. Luckily, the boy seemed to follow instruction well and he appeared to be following Ashi’s instructions as well as could be expected. Perfection was not something the interim kage excepted right off the bat, but a concerted effort improve was.

“Now,” She started hopefully not distracting the boy too much. “Take that chakra and mold it. You have to take the next step from the internal to the external. Do that and you’ll be closer to commanding your clan’s birthright. If you’re still having trouble getting the combination down don’t try to force it. Rather just let the chakra’s flow together naturally.”

Folding her arms across her chest Ashi watched and waited once more. Truthfully, a good teacher probably did more watching than talking. Better that a student learn through trial and error than through endless lectures.

Atarashī nods and starts concentrating again. He gathers the earth release chakra and the water release chakra and tries to form his wood release chakra again. This time he breaks the earth release chakra and the water release chakra apart. After that he moves them to one part of his body and then starts condensing them both to the same focal point. As the earth release chakra and the water release chakra start to become more compact they begin mixing into a new chakra. The chakra seems like wood release chakra, but it's somehow different. It seems stronger than it should be, but there's not as much as there should be. "How would you like me to externally manifest the chakra?"

(what do you think of the skill idea?)

(is something wrong?)

(Nothing is wrong, never fear. I am just rather busy with work as of late. Sorry for the inconvenience.)

"I suggest touching a tree," Ashi said with a nod. "Often when trying to channel a new chakra nature it helps to be in physical contact with said element. Use the trunk of that tree over there."

She waved in the direction of the tree the two had talked about before.

"Use it as a conduit for your chakra and try to flow your chakra through it."

Teaching had always been a passion for the Inuzuka woman and it showed. Her words were thoughtful and kind. Her posture smooth and relaxed. And her patience seemingly sprang eternal. Yes, she really should have stayed a teacher, it would have been better for all involved.

Atarashī walks over to the tree and touches it. He then starts channeling his wood release chakra into it. From the point of contact outward the tree starts changing. the bark start becoming black and layered like armor. The leaves appear to become Sakura petals with a fine abrasive surface on the flats. The wind grabs one of the petals and starts carrying it towards another tree. When the petal touches the tree it cuts right through it without any resistance, leaving a cut through the middle of the tree the diameter of the petal. The petal eventually cuts itself into the ground.

"Not too bad," Ashi murmured in that way people do when mildly impressed. "Now, do it again."

The core of learning anything lay in repetition. No one, not even a prodigy, could learn without repetition. In Ashi's experience, people were reluctant to put in the work needed to master something. Thus, the way she taught people to do something was to push them further and further until they either quit or learned. After all, what point is there in pushing to learn something if you aren't willing to put the time in? Nothing, there is no reason, at least in the anbu's sometimes black-and-white opinion.

Atarashī pulls his hand away from the strange tree. He looked at it in aw for a moment before snapping out of it. "Again? Okay, but did I do something wrong?" Atarashī starts concentrating again. Atarashī starts concentrating again. He gathers the earth release chakra and the water release chakra and tries to form his wood release chakra again. He breaks the earth release chakra and the water release chakra apart. After that he moves them to one part of his body and then starts condensing them both to the same focal point. As the earth release chakra and the water release chakra start to become more compact they begin mixing into a new chakra. The strange wood release chakra is back. It seems stronger than it should be, but there's not as much as there should be. Atarashī walks over to the tree and touches it. He then starts channeling his wood release chakra into it. From the point of contact outward the tree starts changing. the bark start becoming black and layered like armor. The leaves appear to become Sakura petals with a fine abrasive surface on the flats. Atarashī seems to be a bit tired.