First steps into Doton AND Moukton

Ban had finally accomplished one of his biggest dreams ever. It had taken him about a week, which he thought was quite an amazing  accomplishment. Finally, Ban had learned the wood element or Moukton release. He had made it a part of his chakra, or a part of himself. The meditation was fantastic, and also intriguing. Ban would definitely be improving his Moukton jutsu skills today, he knew that for a fact. But before he learned some wood release jutsu, he wanted to learn Doton jutsu. After all, he had only just recently learned the earth release. He didn't actually learn any Doton jutsu. Ban thought it would be smart to learn some Doton jutsu so then he would have earth and water jutsu in his arsenal before the combination of them for the wood jutsu. However he was in fact very excited to learn wood jutsu, so he had chosen two basic Doton jutsu to learn quickly. The jutsu were basic but would definitely help him out in any situation. He would quickly run through the two Doton jutsu and get to working on his Moukton style jutsu. Every time he thought the word Moukton he felt warm and happy, because he knew he had finally gotten the power of the wood element.

 Heading to the forest now, he thought of all the possibilities with his new earth and wood elements. He had added so much to his arsenal to utilize since he was an academy student. Looking back, that seemed like a year ago when really it wasn't long ago at all. It was another hot day which would effect Bans clothing attire for his training. He was again shirtless, but this time he had on green cargo pants. He was wearing the green cargo pants because the green for him today, repesented earth and trees. He had tied his ninja head band around his waist, not wanting to restrict any movements, and he felt uncomfortable with it resting on his head. He would be training hard today, learning a maximum of four jutsu in one training session. Two of them would be of the Doton release and the other two of his newly found Moukton release. Ban was heading for the forest, because he thought it would be the best place to train for these types of jutsu. Also he wanted to learn all of his wood release jutsu in the forest because it just made sense, and it may even make some of the jutsu easier. Ban wondered if anything interesting would happen around the village soon. Such as a shinobi going rogue against the village and attempting to harm others. That would be fun, because Ban knew he'd be able to step in and take down the shinobi and maybe even get himself a reward for protecting the village from an unknown and unexpected assailant. Ban finished off with his thoughts as he arrived at his training area next to the stream once more. 

 For the first jutsu he would learn, it would be interesting. But before he could get started on the actual training, Ban began a quick sort of meditation in his mind, standing with his eyes closed. He pictured the things around him in his mind surrounding him. Everything here was based off the earth. The earth provided a surface for the stream to flow on, the earth provided a hold for plants to grow on, sending their roots lower into the ground of the earth, to stand tall without falling and also to find nutrients which would also come from the earth. When organisms died, they decomposed, decayed, and returned to the earth as nutrients for the soil so that other organisms could thrive in the environment. Ban took all of that and added his chakra into the equation. He could control this element and the possibilities would become endless. Ban opened his eyes. He was ready to train for the jutsu now. The jutsu was called the moving earth core jutsu. It was used to raise a chunk of the earth at a maximum of 10 meters into the air. In terms of length and width, the jutsu could be 5 meters by 5 meters. This jutsu would be useful to Ban if he ever needed to reach something that was in the air, or even if he needed to evade or block an incoming attack from an opponent. The jutsu didn't have any included hand signs, all that was required, was to clap your hands together and touch the ground raising a platform. Ban didn't want to make the platform too large, uprooting trees in the area, so he would do only the needed amount without any excess. Ban wanted his platform  to only be as wide as his current foot stance, and as long as a little over the length of his feet. Then he would have the jutsu raise him up 3 meters in height. Ban clapped his hands together and touched the ground, activating the jutsu, and just as expected, the earth below him began to push itself up higher and higher slowly until it reached Bans desired height of 3 meters up from the ground. Now, combining his normal height, and the 3 meters from the ground, the top of his head was 16 feet off the ground. Ban decided that if he was this high already, and no roots, then he should be fine if he went to the maximum. He kept his hands on the platform raising it slowly but surely, getting about a meter every 3 and a half seconds. Finally he hit the highest height he could go of 10 meters. Now the top of his head was 44 feet off the ground. He looked down and realized he was actually pretty high up. A couple more meters and he would be able to see over some of the shorter trees in the forest. He decided that was enough, and lowered himself back down to the normal ground level, taking his hands off the platform. That jutsu could come in handy. He hadn't really worked up a sweat training that jutsu, so he would move on to the next without taking a break or anything.


WC: 1,044

Ban stood in the forest after finishing his training with the earth release: moving earth core jutsu. Ban was 100% sure that jutsu would come in handy for him at some point in his life. He wasn't sure yet but the moment would come and he would use the jutsu. Ban played out one of his imaginary test scenarios in his mind. This time he was on another spying mission. He didn't have to leave the village hidden in the leaves, the mission was tasked inside of the gates. He had heard about a man holding a woman and 2 children hostage for a ransom. Ban was told the location of the man and his hostages, and quickly he rushed over to the house. The subjects were inside a two story house, on the second story so Ban would need to use his jutsu. Ban clapped his hands together and placed them on the ground. He began to rise up on the platform made of earth meter by meter slowly until he reached a height of nine meters, almost the maximum limit of the jutsu. Ban had made the dimensions, length, and width the maximum five by five meters just in case. That would make his platform an almost perfect square, with twenty five metered of square meters in area. Once Ban reached the height of nine meters, he looked through the closest window and could see the man and also the woman and children. The woman and Ban assumed her two kids, were tied up and couldn't get free. Ban came up with a plan. He busted open the window, and quickly weaved a tiger hand sign. Ban activated the hidden mist jutsu and breathed fog into the room. Before he followed through with that action, he had made sure he knew where the 3 hostages were. He hoisted himself through the window, and ran over to their area. He felt around and soon found them along with the ropes that were restricting their movements. Ban pulled out a kunai and rubbed it back and forth against all the ropes, setting those three free. On the other side of the room, Ban could here bumping around and repeated cussing, as the man tried futilely to escape the room. Ban couldn't see him but could definitely hear him, and he silently walked over trying his best to make sure the floor didn't even make a creak. He got close enough and listened one more time. The man cussed again, and Ban found the source of the voice, clocking him in the side of his head against his temple. Ban disabled his hidden mist jutsu and made sure the former hostages were all right. Ban snapped back to the real world, regaining his focus. 

 Ban decided that all of the thinking and since he really hadn't eaten anything today, he was hungry and would run back home quickly and get himself something to eat. Ban ran back through the village again, seeing familiar houses, stores, and families. How many times had he passed through here? He did his trademark waving as mostly everyone recognized him and smiled while waving. All of them were always looking so happy. Had they found their purpose in life and completed it? Was perhaps starting a family and reproducing to keep to human species alive and growing truly the purpose all humans were made for? Ban still believed mostly, that it was up to a person to decide their own purpose, and if they wanted to complete it within their own lifetime. Ban was waiting on a sign or anything like that for him to find his own purpose. He had no idea what he wanted to do before the end of his life yet. Maybe by meeting more people and realizing their ambitions would he then be able to understand what life truly was about for him. One thing Ban did want was more knowledge and understanding on his Senju clan, and what secrets they held. Ban wished that he knew more of his own clan members. All he had known as Senju clan members were his mother and biological father. His mother got married to a stepfather with the most annoying 3 sons that could ever have been given birth to. And the stepfather was a control freak. If something in the house couldn't be his way, then it would be no way at all. His biological father was someone Ban had never known. He had run from his wife and son a while ago. The thought didn't make Ban sad, just disappointed. He couldn't stay with his own family he had created and bonded with? Even though he had left he couldn't even stay in contact with his previous family? Ban shook his head at the thought. Sometimes Ban wondered how his mother was doing with his new husband and 3 stepsons. Occasionally Ban would feel guilty for leaving his mother like that. Her only son had just up and left. She had a husband but was she lonely sometimes? Did she ever need somebody to talk to about her arguments and problems with her husband? But then Ban would remember how he felt living there too. Control freak stepfather and pesky little stepbrothers. He couldn't continue to live with that type of thing around. Ban after all needed to move out soon anyways. Only two more years and he himself would be an adult. He needed the experience of living on his own. Sometimes he had felt lonely though. Ban had nobody to talk to or to hang out with. He was required to work at a young age and couldn't find any time to join the shinobi academy or go out and find some friends. If only his real father had stayed to take care of his- well not his family anymore. If only he had stayed to take care of his ex family. Ban would be in a completely different situation. He sighed and gently guided his mind off the subject and onto something else. He wanted to meet more people, and see what kind of ambitions they made, how they lived, and their personalities. Ban decided that he wanted to better understand the thoughts of other people, then he would know how they felt, and maybe understand better how to counter them in a battle. Every mind of every person was very complex and intricate, but there were no unlimited personalities in Bans opinion. How would he be able to understand the way one felt, and connect with their emotions? Ban arrived at the front door to his home, leaning over, hands on knees trying to catch this breath. He hadn't found himself  completely immune to getting short breathed due to the running distance. His lifted his head and hands up, reaching for the doorknob and turning it. As he stepped into his house, a wave of refreshing cool air hit him, and he made an "ahhhh" sound. After being outside in the heat for so long the inside of his house felt like a completely different world. He ran straight to the kitchen, closing the door behind him. The first thing he got from his kitchen, was about 6 cups of water. Not measuring cups, big cups. He immediately gulped down the water each time he filled it up. When he felt completely cooled off and hydrated he stopped. He looked around his kitchen. Now the issue was, what did he want to eat? Ban pulled himself up onto his counter, trying to think. He tried to remember all of the things he had bought when he went shopping for food the other day. Then he remembered that he had left some sushi in the fridge. Ah that's right! My sushi from the day before! He hopped of the counter and walked over to the refrigerator opening it. He pulled out his spicy tuna rolls, and his mouth began watering. They looked so good but there were only five of them. He push the fridge shut and quickly got to work on them, eating each one while and only chewing a little. They were made of Nori, rice, tuna, mayonnaise, and chili sauce. The only ingredient in the sushi rolls that he didn't like was the mayonnaise. Once he was finished, he was still hungry. The sushi wasn't enough. He opened up a cabinet that had quantities of ramen couple noodles. He ripped one opening, put the water in, and put it in the microwave. He then grabbed a pair of chopsticks out of his drawer. When they were done, and the microwave was beeping, he rushed over and pulled them out slamming the microwave shut. He tilted the cup up and shoveled the noodles into his mouth only using the chopsticks so the noodles wouldn't fall straight onto his face. Now that he was full, he decided it was time for him to get back to training. With a new and fresh amount of energy, he put everything back and burst out of the door dashing back to the forest. This new jutsu he was learning would be great. He had never learned a jutsu like this before and he was frantic to try it out straight away. Ban came up on the forest more quickly this time, and he also wasn't breathing as hard. He leaned down and splashed water from the stream onto his face to cool off. Then he prepared to begin learning this jutsu. The jutsu was called Earth Release: Earth Spear. Earth Spear was a durability increasing jutsu. It could increase the health and strength of the user by 30. There were no hand signs so Ban assumed he would just have to activate it on his own. You were supposed to flow your chakra through your whole body and exert your natural earth element. The users skin would take on a shade of dark brown. The shade would cover the users whole body except for mouth, nose, eyes, ears, and any other open parts of the body. Ban really hoped that this wouldn't get stuck all over his green cargo pants because he would probably have to scrub the dirt out. Or he could just buy a new pair but he'd rather not do that. Before Ban began with this jutsu he wanted to meditate again. He sat down in the same position as last time next to the stream. He listened to the flow of it, he listened to the rustling leaves in the trees, he listened to birds chirping, and all of the sounds of nature. He opened the door to his black meditation chambers and shut it behind him and he sat down in the same position. The black dark surroundings changed to images of soil. Next they changed to images of metal being forged into useful objects. His chamber flashed to millions of grains of sand on the beach. Clay under the water flashed as an image as well. Ban brought all of this and connected it to his chakra. This time instead of melding it with his chakra, he stacked it on top. He formed layers of earth on himself increasing his health and strength. He opened his eyes exiting his peaceful meditation state and looked at himself. He was covered in layers of earth just as in his meditation he was. He clenched his fist then unclenched it. Then he clenched it and and unclenched it. Then he did it one more time. He liked the feeling of that. He could see how tightly packed the layers were, stacking on top of his body. He also hoped that this wouldn't stick to any of his hair and pull it off because that would suck too. Ban wondered what types of things he could do with this jutsu. There were probably a ton of different uses for it and he would be the one to figure all of them out.

 Ban played out a scene for this jutsu in his head too. There was an accident while somebody had been cooking dinner. They left the pan unattended while checking on their children and the food in the pan heated up too much starting a fire. The mother still wasn't aware that a fire had started up, she was still tending to her young children. The flame had soon set ablaze to the whole kitchen and was eating up the wood inside the house fast. The mother and her 3 children were still trapped inside though. Ban before going into the inferno, formed two water clones. Ban activated his earth spear jutsu and busted through the front door. He listened for anyone crying out for help and he heard children crying so he ran to the sound with his water clones busting through doors. He found them inside a bedroom in a corner. He brought his water clones over to the fire in the room and released them dropping water on the fire. The fire in the room went out. Ban busted through the wall leading outside and safely evacuated the house with all of its occupants. Ban snapped back into reality. Usually he only did those scenarios to see what it would be like to use the jutsu in an emergency. If something like that really did happen he would be prepared. Now he would do some actual training with his new jutsu. First Ban wanted to test its strength out. He walked up to a smaller than the average size in this forest. He pulled his fist back, and with all the strength he could, punched it. His fist went entirely through it. The wood made a satisfying splitting sound as it was hit hard by Bans fist covered and layered in earth. He was surprised he actually broke through, he didn't think it would happen. The tree began to fall towards him and he know it was too late to outrun it. He had one option. That was to catch it. Ban put his hands over his has to stop the towering tree from crushing him. He caught it, lifted it some, and pushed it to the side. Wow this jutsu was amazing. It could break through trees and catch them when they fell. Ban wondered what else this jutsu could do in terms of strength. 

 He knew it wouldn't be interesting but he had no other ideas. Ban walked over to the stream and formed a tiger handsign. Two water clones rose from the stream and came out, one with a light jacket and the other without one. He would have to 2 versus 1 battle them to test it out. If both of them were attacking at once maybe it would be interesting. He told them his training plan and they agreed as usual. The two of them vs him. They begun the match. The clones flanked Bans left and right sides, but he dipped in between the gap and spun around. Leaping off one foot he flew at the first clone, fist raised in the air. It appeared as if Ban would take him out, but the second clone pulled him out of the way. Suddenly Ban got an idea. He got a little closer, then clapped his hand and touched the ground raising a 5 meter platform quickly, however one of the clones was on it. Ban rapidly raised it then lowered it so the clone was in mid air. Ban did the same launching himself into the air next to the clone barely above. Ban punched the clone in its chest and left his fist there until they hit the ground, which damaged the clone too much and made it splash into a puddle of water releasing itself. Ban looked at the other clone now. With only one of them it would be too easy. But he still wanted to practice. He told the clone to come at him and so that's what the clone did. The clone charged him again but this time it slid in between Bans legs. The clone then stood and grabbed Ban around the neck with no intentions of killing Ban but marking that he had won. The clone forgot Ban was covered in layers of earth, and he would be able to put no pressure on Bans neck. He grabbed the clone by his arms now and lifted him over his back. Ban laughed and said to the clone, "game point." Then he slammed the clone into the ground and made the water from it splash all over including his clothes and face. He sighed and decided that would be enough training with that jutsu. Ban wished he had a real sparring partner that he could go all out against and train with. Somebody with an interesting personality and somebody he could become close friends with. Training on his own was becoming a bore now and if his training became boring it would become too much work. He needed a true purpose to continue training like this. Ban released the earth spear jutsu and the layers of earth on his body began to fall off in chunks. It didn't pull any hair or messy up any clothes. It was completely dry. But there was dust all over him now. Oh well, Ban would take a shower when he finished he training and went back home. He still had two more jutsu to learn in this training session. Both of the jutsu were of the Moukton release. He would at least be happy to learn those two jutsu on his own. He knew from what type of jutsu the type were, that he would enjoy learning them. For now Ban would sit back and relax for a minute. Inside that suit of earth armor it got really hot and heated up. The only ventilation was the holes in the face. Ban sat down and began to lay down, proceeding to roll into the stream to cool off. 

WC: 3,013

Now Ban was really going to do it. He felt like this was the biggest moment in his life. Ban Senju was finally going to be able to learn some wood release jutsu. He didn't want to rush into it. In fact, he decided the first he would go home and get some rest, then resume with this training session the next day. He wanted peak performance, A1 quality in learning these jutsu. He wanted to do the best he could in learning all the wood element jutsu. Ban turned back towards the direction of the village, and began making his way back home. When he got back home he would eat some more food before he went to sleep, because ramen and sushi wasn't enough according to his stomach. He would need to make himself a full meal for dinner but he didn't know what he wanted to make. He would just have to wing it and make whatever he had that was good. He would also need a change of clothes and a hot shower. His clothes were currently dripping with water from when he rolled into the stream. Also his face was all dusty and his hair as well. He wasn't worried about that, he switched his focus from that to the Moukton release and Senju clan. Ban wondered just how many Senju clan jutsu existed. Would he be able to freely manipulate the element of wood? Could he grow trees to carry him around and send trees stretching at an opponent trying to impale them? He imagined being the strongest ninja in a war. The war came about due to the power hungry kumogakure. Ban wasn't sure if there were any villages allied with Konoha but he did know whoever was currently coming at him, was his enemy. He smiled and chuckled at the foolishness of the enemy shinobi coming at him. He used a jutsu that caused a full forest to emerge and he grew a tree under his very feet so he could watch. Some shinobi got stuck when a tree emerged from under them and fell from the high heights. Ban formed wooden shadow clones and had them drop from the trees. The shinobi were lost inside the newly created forest of 70 meter plus height trees. The shadow clones slowly one by one picked the ninja in the forest off. There were still more incoming after that. He saw about 10 shinobi running up the tree he currently resided on. He sprouted a tendril from the tree and hopped on it, carrying himself away. He then impaled the ninja running up the tree by emerging tendrils or spikes into them. The shinobi just kept coming back only to be taken down again. There was so much death aside from the enemies Ban had slain. So this was what war truly was.. Ban knew that it was only in his mind but if that was what war was like, he would do his best to avoid it.

 He found himself at the front of his house door, hand on the door knob getting ready to go inside and get himself some food. It was dark outside now, maybe midnight. Ban looked up at the sky and saw his favorite sight. The dazzling stars that dotted the sky with their brillierende in hours of darkness. Ban realized that he didn't want to go to sleep just yet, he could spend a little time at the pond near his house. He jogged over to the pond only about 35 meters away from his house. There were trees, so he chakra walked to the top of one of them and sat in its branches. Ban listened to the pond water washing up against its own shore and almost fell asleep. The sound was so rhythmic, soothing, and calming. Ban looked up at the sky one more time. He wondered what was out there with those stars. Was there more civilizations and species? There had to be right? That's what Ban thought. There were too many stars in the sky for there to be no more species out there. On other worlds were people shinobi or did they live their lives peacefully with no wars, hate, fights, or large disputes leading to worse things. Perhaps the other worlds sustaining life did not even have intelligent life. They could be just wild animals that constantly slaughtered each other and fought more than the shinobi in this world. Who was to say? Nobody unless they had a way to get to those worlds and find out. Ban lost himself deep into thought. He had a tendency to do this often. He wished he had a book on the entire existence of everything, something that would give him knowledge on everything he ever wanted to know. Wait.. no... That wouldn't be any fun for him. Then what would there to be for him to wonder about? He would rather find it out himself by venturing out into the world and learning things about the world and people. Ban wondered if someday he could abridge the villages and make it a world without war and hate, but then he decided against it. There was too much for him to do that on his own and lonesome. If he wanted something like that he would need a group of powerful shinobi. For now he wasn't too powerful himself, he still needed training. He would wait a while and hone his jutsu and skills. Then maybe if he talked to the hokage about setting out on a mission he could make some changes to this world full of fighting. He wanted to know what the Hokage thought of the world in its current state, and also all of the other kage. As well as every other person who had an opinion. Before he even realized, Ban dozed off into a sleeping state, forgetting to even go into his house and lay in bed.

 Ban dreamt about fighting the raikage, for their acts of tyranny over other villages including Sunagakure. He could tell this was a dream, and he would never do something as foolish as this, as this would start conflict between Kumogakure and Konohagakure as well. Ban readied himself in a fighting stance, anticipating an attack. He heard crackling, and looked at the raikages hand. The was lightning on it, which he assumed was meant for him. The raikage ran at him and the crackling got louder and louder. That's when he woke up. The tree branch he had fell asleep on, was cracking and he was going to fall off. Quickly, he formed a tiger hand sign, and two water clones formed from the pond 6 meters away. The branch snapped off the tree, and Ban fell with it. As fast as possible, the clones ran over and caught him before he could reach the ground. He said his thanks and released them back into the water form they were before being summoned. He rubbed the back of his head. Man he should really be more careful. He could've busted his head off the ground or the tree branch as he fell. Then what would he do if he was injured badly? He wouldn't be able to do anything on a daily basis normally anymore. No training and no learning Moukton jutsu. Yes, so from now on he would definitely be more careful in what he did, although he did not even intend to fall asleep in a tree branch. Ban last night, never got to take a shower and get himself something to eat. So that's what he would do now. He jogged over to his house, entered his key into the slot on the doorknob, twisted, and let himself in. He didn't know what he wanted to eat for breakfast but he did know he wanted a shower first. He grabbed just pants and boxer briefs, because it was already warm in the morning, he could tell it was going to be hot outside today. That meant no shirt for him. He finished showered, dried himself, got dressed, and went straight to the kitchen. Typically, a traditional Japanese breakfast consists of steamed rice, miso soup, a protein such as grilled fish and various side dishes but Ban didn't have time for all that. He needed to get back at training as soon as he could. Ban turned an oven eye on to about medium. He filled a pot halfway to the top with water and set it on top of the heating up oven eye. He opened a cabinet, grabbed a bag of rice, and poured it into the soon to be boiling water. Next, he went and got a skillet out of a different cabinet. He turned the next oven eye a little over medium. This time instead of water or rice, he got a salmon out of the fridge. First Ban put butter in the pan and a little bit of vegetable oil. Then he put the fish in the pan, and it began sizzling. He threw in garlic powder, salt, pepper, paprika, and a few other seasonings. When it was done, for the rice, he poured the water out of the pot slowly into the sink so rice wouldn't spill out. He took the fish off the skillet and put it on a cutting board. He chopped it up into blocky pieces. Then he got out a bowl. He poured the rice into it, and the fish as well, and he then mixed it all together. He got out a pair of chopsticks and took all of it to his bed before putting the used dishes in the sink to be washed later, and also turning off the stove top oven eyes. Before eating, Ban bowed his head, put his hands together, closed his eyes, and said "Thank you for the food." He used the chopsticks as a shovel and shoveled his fresh breakfast into his mouth. This should be good enough to give him energy for a good amount of hours. Ban ran back into the kitchen and quickly washed the pan, pot, and bowl then he put them on the dish dryer. He ran outside now and looked around. He couldn't tell what the weather today would be alike, aside from insane heat. It was too early to decide. The time was about maybe 7 AM. Ban started his run back to the forest. He was finally about to do it! He was going to train Wood Release jutsu! Ban Senju was learning Moukton jutsu TODAY. Ban couldn't believe it! He spun around in circles, jumped up and down, and did many other things hyping himself up. He ran harder than he usually had on his way down to the forest. Adrenaline pumped through his body allowing him to make it there easier. He skidded to a stop on the dirt when he could see the stream. He was going to get straight into training for this new jutsu. The jutsu was called Wood Release: Cutting. This was a jutsu where the user could grow sharp wooden spikes or branches on their body. The spikes could be molded to a close combat weapon or could even be thrown like a spear. The spikes could be triggered to grow more spikes off of them if half a hand sign was used. A total of 10 branches could be grown in one use of the jutsu. They could be up to five meters long as five meters thick. Luckily for Ban, there was only one hand sign on this jutsu and that would be the ram hand sign. He had done this hand sign a few times up to now. But before he could begin, he decided that he should go to the training grounds. At the training grounds he could use the dummies as targets which he would need for this jutsu. It wouldn't take him long to get from the forest to the stream. Only about one to two minutes. He started jogging and on his way, he was thinking about all the evil people in the world. Well, not generally all of the evil people because that was what he thought about constantly. But he thought about the people who could come after him. So many people coveted the DNA of his Senju clan. They wanted the Kekke Genkai Moukton. The thought of that set Ban off. He could feel rage swelling up inside of him. He wouldn't let anybody get his DNA or his wood release element. It was for him and not anybody else not originating from the Senju clan. He would fight anybody with his life to protect it. Maybe that could be his purpose. Fight to protect his Senju clan. 

He arrived at the familiar training grounds and wanted so badly to get to work. But he also wanted to meditate on the wood jutsu before he could learn it. He envisioned himself inside of his meditation chamber. He sat in front of a great and large tree. The tree was at least 500 feet or 152 meters. Ban was dumbfounded at the height of the tree. He knew there was a such thing as large trees but how could this be? A 500 foot tall tree? Just how did it get that tall anyways? Ban reflected on the tree and tried to understandable what it meant. He kept thinking and thinking but he couldn't figure anything out. What could a five hundred foot tall tree mean and represent? Also what was it doing in Bans thoughts? He tried to think back to earlier of what he could have been thinking of. Was it the Moukton release? No that would've been too simple. Then he got it.. The large tree represented his clan, the Senju clan. He was sitting at the roots of the tree, and he thought, "I need to go back to the roots of Moukton." So Ban began meditation on the earth and water elements again. He knew it was also a part of the water element so even though he had not water to, he did meditate on it. Ban thought about the saliva in his mouth, mucus, the pulse of the blood, sweat, and the feeling of moisture in exhalig. Ban called out to the oceans and rivers and streams, the water that hydrates the soil, the rain and clouds, and the water inside plants. Now he would change his focus to the earth element. The earth element is solid and stubborn. He thought about mountains, rocks, pebbles, soil, plants, and crops growing at farms. He opened his eyes now, done contemplating the elements that make up the Moukton release. He was ready to learn this jutsu. He wasn't sure though if he would meditate like this every time he learned a new wood release jutsu. In his opinion it helped to focus on the element and truly attempt learning of the jutsu. He would stop thinking about it now and actually learn it. Ban made the rat hand sign but instead of grabbing the fingers with the other hand, he made the other hand into the same form as the first hand and grab it with the ring and pinky fingers.

 First off, Ban grew a branch from under side wrist. The side of his wrist where his palm is at. He grew it from there, pulled it off with the same side hand, which was his left, and threw it at a dummy. The dummy was impaled through the stomach with a 1 meter long wooden spike. Ban couldn't believe that he could create wooden spikes like this that were five meters long. He did the hand sign with one hand, that causes four more branches to grow out. The effect was as said, and he had made the extra branches grow out with a size of two meters. This jutsu was crazy and Ban was in love with it. This wasn't even the limit of the jutsu. He could still use the branches as close combat weapons. This time, he grew two out of the same area on his wrist, one for each hand. He made each of them one meter and sharp on the edges. Ban ran up to a dummy. He began practicing hitting onto a few certain body parts as if it were a real sword fight, with his wooden swords. He felt like a child playing with toys. He didn't want to break the dummy straight away, so he hit softly. Ban broke them of and stepped back about 4 meters. He threw the projectile spikes and both stuck straight into the head of the dummy. Ban made the hand sign again and more branches grew out of the two totaling to be six branches on the dummies head. If Ban were to do that to a normal person, it would be brutal. He would never do something like that to somebody unless it was completely needed. He may not even do it then. Throwing a spike into a persons head and then expanding the spike to grow more spikes onto it? Ban shivered at the thought of that. Who would be so cruel as to do that to a human being or any living creature? Ban finished up growing the rest of the 7 spikes he had left in the jutsu and stopped. He thought that would be enough for this jutsu, for now anyways. He would definitely hone and sharpen his skills with this jutsu because it could become a crucial jutsu added to his arsenal. Ban twisted his torso to the left, and then to the right. Now it was time for him to get on with his last jutsu in this training session. He wasn't sure if he would like the Wood Release: Cutting Jutsu. Or this next one he would train. Both of them were definitely amazing that was for sure.


WC: 3,009

Ban was already tired and drowsy at this point, he had taken a lot out of himself in the heat of today, but the spiky haired genin was too determined to learn the secret Moukton jutsu of his clan. He wanted to go back to the lake with the waterfall that he had learned his first powerful water element jutsu at. The place was beautiful as anything or anybody could ever hope to be. It was a place of any persons dreams. When one thought of nature, a thought of places like that surfaced inside of their minds. Ban found a sense of joy there, being of the Senju clan. He would head back there to begin his next jutsu training, and from there, he would go back home. Ban wanted to remember the heavenly scene of nature not just in his mind, so this time he would bring a sketchbook. That way he could show others the sight of heaven on earth. In fact, why not sketch all of the places he'd been to and trained at? However, he was so eager to learn earth element and wood element jutsu, that he had forgotten to get himself a sketch book. He sighed and rubbed the nape of his neck in disappointment with himself. He picked himself up from the dusty ground of the training grounds. He would have to hurry and go pick it up from his house before dusk hit. Ban was completely fine with dusk and dark, however he did not want to be lost deep in a forest at night, not knowing his way back home. So in that case he would try to hurry and finish before dusk came. He took off sprinting, gradually increasing his speed as he went on. He passed through village and by houses and their residents quickly. He had no time to smile and wave this time. He lowered his head as if pushing through something invisible, and tried to go even faster. His footsteps were loud as he stomped through the village in a hurry. The rhythm of his breath also grew louder as he exhaled oxygen pushing the speed of his body to its limit. When the genin came up to his one story house, he jumped up the two steps leading to his front door. Hurriedly, he reached up to the doorknob grabbing it, and twisted. The knob wouldn't budge to open the door. Ban growled. He had forgotten that he had locked the door. He fumbled through his pockets grasping for anything he felt that was metal. His hand hit a ridged metal surface and his face lit up. He pulled the key to his house out of his pocket, some pocket lint from his cargo pants coming out with it. He brushed it off, and inserted the key into the key hole of the door knob. He twisted, listening to the satisfying click of the lock being undone by the key. Ban then twisted the doorknob once more, pushing the door inwards, and leaving the key in as well as the door open. He leaped through the door as soon as he caught sight of the familiar wooden floor. He ran over to his dresser, and grabbed the sketch book and a sharpened pencil. He dashed back over to the door, pulled the key after twisting it to lock the door back up, and jumped off of the steps while holding onto the door so it was pulled shut, being carried along with his jumping momentum. His feet hit the ground, and he took off towards the forest again. Ban flew by all of the people again, their children, their homes, and their happy carefree lives. He envied them but he wasn't worried about all of that right now. He wanted to get to that lake as soon as possible. Ban tried moving his legs faster, and taking wider strides so that he could increase his amount of speed. It was going to be sunset in about two hours, and he had about half an hour to get to the lake, with maybe an hour of training. However he would need that half hour to get back home and hopefully he could do it before dusk painted its colors of purple and black over the blue sky and the orange sun. His feet trampled the ground of the forest, as he reentered it, and began to follow next to the stream. His feet left footprints in the moist soil, due to the stream of freshwater next to it. The stream was his guide back to the lake with the waterfall, as it was simple logic that a stream would flow away from the source of water that fed it. The water from the lake was pushed out, and away from itself which created the stream Ban was so familiarized with by now. He could soon hear the overwhelming roar of the waterfall. It filled his ears blocking out any other sounds he was previously able to hear, like a wall. He sped up wanting to get there even more now. This had become his favorite place in the world now. He ran out into the opening of the lake and the waterfall again. He smiled as he looked around and took a deep breath inhaling the fresh air which contained water vapor evaporated from the lake. Ban wished that he was able to have a house sitting on the edges of this lake. Everyday he would wake up, and come out glancing across the 1000 meter surface of the clear freshwater blue lake. The thought of that pleased him to a great degree. He was sure that he had fallen in love with this astonishing scenery. He walked up to the banks of the lake, and waded in up to his calves not caring about the water soaking into his green cargo pants. The water was cold but not freezing cold. It was refreshing to feel cooled off in this intense heat bearing down on his back. He lightly tossed his sketch book and pencil into the soil, away from the waves of the lake. He tossed them lightly not wanting any creases or bends in the sketch book and also not wanting the pencil tip to break off. Ban dove straight into the lake with his whole body, making a splash and rocking the area of water back and forth. Now he would most definitely be cooled off for a good solid hour. He could train without the heat drawing out sweat from the pores in his toned body. He was ready to get to work.

 First Ban wanted to begin his sketch of the heaven he was in. He turned around and began walking out from the lake, pants dropping off droplets of water into the sand which was hot from the blazing sun. Ban wiped his hands in the sand, drying them off and then rubbed his hands together watching the sand grains fall in clumps. He then lay in the soil on his stomach, back up in the air. He opened the book to the first page which was empty, and picked up his pencil and got to drawing, but carefully so he would not wet the pages of his personal book. It had a leather cover on the outside, with all of the pages attached to it. He started off with the soil that held in the towering trees, at a height of about 50 meters each. He sketched their trunks, making sure to add the rough and scratchy texture of them. He worked his way up to the branches. He almost drew the branches as the trunk of the tree, with the same texture and essentially the same shape but on a lower scale and much thinner. From the branches, jutting out, was more and smaller branches. Soon the size of the branches faded to twigs, and from there, there were leaves. He showed that the leaves had no ridges, they were round, smooth, and a healthy and bright green. He added their texture as well, showcasing how they creased in the middle, and also had lines running from the crease to the left and right edges of the leaves. Next he showed the merging point of the soil and the sand, where the sand stacked onto the soil because it was more recent but it was also less dense, not that it would mean anything because the layers of objects was only decided by density if the objects were a liquid. The sand wasn't going to float out of the soil if the soil was placed over it. Now he worked on adding the sand into the scheme of his sketch, but took a while because there was so much of it. The sand soon enough would converge into the lake, which would become the centerpiece of his basic art. He gave the freshwater lake as much detail as possible. Ban detailed the lake pulling sand from the shore, and the waves that pushed out, returned to their source. He showed that part of the sand darker than the rest, as it had absorbed the moisture of the lakes water. The gleam of the fiery ball of hat in the sky was also shown on top of the lake. He also made the lake transparent in his drawings. One would be able to see the plant life growing beneath the surface, and the fish in motion, darting around the body of water. Now, he demonstrated the lake flowing into the loud crushing waterfall. He exhibited the foam it head created by folding over itself numerous times, dropping from one surface to another. From there it was lead into a new fast flowing river, and that was where the image would fade out. Ban thought he had done well on his recreation of the place he loved so much. It was almost as if they were identical. He could feel a sense of pride welling up in his chest. He smiled and ran his hand through his orange spiky hair, getting sand into it unintentionally. The teenager was not aware he still had a few grains of sand clinging to his hands. He would not have minded if he knew anyways. He was able to wash it out when he got back home. He smiled at his new drawing, and found himself a new hobby that wasn't work like training was. Now he had something to do whenever he would become bored. Yes, Ban would surely continue along with the new hobby he had found. He now would set his sketch book to the side, the pencil following with it. He had brought another book with him, but this one contained knowledge that was very important to him. It involved the secret Moukton jutsu of the Senju clan that the genin was born into. He had to bend over backwards to retrieve this special book. He made a visit to the library after he finished his training with the Wood Release: Cutting Jutsu. He searched around for any more information on his clan and their bloodline wood jutsu. He had found the hard cover book with the title, "The Senju." When he had first caught sight of it, he gasped in shock. He couldn't believe there was really a book like this just sitting in a library. He took it over to the librarian curiously. The librarian was an elderly man maybe in his late 70s. He had gray hair, was skinny, and one was able to see the veins that popped out of his skin. He asked if he could have the book and the librarian replied "First of all young man, that book is for granted access to member of the Senju clan only and therefore no you may not claim ownership to that book. However if you were a part of that particular clan of Konohagakure, I would gladly offer the book to you." Ban grinned greedily and put his hands together, weaving the ram hand sign. He grew a 3 meter wooden spike out of his under side of his left wrist. "Is this proof enough?" Ban asked the elderly librarian. The old man raised his grey eyebrows in surprise. "Forgive me I had no idea." He then nodded his head in approval of Ban taking the book with him as his own. "Its fine, thanks old man!" Ban then happily ran out of the library. 

 "Hmmmm. Let's see here." Ban said as he was occupied flipping through the book, searching for the jutsu he had found earlier, that he decided he wanted to learn. "Ah! Here it is! Wood Clone Technique!" Ban read through the information of the jutsu carefully. All in all, it was similar to a water clone, however this wood clone could be created from the body of the user or from a source of wood. If created from his body the following would be the results, Moukton would emerge from the body of the user in the shape of tendrils made from wood. Two clones could be made at maximum exactly like the water clone jutsu. If he created the clones in this way, his chakra would be shared with the clones, until the clones were either destroyed or released, and at that moment in time he would regain the remaining chakra he had loaned to the clones. If he would create the clones from a source of wood, the following would happen, the clone or clones would take away wood from the source. That was an obvious effect. This way, the clone would have their own chakra and Ban would not need to loan them his own as much. Ban preferred to create a clone or two in that way, because in a battle situation, he would want all the chakra possible to be conserved while using jutsu. Running out of chakra to cast jutsu in a battle could be the cause of ones death, and Ban most definitely did not want to go out that way. But in any case, today because it was only training and for practice purposes, he would create one clone from his own chakra, and the other clone from a Moukton source, giving it its own chakra in a sense. Ban read that the clones would have strength equal to his own, regardless of how they were created which pleased him to a good degree. The water clones were weaker than him and having clones at the same level strength of his, would no doubt make Ban a bigger threat in a fight against anybody. The clones obviously being stronger, would be harder to be destroyed than water clones, but also, because wood is more durable than water. You could easily jab a sword through water, but wood is on a different level. The clones were also able to talk to one another through their minds, and also to Ban. That was his favorite aspect of the jutsu. That was amazing! To be able to communicate with somebody through your mind thinking?! They could also merge in with a tree to spy on enemies. There was one more thing about this jutsu. If he wanted, Ban could create tracking seeds instead of the clones. He didn't think that would be needed but it was still a useful aspect of the jutsu. Ban could not even fathom how useful this jutsu would be to him. He wanted to hurry and get started with this training, so he searched for the hand signs that were required to activate the jutsu. He found them at the top of the page under the title of the jutsu and read it. There were only three, the tiger, the dog, and the snake. Ban had done all of those before, so this would be quite an easy feat for him. Ban quickly interlaced his left and right pinky and ring fingers. His left and right middle and index fingers were left standing with both thumbs pressed on the side of his index fingers. Next he held up his leftr hand and made it into a fist. He then held up his right and placed it flat onto the balled up fist that was his left hand. That one was easy. And last, for the snake hand sign, Ban basically put both his hands together and interlaced all his fingers. He then called out "Wood Clone Jutsu!" His voice could be heard in an echo over the lake. He smiled as a clone began to somehow sprout out of his body. He looked at it with a frown on his face. It didn't look like a clone of himself, it looked like wood coming out of the side of him. It finished exiting his body, and it stood as a human, but a large and sculpted piece of wood. Ban frowned again but his expression soon changed as the wood began to change color, matching Bans tanned skin complexion, spikes of orange hair poking out of its head, and orange irises too. Soon it seemed as if it had been finished transforming. Ban walked from one side to another side. This clone like the water clones, seemed to be an exact replica of him so far. He then went from the front of the clone, to its back. He could not seem to find any differences. He made his hand into a fist and knocked on its shoulder with his knuckles. It sounded and felt as if it was really made of wood so how could it look exactly like him like this? He decided that he shouldn't question it and smiled. So this was a wood clone eh? He could feel the chakra drained from him as soon as the clone was dropped off from his body. That part of the jutsu that he had read was definitely true. He wanted to make the second clone before he tried anything out so he told the first clone to follow him. "Yo come over here other me. By the way you're really cool!" Ban motioned for the clone to follow him over the a tree. "Alright let's make another Ban now." The trunk of the tree was thick which was to be expected from a 50 meter tall tree. It shouldn't collapse if he removed some wood the size of him from it. He formed the hand signs again in order of the tiger hand sign, the dog, and lastly the snake. He called out the name of the Moukton jutsu once more and watched as the mass of wood removed itself from the tree and began to shape itself into Ban. The colors changed and the hair formed. Ban was still amazed. He had witnessed the water clones doing this, but this was different. Wood transforming into him? That was something he couldn't put off. But he would temporarily as he decided that he would now put their abilities to the test. 

 He would go in order of what he had read the abilities of the clones were. Therefore, first he would test if they could talk through thoughts with him. He thought to himself "Yo can both of you hear me? If you can, answer me by thinking you of your answer." Ban waited to see if what he had read was true. "Yeah I can hear you loud and clear!" The clone that was created from his body replied. "Yep same here! I can hear both of you too!" The second clone that was created from a tree replied to the original Ban and the first clone. "Yo this is so dope! We can read each other's minds! Wow you guys are so cool! I'm gonna be summoning both of you a ton!" Ban was exclaiming ecstatically to the clones with his thoughts. This was tied for his favorite jutsu with the other jutsu being the Wood Element: Wood Cutting Jutsu. Now the hunger for more Moukton jutsu grew even larger in him. Speaking of hunger, Bans stomach growled loudly. Between learning the two Moukton jutsu today, and running back and forth from the forest to the village, he had used a lot of energy today. He would make himself a feast when he got back home, which would most likely be about three to four cups of ramen noodles. He would be too lazy and too tired to make himself something to eat when he got back. The excited genin shifted his focus back into the wood clone jutsu. "Okay now I want to see you guys merge with a tree! That sounds so cool! I wish I could do that.." Ban sent his thoughts to the other clones still amazed by the features that came with them. Him and the two copies of himself found two trees easily as they were in the forest. One tree each for the clones to merge with. The clones approached the trees, and propped their backs up against them. Slowly, the two wooden clones began to seemingly melt into the trees. When they were done, Ban wasn't able to tell that they were even there. All he could see was two 50 meter tall trees. He walked up to one of the trees and rubbed his hand against the rough bark surface. Nothing. The only way he knew was because they were his clones and he had sent them to merge with the trees. "Alright that was really cool! You guys can come on out now. By the way, I just want to let you know that I respect you. I don't think of you as my servants or anything. Really I see you guys as twin brothers to me so if you don't want to do something just let me know and you don't have to do it." The clones popped out from the bark of the forest trees. "That's fine, we know that you would never think of us like that or anything because we are you. But we'll still listen to you! We think you're cool!" Both of them broadcasted their thoughts in unison. A grin spread the corners of his mouth ear to ear. He did not care about their answer, mostly that they had answered at the same time because they were the same. Ban was completely satisfied with the performance of his clones, and what they had showed him what they could do. He would use this jutsu a lot as well as the Wood Cutting jutsu too. He wondered he powerful he could be if he paired the two jutsu together. Or better yet paired the two jutsu with even more jutsu from his new book of Senju clan secrets? The thought aroused curiousity inside of his mind. "Alright you guys did great today! I'll summon you really often because you're amazing! You two can go back now, first clone back to me and second back to the tree. Ban approached the first clone a rested his hand on its shoulder after making the clone hand sign. He absorbed the clone back regaining his chakra, and watched as the second clone filled in the hole it had made while coming out of the tree, becoming a perfect fit, and putting the tree in its former state. Ban looked into the sky and could see the sun was setting now. He hurriedly ran to gather both of his books, the sketch book, and the Senju clan book, along with his pencil. He tucked everything under his arm, and broke into a sprint heading home to get some rest and most importantly some food. The soil made squishing sounds as he ran, which became irritating, but he couldn't do anything to stop it as he had no items to dry his sandals off with. He tried ignoring it by thinking of the roaring waterfall flooding his ears as he ran.

WC: 4,006

Approved