The Quest for Genin

Part One: The Clone Technique
 
 Zuko currently sat in a comfortable spot on the ground, in a more shaded area of the Academy's training yard. It was a particularly warm day in the Hidden Leaf Village, and it was the perfect opportunity for him to practice the first step into becoming a Genin: the Clone Technique. So, there he sat, cross-legged, with his student notebook opened up on top of his lap, turned to a particularly titled page. Back against a tree, Zuko muttered to himself as he reviewed the appropriate hand-seals.

"Ram...Snake...Tiger...", he recited, softly, to which he began making the associated hand sign to each listed animal. Zuko liked to be precise when he formed seals and made it a habit of repeating every sequence to every jutsu he would ever learn. Today was no different. Zuko repeated the sequence of seals several times before he felt satisfied with the familiarity in his fingers. Once the aforementioned was achieved, and Zuko had the seals thoroughly memorized, he moved on to the more difficult part; adding his own chakra to the mix.

Closing his notebook and setting it aside, for the time being, Zuko sat up a little straighter and brought his hands out in front of him for the umpteenth time. Only this time, he channeled a decent amount of his chakra through his coils before he ran through the correct hand-seals at a slightly quicker pace than before. With the last Tiger seal formed, Zuko called out, "Clone Jutsu!" before a small puff of smoke burst to life a few inches next to him that, after shortly clearing, revealed a slightly shimmering copy of the boy himself. It looked more like a someone's subtly drawn portrait of the Genin-to-be brought to life.

 Zuko sighed. The first try's not always the best try..., he commented mentally as he idly made to touch the partially-formed Zuko-clone. It hardly felt solid, as he touched a finger to its wobbling cheek. Which only lasted a second as the clone dispersed at the act of contact. Blinking, the real Zuko sat back down and made to try for a second time.

This time, Zuko decided to add a tad more chakra than was used before, in hopes that the next clone would come out looking a bit more solid. "Let's try this again...", Zuko spoke, before running through the seals one more time, drawing much more chakra than before, like he said, and calling out another "Clone Jutsu!". Once again, a puff a smoke burst into existence next to Zuko. This time, the smoke revealed another Zuko look-alike, looking a lot more "real" than its predecessor. Zuko turned and quietly beamed under his mask, his doppelganger eerily mimicking. Zuko waved his hand, the clone did the same. "Cool...", he enthused softly.

Chuckling to himself, Zuko heaved himself from his sitting area, as comfortable as it was. Of course, the clone did the same thing he did, which prompted him to disperse the clone. Not that it was creepy (much), but because he wanted to try for two clones instead of one. Stretching the cricks and cracks out of his limbs and body, Zuko readied himself once more for the Clone Technique. The sun had gone down a bit during the hour or so he spent outside practicing. He'd probably pack up to leave soon, but he was going to make this last time count.

Channeling a little over the same amount of chakra as before, Zuko sped through the hand-seals a final time, faster than he had attempted today, and called, "Clone Jutsu!". Unlike his previous attempts, two puffs of smoke appeared on both sides of Zuko. To his pleasant surprise, both revealed a solid-looking Zuko-clone, both blinking at him as he blinked back at them. "Yes!", all three Zuko's declared, each pumping a fist in the air. Practically giggling to himself, he dispersed both of the clones, plopping back down on the ground. He was already breathing slightly heavier than normal, due to the usage of his chakra draining a bit out of him. It was all well worth the effort. Basking in his accomplishment for a little, Zuko decided to grab his things and head on home.

Part Two: The Transformation Technique
 Following his success with learning the Clone Technique, Zuko now had one more obstacle to he needed to overcome; the Transformation Technique. Every ninja and their sensei were all required to demonstrate proficiency with this technique at some point; he would be no different. This would be his last step in becoming a full-fledged Genin and Zuko was fully determined on getting it right. Which brings the attention to the white-haired boy, once again, sitting alone at the Academy training yard. It was actually fairly deserted at the time, much to Zuko's satisfaction. He found it slightly difficult to get any practicing done around the watchful eyes of his peers. The less people around him, the more he could concentrate. 

 He sat in his usual study area/hangout underneath a decently sized tree, with legs crossed and his eyes glued to his shifting hands, watching as he repeated the sequence the seals necessary to perform the technique. Dog, Boar, Ram...Dog, Boar, Ram..., he chanted internally as he repeated the "mantra" to memorize the sequence of hand seals, progressively increasing the speed in his hands, not unlike his methods with learning the Clone Technique. All without touching any of his chakra yet. Once Zuko felt satisfied with the familiarity in his fingers, the boy finally decided to put himself to the test.

 He'd decided to focus on transforming into his Dad, Tenma Alberona. After having been in his presence for the entirety of his life, Zuko had no choice but to memorize his looks. All he needed to do know was put that information to good use. Heaving himself to his feet, stretching, Zuko prepared tChanneling a sufficient amount of chakra, Zuko quickly ran through the correct hand seals before calling out, "Transformation Jutsu!" Immediately a wave of smoke burst around his person, obscuring his vision shortly, before quickly clearing away in short order. Curious, Zuko looked down at his arms, still locked in the Ram seal, to see if his first attempt was successful. It took him a few seconds to realize that his arms were a few inches bigger than he was usually accustomed to. He quickly grabbed a clean kunai from his pouch to check his reflection, and sure enough, the dark, chiseled face of his old man stared right back at him.

 Zuko grinned, punching the air with the fist holding the kunai, before dispersing the transformation. He did it. He actually did it! Not only did he ace a Transformation on his first try, but he was now officially well on his way to becoming a Genin of the Hidden Leaf Village, taking the first step in a long journey to becoming a strong shinobi. 

Wordcount: 1,151

Claims: 

• +5 Stat Points
  
• Clone Technique
  
• Transformation Technique