Learning the Ropes

Thu Jan 11, 2018 8:49 pm

Yorokobi was back in his house with his father preparing dinner when suddenly his mother slammed the door behind her as she came home from the bar. She didn’t even acknowledge Yorokobi and immediately went to the kitchen to confront her husband. Yorokobi continued setting the table for their meal but then was startled by a pot slammed in the kitchen and looked over to see dinner on the floor. Yorokobi sees his mother rush over to try and grab him but his father quickly dashed over to him protecting his son. She went to strike them but before she could Yorokobi’s father puts out his hand and when her strike should’ve landed it was met by a glistening rainbow wall protecting them. She continued to beat and slam upon the wall while Yorokobi stuffed his face into his father’s chest hoping she would stop. A few moments later, the banging stopped and she just stands there staring at them until she began to smile and started growing immensely breaking through the roof of their home. When she finally stopped growing at around 25 meters tall she slammed her palm into them seemingly ending everything Yorokobi ever knew and loved.

Then, Yorokobi suddenly shot up from the floor he chose to rest with a rapid heartbeat sweating bullets into his clothes. He grabbed his chest making sure he was alright and slowly took a deep breath It was only a dream. Why is it even when I run away I can’t get away from that monster. Yorokobi got up and began to explore the cavern. So much happened yesterday I never got a chance to look around this place, huh. Yorokobi ventured deep into the cave until he stumbled upon an abandoned mineshaft that he chooses to explore. Seems like this place has been out of commission for quite a while. Yorokobi grabbed an old picaxe and began to inspect it to be anything special. There’s rust all over the tools along with all the lights being out. Seems like the village Sumairu and Kokai are from used this for ores and such to smelt their kunai and trade with but it’s been decades since anyone has been down here.

Yorokobi looked for anything useful to find in the mineshaft but found nothing he saw as useful so he continued toward the opening of the cave. As he approached the opening of the cave he saw Yoru keeping watch out in the rain and can faintly hear him singing in the mild downpour. He must have been out here all night. Must be worried about any bandits coming to check on their friends who burned down the village. I’m gonna check how he’s been and if he’d like to switch and get some rest. As Yorokobi approached Yoru he said, “How’s it going, man? See anything worth mentioning or just another rainy night?”

WC: 501

Thu Jan 11, 2018 10:29 pm

It had been several hours since Yoru and Sumairu had parted ways, but Yoru had insisted on keeping watch, singing his melody to himself. His song, however, came to a halt when he
was interrupted for the second time during his shift, this time by Yorokobi. It did not bother him, though, as he was not easily annoyed. Although Sumairu had convinced him to come inside earlier, he had gone back out. The rain helped to mask the senses against other threats, notably sight, sound, and smell. However, if he stood out in the rain, then any hostile enemy would be able to attack him first… and then the attacker would be dealt with. Perks of immortality included being able to tank most attacks. To his knowledge, Yoru could not be killed, but in reality, this was only half true. He was unable to be killed naturally, but things such as starvation and sickness were practically a death sentence.

The Jashinist heard the Uzumaki’s approach, and as such walked into the cave to talk. “Hello, Yorokobi. Yoru gave a warm smile to the boy who had a name similar to his own, although the smile was not real. Not yet, anyways. Of course, most people, let alone a child, would not be able to tell that the gesture was not truly genuine. No, Yoru found it near impossible to feel a shred of happiness. He had always been a rather empty child, finding little to no pleasure in most activities or hobbies. Killing had always been his calling, but it was turning him into something he despised. Something he didn’t think he could escape from if he were to allow it to control him.

“Nothing of note has happened.” Yoru turned back towards the outside, looking out at it. Keeping his gaze out, Yoru began to speak again. “What have you been up to? I’m afraid I haven’t seen the rest of the cave.”

WC: 333

Sat Jan 13, 2018 9:45 pm

Yorokobi walked up beside Yoru looking out into the rain finding a calming nature to it reminding him of his days at the cloud village. “Oh, I just woke up and looked around the cave a bit. I came across an old mineshaft that I assume the village used to use to get materials and such but it seemed to be abandoned for far longer since we’ve been around so I doubt any of the tools from it are usable.” Yorokobi looked over at Yoru and scratched the back of his head in a nervous fashion. “Hey, man. I had this really weird dream before I was looking around the cave.” Yorokobi put both arms behind his head in a relaxed way and smiled awkwardly hoping to convince Yoru to help him with his next request. “And I was hoping you could help me out with learning a jutsu I saw used in the dream that could help...most of us.”

WC: 664

Sun Jan 14, 2018 2:15 am

Yoru tried listening to the best of his ability, but truth be told, he was not used to others or how to interact with them. Not like a person. He asked as a means to appear personable and listened to Yorokobi give him details of what he had done, exploring, etc., but found himself not understanding. He had never really found himself aligned with anyone, save for the priest who indoctrinated him. Even then, Yoru did not spend much time with him before the two parted ways, each going to spread the word of Jashin and slaughter heretics. He mildly tensed up at the memory, but he had enough control over his body to not let it show. People with dojutsu or who were looking analytically over body language may be able to pick it up, but luckily most people did not care about him. Not until this ragtag group of misfits.

“Sure, I can help you practice,” he said, turning his head towards Yorokobi. “I take it that means you want to spar? It’s one of the easier ways to train.”

What am I doing?

He pointed out towards the space in front of the cave. “That seems like a good spot. As long as you don’t mind the rain, that is.”

I haven’t sparred anyone in… in my life.

Yoru looked towards the rain, listening to the Uzumaki’s response, but he was trapped in his own memories. Blood. Screams. Slaughter.

I’ve only massacred.

He refused to show his conflict on the outside, however. He remained composed, his hands clenching and unclenching to get the blood flowing. He had discarded his old weapons before he had tried to kill himself, what seemed like so long ago. The weapons that he had slaughtered towns with had been abandoned, probably taken by a merchant or wanderer. It was for the best, after all. Now that it seemed that he would need to hone his skills once more, he turned to making his body a weapon. Taijutsu could be deadly when used in the right hands, and his devotion to Jashin prohibited him from focusing on ninjutsu. No, his body was a weapon for his lord… or for these orphans… or for himself. Yoru closed his eyes hard as he could not decide. Later. He pushed this conflict to the back of his mind, his goal becoming immediate instead of long term. Yoru motioned for the boy to follow him out into the rain, leading the way some twenty-five meters from the entrance of the cave. He would stop there, turning and telling Yorokobi to stop when he had reached twenty meters from the cave entrance. Distance is important.

“Now,” Yoru said, extending one hand outwards with his palm facing forward, holding the other behind his back. His feet were positioned so that his body was perpendicular to that of Yorokobi, with the jashinist’s right side pointed towards Yorokobi’s body like a spear, his legs slightly bent and his guard up. “Show me this technique of yours.”

WC: 865

Sun Jan 14, 2018 8:59 pm

Yorokobi followed Yoru into the rain and saw Yoru wanting him to stand 5 meters apart from him but Yorokobi knew he needed more room than that for the Justu he was trying to learn.

I don’t know how I feel about Yoru setting the distance apart and already being in a readied stance. I’m going to stop a few meters before where he wants just to be safe. Yorokobi stopped about 8-9 meters before where Yoru did so that he would have the space he would prefer to be safe. This should work fine. Yorokobi then planted his feet firmly into the ground and readying his mind, calming himself and clearing any unneeded thoughts to flow through and escape.

He heard Yoru ask him to show the technique he was trying to learn and said “Well, it’s a defensive jutsu that casts a barrier a meter from my hand that stops seemingly anything coming at it and doesn’t show until hit and at that moment it shows in a rainbow coloration prism. I stopped a few meters before where you wanted so I could have the space between us to use it.”

After saying this Yorokobi slowly put his arm out straight in front of him facing Yoru then tensed his arm trying to get the barrier to form around him sent chakra out into his palm and fingers slowly sending a steady flow through his arm and outward. I really hope this works and he doesn’t punch the shit out of me.

WC: 943

Mon Jan 15, 2018 2:52 am

While Yorokobi was still talking, explaining the technique, Yoru closed his eyes, dropped his stance, and held his hands together in front of his face at a very slow speed of 20, taking a deep breath. As he did so, Yorokobi would be able to see a faint yellow aura surround the Jashinist. Yoru opened his eyes, revealing them to be completely white. He did not necessarily need the booster, but it would help to solidify his point. While the Uzumaki was still in the middle of talking, Yoru would start running at a speed of 20, as he could not reach his top speed of 40 yet, closing the distance. Yorokobi would be able to see him do this, and it was up to him to respond. However, if the boy chose to continue with his explanation, Yoru would reach him and drop down, spinning around and shooting out his leg to sweep the Uzumaki's out from underneath him with a strength of 55 and a speed of 25. Yoru held back, however, so the strength would be dialed back to knock the wind out of him, instead of attempting a lethal shot.

Yorokobi had one of two base options here. He could either react to the Jashinist’s actions and get swept off of his feet or he could try to stop his explanation and project the barrier before, thus timelining the actions that Yoru committed. He was also welcome to trying out another option if he was able to think of it.

WC: 1119

Tue Jan 16, 2018 10:01 am

Yorokobi sees Yoru rushing at him and quickly cuts himself off of his explanation and uses body flicker at a speed of 47 to dash 20 meters to the left where he finds himself at a safe distance around a pile of rocks and out of the way from Yoru.

“Well we’re just going straight into this, huh? I like it, let’s keep it up”

Yorokobi quickly gets himself into a fighting stance planting his feet into the ground around him waiting for Yoru to come to try and strike him again. This time I’ll be ready for him and can actually plan a counter to him and try an attack myself.

Yorokobi then gives Yoru a smirk of confidence from dodging his attack hoping to push Yoru to fight harder and having Yorokobi need to try his best to keep up.

WC: 1090

Tue Jan 16, 2018 6:53 pm

Upon seeing the boy in front of him sign the ram seal, Yoru knew that could only mean one thing, especially for such an inexperienced boy. Body flicker. Yoru continued running towards the boy as he signed the one handseal at an incredibly slow speed. He thought for a moment about clotheslining him, as his speed advantage could believably make him do, but he decided against it. He needs to learn. He watched the boy flicker at a speed of 47, which prompted Yoru to search for where he landed. Yoru maintained his sprinting at 40 when he noticed Yorokobi some 20 odd meters away. He signed the ram seal as well, darting over to where the boy had been at a speed of 60. To Yorokobi, the Jashinist would almost appear like he had teleported, as the boy was barely able to keep up with that level of speed with the Uzumaki’s reaction time of 61. Yoru then proceeded to do what he had originally planned. He dropped to the ground and swept out his leg at a speed of 60, again, a speed that the boy would barely be able to register. The leg would connect with the boy’s calves, causing the Uzumaki to be knocked down to the ground, landing with a thud. Yoru would merely stand over him and begin walking away, turning his exposed back on the boy as he said one thing, “Body flicker is a dangerous gamble.” Yoru had a momentary flashback to his past deeds, where he had killed men trying the same tactic of escape. “Don’t use that technique if you don’t have to. But if you find yourself in a scenario where you need to… try not to use it first. You leave yourself open and the enemy can just follow you, especially if they’re faster.” Lucky for Yorokobi, Yoru had plenty of combat experience, which was something that needed to be shared if their ragtag band of shinobi were to survive in the harsh Land of Tornadoes. The faint yellow aura persisted around him, and his eyes were still purely white, but Yorokobi would not be able to see his face from his position on the ground.

WC: 1499

Tue Jan 16, 2018 10:58 pm

Yorokobi slowly recovered from Yoru’s attack he got up quickly and walked up to Yoru. “Hey, Yoru wait up! That was an insane move you made to go and sweep my legs after following me with your body flicker. You did sweep a bit high by going at my calves but if you use that again make sure you go at the ankles and follow it up quickly with a strike to the chest to have the best chance to land your hit.”

After Yorokobi said this he went to sit by the outside of the cave to have time to relax and called over to Yoru, “Come sit down for a bit so we can take a breather before any more training.”

Yorokobi leaned back against the outside of the cave putting his arms behind his head letting the rain hit his face. This weather keeps reminding me of the cloud village and that switches between good and bad for me. Good from the times I had with what friends I had and with the people I’d meet while finding any excuse not to be home. Them along with my dad who did whatever he could to make me happy and I miss him every day because of it. The bad would be people like my mom. Resenting the Shinobi as a whole for the bad things done by the few who should never be called true shinobi and then calling the many good ones who do a lot of good to keep them and all others safe from these bad ones. That’s why I left. I couldn’t deal with the hypocrisy of the people who didn’t understand the hardships of being a shinobi and the weight it puts on ones shoulders everyday to protect a whole village and nation without all the people’s support. It’s the same weight I saw my dad carry every day of his life I remember and it’s the same weight I saw my mother remind him of and drop another ten fold of onto his trying to break him. This is why I will become one of the best shinobi with no one village to protect but to protect them all as if they were my home. This is why I accept any and all guidance from those willing to give it and help me grow, like Yoru and hopefully someday with Sumairu and Kokai. This is my ninja way.

WC: 1508

Wed Jan 17, 2018 12:27 pm

Honestly, the Jashinist expected for the Uzumaki to try a follow up attack. He had even left his back exposed as a way to try and bait the boy to attack him, but to no avail. Yoru breathed out heavily, the glow fading and his eyes returning to normal before turning around and looking at the Uzumaki, who then proceeded to tell the former mass murderer how to fight, as though it was a foreign concept to him. Does this boy think that I don’t know how to fight? That I haven’t taken countless lives before? If this was two years ago, he would have been dead before giving me his name. However, he chose not to verbalize anything, instead letting the boy believe that he was giving Yoru valid life advice, despite the priest going very easy on the boy. His goal was not to cripple the kid, but to teach him some lessons.

Yoru declined the boy’s offer to sit by waving his hand, instead sitting down on the ground and closing his eyes, taking deep breaths. He had not made Yorokobi bleed, not even internally, as he was exercising his self control. If he did not, he could kill the boy with a single move. Yoru opened his eyes after a few deep breaths and looked over to the Uzumaki, who was letting the rain hit his face. He was relaxed. And that could get him killed one day. Yoru’s very modest amount of chakra poured into the ground around him, turning the space he had been sitting on into a fine sand. He allowed his body to sink underneath the ground, using the Hiding Like a Mole technique. His primary affinity was with the earth element, although he never quite learned to use it perfectly. Instead, he was learning to hone his own moves while teaching Yorokobi how to fight. His body sunk underground, allowing him to travel through the ground. Thanks to magnetic forces underground, Yoru was able to tell where he was going at a meager speed of 20. And he was heading directly towards where Yorokobi was relaxing. He would still be underground, with no real indication as to where he was.

WC: 1871

Learning the Ropes

Learning the Ropes

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