Running Towards Genin

He smiled as Ryūka continued to speak. The man really looked at things in a special kind of light. He was so used to be surrounded by kids that were ungrateful for things, thought they were the best, didn't really care about becoming a shinobi or life. Ryūka was one of a kind, really. What surprised him was that the boy didn't know if reading/writing was his hobby or not. It was a possibility he wrote down things instinctively, but he wouldn't be able to deduce that so quickly. He would let it go, there was no need to interrogate him. He seemed to love it, so that's all that really mattered.

His hobbies? Zyxis smiled as he thought about them, "I love to run. Running is something anybody or anything can do. It precedes human existence. It's so simple, yet so exquisite at the same time. Why does running make you feel good? Why is it so addicting? I don't mean to rant, but running is basically my whole entire world. My perception of things is going forward. There is life and death. You live and you die, time is never stopping. There's always a place to go when you're running. If you want to get away, or you want to get somewhere quicker, running is the key. I'll stop, because if I don't we could be here for hours on end, but that's basically the gist of it."

Zyxis took a breath as he regained the air in his lungs. He was really passionate about running. He tried not to think about it too often, as he usually got lost in thought. It was just something things did and he couldn't help but want to do it even more. It was a rush, a great feeling, a way to get rid of all your problems. He shook his head. There he went again. He continued to listen to Ryūka's thoughts.

Magic, huh? That was a simple way to explain, but a great way at the same time. Chakra could be summarized as magic. The enthusiastic feeling of running could be explained as magic. Literally anything that you couldn't grasp the point of could be explained as magic and that's all there really was to it. 

The boy startled as Ryūka laughed, but quickly calmed as he came to a realization it was a strange question to ask out of nowhere. Ryūka was right there. There wasn't really any way to explain it, and there must be thousands of ideas going through people's heads about chakra. Hell, there might not be any questions about it at all. Why was there chakra? Where had it come from? Why did it permeate the air and circulate through life as people know it? Did the gods - or singular god, depending on their belief - bestow chakra about the people? When the world was created, was chakra created as well? Why do people have different levels of chakra? How were they able to mold chakra to do so many amazing things?

He may never know. Sure, he could dedicate his life to finding out the answer; but that wasn't his goal in life. He decided he would love to learn more about it, and needed to know the bare minimum about it. He even wanted to ask the current Raikage what he thought about it. The funny thing is he wouldn't have even thought about it if Ryūka and him hadn't met to today. He lightly chuckled to himself at the thought. Meeting one person could change his world views in an instant? 

He had decided there and then he wanted to meet more people. He wanted to see other people's views and how they thought about the world. He had decided from a young age it was just going to be him, that he wouldn't focus on most people and focus on one goal. But that was naive, and actually quite immature and stupid. That didn't mean he would change his loner tendencies, but he would be more open to other's opinions and ideas.

He shook his head. This wasn't a time to be monologuing inside his head. He continued to pay attention to Ryūka. 

He had asked him what he thought about it. He laughed, he thought a lot about it.

"Saying creation or religion would be a simple answer. That's why I'm glad you hadn't said it. Passion and emotion seems to be such a well-thought out answer, actually. I mean, what do people desire? I desire to run like the wind, to be as quick as lightning," He snapped, an arc of lightning appearing from his body. "Does that explain why I have the element of lightning?"

Zyxis snapped out with a punch, not towards anyone in particular, but as an example. "I want to learn Taijutsu, I want to be faster. I get to decide that. Chakra can help me with that, correct? To be the strongest, fastest, and best ninja known to man. Chakra is the only thing that will help me with it. But have you thought that maybe chakra molds peoples ideas instead of ideas molding chakra? If there was no such thing as chakra, could you imagine how boring human beings would be? There wouldn't be any goal to thrive."

He shrugged, "Or maybe I'm over thinking it and chakra does come from somewhere we might never be able to see. But that doesn't change the fact that we're glad to have it. And maybe that's the most important part."

Hopefully that answer would suffice for the wise man in front of him. He continued to listen as he answered his questions. He knew that Ryūka was correct, but his heart had a pang of anger. He instantly got rid of it as he said he thought he could do it. Maybe after everything is done, he'd go on a journey to find out what chakra really was? He liked that idea.

He continued to listen and was happy with Ryūka's answer on what he wanted to do. "I like that. It's simple, and you're filling out human's basic need to learn. I'm not sure why I really want to become the strongest, it's just I want to. It's like a burning flame in my chest and heart to expand, grow, and continue in on life and live it the best I can. But I like your idea a lot as well. Understanding the world would give me a certain sense of... clarity. You actually made me the opposite of bored, I feel like you've lead me down the first few steps on the path of life and what I want."

Zyxis smiled, "Tell you more? Well, my mother and father are just regular citizens. They weren't fond of me becoming a ninja since the fatality rate for the job is so high, but I promised them I would be okay. Kumo, born and raised, on a playground where I spent most of my days. My favorite ways to train?"

The boy continued to listen. The boy across him settled down into a fighting stance.

"Now you're speaking my language." 

Ryūka and Zyxis were about two to three meters away from each other.

In a set of hand signs, the boy created two clones. Him and the two clones rushed forward. Zyxis pulled out a kunai and threw it to the right of Ryūka, close enough to where he wouldn't get actually hit, but not too far away to where he'd know it. As soon as the kunai passed Ryūka, he would weave through another set of hand seals and performed a Substitution with the blade. He would appear above Ryuka's head and swing down at the boy, trying to hit him in the back of the head.


"Discipline."

WC: 1,324

Total: 3,867

Learned: Discipline (500/500)

Throwing Speed = Speed 10 + Strength 5 + 40 = 55

Run? Ryūka loved to run. He’d love to, also, run away. He had thought about going out of the village to explore the outside world countless times, but there was simply so much he had to do in Kumo already that he could never feel like the time had come for him to move on. He wasn’t ready. He thought he would be when his caretaker and mentor Nethero passed away, but he couldn’t. And he really believed he would be, when he was finished reading the last book in the house that was left to him. But something, although Ryūka couldn’t put his finger on exactly what it was, was holding him back. Maybe it was that there was still so much to learn from Kumo, so many books in libraries, and belonging to other people that he hasn’t read yet. It was something. A feeling he couldn’t explain. No matter how much he felt distinct, and how much he felt excluded from the rest of the people there; Ryūka had a deep down feeling that he belonged there. Well, whatever it was, he was thinking he’d be there long enough to put a name on it.

Ryūka also appreciated the boy’s passion. He spoke of running like it was the core of his existence, as he had claimed so as well. “Most people tell one thing but feel the opposite.” Ryūka thought, “Some people tell others, even themselves sometimes, that they love someone when they in fact hate them. Some people do the opposite. It's a nice change of pace to once in a while run into someone, who appears to truly believe in what they're saying.”. The next words that came out from the boy’s mouth, however truly hit him. ‘There’s always a place to go when you’re running.’. Was there? Ryūka tried to think back to his earliest memories, from 2 years ago. Nethero told him that the authorities had found him with a lot of wounds all over his body, and a broken katana that was a foot away from him. The broken katana now was lost in one of Ryūka’s drawers, as he didn’t know what to make of them.

“Running?” he finally said, “That’s interesting. Not that it’s a very rare thing to do. Actually, it’s exactly because it’s something everyone does. It’s interesting that it’s the first thing you think of as a hobby.”.  Ryūka listened to the rest of Zyxis’ words without much reaction, just smiling and taking it in. Then he waited for the fight. And it was time.

Ryūka watched the boy using the technique he just taught him, as he was creating the clones (which Ryūka definitely knew was what he was doing, given his limited teachings to him, and recognition of the handseals). So as soon as he saw Zyxis performing the handseals, Ryūka started running towards him, with confidence but still his full speed. As the clones dashed towards him, but the real Zyxis stood in his place, Ryūka was already right in front of Zyxis’ face. When the boy took out a kunai, Ryūka grabbed his arm, to stop him from throwing it/attacking with it; and then he attacked the Zyxis’s stomach with his right knee.

[WC: 541
Total: 4509]

Ryūka was able to rush forward quick enough to intercept his first attack. He was faster, faster than he was. That made Zyxis frown. The older boy's knee came rushing in and knocked him in the stomach. He was also stronger too.

His frown disappeared, and his facial expression shifted to pain. Sure, it had hurt when his fists collided with the wooden form of the dummies, but they never attacked back. 

Instead of stumbling backward, Zyxis planted his feet in the ground and dropped the kunai. Since Ryūka was still holding onto his arm, he pulled forward with one arm and threw a punch towards his face with the other.

He hoped he would be strong enough to pull the boy towards him and deck him in the nose. He would then yank his arm free from the boy's grip and send a quick jab towards the center of his chest.

Spoiler:

WC: 156

Total: 4,023

Ryūka had a smile on his face now. He enjoyed the thrill of the battle, even if it was a friendly spar, even if it was training. When he was moving around in his full speed, when punches were being thrown alive, Ryūka felt alive. The perfect scenario would have been a duel with weapons, since that was what he enjojyed the most, but he wasn't going to pull a kunai out of nowhere against an academy student. He had honor, even if not a whole lot of it. Also he didn't really want to hurt Zyxis, he was a potential friend in his eyes after all. Maybe after he graduated from the academy, they really could have been so.

He was still holding onto the other boy's right arm with his left hand, until he realized Zyxis was trying to use that connection to pull himself towards Ryūka. Ryūka let go of Zyxis' arm with a grin of his face. It was enough to throw the boy, at least a little bit off balance, as he failed to gain the momentum he was looking for. As Ryuka grabbed the punch Zyxis threw at him with his left hand, he started talking, "Nice try.". He didn't stop to talk though, as he was talking, he was also kicking the boy's right leg with his left foot, right below Zyxis' knee, aiming to throw the boy off balance once again. While doing that, again never stopping his movements to say anything, he also added, "Don't rely on your enemy for your own strategy. Assume they're gonna do everything right.".,

Ryūka had a smile on his face the whole time. It had been a while since he had the opportunity to use his muscles in some time. He felt rusty for some reason, even though he was moving at his regular full speed, fighting like he has always known how to fight. Well, maybe he didn't have his katana on him, but it wasn't supposed to change anything, there have been lots of times he's fought without one, after all. He couldn't put a finger on it. Not yet, anyway.

[WC: 348
Total: 4867]

As Zyxis fell backward from having the back of his knee kicked out, he realized how outclassed he was. Ryūka had already graduated, so it was nothing like the spars he had the academy. He was aware of that, but his body told him to keep on fighting.

His heart beat faster. All around him, the world seemed to shut off and the only thing left was Ryūka. This feeling was just the same as when he ran. 

Sadly, he wouldn't be able to respond to Ryūka's advice about fighting. He was too focused on the battle as it was.

His palms tickled as he placed them on the grass, preventing himself from falling completely down. As they did, he used the momentum of his leg being swept out from underneath him and transferred it into a kick aimed at his gut. 

He knew that there was no way he was going to prevail into this spar. He wasn't stupid. He knew when he couldn't win a fight. Shame on him if he didn't try, though.

If the kick connected, it would send Ryūka stumbling back. He would then flip backward like a gymnast and land on his feet, back in the combat position he had begun with.

WC: 212

Total: 4,235

Zyxis was slow. Not slow for an academy student, maybe not even slow for most of the newly graduated Genin. Ryūka knew that was the case, because the student was slower than him, and he thought of himself as a slow person. So slow, in fact that from time to time he felt like he was stationary. Maybe if he was fast enough, he could run. Maybe if he was fast enough, he could run away. Alas, he could not. Not yet anyway. One day he wanted to be though, fast. Fast enough to finish all the business he had in Kumo and maybe go out, find whatever business was waiting for him elsewhere. For now, though, he was doing just fine being in this town. He was doing okay, there was still so much he hadn't learned from this town, so much he hasn't learned yet, so many people he felt like he was destined to meet one day. He was happy. At that very moment in fact, he was quite so.

Fighting, even when with a friend, didn't give a lot of time for Ryūka to think about these subjeects though. He was more focused on the battle that was going on. Right now, Zyxis seemed to be taking the hits with some sort of acceptance to his slowness, not even making an attempt at dodging at blocking half the time, but welcoming the attacks with his body. Ryūka wanted to tell something to the student about that, but he didn't know what exactly to say. What came out of his mouth could have been different from what he was trying to get across (as was expected when talking in the middle of any battle), so Ryūka decided that it would have probably been the best if he kept his thoughts to himself for now, and spoke to Zyxis when they decided the battle would be over. And with the pace the two were fighting at, he expected it wouldn't be too long before so.

Ryūka's eyes were not wandering about as usual. This was a battle, after all, even if it was a friendly one. He showed the respect necessary for a battle, regardless of who it was. His eyes kept going back and forth between Zyxis's limbs whenever one of them moved, his face to read him better, and his torso to analyze how tired or excited he could be at the moment. Ryūka saw the kick aimed at him, and thought "Bad move." as he catched the kick with both of his hands, used the Tree Climbing Technique to stick to the ground, to stop Zyxis' momentum faster, and with more efficiency. He did that, than used it in his advantage to throw Zyxis back. He then let go of the Tree Climbing Technique, and took a few steps back as Zyxis flipped further from himself, hopefully landing on his feet. "Are you fine or do you want a moment to catch your breath?" Ryūka asked as he put a 3 meter distance between them once again. He was still on the lookout for any handseals, weapon drawing or otherwise motion coming from Zyxis' end.

[WC: 530,
Total: 5397]

Jutsu used: (btw Zyx you might wanna start doing this when you use techniques):

Kicking Ryūka all of a sudden was like kicking a wall. He stood affixed to the ground. He helped him with his idea of flipping. He flipped a few times before landing on his feet a few meters away from him. He took some deep breaths, regaining steady breathing.

His eyes instantly began to scan the battlefield. He was too far away from Ryūka to start using a jutsu. If he witnessed it, he would use his superior speed to curb stomp Zyxis before he was able to finish the jutsu. Right now what he needed to do was challenge him head first.

He shifted into the combat stance that the Academy had taught him. Then he decided to spice it up, taking what he had begun to learn from a scroll. 

He rushed forward at [10 Speed] and stopped right before he collided with the boy, tensing up to react to his next attack.

WC: 168
Total: 4,403
--
Jutsu Used: Clone Jutsu (5 AP)
Total AP: 45/50

So he wanted to play on the defending side this time? It was fine by Ryūka, he wasn't exactly in love being the target of punches and kicks anyway, I mean who would be? Ryūka chuckled, greeting the boy who ran up to him, with a dash of his own. Before the boy reached him, Ryūka threw down a smoke bomb. It exploded in a speed that was almost instantaneous to either of the boys, who were now standing in the smoke. While walking out of the smokey area, Ryūka used the Clone Technique, going into the shroud as 1 ninja but coming out as 3.

Or at least that's what Ryūka thought of doing first, his plan ending abruptly because he found it boring and stopped at that point to think it over. He allowed Zyxis to run up to him. He was still fine with being given the initiative, as he was about to take the responsibility of it. As soon as Zyxis stopped, Ryūka raised his left leg, turning his body over so that his back faced the Academy student instead of his chest, and aiming a kick at him. While he was throwing that kick, hiding his hands in front of his chest so that Zyxis would not be able to see it from his perspective, Ryūka started performing the necessary hand seals to use the Clone Technique. When he did, two clones would show up besides him, one to his left and one to his right. The clones would mirror Ryūka's movement, whatever it was; appearing with the pose he was in when he threw the kick. Ryūka wanted to see how Zyxis would react to this move of his before doing anything else. 

[WC:289,
Total: 5686]

Stuff Used:

Butterflies erupted in his stomach as Ryūka had done what he wanted. He instantly shifted positions. His left palm few out, grabbing the descending leg firmly. At 15 speed, the boy brought his right arm forward slamming his closed fist into Ryūka's stomach as hard as he could, canceling the clone technique.

The Inside to Outside Block was utilized to counter against high kicks or any kicks for that matter. With the effect of the blocking Taijutsu technique increasing his speed, he hoped that he would be able to at least get a solid hit in before the end of the spar.

When his fist struck Ryūka, the blow would be able to send him off balance thanks to Zyxis holding onto one of his legs. As soon as Ryūka got knocked backward, he would sprint backward. 

He was used to all sorts of things with his legs. He wasn't foreign to running backward. As he headed rearward two meters, he would create the Snake hand seal and wait for him to stand up.

Once he did, he would let the Raiton: Sparks jutsu loose. The cone of electricity would rush forward at 5 Speed, hopefully hitting him in the gut.

WC:  249

Total: 4,652

Jutsu Used: Clone Technique (5 AP), Inside-to-Outside Block (5 AP), Raiton Sparks (5 AP)
AP Used: 35/50

Jutsu Learned: Clone Technique (250 WC), Transformation Technique (250 WC), Substitution Technique (250 WC), Inside-to-Outside Block (500 WC), Raiton Sparks (500 WC)
WC Used:  1,750

Stats: 23

(I'd like to do a mid-thread claim please)

Approved