I'm Just A Genin! (NK, Open, Tokiatsu)

Morning dew blanketed the forest grass, making the friction of the ground not so slippery but enough that one wrong step could make someone fall straight on their bum! And then get mud smeared all over their clothes as well. Ah, mud. Wet earth was a material Suzume had recently run into trouble with. She took each step firmly as if to tell the ground through action, "Not today. I had enough of you from before." Though, some pockets of the earthly floor were soggier than others. She got her foot stuck, the mud devouring her toes and up past her ankle like quick sand. Or in this scenario, quick mud. It must have rained fairly heavily the night before for it to be like this. 

To avoid such a situation again, Suzume climbed up a tree to get around the woods. Sometimes it was fun to just glide around...for a genin anyways. Leaping from branch to branch, it almost felt like flying. Maybe one day, Suzume would need to have the skill to keep balance upon landing on the varying thickness and shapes branches. Who knows, she could be chased by some maniac....or even in pursuit of an enemy. Some were so thin they would snap upon touch, and so one would need to be quick to get just enough momentum from the impact to make it to the next platform. With just the right timing, she was capable of it. Then, once reaching the next limb of a tree, the wet bark caused her to slip. She could have landed that one easy, as it was a sturdy thick branch, but her footing was off by barely a centimeter. "WoooaaAAHHH!" she cried as she fell back to the ground. 

Thankfully, and luckily, the tree wasn't high up enough to cause any real damage aside for a bruise. As she picked herself up, Suzume scraped off any debris that clung to her. Looking up, a figure loomed. "Why...hello there! What a...fine morning?" she said to the stranger. "Maybe they're friendly", she would think, as she smiled at them as if to cover up the fact she had just fallen. 

[WC: 360]

It was an early morning in Konoha for Tokiatsu. Getting back into the routine was not as hard as the Chuunin had expected. It was almost as if he had never left. The Hidemori man spent his morning as normal. Meditating, getting cleaned up, and heading out of the village until the afternoon. He’d wanted to spend some time wandering the vast forest that surrounded the Hidden Leaf village. It would be the first time leaving the walls that define his home’s boundary since he had returned. Now that the normal gate guards recognized him, he was no longer challenged coming and going from the village, so he was able to walk out with no issue.

The forest paths were damper than usual, almost swamp-link. It was likely a combination of heavy rain from the night before, as well as the normal accumulation of dew as the sun rose. The moisture did not bother the Watchman though, his clothing had been made to be water repellant, so that he would not get wet during any form of rain storm. Not to mention his chakra control would allow him to walk on top of such surfaces no problem. It was peaceful, most animals would not come near because of Bossk, but Tokiatsu didn’t mind.

A sound nearby would cause Tokiatsu to turn his head. It would seem that he was not the only early riser today. Another person was moving around in the trees. Most likely a shinobi, since there weren’t many non-shinobi that would climb trees outside of the village. They had seemed to miss their footing shortly after Tokiatsu noticed them, and fell off of the branch they were currently on. Bossk hissed out a chuckle. The Watchman couldn’t help but join in. “We should probably make sure they’re okay.” Tokiatsu said to the reptilian friend around his neck as he he made his way over to where the girl had fallen. They had looked in Tokiatsu’s direction as they were getting up. "Why...hello there! What a...fine morning?" said a definitely female voice. Tokiatsu would smile from under his hood. “A fine morning indeed, young one. I am the Watchman.” He would say by means of introduction. "And this is my friend Bossk.” The snake around his neck hissed. “Are you alright?” He would ask her.

WC: 387

The Watchman, this guy titled himself? What, was he some upper level shinobi for him give out a title as if it were their name? And on another note...what was he doing just randomly appearing around Suzume? At that introduction, she got on edge. It was as if that man knew something...or many things, for that matter. What they were Suzume didn't concern herself with. She simply took note that for anyone to have a name such as "Watchman", they were most likely to be very experienced and have had seen a lot! So a genin falling out of a tree wasn't anything to be suspicious of. It's not like the girl had any malicious intent...at this time, anyhow. What could a genin do, anyhow? 

The much taller shinobi had been rather polite, on the other hand. Nothing to be afraid of. Just a friendly stranger. Though...he did have a snake coiled right around his neck - a rather vulnerable part of a person's body. Who walks around like that? Well, as for what she saw in front of her this, "Watchman", did! And it even had a name? It must be his familiar. That conclusion made more sense...but she still thought of this dude to be crazy to be going around like that. 

She assured his concern, "Yeah! I'm fine. I was doing some training is all! And when you fall down...you get right back up!" she said with confidence, setting into a fighters stance. Suzume whipped her head from side to side, as if readying for someone to attack. Then she took a look up at The Watchman. He was much larger than herself. Not the right match to have, especially after dropping quite a distance. She took a few steps back, taking in his height. Usually, she was taller. It was like that during her academy days, anyhow. At the same time, Suzume also realized this guy probably didn't come around to cause any harm. Why would an enemy ask if their counter part was okay? "Uhh, what are you doing here? Are you 'The Watchman of the Forest' or something?" Suzume snickered.

[WC: 355]

The young girl in front of him had a very up-beat personality. "Yeah! I'm fine. I was doing some training is all! And when you fall down...you get right back up!" Tokiatsu would nod. “A very positive outlook, and one that people should strive to emulate.” He said to hear as she adopted a fighting stance. The Watchman would smirk at the girl. He had no problem sparring if that’s what she was looking to do, but it seemed she had either changed her mind, or was playing around, for she had taken a couple steps backward. "Uhh, what are you doing here? Are you 'The Watchman of the Forest' or something?" She would ask with a snicker. Tokiatsu would respond with a chuckle of his own. “That’s as good a guess as any.” He would say to the girl. “The Watchman is a nickname of sorts that I was given by the Hokage for a mission I had recently returned from. I’m rather fond of it, because of how appropriate it is, which is why I continue to use it.” It was then that Bossk decided to chime in. “It lends him an air of myssssteriousssnessss.” The snake would say dryly. Tokiatsu would roll his eyes. “My serpentine friend likes to make clever remarks every now and then.” He said to the girl by way of explanation. “As for what I’m doing here, I enjoy the forest and I like to take time to walk among the trees. It can be very peaceful. What kind of training are you up to out here? Perhaps I may be of assistance.”

WC: 270
TWC: 657

That snake was creepy. When it spoke, she was so off put that her eyes twitched out of timidness. Once again, her hands were up, as if that would have protected her from a serpent's strike. It could just...wrap itself tighter around The Watchman's neck and then...no longer would he be a Watchman - he would be a dead man. And yet, he had a bond enough to trust it like so? Maybe he was crazy. Suzume had never come across any higher up shinobi, that she knew of anyways, who worked so closely with the Hokage. Were they all like that? Though, if this man wasn't at all afraid, to just have it slung around himself as so...maybe there was nothing to be afraid of. In this specific instance, anyhow. Suzume brought one of her hands forward, to give Bossk a tiny boop on their nose. Friend he referred this creature to as? Must be very connected with nature to get behind something like this. That was always a trait Suzume instantly respected others for. 

"Uhh, anything really...I was very bored and had too much energy to keep in one place. I was gliding around, no reason really but maybe someday I'll manage to loop around the whole forest of Konoha in one day? If I don't keep falling out as if I were a bird with no wings!" she softly laughed some more. It was humorous to herself what she had just said, being that her name meant "sparrow", and that she had no wings. "But...you must be experienced to work in such high status. You gotta know some good skills, eh?" she inquired. 

[WC: 275]

When Bossk had started talking, one of the girl’s eye’s twitched and she had raised her hands up in a defensive posture, almost as if she expected the snake to lash out at her. Tokiatsu couldn’t help by chuckle. “I wouldn’t worry about Bossk.” The Watchman said to the young girl in front of him. “He hasn’t flared his hood. You have nothing to fear.” Almost as if the statement broke the tension slightly, the girl moved one of her hands towards Bossk and booped his snout. The snake flicked his tongue at the girl’s hand as her hand was leaving, tasting her scent on the air. “You should consider yourself lucky, young one.” Tokiatsu said to her. “There are very few people that he would allow them to touch him without permission like that. Most would have received a painful surprise for a move like that.” The amusement in his voice was evident.

In response to his question, she said “Uhh, anything really...I was very bored and had too much energy to keep in one place. I was gliding around, no reason really but maybe someday I'll manage to loop around the whole forest of Konoha in one day? If I don't keep falling out as if I were a bird with no wings!" Tokiatsu would chuckle at the response. “It seems we have a restless spirit here.” He says to Bossk. The snake nodded. “Ssshe is young, ssshe will develop dissscipline in time. There isss much time for her to learn.” Tokiatsu would nod in agreement.

The young girl in front of him had a little more to say. "But...you must be experienced to work in such high status. You gotta know some good skills, eh?" Tokiatsu chuckled. “Indeed I do. I am skilled at both water style and lightning style Ninjutsu, as well as being proficient with most weapons.” He looked at the girl appraisingly. “What about you, young one. Are there any areas that you consider yourself particularly skillful?”

WC: 333
TWC: 990

Not worrying about such an exotic creature was plain strange to the genin girl. Creatures still had minds of their own, who's to say they wouldn't do something unexpected? Suzume decided to daringly try her luck, she had been aware the snake could choose to sink its fangs in her hand before she even managed to lay a finger on his snout. Though Bossk didn't seem so phased by it. He did flick his tongue, such as what snakes do to get a taste of what's around them. Suzume wondered if she'd taste good to the snake...what an intimidating thought. Of course, to no surprise, the man had preached his warning about what could have happened - stating that it was uncommon for someone like her to get away with that. He seemed to be trustworthy enough, for a stranger. Some wouldn't bother with heeding caution, preferring not to get into another's mess if they didn't have to. 

She shrugged, giving a wry smile to his familiar. But what was this talk about discipline the serpent spoke of? Suzume was anything but. Not that she was ill mannered, but she just simply didn't care to follow rules or customs. She made her own. Time would never take over that aspect of her, she wouldn't let it. Despite The Watchman nodding in agreement, she didn't say any snarky remarks. With her team mates, Suzume definitely would have. Still, he wasn't a team mate, and walked with an air of diligence instead of the foolishness that she perceived in her ranking group.  

"Though...I don't have as much time when it comes to the chunin exams..." Suzume mentioned, somewhat dispirited. "I've been working on some Space/Time techniques...and a weapons skill would probably give me a  major boost," she thought aloud. If The Watchman had the time to take a stroll through the woods, surly he could spend a moment or two to hand down some knowledge. 

[WC: 323]

The girl shrugged, smiling at Bossk. In response to his answer and subsequent question, she didn’t really provide an answer that really fit the question. Moreso she said what she was looking to learn. "Though...I don't have as much time when it comes to the chunin exams..." The girl had said, somewhat despondently. "I've been working on some Space/Time techniques...and a weapons skill would probably give me a  major boost,"

“Unfortunately, techniques that play with space and time are not something I have really spent any time learning.” Space-Time techniques were outside of his depth. It was something he was considering specialising in down the road, but he was not quite there yet, and would take significantly more time to go over all of his potential options before making a final decision. Weaponry on the other hand was an area that he had some skill, but he wasn’t sure how skilled the girl in front of him is in weaponry, so it may or may not be to her credit. It would seem he’d need to probe a little more. “Would you say that weaponry is a specialty of yours?” He asked her. “Or is it simply something you are looking to have a wider range of basic proficiency?” The only real weaponry style technique that he had at his disposal was Flying Swallow. A B-rank technique that allowed the user to infuse their chakra into a weapon to make it sharper and hardier. If the girl was looking to learn how to be better with her weapons, Tokiatsu could coach her through basic melee combat, but he would need to find out exactly what she needed first before he could provide the right kind of guidance.

WC: 290
TWC: 1280

There wasn't much Suzume knew about weaponry other than some basic knowledge she had picked up in the academy. She could pick up on more space/time techniques on her own, though weaponry was a different matter for her. Although, there was her space/time based swords....but those weren't actual swords. It's not like she would be able to take one in her hand and swing it around as if she were a swords master. But, if one were to achieve such a level in skills, one would have to start somewhere. 

"Weaponry isn't even close to being a specialty of mine..." she admitted. "I can handle kunai...but that's it really. Although...yeah, I would like to learn weaponry! What could you teach me?" she excitedly asked, taping her index fingers together like a cliche shy girl would. 

[WC: 137]
(Meant to make it longer, but I've been putting off this post long enough >.<)

"Weaponry isn't even close to being a specialty of mine..." she said to Tokiatsu. "I can handle kunai...but that's it really. Although...yeah, I would like to learn weaponry! What could you teach me?" The Watchman would think for a moment. "I have one technique, but it may be beyond what you can do if you have not specifically trained in using weapons properly." He said to the girl in front of him. He drew out a pair of kunai and fed chakra into one of them, to the point that the blade of the Kunai took on a visible glow. He then threw them both at the same tree. The normal kunai sunk to the hilt in the tree. The enhanced kunai flew through the tree and almost completely through the tree behind it.

"It is a type of chakra infusion, where you greatly enhance the cutting potential of your weapon. It can be done on any type of weapon, and does not have to remain in your hand to be effective." He would then go to retrieve his weapons, pulling them effortlessly from the trees and walking back over to the girl had she not followed him.


WC: 198
TWC: 1478