Notice me senpai (P, NK, our glorious leader)

Lunge. Slash. Dodge. Repeat.

Lunge, slash, dodge, repeat...

That was Suzumebachi's mantra as she gripped a gunmetal gray and dark orange-wrapped katana in her right hand. The sheath was safely at her left side, wrapped at her hip with a reinforced leather belt. Her dark green and black robes were comfortably warm in the cold, and her colored mask left naught but her beady, black eyes showing to the outside world. She grunted to herself after she completed a particularly difficult lunge. She had done some basic stretches and other exercises beforehand, but the actual workout left a pleasing burn in her muscles that spoke of her improvement. She knew she was plenty strong and fast- but her stamina and durability needed improvement, or else she would never be able to stand up to anyone stronger than a genin. The young Aburame inhaled, exhaled, and darted forwards at full speed, landing a vicious slash on the training post in front of her. She quickly used the momentum to launch a kick, and a small crack was left under the scars in the wood.

It was good, but... there had to be some sort of specific techniques she could learn to improve. Like a jutsu, weaponry techniques required practice and endurance to perform, but beyond basic slashes and feints, she really didn't know what she was doing. She had focused on her speed and strength for so long that she never really took the time to learn any specific styles or techniques. Beyond her katana and basic academy jutsu, she really had nothing- and while it would've served her just fine a while ago, as she prepared to rank up to chuunin, she knew that she couldn't just be a one trick pony. No, she had to build up her repertoire to include not just weaponry styles and moves, but also ninjutsu, genjutsu, and maybe even fuuinjutsu- the prospect of sealing had always fascinated her, but she had never exactly found a proper teacher. She paused for a moment, taking in a sharp inhale, before moving back to her exercises.

Lunge. Slash. Dodge. Repeat.

Her muscles began to tense and burn with the force of her exertion, and she knew that she was quick to reaching her limit. She raised the mask slightly so that just her mouth was visible, before taking a sip of water from a small canteen she kept inside a hidden pocket at all times. She wiped her mouth and quickly pulled down the mask. Her goal was to be a renowned assassin, but... she vaguely wondered how far away her dream would be from reality if she kept progressing at her current rate. She also needed to learn more about thrown weaponry, and poisons, and pressure points, and... She let out a sigh. Progressions were slow, but that was to be expected. She wasn't a prodigy. She wasn't a genius. But if there was one thing she was good at, it was persistence. She drew her sword and tried again.

Lunge, slash, dodge, repeat...

WC: 508
Total WC: 508

Persistence without guidance is little more than useless

The early morning dew still hadn’t even dissipated before Valen found himself in a training ground watching someone practice with their katana by themselves. He was standing fairly far off to the side, but he wasn’t making any effort to hide. Although he wasn’t wearing his kage robs and hat. Instead, or wore his combat attire. His black leather armor under a blood red cloak. His gray eyes taking in the form of the individual practicing by themselves. A devastating mistake. One even he had trouble not doing at times, but one he needed to correct nonetheless. The sun had barely begun to rise, the orange hues of the orb colouring the atmosphere and clouds a slew of pinks and purples creating a visual masterpiece in the sky for any and all to admire as they  went about their early mornings. Valen was a morning person, he always preferred them. Always wanting to be up at the sunrise to enjoy the view or get some work done when no one would be able to bother him with anything. It was that this morning, that brought him to this training ground. He had come to train, for even a kage needed to better themselves. Lest they be overcome by those they needed to be leading. 

It was when he arrived that he saw the figure practicing. He thought the one training was female, however he couldn’t be sure. The clothing was nondescript enough to make it difficult to tell, even with his sharp eyes. They had a good bit of a raw speed, more than most genin. However, he could tell she was just that, a genin. The repetition of the same pattern over and over again. The training alone, and his lack of particular knowledge about them. To which he strived to know every chunin and above shinobi, and any promising genin. Told him at least that much. ‘If they get’s that one moved ingrained into their muscle memory then they are going to die.’ He thought as he watched the figure practice. It wasn’t that getting a move ingrained into ones muscle memory was bad. It was just that they had to do it gradually, with other things mixed in. Practicing the same combo over and over and over made you overly reliant on it in a situation where you couldn’t afford to be predictable. They were shinobi after all, predictability was usually a certified death sentence. 

Deciding he had watched long enough he placed a hand on Twilight’s hilt. The oddly heavier than normal blade still rested in his hands comfortably, but only because it’s grip was familiar. The bits of dried blood and sweat in the wrapping showing obvious signs of his own recent training. Where he too had broken that same rule the person training was currently breaking. That was fine, he’d teach them to be better than him in that regard. Striding closer, closing the distance to only a few meters, making sure to be out of range of any swings from the target. The Hogokage would stand, sword in hand, eyebrow raised in question. “What’s this? Someone training in physical combat by themselves? A beginner then? Never train alone, your mistakes will become habit, and that will get you killed.” He would say simply, readying himself to draw his  sword to show that he would gladly make himself the individuals training partner. “Make sure to watch me closely, I’ll keep it relatively slow for you, alright?” He’d say simply, waiting until after speaking and allowing his impromptu training partner to give the go ahead when they were ready. 

WC: 612

She observed the newcomer warily- he moved like a predator, all serpentine grace and sharp, controlled movements. He drew his sword and offered to become her training partner, and she knew immediately that this was not an opportunity to pass up- his confident posture spoke of many years' skill and experience. She nodded to him, acknowledging his presence, before drawing her katana in a simple ready position. She wasn't one for talking very often- not because she disliked company, but rather because her social skills were so undeniably awkward that she often found it better not to speak at all. She held the blade facing forward, her right hand towards the hilt and her left hand at the bottom. She wasn't actually right handed- she was ambidextrous- but she found it simpler to start with her right hand and move on to her left as practice progressed.

She decided not to go full speed on her first swing- she'd rather start off slower, perfect her strokes, then move faster once she had the correct motions ingrained in her muscle memory. Mistakes were more easily viewable and fixable when you worked slower, after all. She inhaled quickly, and lunged forward at a speed of eighty. She wasn't actually aiming for the figure, but rather the side of his sword. Should he not move, she would move her blade down the side of it until it reached the hilt, where it would dip forward slightly and poke into his side. Although she could've swung harder than she did... The katana she possessed at the moment was fragile, and she was willing to bet that his was a lot more durable- jounin and their fancy paychecks. The man in front of her was a jounin, after all. Or so she hoped. Simultaneously, as she swung the sword at his blade, she would sweep out her right foot, intending to kick his right shin. This was at a strength of twenty- she wanted it to sting, but not seriously injure the person in front of her, after all. Worse came to worse, she'd carry him on her back to the hospital herself. She vaguely wondered what the Hogokage would think of her after that... would he be disappointed? She'd never actually met the figure, and thus had no idea what he looked like, or much less what he acted like. From what she'd heard around, he seemed pretty competent, but she decided to wait to make judgments herself.

She vaguely wondered what his reaction to the attack would be- she was just testing the waters right now. Not using any special techniques or jutsu, she intended to get a feel for the person in front of her before deciding what specifically she should work on. Should he be better at accuracy, she would focus on that. Should he be better at speed, she'd try her damn best to keep up with him. Should he be better at special blade techniques... Well, surely learning one or two couldn't hurt.

WC: 504
Total WC: 1,012

Their swing was at a decent speed for most shinobi in his village. It was aimed rather poorly though, for the blade wouldn’t quite reach him. Since he hadn’t drawn his sword, they couldn’t aim a strike at the bladed weapon still housed within it’s sheath. Following that, the kick was an absolutely cataclysmic mistake. Especially since his sparring partner performed both actions at the same time, with the same side of her body. This would leave the individual with horrendously weak balance since they had to focus the entirety of their weight to the left foot, while swinging at a moderate speed and kicking at his shin. His response was quite simple. 

He would attempt to catch the sword. 

Why not? He had an armored hand that could withstand even his own blade until he augmented it with his techniques. He’d reach out at his maximum possible speed, his now golden coloured eyes making this an even simpler task, and catch the blade as it reached the closest point in which he could do so. Should his catch succeed, an armored black fist would wrap around the blade and yank, attempting to pull the person off of their feet. Should this succeed he would lash out with a vicious punch with his other hand toward the person’s face that would send them flying back at least 15 meters. He had used a similar technique on Kotetsu, back when he had been a fresh genin. Should it work, and his power be sufficient, the indecency of having the majority of their clothing removed by the force of the spin would teach them the lesson about attacking with two limbs on the same side. Especially when you didn’t know how fast the opponent was. 

There was always someone faster. 

It was a rule that one had to remember. Even if they couldn’t find anyone that actually was faster. It taught humility, and kept them sharp. A cocky individual got lackadaisical in their training, and ended up being outmatched and killed because of it. It was something one had to watch out for. Always on guard, and always prepared. 

But back to the topic at hand. 

Should his attack land on his target he would let the sword go as they flew away, allowing them to hold onto it as they spun. No need to give the embarrassment of them losing their weapon too. Provided they even held onto it during the trip. After launching his partner across the field he would slowly draw Twilight from it’s sheath. The faint steely rasp  of a blade coming out of it’s housing would ring through the area as his golden eyes looked toward his target. It was all about forcing someone to strive to greater heights. Something he would continue to do for his shinobi. It was their job to surpass him after all. 

WC: 480
TWC: 1092

Valen would grab the blade, yank his target, but stop the punch. Instead, he would simply phase, letting her phase through where he was and tumble to the ground in a mess before teleporting away to his office before unphasing. 


[exit]

Claiming 1092 toward Dismissal of Dawn

Approved.