Moving Earth (Taishi)

The Land of Iron. An iced, snow covered country where one would be able to find Taishi and Levi. The brute and the Nara were currently located in the Iron Country as they were momentarily looking out for more opportunities to arise. Levi didn't really expect to be in this place for long but recent events had caused him to stay longer than he originally had planned. A lot had happened since he first arrived in the Iron Country. One of these things had led the short man to end up in the presence of Taishi, his new companion. The two of them had been spending the last couple of days together where they would keep themselves busy gathering food and earning some cash here and there. They had used that time to get to know each other a little bit better so they would be able to know how the other would react in certain situations. Even though there was still room for improvement, Levi had the feeling that the two of them were starting to get along just fine. 

Both the brute and the Nara had been walking around leaving their footprints in the beautiful white snow when they arrived at a bridge. It was built out of grey stones with a large gate at the end and was something you wouldn't expect to find in the Land of Iron. Once they had passed through the large gate they would find themselves surprised at what was in front of them. The view was completely different from what they had been seeing before. Whereas they were earlier surrounded by snow, they now were in the middle of what would seem to be a mountain range. The area was filled with rocks, the one bigger than the other. From some reason this place was able to stay unaffected by the snow as there wasn't even one icy spot to find. It wasn't comparable with the environment they were in earlier but Levi wouldn't mind at all. In the contrary, since he had an affinity for the Earth element he felt himself perfectly at home, surrounded by rocks, earth and mountains. Of course he grew up in the Nara clan where it was custom for their members to learn and specialise in the Shadow Manipulation jutsu, but Levi still found the time to be captivated by the beauty of the Earth style techniques. He always found it amazing how someone was able to change entire landscapes with just a couple of hand seals. The earth was almost always around you so it wasn't difficult to understand how you could use it as a way to defend and attack. Unfortunately for Levi he had never found the time to practice and develop any kind of Earth technique. During his time at Konohagakure no Sato he was mostly with shinobi who were skilled with the Fire element and once he started to take part in the special force he even had less time to try and learn the element he found so interesting. 

When he looked at Taishi he figured that his companion might be of the same mind, given the brute's appearance. He was one hard to read as he never really expressed his feelings or shared his thoughts. Was he happy? Sad? Angry? And Levi wasn't one to stick his nose in someone else his business. He was more the type to give someone space, waiting for them to share their thoughts. For the meantime Levi would take a small break as his feet started to feel the result of walking around for so long. He decided to take a seat at one of the bigger rocks as he used the smaller ones to play with. 

(WC: 625)

Taishi would take not of the shifting terrain, the area they were approaching would be lacking any real ice. Such would make it an idea spot for a short reprieve, as they could sit down without literally freezing their asses off. The general features of the place were mountainous and rocky, much like Taishi himself had been. The dull grey hues would look to be similar to the skin of the brute. 


"Hopefully we find a mountain goat or something nearby." He would say as he gaze out into the distance. It wouldn't be a stretch to find one here, though he didn't know if luck would find its way to them this day. 

"Don't know much about you? Shinobi trained, right?" The brute would ask knowing the answer was in fact a 'yes'. "What do you know? 'Cause you don't seem like a high ranking shinobi." He was blunt and to the point, but his words held no rudeness. He stated what he observed, and that was all. "What do you.. uh..." He wasn't sure how exactly to phrase the question. "What are you... good at, I guess?" He was asking about what the boys shinobi focus was, like Taijutsu or Ninjutsu, but Taishi wasn't all that versed in the more technical aspects of everything. Earth Style Ninjutsu just sort of naturally came to him, and with him being mostly self taught he probably isn't as knowledgeable as others in the 'book smarts' of shinobi life.

As far his eyes could reach Levi wasn't able to spot anything in the distance that could serve as a refreshment of some sort. The brute's first thought was also about food. It didn't come as a surprise at all. They had been traveling for a while now without any type of decent meal, so it was understandable that their minds started to think about food, and preferably meat. "That does sound good."

Taishi seemed to be having the same questions about Levi as the Nara did about the brute. They both didn't know much about each other and if they were going to keep hanging around together it was crucial for them to know more about one another. Just as he expected Taishi was rather straightforward about his companion's qualities. What was Levi good at? Well, making jokes for one. But he couldn't use that as an answer so he had to be serious and try to explain his strengths and weaknesses without sounding arrogant but at the same time sounding confident. "Well, I was second in command at the squad I was in, but there were far more talented shinobi than myself." It was true that the Nara was only second after the captain himself, but he was surrounded by people with much more talent in fighting than him. "You could say I was more the brains than brawn, responsible for the game plan."

"When I took part in missions myself it mostly were infiltrations, assassinations, that kind of stuff. It was where I could be of most use with my techniques." Being born into the Nara clan he would learn how to manipulate his shadow, which was suited for that type of missions. With a single hand seal, that of the rat, he would then activate his Shadow Imitation Jutsu for Taishi to see. With the sun out it wasn't of any difficulty to use this technique. Of course Levi figured it wasn't going to be the brute his first time witnessing something like that with spending a lot of time with that crazy Alice who was also a Nara. But it wouldn't hurt showing it as well.

If one would take a quick look at Levi they would probably think he wasn't of much use during close quarter combat due to his small build, but if they would have a closer look they would also notice his muscular body. "Don't be mistaken by my height, I know how to pack a punch as well." He would say to Taishi to let him know he would be able to hold his own when it came down to a fight. Besides the technique passed down in his clan, he also had an affinity for the Earth element but he still hadn't develop any jutsu. "Regarding what I specialise in, I'd say it would have to be ninjutsu with Earth as my element. But unfortunately I haven't had the chance to learn such techniques." 

Levi had been telling some more about himself but still had to find out more about his grey companion, so he figured he would hear him out as well. "Enough about me, what about you?" Even though he already had an idea of what Taishi would be good at, it was still worth asking anyway.

(WC: 550, TWC: 1175)

The grey brute would listen to the man tell his tales of his former life, a silent nod at various points showing that he was listening. So he was a tactician instead of a warrior, second in command of his squad. The strengths of the man were literally the weaknesses of Taishi, for he was not thrilled or talented in the arts of infiltration. His earth style may be useful in such things, but the man had no patience for it. As for assassination… well, he was a hunter and every hunter needed its prey.
 
“So you can do that shadow style stuff like Alice. That’s good. I hate that shit, so I’m sure others do, too. And you can throw a punch? Well, I’m sure we will find out.” Taishi would say, letting out a hearty laugh. He would stretch a bit, various bones popping and cracking as the tension releases from them. The man would take off his dark cloak, revealing a fairly impressive natural physique. He was a large man, his skin various shades of grey. It almost would look as though he might have been covered in dirt, though upon closer inspection one could see that it was just the differing tones of his skin.
 
“You are going to work up a sweat, so I suggest you keep at least some article of clothing dry else you will find your death in the cold when traveling. Or you could make a fire later. Your call.” Taishi would continue to stretch, as pulling a muscle here would make the rest of the trip unpleasant. So the dude understood ninjutsu and earth style. How fortunate for him that that was Taishi’s area of expertise as well.
 
“I’m gonna show you some stuff. First, do you know how to use Body Flicker? You form the Ram seal, and surge chakra into your body, fueling the muscles to inhuman levels. It allows for a speedy escape, and may be something that you need should shit hit the fan.” He would show the Ram seal, though h didn’t think that Levi would need the example. A trained shinobi probably knew all the seals without a second thought. Nothing would visually happen, and then Taishi would appear beside the Nara in what would only seem like a flash. “Like I said, it makes you quick. Learn it.” The brute would watch, making sure that the new guy was able to do the jutsu. It was fairly basic, and he didn’t expect it to be beyond his new pupils capabilities.
 
Once he was satisfied that Levi knew it, he would move to the next jutsu. “So Hiding Like a Mole is perfectly suited to your skillset. It allows stealthy movement and the ability to strike from a hidden location. This one is a bit more difficult, as not only does it require a bit more control, it also doesn’t have any seals to focus your chakra.” He would take a knee, his chakra grinding the earth beneath his feet into a fine sand and allowing him to sink into it with little effort. As he would sink, Taishi would elaborate, “You need to focus your chakra into your points of contact with the earth and allow it to flow inside as well. It may take a bit to get used to it, but once you do it takes no effort to do.”

The grey brute suddenly stood up as he stripped himself of his dark cloak, revealing his impressive physical build. Standing in front of Levi was a tall man with skin containing different types of grey. It was a peculiar sight, but the Nara had seen all different kinds of strange on his journeys. A mere commoner would probably get scared of this view but to Levi it was just one of the many wonders in this world. While the grey brute started stretching he suggested to follow his example since the two of them were going to work up a sweat. It seemed that they were in for some exercise. No sooner said than done Levi would take him up on that offer as he took off his dark green cloak. He wasn't the tallest in the bunch but it wasn't difficult to miss his ripped body formed thanks to his long years of training. Now that the two of them were ready to begin, they just needed to wait until Taishi explained what he had in mind.

Claiming he would show Levi some stuff, he would begin with a technique called Body Flicker. It was one that would extremely enhance your speed. It only required the Ram seal and for you to surge chakra through your body. This technique was one of the more basic ones but it was also a jutsu that would come in handy when it was needed. Taishi wouldn't make for a good teacher if he wasn't able to demonstrate what he wanted to teach, so it only made sense for the brute to show how it was done. With only a single hand seal Taishi would suddenly disappear from his original position to end up next to the Nara with just a flash. Quick indeed. And very useful when push comes to shove. After seeing how it needed to be done it was Levi's turn. "Alright, let's give it a go." 

The small Nara would warm up for a little moment while trying to focus on his task ahead. When his muscles were warmed up he would then envision what he wanted to achieve. Remembering the image of Taishi performing the Body Flicker he knew the different steps he needed to take to successfully perform the technique. Levi would use his chakra to temporarily vitalise his body hoping he would succeed. Forming the Ram seal while at the same time letting chakra surge through his body the Nara was able to leave a puff of smoke behind as he vanished and reappeared a couple of meters from where he was standing before. "Not bad for a first try" he would say while obviously feeling happy with his first attempt. But he knew he could do better so he tried again. And again. And again, until he finally reached the speed and distance he wanted to achieve. Satisfied with himself now that he got the hang of it he would look over at Taishi to continue their lesson. "I believe I'm ready for the next step."

Moving on to the next jutsu Taishi would explain this one was called Hiding Like a Mole. The name itself would already tell it could be used to defend yourself but you could also use it as a surprise attack. Another useful technique, Levi liked the sound of it. Since this one required more control and didn't have any hand seals to focus your chakra on it would be a bit more difficult to execute. The young Nara would pay close attention while the grey brute showed him how it was supposed to look like when you fully learned how to do it. His feet started to grind the earth beneath him into fine sand, allowing him to slowly sink in. The grey brute wasn't exactly exaggerating earlier when he said this technique was more diificult than the Body Flicker. Luckily for him Levi never said no to a challenge. "I'll give it a shot."

One of the advantages that the short Nara had, was the fact that he was pretty good at concentrating and controlling his chakra, so it would only benefit him while trying to perform the Hiding like a Mole technique. He would take a deep breath as he focussed on the chakra surging through his body. He would then try and concentrate the chakra to his feet while flowing his chakra into the surrounding earth, turning it temporarily into a fine sand. Levi could feel the earth beneath his feet turn into sand and he even began to sink, even if it was just for a little bit. It would seem that this technique would require some more practice than the Body Flicker Technique from before. "I guess I'll have to keep working on my control before I will completely get the hang of it." He hoped Taishi was pleased with the results he was showing on such short notice.

(WC: 825, TWC: 2000)

So Levi would take his advice and remove his cloak to keep it dry. The cold mountain air was chilly, though the lack of any real wind currents where they were standing prevented it from being too bad. Plus, they would soon be sweating from the training. Upon inspection it would seem that the Nara wasn’t as scrawny as he seemed, his small body more muscular than expected. It would seem his rigorous shinobi training payed off. Levi was quick to soak in the information, attempting to catch on fairly quickly in regards to the techniques.
 
He would copy the ram seal Taishi used and perform the technique several times, each back to back. Taishi was surprised that he was able to use it as much as he had in such a short time, but the brute would have to give the Nara credit. It would seem as though Levi’s background as a village shinobi made him more accustomed to constant training and taking in new techniques, the foundation of his knowledge in the shinobi arts likely making learning far simpler. He had to figure everything out with little to go on, all taught through trial and error. Luckily his heritage made mastering the manipulation of Earth incredibly simple compared to anything else. Levi could figure out how to activate the jutsu’s, but hopefully he can take that same pace when learning how to apply them in practical situations like combat.
 
Taishi could feel the level of concentration the Nara had as he was trying to use the Hiding Like a Mole technique. He could tell that the man was struggling a bit more with this one. This technique came pretty naturally to Taishi, so hopefully Levi would be able to master it. Maybe there was a reason the grey brute was so naturally attuned to earth style…
 
“Don’t sweat it too much. Just keep practicing.” Taishi would say, realizing that he was growing fond of the new guys company as well. Maybe he would open up a bit to him and tell a bit about himself instead of just looking at the man as an assignment. “So, what did you want to know? I’m a wandering warrior, a weapon for hire. I do things other people don’t want to dirty their hands with. How about yourself? Why run away from your cozy home behind big walls? It’s a dangerous world out here. Why give up that security?” The brute would ask, wondering what might have been going through the guys mind when he decided to flee his village.
 
While he was answering some of Levi’s questioning and asking some of his own, he would consider what to teach the guy next. Then it donned on him that Levi could learn the Headhunter Technique to use in unison with Hiding Like a Mole. “Once you feel confident you have the mole technique down I’ll show you one useful application of its stealth. Of course, until you got it down I can show you something else. Don’t want to get too caught up in only a single lesson. What should I show you next?”
 
“Do you know how to use earth release to make stuff lighter?” The brute would ask as he approached one of the larger boulders in the area. The thing had to be at least a few hundred pounds, maybe more.

Sweat started to drip on his forehead while he kept improving the execution of the Hiding Like a Mole technique. So far he got it down to a certain point where he was able to sink in to his knees. With every attempt he would gain a couple of inches so he was heading in the right direction with this jutsu. It would only be a matter of time until he would completely master it. Wiping away the drops of sweat running down his face he would then listen closely when Taishi began to share a bit more about himself. So it seemed the brute was some type of mercenary one would hire for doing the kind of jobs where hands were bound to get dirty. Not everyone would be able to stomach the ugly truth so that's where Taishi came in. "Is it something you saw yourself doing all along?"

Not too long after the brute decided to bounce the question back to the Nara when he asked what happened to cause Levi to leave his comfortable and peaceful life at his village. It was true that he was leading a secure life at Konohagakure no Sato so most people would call him crazy for leaving, but Levi himself saw no other option after experiencing the deaths of his comrades. "When you become a shinobi you sign up for a life where death might come knocking at your door so you're prepared for things to happen. But when you witnessed all of your friends being slaughtered in front of your eyes with only you as the sole survivor you start to think if that's really what it's supposed to be, to be a shinobi." The young Nara still hadn't been able to take peace with the fact that he was the only one to survive the massacre that happened years ago. He knows he should be happy but sometimes he thought he wanted to be where his former comrades were, together again. 

Levi was still trying to get the complete hang of the Hiding Like a Mole technique when he was able to sink to the waist down. With half of his body sunk in the sand he started to think how he should get up again. Just about as he was trying to figure out how to get back up and out of the sand his companion mentioned a technique that would go well with this one. Now that he was a bit stuck anyway they could try that one out. "Since I'm halfway down already we could give that one a go as well." For it to work he had to master the Hiding Like a Mole technique first so a change of pace wouldn't hurt as well. So it was a welcome change when Taishi suggested another jutsu he was able to show. 

Crawling out of the sand he had created Levi would start to listen as the brute asked him if he knew how to use his Earth Release to make things lighter. At the same time he would walk over to one of the larger boulders in the area. Making stuff lighter just by using Earth Release? No matter how hard he tried he wasn't able to come up with a way to do such thing. The other two techniques he was shown would explain what it did since the meaning was basically in its name. But this time he wasn't sure what the purpose of such a technique would be. It had to be more than just make stuff lighter so he decided to ask the brute. "In what type of situation would you use such a technique? So what I'm basically asking is what good it does." 

(WC: 625, TWC: 2625)

Was this the life he always saw himself leading? That was a good question, one the brute hadn’t fully considered before. Even without prior thinking on the matter he had an answer pretty quickly. “I’ve always sought more than the life of a simple farmer. I originally wanted to be a shinobi, carve out my own path in life. But Iwagakure was destroyed, and shortly thereafter my hometown was attacked and razed by raiders. Iwa couldn’t protect them anymore, and so people came and took what they wanted. That shit showed me what this world was about…” He would shake his head, “I wasn’t close to those people that died, but it showed me that you can’t depend on the strength of anyone else out here. No, you have to be self-reliant.” It wasn’t the easiest to pick up on from his hardened features, but there was disappointment in his face. The grim realities of this world was honestly something he preferred not to think too much about, especially in his line of work.
 
Hearing Levi talk about his own experiences as a shinobi would just make the brute nod. It seemed that even with security and safety a village offered it didn’t protect anyone from seeing their fair share of horrible shit. He would pull out his drink and take a long gulp, offering Levi a swig as well if he wanted it. “I’m gonna be honest, out here isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. It tends to be survival of the fittest out here, so keep that in mind.” Taishi would say with a low tone. “For example… that Alice person is a bit on the crazy side. I’m sure you picked up on that. Just be careful around her, okay?”
 
It would seem as though Levi was getting the hang of using Hiding Like a Mole, his body nearly halfway down now. “Good, now once you make it all the way down you can sneak up on a target, grab them by the feet or ankles, and drag them down into the ground. Could be useful to interrogate, or remove a target from a fight. Basically it has applications, but you gotta know when to use it effectively.”
 
 
Then they would move to the boulders, and Levi would question him about the technique. “Well, for one lifting this boulder right now would be pretty awful. It is cumbersome and you might not be able to lift it at all. But,” He would place his hands on the boulder and surge his chakra into it, “With this technique you can reduce its weight to make it easier to lift. It can help if you are being crushed by something heavy…” Taishi would think, unsure of what all applications it had. Then he would think back to his training of the technique. “Oh, here.”
 
He would use Earth Tools to form several plates to use as targets. “So here is a normal throw.” Taishi would say as he pelted a rock through the target plate. “It was quick, right? Now, check this out.” And he would reduce the weight of the rock and then throw it, the speed picking up a considerable amount. “It can be used to get a thrown object somewhere faster than normal. Of course it isn’t as heavy so it might not hit as hard, but if you put an explosive tag or some shit on the projectile you really won’t care if it weighs a bit less, right?”

He would then ask, "Are there any techniques that you are looking to learn about? I may know a thing or two about them." He wasn't really accustomed to teaching others. Hell, he was typically far too busy trying to teach himself how to do half of what he knows.

Hearing Taishi talk about how he actually derived from Iwagakure and that his dream once was to become a shinobi only to see his dream shattered when his village was destroyed would show Levi that the two of them had more in common than they first thought. The grey brute found out what the world truly was about, just like the young Nara had years ago. Out there in the real world you had to take care of yourself because nobody else would. Once shit hits the fan you would be confronted with the harsh reality of how fast people put themselves first, leaving those who weren’t strong enough behind. It was just like Taishi said, survival of the fittest. With those words the brute made sure to warn Levi for how he should be careful when he was around Alice. The group he had found himself in wasn’t actually too bad if it wasn’t for his crazy clan member who would rather kill than actually work together. At the same time of the warning Taishi pulled out his drink, offering it to Levi after taking a sip of it himself. Just like he was getting used to his companion he was making sure to get used to the taste of whatever it was when he accepted to share a drink with Taishi as a token of their growing bond. “I’ve noticed. Thanks for the heads up.”
 
Now that their little break was over it was time for the two of them to resume their lessons about all the different techniques that would come in handy.
One of them was a technique you could use in unison with the Hiding Like a Mole technique where you could grab someone or drag them into the ground by surprise.
Once he completely mastered it Levi would make sure to learn the other one as well.
 
When the two of them were standing in front of one of the larger boulders from the area Taishi started to explain the technique he mentioned before about how you could use your Earth style to make things lighter. Placing one of his hands on the boulder to show what he meant he would then let his chakra surge into it. Using this technique would allow you to reduce the weight, making it easier to lift heavy things.
Thinking about how he could show the practical use of such a technique the brute created some tools thanks to a jutsu called Earth Tools. After forming a couple of those tools he would then show the kind of impact a normal throw would have. As he threw the boulder through the target plate you would see that it was quick, but nothing out of the ordinary. But then Taishi would demonstrate how it would look once he had activated the technique on the boulder. Reducing the weight of the rock and throwing it, it was obvious how its speed had improved considerably. Now that Levi understood how the technique worked he thought he should give it a go as well, only he would start out with a boulder slightly smaller than the one the brute was throwing. Picking one of the rocks in front of him he placed his hand on top of it as he was focussing his chakra to surge through it. The young Nara was able to feel how the weight of the rock started to reduce when he had no trouble picking it up without working up a sweat. He would then throw it to one of the plates that still remained from earlier as the rock smashed right through it. “Bullseye!” he yelled with a smile.
 
When he successfully replicated the technique shown to him by Taishi, the Nara would listen when the grey brute asked him if there was something he was looking to learn. There wasn’t really anything on the top of his head but first coming to mind would be some type of technique that would impact multiple opponents at once, since it was possible he had to deal with more than one enemy at a time.
“Maybe when the time comes that I have to face multiple enemies at once, a jutsu that works on a bigger scale could be very useful so that I can take them all out at the same time.”

(WC: 725, TWC: 3350)

Levi would begin to fully grasp the Headhunter and Hiding Like a Mole techniques, which were both fairly useful abilities. He didn’t really practice the Headhunter technique, but it was a fairly basic concept to follow and didn’t need a whole bunch of practice to utilize. Then they would move on with the training.
 
The boulders would smash through the plates without any difficulty, the velocity of the thrown projectiles far faster than one might expect considering their size. Levi would catch on and do some rock throwing of his own, his boulder also hitting the target without him even breaking a sweat. “That’s why it is useful. Switching it up on people can make it harder to know what to expect. Like I wouldn’t think that you’d be able to throw that boulder as quickly or easily as you did, but sure enough you broke that plate over there.” Taishi would ponder for a moment before continuing with, “of course, a more experienced opponent won’t be caught off guard so easily, so don’t rely too heavily on the surprise factor.”
 
So it would seem the Nara wanted to learn a technique that would be able to hit multiple targets at the same time. Taishi considered what all he had in his bag of tricks, and he figured it would be best to start with an easy move, the simpler jutsu known to the brute as Rock Spears. It wasn’t an incredibly advanced technique, but it would probably be far easier to learn than the Swamp jutsu that also effected a large area.
 
“Okay, so this one is going to require some mastery over manipulating the earth beneath your feet… er or hands, I guess. You focus your chakra, form the Bird hand seal and touch the ground. Then focus your chakra through the ground and try to lift up pillars of earth. They might not be sharp at first, but you’ll get the hang of it in no time and be able to form makeshift spears out of earth and stone. Of course which you need in the heat of battle depends on whether or not you want to end the life of the target.”
 
Taishi would take another swig of his drink and give Levi a bit to practice the jutsu. So far he’s been impressed with how quickly the Nara had been catching on to everything. “Once you have that one down, I can show you a fairly advanced technique, but it requires a great deal of chakra control. If you are confident in your abilities I can try and show you.” Taishi would add, unsure of just how capable Levi had been. So far they had only learned basic techniques and of things that were slightly above those in difficulty. The Swamp technique would require far more control and mastery over ones chakra to perform properly.