A Delightful Encounter (Eliwood & Mar)

Mar seemed to be struggling a little with understanding Eliwood's roundabout teaching style but the kid had a whole lot of moxie and was a quick learner. The leaf wasn't cleanly cut, but it would do. Mar didn't seem like the type to get bogged down in the basics. Eliwood would help this friendly face feel the freedom that comes with the wind.

"What you did there earlier, that little fizzle out on the end of your finger. It will only take a bit more practice from there." He'd say pointing his own finger at the ground. "You had the chakra in the right place, but you have to hold it all together. You could try compressing it into a ball, but I will let you in on my secret....I simply spin the chakra. Adding rotation not only holds it together, but makes it more accurate."

To demonstrate, he kicked up quite a bit of dust and held his finger in the cloud. He slowly focused chakra into the end of his finger gun and began to swirl the wind until it was a small almost tube shaped bullet. The cloud of dust reflected the swirling breeze and even colored the bullet brown slightly as some of the dirt was caught in the stream.

"To answer your question, nobody taught me the Air pistol. It just came to me one day whilst I was traveling the deserts of Suna. I needed a way to get food and the only creatures around were small game. A little shot of wind always did the trick." He pointed his finger gun, still holding the dusty shot, at the tree from earlier, "but it is true its damage potential is great. With practice it can be extremely potent." He would say before firing the shot at the tree followed immediately by two more quick shots.

Being able to shoot small prey kept his belly full many times, but he hadn't thought about the actual potential of the technique until him and Seiichi needed to hunt a deer. Eliwood was able to cleanly kill a running deer with one shot through the neck. He had been limiting himself to squirrels and fennecs when he could have been eating much larger meals. Mar however, seemed to be able to grasp damage potential of the Air Pistol after only seeing it once. The monk was pleased with being able to pass on some pleasant winds to this person.

(WC 411)
(TWC 1936)

"Ooooh, now that's an interesting solution. Tell me, have you ever thought of aiming the way you turn it to try and produce a spinning bullet? If done perfectly, you could produce a spinning projectile that'd not only be even harder to avoid. But could hit multiple targets or even pull back in on the same target multiple times. Here, let me demonstrait. This is the phoenix fire jutsu, which is an offensive technique. It creates fire balls which can then be manipulated with great effect. They don't inherently have the speed or firepower of the pistol, but a good ninja can stretch even an E rank technique into a killer move."

Rat, Tiger, Dog, Ox, Rabbit, Tiger his hands flashed. Before rotating his head around to create six basic fireballs. He pointed at the tree where they all swooned in one after the other with great control. Squeezing through the peephole created before then darting over at a 90 degree angle to come back. They swarmed around in a circle 30 meters around his body. Swelling from pea size to a meter around, warming them significantly. "Controlling it this way also let's the chakra last a lot longer, I can keep these up for a decent amount of time. Having do dodge six, one meter wide balls for a length of time get's difficult. And with this particular method I could even do something sneaky like hide one behind my back for when they get too close."

He had them line up in a shooting gallery ahead of himself, from almost point blank to the maximum distance possible. "These should make some good targets." He explains, trying ounce more to gather the power necessary. This time, he rotated his fingers around together. Near the stomach, using not only both fingers in conjunction but the core of his chakra network itself. Which made sense from the point of view of a fire practitioner. Where so much of his techniques were based on the breath. Why was it that wind could exude from anywhere but the greatest fires spewed from the mouth?

"Oooh, something else, another idea! For more power and penetration all together. Don't just use one finger." He said, nodding wth growing enthusiasm as he stuck out three fingers and the fireballs lined up in a strait angle. *POP* Each finger went in unison. The effects were quite clear. Each of the fireballs had three holes in it forming an even pattern. With the bullet firing far past the limit of his initial jutsu. It'd cracked against the branches of another tree. The engineer bit his lip, satisfied. Before clutching his fingertips and suckling on them. "I threaded the sides of my middle finger real bad." He said regrettably. The skin looked blackened into long purple bruises that were not comfortable.

(Used pheonix fire)

Eliwood was astounded by Mar's learning capabilities. He understood the rotation of the wind bullet easy enough and even tried to get creative with it. He produced a wild show of flames and dancing fireballs which was like magic to Eliwood. He had always been infatuated with the sight of such techniques, sadly unable to reproduce them himself.

"A fantastic display! Reminds me of the monks at the fire temple. Every year they would hold a festival where fire dancers and performers would show off their skill." He'd say with a beaming smile.

Mar's aptitude proved to be dangerous as he grazed his own fingers attempting to fire off more than one wind bullet. "Fire can be contained and controlled much easier than wind. A flame holds together while air separates the first chance it gets. For now the most I can manage is a straight line shot."

Mar quickly grasped the compression of a bullet so the jump should be easy in theory. Eliwood pondered how best to explain the feeling he used to perform a jump after already leaving the ground. "The bullet is quite different than being able to leap up like I did earlier. You need a lot more chakra to produce a blast strong enough to move your whole body. Use the same principle of the tree climbing technique you showed me, except this time push the chakra out as hard as you can." He jumped up and stuck his left leg behind his back pushing out his chakra as he did. This allowed him to change direction mid air. "This is a personal favorite technique of mine. The freedom of riding on the wind is exhilarating."

(WC 282)
(TWC 2218)

Mar retrieved a bandage from his back pack, a simple but clean cloth to wrap around his abrasion. He wished that he had pain relievers to go with the first aid as well but just like he always did on the road he bared with the pain and soon enough it duller. At the same time, it really did bring him some joy to see Eli so enthusiastic about his own techniques. "Yeah, it's far from the most incredible jutsu in the world. But even the smallest cog in a machine can have the biggest effect if it's used right. That's kinda why we ninja seek versatility anyways right? Sure, you could hone one single weapon to a perfect point. But no jutsu is so perfect as to counter out all of the competition." He went on, not feeling bad about his failure at all.

He wholeheartedly agree'd with the monks enthusiasm to ride up into the air on nothing but a cushion of wind beneath his feet. Though it was not true flight. It was a self propelled leap with great adaptability. And might just be the closest he'd feel to it in quite a long time. "Ok, I wanna take another shot!" He so eagerly volunteered even after having just badly hurt his hand. "Ow, ow! Youch! Owie!" He groaned between every hand sign. Attempting to apply some of the same principals as the bullet, with Eli's advice to use a method closer to the wall walking technique. He had quite the.. Interesting effect.

Smaller balls of wind zipped up from under his feet, though he willed them to stream upwards. His instant yearning for balance betrayed him as he threatened to spiral over and fall back on his head. So instead he zipped forth on two spiraling balls of wind chakra in a result far from the intended effect. All the while he zipped around tree's and small rocks that'd surely cause him to trip and ruin the entire experience. He stayed squat, hands held in the final seal. Eith eyes to the skies he let himself lean back and for a few short moments it looked as though he was gaining althitude perfectly.

Then a moments miscalculation and he was spinning down. Where another Genin rank ninja might have kept it going. Spinning and spinning until he crashed in the ground and hurt himself. Mar's chakra control was exemplary. He twisted the rotation in the opposite way and countered out the mistake he'd made. Being sent up a lofty twenty meters vertically where he kicked up several times higher in the air hoping to reach a waiting branch. Barely snagging it with two fingers followed by all the rest. "Oh wow, ok. I'm ok, and... I think I got that one. Youch!" He put too much weight on his throbbing middle finger and was forced to stand on the side of the tree instead. Sighing. "Beautiful."

"That was certainly...something." Eliwood would sigh, "maybe I am not such a good teacher. But you seem to grasp things quickly, in your own way." He would laugh at Mar's turbulent yet graceful flight and subsequent landing. Mar was certainly a whizz at picking up new things. That instrument from earlier only adding to his amazement with this person.

"How was your brief flight?" He would ask now sitting at the base of the tree Mar was standing on. Eliwood remembered his first time feeling himself lift off the wind. He had always considered the wind his friend, and jutsu that utilized it only made him feel a deeper connection with it. Just like him the wind was free to roam wherever it pleased. It was a fitting lifestyle. To be able to impart that freedom, if even just a little, was enough to put a beaming smile on the young monks face.

(WC 153)
(TWC 2381)

The respect of the monk left Mar beaming with pride despite that being about he messiest jutsu he’d ever performed. Giving a thumbs up before strolling over on level to the monk. “Ok ok, I think thatMs about enough jutsu for this morning. Wind is dangerous, funnily enough I think I’ll mostly be sticking with fire.” He admitted without a chuckle. Sensing his new palls anxiety over reaching him and returning to his eager, more musical disposition. “You know, even if it’s not music, I could see us working together. There are some gnarly people out there folks will pay handsomely to see fought. In one way or another.” He proposed.

“A good business partner is hard to come by I’d say, especially for a ninja who’s unaffiliated with any of the villages. If I had to guess, you’ve never even come close to one of those secret villages have you? Kinda like me.” He suggested, always valuing his ability to read into people and some of the details Eli had been so open with this far made his deduction virtually certain.

Mar’s favorite teacher was not the wind itself, he admired a certain fire expert who casually tossed around incredible power outside of the public eye. He was left to inuit the miracles himself through paper and practice. Even now rushing into it himself he felt less than steady. His tallents and skills ill suited to practical study. He was not a fighter, but the type to learn from afar and only enter when victory is certain.

“I’ve met some folk like you already of course, weather I interest you or not. You might want to pay a visit to the chortleing chunin. Look for the girl with white hair. And be nice. Akihana’s probably kinder than my own mother.” He casually and very ironically remarked.

"Ah yes. Fire is certainly more charming than wind, but wind serves to enhance flames. Adding a wind technique behind a fire one will increase the flames potency." Eliwood spoke the words with pride but really he was hiding his disappointment. What he said to Mar was what he had always told himself. He could not use fire chakra no matter how hard he tried. He longed to serve the Eternal Flame by spreading its majesty, but also wind was all he could manage. So he latched on to the fact that wind amplifies flame to feel useful.

"You are correct. I have not been to one of those Shinobi villages. I usually just wander where the wind takes me." He laughed while rubbing the back of his head.

Mar then surprised Eliwood by mentioning not only The Chortling Chunin, but Akihana as well. "What a coincidence this is. I know Akihana, actually I guess you could say she is my boss. We just recently catered a Halloween ball hosted by some big corporation." He extended a hand to Mar and said, "You seem like a capable lad, if you're looking for companions I am sure you would fit right in. The work is good and the boss is generous, if not a bit eccentric." (An understatement to describe Maku)

Eliwood liked this man. He was friendly and open. He had a knack for picking this up and to be frank, the monk was still extremely curious about that musical device. It wasnt often he found strangers like this one. He was sure Mar would make a good hire and if Akihana vouched for him, Maku would have no choice but to take him in.

(WC 285)
(TWC 2666)

'Damn, whoever I'm working with has some connections. I'm surprised that I've not gone and run into them before. I've dealt with all sorts of missing Ninja in my time. Atleast, I think I have...' He thought to himself, feeling briefly silly sure but also adulated that he'd already be sure to see more of his new comrade. Mar's ear twitched as his cohort finished his statement on fire. He was really good at hiding the true feeling behind his words. Or at the very least this was circumstantial. The engineer could not fully pin down what Eliwood was really thinking. But he performed a process of elimination in his head.

Eli was amazed by the wonders of fire jutsu, but had certainly not learned it himself. So that ruled out the option that he was particularly scared of flame and just trying to hide behind a surface level wonder. His words did not come from a place of guilt. Then there was the statement that a wind technique could be combined with a fire technique. Thought it was not completely untrue, it was a slightly odd thing to say. Literally it was nearly impossible to meaningfully perform the hand signs for multiple jutsu in concert unless if the user was far better at performing hand signs than actually performing the jutsu. He'd seen the young ninja form his hand signs. It did not look as if he were especially trying to hid his speed. But just a normal rate of performance.

Did he once have a partner who worked with fire? Or even a team? Was he being extra friendly and possibly mentioning ways that they could already work together? All good options, but Mar's mind continued to grind on the mystery of why Eli had never learned fire techniques himself. Possibly it was that he had just embraced his nature and never had a good enough teacher.  Or some other kind of mental block like personality interfering with his ability to perform the jutsu.

"That's convient, so Eli. Since you've never gotten fire jutsu of your own for whatever reason I have two proposals. One is that I personally show you the deaper meaning that fire has on a more... Spiritual level. Completely understanding the psychological concepts behind a jutsu has let me make staggering process with some of the more challenging techniques to be sure. The alternative, I suggest." He gave a wink. "Is that we work together, a lot. So much in fact that we amass a small fortune between the two of us and I design a piece of equipment that can add a fiery punch to your windy techniques." He made a fist. "Man is a special creature, he can harness nature into any form he wants. God willing, I can give you the ways of fire." He proposed, wanting to learn being a profound motivation for the scholar. Plus he sensed that he could certainly grow himself from the relationship.

Mar seemed to realize Eliwood had a thing for fire, yet had not acquired it for himself. "Oh trust me I know all about the spiritual aspects of Flame. You see I actually hail from a temple dedicated to the worship of fire. All the monks from there are practitioners of fire techniques, except for me. I have no aptitude for it whatsoever. In fact I have no ability to form any element but wind. But together...yes we could achieve quite a lot."

He scratched his head at the thought of a device to add fire to his abilities, was there anything this man could not create? The mysteries continued to pile in.

Mar was certainly more chipper company than Seiichi and that suited Eliwood well. "You know, I believe we could have some fantastic adventures. Speaking of wealth, I do have a job that I am supposed to attend to. Would you care to come along?" He would ask.

(WC 160)
(TWC 2826)

Mar found this boys insistence on his nature rather interesting. If anyone knew the pillars of Ninjutsu, it was him. 'Everyone is bound by the same rules, and in theory has the same potential. People can unearth on average three elements and with difficulty a fourth. To be completely cut off from all elements of wind makes him a special case, or at least he thinks he is. The grounds of hypnosis all stem from the placebo effect. Or the mind over body theory that states that because someone believes that they can't do something or must be something. If he does not have the potential of fire, then this unlucky bastard might just be able to tap into every element but flame. Or maby it'll be somthing else interesting. Like he's secretly much more affiliated with water than he hoped for. Poor guy, but I think I could learn a lot about the human potential for Chakra if we met up again...'

He escaped his own thoughts. "Thanks for the offer pall, but I've actually got to get going on this chores list of my own. I've got to get cracking on a few orders for parts for some folks in the fang village, then I got to set to clearing a patch of land for my workshop there. I'm thinking about daming this river right in the middle of the place. Gonna get really creative about how I use the stream feeding into it so that there's no effects to nature... Oh, but as soon as I get the chance next I'd be happy to give you a call. Do you carry a phone?" He asked, writing down his own number to hand to the monk regardless. He could find a pay phone if need be and it really would be the easiest and most reliable method to reach them.

He snapped his fingers and gave the monk a charming smile. "Get thinking on what you want that weapon to be Eli. If you're not creative by the time we're both rich, I'll wind up turning you into another test subject for my flying machines." He remarked. Never quite being able to push them past either a leap, a slow, temporary flight, or a glide. But he knew it'd be worth it one day. Even now he constantly dreamed about sailing through the stars on a craft made by his own ingenuity. The possibilities with chakra were endless, but unfortunately. His bank account was not.

"By the way, we got to play together again sometime. And I'll have those Sitar's I promised you ready by the end of the month. You might consider taking up the piano yourself dude, it'd definitely increase your musical skill. Like learning a new language. You can discover a thousand wind jutsu, but if I'm the better musician by the end I'll hold it over your head until we're dead. Farewell." He gave a wave. Finding his way back to his belongings and packing up. Another ally, he wondered when the day would come he'd have to call upon them...

Something popped back into his head on his departure that made him pause slightly, making a paper airplane from his studying materials. He quickly formed a makeshift letter and sent it down wind back at the ninja where it may or may not have arrived. "By the way, when I was nine until I was eleven, I spent some time with some fire monks around that region too. It wasn't all for me, but let's keep the ideals alive. :D"

(Exit, claims coming shortly)