From Fist to Palm

Kuniko wandered through Hoshigakure in the early hours of the morning to the Training Grounds of Hoshi's Water Gardens. There was a light mist in the cool morning air which cast a gray haze over the lights of the waking city. Kuniko himself was fresh and ready for the day though. He had completed his regular morning rituals of bathing, combing his hair to perfection, picking out his crispest outfit, meditating for half an hour before dawn, and eating a light breakfast of rice and juice. 

The young shinobi was dressed in his usual muted purple hakama, with his Hoshi headband around his left arm. There was an unusual pep in his step as he strolled towards the training grounds. While normally he walked in short even steps, he was springing about in anticipation for his training today. Kuniko even had his hair tied up this morning which was very unusual for him. But he figured, this morning he would need to concentrate. For today he was going to learn about medical ninjutsu, and he was lucky enough to convince a practitioner of the art to help him. 

Once he reached the designated meeting spot, he would wait for his instructor to arrive, assuming they were not already there. Kuniko had a terrible habit of arriving late to the scene, but he had been getting better at arriving on time thanks to his new found genin team. 

TWC: 237

The fresh morning air entered Tsubaki's family greenhouse where Hato was watering the variety of plants contained within. The air gave a minty feel to space. It was active yet still. The rising sun had shown through the glass panes of the greenhouse. the brilliant beams gave the nutrition the plants needed to survive Completely tranquil. It was a perfect morning for the Senju to spend in her own mind. 

It would've been the perfect morning if Tsubaki didn't have to tend to some issues as a shinobi of Hoshi. On today agenda was training a fresh genin medical ninjutsu. This was a favour asked to from the mission board as they had little medical ninjas in the Hoshi village. Tsu wanted to remain on the good side of the shinobi world, so she accepted. It wasn't all with a heavy heart, because she did enjoy learning about new people. More specifically, how they tick. Maybe test their limits on their mind and body. And perhaps gain some allies for appending apparels.

After tending to her garden, Tsubaki would head towards the training grounds where she was told to meet this young boy. She wore the sleeveless green dress that she would sometimes wear in medical training situations as she was able to put on a lab coat on over it. 

There, in the Water Gardens, Tsubaki spotted Kuniko Hyuuga. He was a slim and smaller boy, not very intimidating. He had long black hair, like herself, and pale eyes. The pale eyes were common of the Hyuuga clan, so she wasn't surprised to see anything like that. 
"Welcome to the Training Grounds." Tsubaki would call from a little while away. She would give a soft smile, as to not scare away the genin. "As you might know, I'm Tsubaki Senju, and I'll be teaching you medical ninjutsu."

WC: 308

Kuniko did not have to wait long at the training grounds before his instructor arrived. On the patch of earth where he stood, the young shinobi shielded his eyes from the golden rays of the morning sun as he looked over to the approaching individual. Though Kuniko was first and foremost a shinobi with a mind for his career, he couldn't help but be awe struck by the calm beauty of the woman approaching him. Her since of fashion was impeccable, her style was without fault. As she approached Kuniko instinctively gave her a salute and stood at attention. He could only recognize someone like this as his superior. 

"Good morning, Ma'am. My name is Kuniko! My hobbies include fashion, cooking, and travelling! I am honored that you would be my instructor." His voice had a little more enthusiasm than usual for some reason. Kuniko gave a deep bow, then looked back up to Tsubaki. She was considerably taller than him, which didn't surprise Kuniko. The only ninja he had ever met who he had more than inch over in height was his teammate Sakuragi. That fellow... his sense of fashion was unfortunately atrocious and he lacked manners. It was difficult for Kuniko to push all thoughts of Sakuragi out of his mind while in the presence of a beautiful woman. Furthermore, he would be able to specialize in medical ninjutsu today. Or at least begin the process. 

Kuniko would walk closer to Tsubaki before stopping at a respectful distance. He would then say in a calm, even tone more befitting of his usual personality, "I am very eager to learn medical ninjutsu so I can be of more use to my teammates in Hoshi." Again, Kuniko was surprised at himself for being so forth coming. Perhaps Kuniko was just so used to the more boorish genin of his shinobi team that when faced with someone who had an actual air of elegance to them he couldn't help but feel more personable. Looking up at the woman's eyes, Kuniko was sure the way for him to make the most of this training would be to try to match the older shinobi in style and grace. 

TWC: 602

The young shinobi seemed to gleam when he spotted his instructor for the next couple days. Tsu's beauty takes a lot of people by surprise. They tend to stare for an awful while before they get to saying anything.  It was easy to tell Kun was a bit more feminine for a guy, but Tsu didn't mind, she could work with it.  Kuniko seemed to get excited after her arrival, quickly introducing himself and some things about him. However, Tsu was less interested in his hobbies, and more about his life as a shinobi. But she was patient enough for it is revealed with time.

Kuniko approached Tsubaki and explained, finally that he was ready to learn Medical ninjutsu. He wanted to learn to become more useful for his team. Very admirable Tsu thought. She would smile and come closer to the boy. The Senju would then reach for his chin lightly, look at his eyes and facial features. "I think I'm going to like you." She would put down his chin and then turn towards the tree line that was on the outskirts of the training ground. "Walk and talk with me," She would command as she started a slowly to the trees.

"So, from what I can tell from your eyes is that you're a Hyuuga," She started. "I find it interesting that you want to learn medical ninjutsu. Most Hyuuga is strictly Taijutsu because of their unique skills with it." The Senju would turn to face the Hyuuga, "But I like that you're expanding your horizons. Medical Ninjutsu and Taijutsu are like sister techniques. You'll perform a lot better with chakra control in the mix." She turns her head back to face towards the trees, it was back to business. "I'm splitting your training into three days. So prepare to learn your ass off." She would hold up one finger, "The first day is going to be about chakra control and chakra flow. You already know the basics of passing the academy is tree climbing with chakra. But we are going to work on long term chakra flow." She holds up a second finger, "Second will be learning to heal using chakra flow." Finally, she holds up a third finger. "Then, day three is going to be the Mystical Palm Technique." 

They reach the tree, about 5 meters in length. Tsubaki wouldn't hesitate and would start to walk up the tree trunk. While walking up, she would start to take off the dress so it would drop as she climbed. Luckily she had a second layer of leggings on.  She would then reach the lowest branch and hang upside down like a bat right before sunrises. "We are going to be up here for 5 hours. Then we'll take a break. If you fall, however, the time will increase by an hour." She smirked at her evil genius. It wasn't for torture, however. It was a legit skill that they are going to need for medical techniques.

WC:500
TWC: 808

The instructor continued to impress Kuniko. The refined Tsubaki was completely unlike any ninjas he had known before. Then again, he had only spent his time with genin up to this point with the exception of Master Ayato. But his young lord had a different aura about him, something far more familiar to Kuniko than this woman. This was certainly the first time Kuniko was entrusting his future to a total stranger though. Her style was admirable; her cool demeanor was something Kuniko could aspire towards. After all, appearances were the most important thing of all to Kuniko. 
 
Suddenly the older instructor touched them. Kuniko had been caught so deep in thought while thinking of Ayato and Tsubaki that he didn't even recognize her approaching him. This came as more of a shock to Kuniko than anything else. He had been careless. His rule of never allowing an unknown ninja to touch him had been broken. If Kuniko's family had been watching they would surely be ashamed of his lack of vigilance. As Tsubaki turned and started walking towards the treeline she ordered Kuniko to follow. The young genin would follow, briefly touching the curse mark on his forehead, hidden beneath his long bangs. Touching the symbol reminded Kuniko of why he was there. 
 
As the two continued walking towards the tree line, Tsubaki remarked upon Kuniko's heritage and his choice to take up medical ninjutsu. Kuniko would remain silent out of respect to his instructor. Kuniko wasn't above calling a foolish man out, but he could tell he was in the presence of someone far wiser and experienced than he was. Kuniko kept his eyes up and his back straight, completely focusing on Tsubaki's instructions. It seemed his training would be taking place over three days. Kuniko suspected that three days was a bit short until he started hearing the words unspoken by his instructor. Something about her told him that he would be counting every minute of these upcoming days. 
 
Finally, Tsubaki mentioned the end goal of this training. The thing that Kuniko had decided to dedicate so much effort to learning; the Mystical Palm Technique. Kuniko had only every seen it performed a few times over the years of his traveling with merchants. It was something that had completely entranced the young shinobi from the first time he witnessed it. Around this point the two ninjas had reached a tall tree which the instructor began to climb. 
 
As Kuniko looked up while thinking of his merchant travels his thoughts were suddenly stopped at the sight of his instructor removing her dress. Kuniko immediately blushed and looked down at the grass before anything could be revealed to his precious virgin eyes. When his instructor kept speaking as though nothing was awry, Kuniko dared to look up ever so slightly, glancing with his peripheral vision up towards his instructor. Ah, of course. He should have expected that such an elegant woman would have been perfectly prepared for the situation.  
 
Thankfully, Kuniko was also prepared for the situation at hand. She wanted him to stand upside down on the branch alongside her; a test of his endurance and long term chakra control. Kuniko knelt down quickly and tied together strings which he had at the hem of his hakama. These strings had been previously sewn to his clothes and served to secure Kuniko's hakama during missions.  
 
Once Kuniko had secured his clothes to avoid making a fool of himself, he concentrated his chakra into his feet and began walking up the length of the tree until he had reached the branch Tsubaki was standing under. He walked down the branch until he was a little more than a meter away, and began to wait. She had some kind of grin on her face which made Kuniko think that she was perhaps happy to teach a student the rare path of medical ninjutsu. She said that it was a sister school of Taijutsu, which was something Kuniko had previously studied towards. 
 
While Kuniko was standing upside down on the branch, his long bangs and ponytail would be pulled towards the earth, revealing the Hyuuga Curse Mark on his forehead. As he became accustomed to life upside down, he turned to look out over the training grounds from this new vantage point with the sky at his feet. Though the young ninja was neither strong nor hardy, he did pride himself on having a greater endurance than the average man. 
 
The young man would stand there upside down for a long five hours, assuming his instructor didn't do any tricky business. After all, Kuniko's first mission back in Hoshigakure involved him standing around along trees all day as well. Only back then he was also using his Byakugan the whole time. Kuniko's thoughts would drift towards the horrible day while he was training on the tree branch. It didn't take long for him to wish that his instructor would spark up conversation. He would much rather speak to Tsubaki than dwell on the past. 
 
Assuming circumstances didn't change, Kuniko would just barely manage to make it five hours before his stamina would begin to falter. He wasn't sure how his instructor could do it so effortlessly; had she added another hour to the endurance training, Kuniko would of fallen on his head. 

TWC: 1492

The young genin boy would listen intently to every word Tsubaki would say. She was glad that the boy was so agreeable. The Senju even found it adorable that he looked away when she stripped off a layer of clothing. Tsubaki was finding the rest of the day to be more relaxing not having to be paired with an impatient or ignorant student. Tsubaki would now have finish up the training by the end of the day. Kuniko would follow Tsu up the tree after securing his wear so that he wouldn't look like a fool having his clothes hang in front of his face. Her own hair would hang, reaching for the ground. 

After about 20 minutes of letting the boy get accustomed to using his chakra to hang, Tsu would notice the strange markings on his forehead that was revealed when gravity took effect. The boy would probably notice her admiring the design that went the length of his forehead. Since Tsubaki and Kuniko were going to be up in the tree for a while, she would find it appropriate to ask. "So that marking on your forehead, is it something the Hyuuga clan does for design? I've never seen it before on any other Hyuuga." Tsubaki would then look off as she was trying to remember the Hyuuga's she's met. "However, I've never seen under any of their headbands."  Tsubaki didn't know about their tradition of branding some members of the clan with the Curse Mark that would seal the Byuakugan away after the death of the user. 

WC: 261
TWC:1069

The two shinobi continued to stand upside down on a tree branch as the sun made its slow crawl across the sky. Kuniko was using most of his concentration to not make a fool of himself. This was a common task for the genin, though. His years on the road with travelling merchants had molded him into a young man that was always concerned about his appearance. The remainder of his attention soon noticed his instructor looking over at him. 

Tsubaki spoke first, asking him about the mark on his forehead. After asking about it she seemed to look off before mentioning she had never seen under Hyuuga's headband. Kuniko also looked off towards the horizon. Puffy white clouds were hanging low this morning, and the sun grew pale to light them all. Kuniko spoke softly while watching the clouds. "It's a curse mark to indicate my lower status as cadet branch member of the Hyuuga clan. It also seals away the use of the Byakugan after we die. Not all of us have them, but it is a tradition my family has decided to maintain." As he told Tsubaki about the mark, Kuniko ruminated as to why he didn't take more steps to hide it. 

He had had the mark all his life, so he was used to it. It only clashed slightly with his outfit so he was able to work with it depending on the situation. The aspiring Hyuuga could also hide the curse mark beneath his long bangs, at least when he wasn't upside down. But another thing came to mind, which he decided to share; "It's also a reminder to me of my own capabilities. I know I will never be as powerful as many of the other members of my clan. I can only try to be useful in ways other than fighting." 


WC: 309
TWC: 1801

The young boy seemed to reflect into the distant clouds that formed over the horizon after Tsubaki asked what the mark was. The topic might have been sensitive for Kuniko, making her interested in the story behind it. It was, like all permanent marks of the body, was a historical marking waiting to tell its story.

The now unenthusiastic Hyuuga explained that the mark on his forehead was a curse mark. The curse mark was for the lower members of the clan. It wasn't common in the clan, at least not in Hoshi. It also had the additional effect of sealing the Byuakugan, which made more sense for Tsubaki. A clan wants to keep their strongest weapons safe. Tsubaki would almost praise this effort from the clan if it weren't against her favours. 

He also adds some more poor fortune. "It's also a reminder to me of my capabilities. I know I will never be as powerful as many of the other members of my clan. I can only try to be useful in ways other than fighting." Tsu was almost offended. "Excuse me?" She asks as if she had just been punched in the gut. She gives a shocked chuckle. His self-confidence was astonishingly low. "I'm not training you to be less than your peers. You will learn Medical ninjutsu to show that you are BETTER than them." She looks into the eyes of Kuniko, then to the curse mark. She then places her pointer finger on the curse mark with some intensity. "I will remove that curse mark if it means that you'll be 100% of your potential." Tsubaki knows of a technique that she could teach herself that will remove the seal.

The Senju wanted this boy to succeed. Not much for he benefit, but for her own. He shall become a strong apprentice for her to raise in her ways. A boy that will be heir to a throne that the Senju was destined to have one day. Perhaps Tsubaki was jumping to a conclusion. Tsu had only just met this boy and already had made the future assumption. She had three days to make this decision.
WC: 361
TWC: 1430

As Kuniko stood there on the branch thinking about his self worth, Tsubaki told him something that changed his entire mindset in an instant. "I'm not training you to be less than your peers. You will learn Medical ninjutsu to show that you are BETTER than them." Her inflection when she spoke lit a spark inside the young genin. A feeling he had never known before. Kuniko was never arrogant, but something about that sentence made him swell with pride. 

Could he be better than any of his peers? The thought was immediately overcast with doubt. Kuniko had seen the way the other Hoshi genin fought. He would never be any match against them. Sakuragi may be rash but he refused to ever consider defeat as an option. Takeshi was… odd, but he progressed faster than anyone Kuniko had ever heard of. And both of them were exceptional shinobi in combat. Where as Kuniko had never even gone a mission by himself before. 

However, Tsubaki’s conviction was infectious. She sounded like she knew what she was talking about, and she acted like instruction was second nature. Did she know of something the other Hyuuga had not considered? Before Kuniko could think anymore on the matter, his instructor placed the tip of her index finger on the curse mark on his forehead. Her statement rang clear through the young ninja’s ears, and he answered quickly. 

In his usual calm tone, with a relaxed smile on his face, Kuniko told his instructor “this curse mark has saved my life once already and I’ve grown quite used to it. I fear that losing it would cause more harm than good to me.” He looked into the woman’s eyes as he said this, to show he was genuine. “I take pride in my position in the clan. I know exactly where I belong. But removing this mark would strain my relationship with those in the main branch. I kindly ask that we proceed as if I was any other student.” Kuniko bowed upward as he made the request to Tsubaki. 

He looked up at her after his request. From his upside down position it looked as if Tsubaki was standing on the edge of the world, with the sky stretching forever below her. Kuniko then narrowed his eyes ever so slightly, as the hint of a serious tone crept into his voice. “Is it true though? That through medical ninjutsu… I could surpass my peers?” That was as much as he dared to ask. 


WC: 420
TWC: 2221

The flame inside the young genin had been ignited. Tsubaki was able to see within his pale eyes. It seemed the fact the medical ninjutsu could be better than something like Taijutsu or ninjutsu. the Senju would smile as the realization still struck his face. Both of those skills used to power, and in some eyes the more power you have, the better you are. However, as something Tsubaki learned being a medical ninja, that wasn't the case. She was able to grow quite nicely into a chunin with her medical prowess.

It seemed that Tsubaki would have to show the growing Kuniko how useful medical ninjas can be. Show him how to control chakra into was of repairing and destroying as well as protecting. 

After Tsubaki offered to remove the curse mark, a symbol of inferiority, Kuniko refused. He explained that the mark had saved his life before and that losing it would cause more harm than good to him. Tsubaki nodded, giving a bit of a disappointed look. It seemed Kuniko would need more guidance if she wanted him to be successful. "Very well, I won't destory it." She then smirked, giving him a look that would imply she wasn't done with him. "I'm not going to treat you like an ordinary student because you're not." Tsubaki meant it. All her life she has been used and used people in return. It was her life. And she might not see eye to eye with society as it is, but that doesn't mean that she can't shape the minds of others. 

The tone got serious again as the relaxed face began to become more focused on inner thoughts. “Is it true though? That through medical ninjutsu… I could surpass my peers?” Tsubaki gave another small smirk before releasing the surface walking technique, flipping, and landing feet down on the ground. She looked up at the boy, "It's only going to if you allow it. You've got to work your ass off for these next three days." She would turn around, facing away from the boy. "Stay there," She commanded as she went out to the market. 

A few moments later she returned with two nice shiny apples, one for her and one of Kuniko. She tossed his apple at him for him to catch. "Eat up, we need you to be at full strength for the remainder of the training." 

The training lasted until sunset with Tsu joining him up in the tree, only coming down to get more food for Kun and herself. Tsubaki would stare at the orange sky, "Alright, I say we call it a day. You did well maintaining your chakra. Now we are going to use that concentration for part two of the training." She would hop down from the tree onto the ground. She would then collect two sleeping bags that she had gathered at the market while she was there. They were going to spend the night at the training grounds. The Senju would unroll the mat and doze off inside the sleeping mat and regain her energy.

WC: 516
TWC: 1946