The Fire within (P, Kinzoku)

Konohagakure, the village Hidden in the Leaves situated in Fire Country. The Will of Fire as its fundamental concept, the life philosophy which has been passed on to many ninja of Konoha. Being paired with Asahi the Fire Meijin it almost sounded like the perfect combination, so why was it that the scarred shinobi had so much trouble adjusting to his new home? If any place was best suited for him it had to be the Land of Fire. It made complete sense ; Fire Country, Will of Fire, Fire Meijin. The more Asahi thought about it even he had to admit it sounded like a match made in heaven. 

Cursed by the Meijin Disease and forced to master only the element of fire he thought he would be able to call Konoha his home. If one place could help him deal with his past and master his ninjutsu it had to be the Leaf. But even if that were the case he was still struggling to feel like a genuine Konohagakure shinobi. There was no ill will towards the village but he could hardly be called loyal. Thoughts about leaving had crossed his mind a couple of times, his grandpa the only reason that stopped him from trying. If it hadn't been for the old man he would surely had left by now. 

Feeling he was alone, having no one to share his troubles with he wondered what was wrong with him. Could it be that he was the one at fault and he was mistaken in his way of thinking? Growing more frustrated by the second Asahi decided to go out for a walk in the hope of clearing his mind. Leaving his house the scarred Meijin was immediately greeted by the gentle touch of the sun on his skin. A soft and comfortable feeling that helped him relax. His walk led him to the Training Grounds, it wasn't planned nor did he had the intention to exercise but he figured he might as well take the opportunity to work on his fire release. 

Walking over until he was facing the river he formed the Horse seal, followed by that of the Tiger. Asahi would knead his chakra in his body and turn it into fire, which he would then expel from his mouth creating a two meter fireball. Once he shot out the large sphere of fire it would travel across the river. A rather basic technique but even those had to be practiced. 

(WC: 416)

Pure darkness. Lightweight. Head in the clouds. At peace. They were all the sensations Kinzoku was currently experiencing all at once. In his bloodline, meditating was a must. It was apart of who they were. It helped make them the men and women they had to become. Nothing but perfection. It was used to help them reach enlightenment. As a result, Kinzoku meditated each and everyday whenever he found a free moment to spare. Today was a day off. So today, he was going to take the time to perform the spiritual act. Help reconnect to his inner self. He had a number of meditating spots both in and out of the village. It was a must. Eventually some of his spots got compromised. People learned where to find him even when he did not want to be disturbed. So he had to improvise and find new ones. The spot he was at today was a relatively new one. No one had found out about it. At least not yet. 

About midway through his meditation, the crossed legged Nazar picked up on familiar sounds in the distance. He knew the training grounds were a good distance from where he currently was. But in his current meditative state, all his senses were tuned in to overdrive. The sun against his body felt similar to that of the sun in his home village, Suna. The wind blowing against his skin felt like a winter day in the Land of Iron. The sounds of the training grounds felt as though he were sitting right in the middle of them. So when he heard the comforting sound a flames crackling, he knew someone was training. A single eye opened to it, breaking his meditation as he focused on the sound. It was in his very nature to help others and today was no exception.

Taking a few moments to gather himself and bring his being back down to the real world, Kinzoku slowly got back up onto his feet. Feeling as refreshed as every, the Jounin slowly began making his way over to the training grounds. It was a nice stroll there, taking him a few minutes to make the journey. As he arrived, he caught sight of a familiar face. One he had seen recently at the gates when Hanabi and Yoi departed. Asahi Meijin. He methodically made his approach toward the Genin near the river he was currently at. Once he was within speaking range, he'd do so. "Howdy Asahi" Kinzoku spoke up grabbing the kids attentions if it had not been done already. "What are ya doin' out here on your own?" It was common to find Genin training with their other constituents. Yet here the meijin was, training on his own. Perhaps there was something on his mind he needed clearing?

As soon as the last of Asahi's flames had left his mouth and the fire was completely extinguished the air in front of him immediately colored red, leaving behind traces of his Great Fireball technique. A signature move of the Uchiha clan but since long people had learned and made it their own. It was no different for the scarred Meijin. When he first started out practicing his elemental ninjutsu that technique was one of the first he had taught himself. Regardless of the low difficulty it would be a pretty standard jutsu to have for anyone possessing an affinity to fire. 

Shortly after the flames had faded away and the blue sky had cleared up again a voice could be heard. As he turned his body towards the location the sound was coming from in order to find out who it belonged to Asahi noticed to his surprise it was the former Hokage who would be standing nearby. "Greetings, Lord Eleventh. No gate duty today?" He remembered how they first met at the village gates a couple of days ago when both Yoi and a young kunoichi named Hanabi were about to set out on a journey of their own. If he recalled correctly it was then when Kinzoku mentioned the new procedure of entering and leaving the village.

Soon after formalities had been exchanged the Meijin was met by a question from the Nazar. It made sense for the former Hokage to wonder what had brought Asahi out there on his own. Nowadays it was custom for Genin such like himself to spend time with his teammates or peers, but that wouldn't be the case for the scarred shinobi. He had never been in a team and the only people he might be able to call friends had either left the village or weren't sharing the same thoughts. Maybe the Fire Meijin was most comfortable on his own, he was used to it anyway.

His mind had wandered away for a second when he suddenly realized he hadn't responded yet. "You could say I needed some time to clear my head. My mind was troubled and filled with doubt which led me to the Training Grounds and is how I ended up standing here at the river." Asahi didn't want to sound like an overreacting dramaqueen stuck in puberty so he decided not to share whatever was troubling his mind until Kinzoku would further inquire. "And you? Taking an afternoon stroll or simply enjoying the scenery?" Although he had no business interrogating the former Hokage it wouldn't hurt to show some interest as a means to keep their conversation going. 

(WC: 442, TWC: 858)

The Meijin turned to the approaching Nazar, kindly greeting him. To Kinzoku's surprise the young boy had not bowed to the Nazar when greeting him like so many other would do, and it pleased him. Bowing was no longer a sign of respect that was expected now that Kinzoku had returned to his status as a Jounin. Though Asahi still referred to him as Lord Eleventh. Everyone still used to pretext 'Lord' when referring to him. Maybe it was something that just couldn't be changed. After all he was still in fact a previous Hokage. But no matter the case, Kinzoku would still try his hardest to get people to acknowledge him for his current status, and not the past. "Just Kinzoku will do finely" the Nazar spoke up after he was greeted. "Not today... today is a personal day" he said with a smile while adjusting his hat.

After asking what brought Asahi out here on his own, Kinzoku noticed the boy get lost in his own thoughts. He could only wonder what it was to grab the Genin's attention so. His own first thoughts wondered if it had anything to do with the scar on his face. It reminded him of the scars given to the Yuki upon his return from a mission by a missing nin. It also made Kinzoku wonder if he should be doing more than just gate duty, rather patrolling the forests in case there are any dangers in it. Perhaps a discussion to be had with the Hokage.

Eventually he responded with the need to clear his mind filled with trouble and doubt. Kinzoku cracked another smile at his words, an idea coming to mind as to what may help. Again he wondered if the troubled mind had anything to do with the scar. Perhaps he'd be able to find out in due time. But he would jump right into it from the get go for that could be a dangerous thing. Prodding into business that was not your own. "Clearing my mind" he responded to the Genin, just now realizing that the two had in fact set out to do the same thing today but for different reasons no doubt. Removing the crossbow from his back, Kinzoku walked up to the Meijin now standing beside him and facing the river. Proceeding to sit down and crossing his legs, he rested Peacemaker down on the ground to his left. "Come, sit and meditate with me Asahi" Kinzoku said, resting his hands on his own knees. He'd wait for Asahi to follow his steps and to be seated much like how he was before continuing. "I find the best way to clear my mind is through meditation. The only thing you need to do is clear your mind." Easy concept for Kinzoku considering he's been meditating since his youth. But to Asahi that may be a foreign concept, so Kinzoku was going to help. "The best way to do that is to close your eyes and focus solely on one thing and one thing only. So... focus on your breathing. Slow it down to a rhythmic pace and just focus on that." He'd wait before proceeding any further, watching the Meijin during the practice.

Growing up in the Land of Tea the scarred teen had never been familiar with the different pleasantries which were custom for the ninja villages, Asahi just made sure to act polite when a situation required him to. It was quite the strange feeling, being encouraged to be on a first name basis with the former Hokage. If the Nazar requested so then the Meijin would have no problem with it. "Alright, Kinzoku." Forming a gentle smile he replied to the Jounin. "It is a beautiful day to be outside." Listening attentively the young teenager noticed how both Kinzoku and he had come to the river with the same goal, to clear their mind. 

While his reasons were certain to be different than the Nazar's, the Fire Meijin understood how stressful it must have been these last couple of months. The village, not theirs since he still had trouble calling Konoha his home, had been through quite some eventful times to say the least. Someone had to stand up, take responsibility and guide the people of Konohagakure through it all. Leading an entire village must have been hard on the Jounin. It wasn't longer his own life he had to protect, but that of everyone in the Land of Fire. Stepping down from the position must have been a relief in its own way, but Asahi figured his new role as gateguard required some adjusting as well. 

The scarred shinobi watched how the Jounin sat down as he crossed his legs, encouraging the Meijin to do the same. While Kinzoku was explaining how he'd use meditation as a means to clear his mind Asahi would follow his example and took place next to the Nazar. Placing his hands on his knees he followed the former Hokage's instructions. He never considered meditating before since he was prone to negative emotions filling his head once he tried clearing his mind. His head had a tendency to be occupied by trouble and doubt whenever he stopped thinking about the more usual things in life.

Asahi closed his eyes and tried to focus on one thing. Slowing down and focusing on his breathing he tried to reach a calm state of mind. Once he did as he was told he entered a complete silence, able to hear the beating of his heart and the flowing of the river nearby. Controlling his breathing in an attempt to clear his mind. He remained in that position for a couple of minutes before he would break the silence with a question aimed at the Nazar. "Where did you grow up?" Not much was known about Kinzoku so he would use this as an opportunity to get to know him better and maybe if he was lucky the Jounin could be able to relate to some of his own troubles. 

(WC: 472, TWC: 1330)

"That it is my friend" Kinzoku replied with a smile as he tilted his head ever to slightly to observe the clear blue sky as the suns rays beamed down upon his face. He was glad that the Genin agreed to call him by Kinzoku instead of Lord Eleventh of anything else similar. If he got enough people doing so, perhaps no one would be calling him Lord Eleventh anymore. He was also pleased to see that the young Meijin did not shy away at his attempt to get the Genin to meditate with him. After all the idea of meditating was not something most people considered and the idea of being able to clear your mind was foreign to many. Often times the unknown was what people feared the most. So when Asahi sat down beside the Jounin, he tried his best to guide him through the practice. He watched closely as the Meijin closed his eyes and began slowing his breathing down to a more mythic pace. Whether it was working or not Kinzoku could not tell for sure. But there were telling signs that could suggest whether it was working or not. For one, the slowed down and rhythmic breathing. Usually when someone's mind was not clear but rather they were focusing on something, their bodies were more tense as they focused on whatever was on their mind. But the young Meijin's body seeme relaxed and at ease, suggesting that he was making a credible attempt at clearing his mind. No doubt the music coming from the free flowing river helped. It was sheer luck at the Meijin found himself beside a perfect spot to meditate at.

After a few moments went by, Kinzoku decided to fall back into a meditative state himself. Although he had felt quite refreshed with the meditation that had previously been interrupted, he was always happy to continue doing so. The Nazar could very well meditate for an entire day without break if the opportunity presented itself. However, before he entered a meditative state, he opened his eyes to the words of Asahi speaking. Most people knew that Kinzoku was a foreigner from Sunagakure. Perhaps Asahi also knew this but did not want to make the assumption that it is where he had also grown up. Perhaps it was from an understanding that just because you found yourself in one village did not mean you have been there your entire life.

"Born and raised in Sunagakure" Kinzoku replied as he looked over the river slowing moving down stream. "I lived there most of my life until I was forced to relocate. The village had been taken over by Kumogakure and the people of Suna were given a choice. Either assimilate to their forces, or leave. So I left and joined with Suna's allies, Konohagakure. For the last few years I've been here..." he said as he began thinking of his old friend Nobunaga. It had been a long time since they last saw one another. Their paths came together for the first time while doing a mission and split as he chose to join Kumo for the sole purpose of protecting that who had been Kazekage. One day though their paths would cross again. Whether it be in this world or the next. "Now this is my home" he added with a sense of happiness. There was no doubt Kinzoku missed Sunagakure even with its harsh climate. But he was forced to move on and couldn't afford to dwell on the past. There were more important things here that needed his attention.

"And you, Asahi" Kinzoku followed up. "Have you always found yourself in Konoha?" It was clear the meditation had taken a pause for now which was fine. Friendly conversation was also good in clearing the mind. Speak about thoughts bottled up instead. Get them out of the mind and into the open. Perhaps that's what the Meijin needed instead of meditation.

As he sat next to the Nazar, Asahi listened attentively to the story of Kinzoku's life. Well not his entire life, he wasn't talking about the time when he was still wearing diapers or the first words he spoke, but it would give the Meijin an idea or some form of insight into the former Hokage's past. The Nazar started with telling that he was born and raised in Sunagakure and lived there for the most part until he was forced to move. The scarred Meijin would pay attention as Kinzoku explained the events that took place and were the cause for his relocation to Konoha which he would now call his home.

Home, something Asahi was looking for himself. A place he would finally be able to call his own. Unfortunately for him it was a goal he had yet to achieve, a dream yet to fulfill and a quest yet to complete. There was a sudden pause before the scarred teenager was met by a question coming from the Jounin. It would make sense that after sharing his own story he wanted to know more about that of the Meijin. Asahi would take a brief moment to carefully weigh his words. Considering people might take his words as treason he had to be mindful about the answer he was about to give. 

He would take a deep breath before he'd respond. "My story is similar to yours, born and raised in a different place" he began to share his story. The young shinobi would explain where he grew up and spent a big part of his early years. "Land of Tea is where I originate from. After five years I was abandoned by my family, a result of this so called curse." He would touch and point at his scar as he finished the sentence. He wouldn't delve too deep into the Meijin Disease but he'd understand if the Nazar wanted to inquire further into the subject. 

(WC: 329, TWC: 1659)

Kinzoku calmly watched over the river which they sat beside as he waited for Asahi to tell the Nazar a bit about himself. Perhaps if he could get the young Genin to talk a bit about himself and his past it would help clear what was disturbing him so. He began by stating his story was similar to the Nazar's in that he was both born and raised outside of Konoha as well. He was from the Land of Tea, a place Kinzoku knew of yet had never been to. He was only there for five years before his family left him, which likely meant that he was a part of Konoha for the majority of his life. The cause for his family abandoning him was due to some "curse" as the young Genin pointed to the scar on his left eye. He wasn't much of a talker Kinzoku noticed. Dealing with ones past, especially if said past was a traumatic one was always difficult. Prod too much and the person may completely shut you out. Prod to little and you may not get enough out of the person to have any real benefit. In the case of Asahi, it was pretty clear that this curse of his had caused for a rough life. The fact he simply referred to his curse and did not dive any deeper into its meaning was telling enough. Kinzoku decided to go the route of not prodding into someone else's business. After all they were only just meeting one another. If the Nazar was going to get the kid to open up to him about the scar on his face, he was going to do it through time.

Instead he was going to bond with the kid in the way most shinobi tend to bond. Through jutsu. Kinzoku believed himself to have a relatively diverse range of jutsu he may be able to show the kid. Not only would it help strength the shinobi of Konoha, but it was also an attempt in making the Genin feel welcomed. That he now belong to a village that cared for its citizens. "Maybe it's only a curse if you allow it to be, Asahi" Kinzoku eventually said. Was he now prodding even though he had decided not to? After all it was the Genin who referred to it as a "so called" curse. Perhaps it wasn't Asahi who believed it to be a curse, but rather the people around him who claimed it was?

"Anyhow..." Kinzoku continued in an attempt to change the conversation unless the Genin wished to remained there. "Here we are in the training grounds. I figured we'd put this time to good use, don't you?" he added. If the Meijin agreed and decided he would rather train than continue talking of his past then Kinzoku would oblige him. Slowly rising to his feet, the Nazar retrieved his crossbow before rising to his full height and strapping the weapon onto his back. "Before we begin I just need to know what's your natural affinity and what you may already know. If it doesn't align with what I know I won't be of much help."

Kinzoku would wait for the Genin to speak before he undoubtedly told the Nazar his natural affinity was fire and hopefully some of the jutsu already in his repertoire. If all went well, Kinzoku would get an idea for a jutsu to show the young Genin right off the bat. "Lemme show you Great Fireball Shower. It's basically a combination of both Phoenix Fire and Great Fireball jutsu. It lets you fire 5 at a time, the limit being 20 total. Like this" Kinzoku ended as he clapped his hands together to form a single Tiger seal. Much like the two jutsu he mentioned earlier, the Nazar released five fireballs 2m in diameter out over the river before splashing down and simply turning into large flows of steam. He would then turn his head over to Asahi before giving him a nod to try it out.

---

Teaching Great Fireball Shower

Asahi listened attentively to Kinzoku as the Nazar suggested for them to put the location where they were at to good use. After all, they had find themselves sitting at the Training Grounds so what better thing to do than .. train? It could help the scarred Meijin get his mind off things while at the same time extend his current arsenal of techniques. Slow but steady the scarred shinobi was growing stronger, even so there would always be room for improvement. And from what it seemed it started to look like the Jounin was offering some help, however not before he came to know Asahi's affinity. Once he was certain about his elemental nature they could officially begin with their training. 

The Meijin figured Kinzoku already had an idea of what his affinity would be, but it didn't hurt to confirm those thoughts. "As you might have seen earlier I possess Fire Release and only that. It is part of my Meijin Disease where I can only ever learn one element and one element only. A curse on one hand but on the other it allows me to master it to such an extent others can only dream of." His brief explanation allowed the Nazar to both find out about Asahi's affinity while at the same time learn something about the Meijin Clan and its so called curse. Now that they got that out of the way they could finally begin with the training, the scarred shinobi had gotten rather curious to find out what it would be the Jounin planned on teaching him.

The Fire Meijin paid attention to Kinzoku explaining the Great Fireball Shower technique, which was basically a combination of both Phoenix Fire and Great Fireball jutsu. They were off to a great start since Asahi already knew how to perform those two techniques, meaning he would have some kind of basis to start from and didn't need to begin from scratch. After he had finished speaking the Nazar clapped his hands together to form a single Tiger seal before releasing five fireballs over the river who'd eventually splash down and turn into steam. Once the sky had cleared up again Asahi knew it was his turn to try and perform the Great Fireball Shower technique. 

The young teenager, now standing in front of the river, was thinking back how the Jounin performed the technique before he would attempt to do the same. In his head he repeated all the different steps while at the same time envisioning how it should look. Not only that, Asahi also pictured himself both the Phoenix Fire and Great Fireball jutsu to help him get some kind of view as a means to help him learn the new technique. Great Fireball simply required the user to form the Horse → Tiger hand seals before shooting out a fireball two meters in diameter from their mouth. Alternatively it has the fire spat out as a stream that expands 20 meters as a cone. Whereas Phoenix Fire required a total of five hand seals, being Rat → Tiger → Dog → Ox → Rabbit → Tiger. But to compensate for those extra hand signs it also allowed the user to user spit up to six fireballs, all of which can explode on impact and can be manipulated by the user at will.

So combining the knowledge of those two techniques should help him a great deal in learning how to perform the Great Fireball Shower. If he remembered correctly he recalled how Kinzoku simply formed the Tiger hand seal before releasing the fireballs. As he was molding his chakra he tried and gather as much chakra as he could in his lungs with a deep breath. The Meijin was taking lots of quick, small breaths to get used to the idea of holding and releasing chakra. When he would attempt the jutsu he wouldn't release the full force of the chakra in his lungs right away, but release it slowly while maintaining control over its power. When it would reach its climax, Asahi would also let his power explode, under control. When he was finally ready he simply formed the Tiger hand seal before expelling a total of five fireballs, sending them to travel over the river. 

Seemingly out of breath he stood tall with his hands on both sides trying to regain composure. "It requires quite a bit of chakra" he'd say with a smile while looking at Kinzoku. It helped that the scarred shinobi already had a bit of a feeling when it came to fire techniques being forced to only have access to that same element. Nevertheless it still caused the teenager to work up a sweat. And it was only the beginning. He imagined the training to only get tougher as it went on.

(WC: 806, TWC: 2465)

As the Genin provided information on what he was capable of doing and the knowledge he already possessed, he helped fill in gaps in Kinzoku's own knowledge when it came to the Meijin's story. Indeed Kinzoku knew the Genin had the affinity for fire release. He now knew that it was the only affinity Asahi could possess, that being the curse he was referring to. It was as the Meijin put it. A curse in that it prevented him from expanding his horizon and learning multiple elemental releases. But, it allowed him to harness fire release to its full capabilities and master it on a level no other shinobi could. It made the Nazar wonder if that is how the Genin got his scar? Was he playing around with the fire at a young age not yet having realized how power he was with the element and ended up burning himself? A theory the Nazar had for the time being. Perhaps sometime in the near future he would find out how it was the kid came to get such a scar. 

After Kinzoku performed and displayed the powerful A ranked fire jutsu, he stepped aside to watch the Genin do it. In most circumstances, Kinzoku would have taken his time to go through the process and properly show the shinobi how to go about it. But with the information he had given and knowing that the Genin specialized in the use of fire release jutsu, the Nazar had a hunch that Asahi wouldn't need to be babied through the process. He watched attentively as the Meijin stood there running the process through his mind. He could see Asahi physically preparing himself for the jutsu as he went through the breathing motions, inhaling and exhaling in rapid succession to get his lungs ready for the massive output of chakra. It was evident that he had some practice with this.

On his first attempt the Meijin cracked the jutsu, sending five fireballs identical to the ones Kinzoku had fired just moments ago. "Nicely done" Kinzoku said to the Genin with a smile. He wasn't kidding when he said the curse would make him more proficient with fire. "That it does" Kinzoku replied to Asahi's chakra statement. "That's just the beginning. The more fireballs you decide to release... the more chakra it'll require. Remember to use it wisely." This happened to be the perfect segue into the next jutsu he was going to teach Asahi. "This next one will be the final I show for the time being. Don't want to drain you out from training. It's known as Great Fire Annihilation. The power from this one comes from the gut instead of the lungs" Kinzoku added while tapping his stomach a couple of times for show.

The Nazar turned to face the Meijin as he began forming the handseals required. Unlike the previous jutsu, this one required 8 seals to perform. Lengthier, but well worth the risk if one had time to pull it off in battle. Once the seals were formed, in slow succession to make sure Asahi got a good look at them, Kinzoku turned towards the river once more. Inhaling a massive amount of chakra into his gut he slowly began pouring it out. It first spilled out as a deceiving stream of fire 6 inches wide and 1 meter long. But the moment it hit the 1 meter mark it explodes into a massive wave of flames 50x50x50. Kinzoku held it for a few moments allowing the jutsu to rage out over the river, its intensity evaporating some of the water below. Eventually Kinzoku cut the flow of chakra. The flames dissipated leaving nothing but rising steam from the river. "This one can be held much longer than most other jutsu which requires a greater amount of chakra as well. Risky, but its destructive capability is well worth it. Give it a shot" he ended before stepping aside to allow the Fire prodigy to give it a try.

Once the Genin managed to pull the jutsu off, Kinzoku would take his leave. Not until he made sure Asahi was alright however. Performing two high level jutsu in such succession could cause one to potentially pass out. Only once he verified the Genin's status would he depart. "Look forward to seeing you around kid. Duty calls. Keep up with your training. I'm expecting to see some marvelous displays with your fire the next time around" he said before tipping the rim of his hat. With that, he exited the training grounds and headed over to begin his shift of Gate Guard.

[exit]

twc: 3121

Memorize Asahi's chakra signature
3121 words into Steel Release: Swarm (3121/3750)

7990 words banked will be used for the jutsu below (Here on stat page)
629 words to finish off Swarm (3750/3750)
1875 words into Soul Expulsion A rank (1875/1875)
1125 words into Rainbow Fort Seal (1125/1125)
1125 words into Paralysis Seal (1125/1125)
375 into Mastering Temp Paralysis for Half handseals (375/375)

Leaves me with 2861 banked words left.