Chunin Study Session

Wed Feb 03, 2021 12:03 am

Zeo's Stats

The word came out that morning. It had been so long Zeo had thought it wouldn't happen. After about a year's time since he came to Hoshigakure, he now heard of it and was taking place HERE in this village. The Chunin exams! It was a long-awaited test and event anticipated by every nation in the shinobi world. Normally it was held in the five great nations, but now it was here! This caused quite the buzz in the village.

Zeo had not thought he was personally ready for the exam. He had no team. He had never competed in a challenge like this before. A part of him knew he didn't become a shinobi for glory or anything like that. However, the rewards and chance to prove himself to the whole village was another matter. Plus, the winner would be allowed to be promoted to the rank of Chunin, a desirable position every genin wished to grow to become a stronger shinobi and recognized among the village of higher rank. The benefit to join this exam was indeed something to consider.

While he would debate this, he would continue his education all the same.

Zeo retreated to his favorite training spot that was against the large lake that was part of the training grounds. Normally, it was his retreat. Surrounded by forests, the water lilies, the gazebo his favorite tree to sit under as the world went by. He would practice his bubble jutsu, blowing bubbles into the air and manipulating them with his jutsu. He was growing better and better with it too. If he did consider the exam, he would have to master his chakra far more and learn more powerful jutsu to grow stronger.

He had a full collection of gear with him, including scrolls and study material to learn. The chunin exams were not a simple tournament, but also an exam to show your know-how as a shinobi, ranging from strategy to tactics in a mission. It required brains as well as power. To go into this exam unprepared would of been foolish. So there he went, intending to knuckle down at the peaceful, calm, serene water gardens and training space where no one would bother him....

... which was now crowded with a bunch of young shinobi now trying to catch up and make up for lost time in the training grounds. The scene of the once peaceful lake and training gardens was shattered to now be so busy with activity. He dropped his bag in disappointment and sighed. How was he supposed to focus with so much racket around?

Getting over his disappointment, he realized he shouldn't shy away. Sure, he would of retreated to the library back in the village to study up what he needed for the exam. Still, he had to get in his training, and running away from a somewhat crowded training ground wasn't terrible. If anything, it could of been an opportunity. While he wasn't the type to spy or take advantage of others, with so many people here training, it was a good idea to get a feel for the other participants' abilities. And by studying others, he could pick up other jutsu as well he could improve on.

From his favorite spot on that hill, overlooking the lake from the tree, he took in the sight of the renewed spirits of the young shinobi. Him included, felt the fire to prove themselves for the upcoming exam and show the village and all the others, they were worthy to rise up to be true shinobi.

WC: 599

Wed Feb 03, 2021 3:49 pm

The Chuunin Exam. Yuuma knew what it meant- everyone who numbered themselves among the shinobi did. At first, the young man had found the thought of entering the tournament in his current state laughable. He knew so little in the way of real technique, and his body continued to bear the marks of the road. As the days slowly numbered closer, however, a realization would wash over him. This is your opportunity, he thought to himself. "You were granted mercy, and in return, all that was asked was a show of duty, honor, and friendship." In the silence of his own mind, his body continued to move in the motions of his practice while he went over his thoughts for what felt like the hundredth time. What better way to show his commitment to the village than to give it his absolute best attempt at the exam. Sure, the title and rank were nice, but if he achieved them, it would be out of a genuine desire to serve the village, and surely not thanks to his less-than-superior knowledge of the ways of the shinobi. Still, these shortcomings were but minor obstacles in his path, and with the road laid clear before him, he now could see what it would take to succeed.

It all started here. In routine. And so, having picked a training spot he knew was popular with other genin, he had set himself up to assist and be assisted by any who might accept it. He had come with a set of hand weights and a pack of scrolls that went over the more rudimentary basics; things that a seasoned shinobi have no real need for, but Yuuma was recently informed that the foundation of one's understanding was perhaps the most important aspect of their growth. Or something like that. His head had felt so full over the last couple of days that focus on any one thing had proven difficult. Even here, in the silence of his meditation, he still found himself fumbling over the same thoughts he had been having for days, though the situation at the training ground didn't exactly make things that much easier for him.

Having arrived early, people had since filtered into the area, and each of them had thus far given Yuuma quite the wide space to work with, despite his well-managed practice. Any close observer might make a simple guess as to why; dressed in a set of loose-fitting trousers and a sleeveless shirt that hung off his shoulders, the most striking feature perhaps was a marking on the young man's forehead. Upon his brow sat the etching of a star- the symbol of the Hoshigakure shinobi headband- though this one had a strike through it. This was no tattoo or branding, the scarring was plain to see, healed as it might have been. Word had traveled among some of the villagers of a recent returning shinobi that had come back to the village after some time away. Little else was said, but apparently, it had caused quite a stir in the office of the Kage though no word of another public execution being handed down was ever mentioned.

Yuuma could think of little other reason why he might be getting so much space in particular though he also understood there might have been a sense of privacy to one's own training. After all, he had a few things he didn't like to practice out in the open either. For whatever reason they might have, Yuuma did not make to seek answers. Too focused was he on his own methods of earth release, gathering chakra and sending it rippling across the ground within a meter radius of him, causing the surface of the earth to upturn slightly before that same ripple of energy would return to him. Hand gestures were slowly alternated as Yuuma would pull one arm back to draw in the energy, then push the opposing one out to send it out once more in a slow, concentrated effort to hone his sense of earth charka. Such a slow and simple exercise might as well have been considered chakra infused tai chi, but it was something Yuuma could do for long periods to expand his connection to the element.

Despite his focus, Yuuma was not one to be ignorant of his surroundings. Anyone that might approach closer than the others would draw his eyes to them, and anyone that might appear intent on communicating would halt the practice of the earth breathing technique and instead pull a friendly smile to the young boy's face.

WC - 764

Wed Feb 03, 2021 4:20 pm

Today was an interesting day for Hoshigakure.

In a frantic game of gossip, rumors, and soon a formal declaration of what was to come, the Chuunin Exams were finally announced! After nearly three years of childlike anticipation for the next International Chuunin Exams to arise in the villages, the world finally got its wish as all five nations decided that a Chuunin Exams in good faith would be a good way to establish relations between all of them. It made sense why the wait between the last Chuunin Exams and the currently announced exams was so prolonged since in the past few years, times were turbulent and the world would not stop moving. All of the villages did not have the greatest of relations with each other, causing lengthened episodes of tension between each fellow nation. Not to mention that a lot of things have occurred during the three year stretch of the last Chuunin Exams to the current one, therefore, conducting an event for Genin of each major village which required all of the villages not wanting to murder each other on the spot during the times of tension in the Ninja World wasn't so "cash money" as many would like to say. Despite that, during the times of no Exams, villages simply held their Chuunin Exams intranationally instead of internationally. The public caught wind that Konohagakure and Kumogakure held their exams recently, so a reemergence in the Chuunin Exams could be easily predicted. However...what wasn't predicted was the new International Chuunin Exams would be held in Hoshigakure...the most anti-shinobi village out of all of them. Most citizens as well of the church of Hoshigakure saw shinobi in an undesirable light compared to the other major villages, so some were scratching their heads as why the exams wouldn't be held in Sunagakure or Kumogakure - for example. Nevertheless, everyone - including the Genin that have been patiently waiting to prove their worth to their leaders - were excited for what was fated to occur.

So where was Enishi in all of this?

"Just my luck," The understudy sighed, completely exasperated by the predicament he was in. He was hovering a single slender hand over the coast of the large lake that lied against the Training Grounds, attempting to practice for the upcoming Chuunin Exams by freshening up on some of his techniques. The enclosed sector of the Training Grounds he was in was surrounded by a forest, a gazebo at the center of it, along with some water lilies that were on the surface of the lake as well as some parts of the enclosed section. Due to the manner that the enclosed section of the Training Grounds was surrounded by the large vegetation that was the forest, many shinobi simply decided to practice at the main section in the Training Grounds instead of the forest. Enishi picked up on that trend a few months ago, so his preferred area to train in the Training Grounds would be in the enclosed sector close to the lake which held the water lilies, gazebo, and a few assortments of trees. It was more of a "Training Garden" than a "Training Ground." The sliver-haired teen thought that today, he would just train in the same fashion he usually did in the enclosed sector...however, what he didn't account for was the absurd number of people in the Training Grounds today, mostly Genin who wanted to train for the Chuunin Exams as well as catch up on their training. The main sector of the Training Grounds was too crowded for anyone to practice in, so the remainder of the unlucky Genin who couldn't train in the main sector had to migrate to the enclosed sector where Enishi and another boy unbeknownst to the understudy were training. Even though Enishi made completely sure to wake up early so he could train without any sort of disruption and large crowds, his place to train - his personal dojo, was shattered before his eyes. With the number of people that flooded the Training Garden, Enishi simply went to the side of the lake and would just train there. Perhaps the rambunctiousness of the Genin crowd wouldn't make his training falter.

And it did. Once the understudy opened the scroll so that he could practice the Great Vortex Technique - using the lake as a water source for the jutsu - his concentration was off which caused the vortex to not even form properly. "Guess I need to relocate," He thought to himself as he tried to find another place to practice his jutsu. On his walk, he viewed a blue-haired boy on a hill. "Zeo?" The Jugo hadn't seen the young Kamigawa in a while, so he decided that it was best to greet his friend again. Perhaps they could train together. The understudy walked up the hill at a fast pace before stopping about five meters before Zeo, holding his "Great Vortex" scroll with his right hand,

"Ah Zeo, long time no see! How's it going?" Enishi paused for a moment as he forcibly flashed a radiant charming smile despite his dour mood today, "Are you also training for the Chuunin Exams?" He questioned, knowing that the obvious answer would be "yes" but hey, any conversation starter would work. From the corner of his eye, Enishi could spot an intriguing young man who seemed to be performing...elemental training exercises by using Tai-chi as a framework? That was so amazing! The hill that Zeo and Enishi were on wasn't particularly tall, only about 3 meters tall but that 3 meters allowed them to see the Training Grounds very well. This permitted Enishi, after talking to Zeo, to wave at the young man who was performing his Earth Release exercises pretty close to the two of them. He was also in a more private radius than the other people who were in the Training Grounds, so there would be no mistaking that the understudy was waving at the currently training man in the case of confusion. "Wow, those Earth Release exercises you're performing are so...ingenious!" Enishi spoke, his cadence evoking a sense of awe and wonder at seeing how creative people could be in their training.

WC: 1103

Thu Feb 04, 2021 3:36 am

It was quite a surprise for Ishii when he awoke and discovered in the morning paper that the chuunin exams were soon to be held in Hoshigakure. He had supposed that it was bound to happen eventually but he hadn't anticipated that the chuunin exams would be happening for quite some time, especially not one happening between the nations. After getting dressed for the day, Ishii prepared himself a pot of coffee and poured some into a thermos to go. As he stared into the darkened black liquid, Ishii found himself contemplating the events. "It's quite strange, isn't it? Sometimes I feel as though I'll wake up and be told that the village has gone to war with some other nation. To have the chuunin exams now... part of me almost feels as though it's a trap." Ishii grabbed cream from the fridge and poured some into the thermos before closing its lid and shaking it thoroughly. "I suppose that it doesn't matter much to me. My skills are nowhere near sharp enough to enter into the chuunin exams. I would just be risking my life for nothing." Ishii clipped the thermos to his ninja tool belt and exited his apartment.

Ishii sipped at his coffee as he wandered through swathes of Hoshigakure citizens chatting about the upcoming news. However, despite the large number of people that seemed to be milling about in this area, the streets seemed slightly emptier. Ishii tried to place his finger on what it could be. "The streets are so packed, and yet it somehow feels as though some part of them is deserted." Ishii got strange looks from some of the citizens for seemingly talking to himself. The voice in his head however, responded back. "Mayhaps it's because the genin of the village are missing. They've likely gone to train for the exams. Just like you should do Ishii." A sigh escaped from Ishii's lips. He took another sip of his coffee before responding. "What would be the point? I haven't mastered anything that would grant me any sort of edge in an exam, and I've only recently become a genin anywho. I would be beaten horribly. Not to mention an embarrassment to my village." The voice tutted as it so often did. "There are measures in place to prevent any sort of permanent injury. Even if you don't win, it could be a training experience for you nonetheless. You have everything to gain from this Ishii, and nothing to lose." Ishii sipped once more from his thermos. "I would lose time on missions. I still have to make a living off of being a shinobi." The voice protested, seeming more and more irritated with each passing argument that Ishii gave. "If you train for these exams, you'll benefit from the increased strength. You'll be able to complete higher ranked missions, and you'll receive more money in the long run. Throw your pride aside and do as I say. Go to the training fields, get at least a little practice in, and learn at least one new jutsu. You'll thank yourself later." Ishii closed his eyes as he capped his half empty thermos and clipped it to his side. "You remind me of my mother sometimes."

Ishii made his way over to the training grounds, only to find scores of young genin littering the place in training. Clouds of dust and debris gathered around the fields from the numerous genin kicking up soil during their training. Yet despite being packed so tightly together, that didn't stop the young chuunin prospects from utilizing dangerous ninjutsu. Ishii saw more than one poor soul injured by accident, and even worse, some of the shinobi seemed to actually be attacking the others on purpose. Trying to take out their competition Ishii supposed. He supposed it balanced out though, considering that a good number of the genin seemed to be medical ninja. It was probably good practice for them to heal those injured on the field like that. Ishii sighed and scoured the field for any sort of spot that wasn't taken by numerous genin.

Ishii decided that the only place that wasn't completely swarmed by ninja was the lake that sat in the center of the training grounds. Ishii weaved his way through the pulsing crowd of genin, doing his best to avoid the careless or aggressive shinobi who were using techniques without consideration for their comrades. He was beaten and knocked about for a while, and Ishii almost gave up on getting through. After all, what was the point of wading through a sea of potential dangers, some of which would rather see you dead than halt their advancement up the totem pole of shinobi society. With palpable irritation, he fought his way towards the lakeside with the water ninjutsu users. Ishii looked out over the shimmering lake and squinted his eyes to reduce the effects of the sun's reflected glare. "I suppose I'll have to use the technique that Ise and Tsunayoshi taught me." Ishii began to channel his chakra into the soles of his feet and stepped onto the water, stepping onto the rippling surface of the lake Tree Climbing/Surface Walking Technique). Of course, it would only be a matter of time before other genin saw him and spread out onto the surface with him, but for now Ishii was content to simply enjoy the empty space. As he walked closer and closer to the center of the lake, he saw a small nearby hill that two shinobi seemed to be standing on, both with strange and abnormal hair colors. Ishii waved at the both of them with a look of blank indifference on his face. Maybe once he ran out of chakra, he could rest with them on their hill.

Word Count - 967

Jutsu Used:

Sat Feb 06, 2021 12:14 am

Zeo felt the hill was out of the way enough to at least not be in any one's way as far as the training grounds were. Like others, he wanted to pratice water style jutsu but with so many on the lake-- it would be a disaster. Not only would he be forced to share the water (not that he was greedy) but if he used too strong a jutsu he would risk hurting other shinobi in the vicinity. It frustrated him he couldn't practice what he wanted with all this going on. NOt only that the political issues were there. Practicing out in the open was a mixed gamble. You were not only sharing your jutsu with others, but any smart shinobi could look and see what the others were practicing too. It was reckless to openly train like that, especially the jutsu you intend to use for the same event.

He was at a loss as what to do. Was he going to just up and leave, forgetting about training? While he could learn about his competition from the foolish ones training-- no that wasn't even how he should be thinking. Zeo hated that idea as he shook his head to get the idea out of his mind. While gathering information was good, taking advantage of others like that was deplorable to him.

"I'm not even sure I want to even take part in this exam anyway," Zeo said to himself.

He saw one shinobi nearby, praticing martial arts. Perhaps a taijutsu routine. Not Zeo's forte and clearly something he wouldn't know much about. He knew some basic moves, but he was more about ranged combat by nature. However, his attention was taken aback by a voice that called him by name. Zeo drew his attention to the source, to find a silver-haired youth that Zeo recognized. The odd boy from the woods he had met briefly who was interested in Zeo's jutsu. "Enshi...?" Zeo recalled. Though brief, he was possibly partnered with him as a partner in a squad. Guess the higher ups had considered it but it didn't happen-- perhaps due to the chunin exams.

"It's good to see you again. How you been?" Zeo greeted with a more pleased tone than calm surprise. He soon saw the scroll, catching a glimpse of the jutsu inside. The Giant Vortex Jutsu? It was one that Zeo was curious to learn, but he already knew a similar one, while limited to one target. The Water Dragon Bullet, and one Zeo grew proud to learn. It was more accurate and could move on its own to an extent. However, the Vortex had its own uses, but still, Zeo knew he had to branch out from the basic water jutsu and use his own original juts... but here?

He also saw a new face he didn't recognize. On the water was another person. He appeared to be an older shinobi, at least in age. As Zachary caught sight of him, he saw his gaze come towards them. It surprised him a bit. Did he single them out-- and then came the wave.

"Wow... seems like a lot of people either practicing or people watching..." Zeo commented, though keeping his thoughts about potential spies to himself for now. Still, it was nice to see familiar faces around the training grounds. Still, would they still be allies if they were pitted against one another in the exam.

It was another reason why Zeo was on the fence about this exam. What was he to do?

WC: 594

Mon Feb 08, 2021 5:43 am

As Yuuma suspected, he had drawn some attention though thankfully it was in a more positive manner than he might have anticipated. In fact, he had even received a friendly wave from a boy who was making his way up a hill that he was not far from. The return of motion wasn’t enough to break his concentration on the slow muscle movements that reflected the rippling of the earth that his chakra performed. Even once the younger called down to him, he found it well within his ability to reply while at least holding a stance. “Thank you.” He responded pleasantly to the youth who had commented on his technique. Admittedly, it wasn’t a technique of his own; he had borrowed it from the teachings he had picked up thus far, and a few particular people along the way. “I’ve been told that forming a strong connection with the elements makes the chakra flow easier when you try to call it forth.” He spoke in an even tone as he shifted, the earthy chakra flowing outward from him to about a meter range once more. Even should one get curious and wander close enough to touch the field, they would feel no sensation greater than perhaps the slight tingle of active chakra that shinobi become accustomed to.

In the interest of picking it up just a notch, Yuuma would shift the stance to something with a little more movement. Instead of his arms moving back and forth, they would begin to make a more side to side motion as though he were pulling something from one side and releasing it to his other side. The earth just around his feet would churn, as though liquid in their movements as they rolled from one side of the man to the other as he made the motions from one side, and then another. Little waves of energy tugged at the ground, forming them almost into tiny waves that bounced in a pool beneath his feet. Despite the shifting ground, Yuuma would appear no less stable in the movements of his stance while he tugged and released energy. This new motion would persist only for about a minute before Yuuma would finally bring his arms back to his side and release a deep breath, a slight glint of sweat reflecting from his brow before his arm would reach to a bag he had set not far away. Retrieving a small cloth from it, the young man would dab at his brow as he turned to address the person he had been talking to a little more fully.

Making his way up the smaller hill, he would wipe down his features of the sweat that the slow muscle movement had covered him in, stopping but a few meters away and offering both the original boy and his company a bow of the head. “Sorry if I am another random taking up space in your usual training grounds. My name is Fujiwara, Yuuma.” He offering another bow of the head despite the two of them being notably younger than him. A difference in age had never meant much to Yuuma in terms of how one shows respect, after all. “I don’t come here often...well, anymore. I did a long time ago but it’s kind of been a while.” He grinned, reaching up to rub at the back of his head and giving each of them a chance to introduce themselves if they were so interested in doing so. Be that the case, Yuuma would do his best to dedicate the image of their faces to the name they offered him if any at all. “Seems really busy here. I guess everyone is pretty pumped up about the Chuunin Exams.”

“Speaking of which, do the two of you intend to enter?” He asked, slinging the rag over his shoulder as he spoke to the two of them. Arms would fold across his chest as he gave his body a bit of a break from the early morning exercise routine he had taken to after months of neglect. Thankfully, he still felt decently able to jump back into the flow of things once he got his muscles moving. “You should consider entering if you aren’t.” He would nod after the sentence. “It would be a valuable experience, not only for yourself as a shinobi but as the village as a whole.” The hand of the young man would flow out across the view of the lake as people began to spread out across the surface. “Everyone here wants the same thing. Yeah, that might mean we are at odds with each other, but if it was up to me, Hoshigakure would be at the top of every chart in the exam.” He nods, pulling his arm back to look at the two younger who stood at the top of the hill.

“What do you two think?”

WC - 817
TWC - 1,571

Sat Feb 13, 2021 4:38 am

The two shinobi on the hill walked out of sight, so that Ishii couldn't see them anymore. He gave a long sigh before tapping the water with his foot. Seemed as though it was sturdy enough here. He was far enough out that Genin wouldn't risk hitting him with their techniques, and Ishii was confident enough in both his chakra control, and if worst came to worst, swimming skills to get out of the lake once he inevitable grew tired. Ishii channeled the chakra even more, sending it from his feet, to the entire back of his body. He felt it flow to his ankles, his legs, up his spine, and to the back of his skull. Ishii smiled softly as he let hit body tilt backwards. As gravity slowly began to do its work Ishii shifted his arms to the back of his head to cradle both it and his neck. As he began to make the final tilt into a falling motion, he brought his left leg upwards and crossed it over his right. Truly, the optimal position for Ishii to relax.

Gravity brought him crashing down against the surface of the lake. A large splash of water erupted from the sides of Ishii's body, sending large ripples outwards from the point of impact. When the water settled however, Ishii lay on the surface of the lake. He winced for a moment. "Ouch. I guess that one was on me. I wasn't exactly accounting for the water to be as hard as it was."

The voice seemed to give a hollow chuckle within Ishii's head. "You must be in such pain. Tell me then if you would, why are you laying on the surface of the water in the first place? You can't be learning much by laying here and staring at the clouds, so you must have some idea in mind, don't you?"

Ishii smiled softly once again. "Right now? No, I don't have a plan. I had a couple of jutsu that I wanted to learn, maybe master the Genjutsu Release, and a couple other esoteric jutsu. I don't have any particular plan however. For right now I'm simply content to look up at the clouds and practice my chakra control on this lake. Anyone could perform the Surface Walking Technique, sure. It takes a bit of practice to master walking on water with it, but ultimately it's feasible. Laying down and relaxing on water though? Making it practically second nature to you? That takes skill, so that's what I'll do for now."

Ishii could feel the voice's irritation. "Skill huh? Need I remind you that you only have a little while before the exams, and you know practically NOTHING. Chakra Control without jutsu to control it for is pointless. Maybe you should practice your skills as a shinobi, and watch some of these guys training? I mean look at how many are blindly firing off techniques. I'm sure even you could use at least one of them. Better yet, didn't you see some shinobi up on the hill there? Maybe try to follow after them. You might learn something."

Ishii shook his head. "No thanks. I don't like stealing techniques from other people. It would just be wrong."

The voice sounded like it was speaking through gritted teeth. "Humor me. Just one, that's all I ask." Another low exhale of breath. Ishii stood up and started making his way over to the hill where he had seen the other two shinobi had been earlier. Maybe the voice was right. It was possible he could learn something important.

Ishii made his way up the hill and off of the water, relaxing the chakra in his back and channeling it back towards his feet as he walked. He found the hill before long, and made his way up the side as more and more people began to make their way onto the lake. It was a good thing he hadn't stayed. Otherwise he might have actually been hurt by the seemingly endless wave of jutsu. Ishii frowned. "Wait. Why did I come all the way over here? It would have been a lot easier to learn one of those water jutsu of theirs..." Regardless, it was too late now. Going onto the lake surface would just be too dangerous. Ishii finished the climb to the top and stopped the chakra flow to his feet, standing somewhat nearby as the two shinobi he saw earlier seemed to be watching another shinobi that he hadn't seen before. Ishii gave a small, simple smile before approaching the three. "Hello. My apologies for bothering you three, but the water is starting to get quite crowded. Would you mind if I stayed up here with you all on this hill for a bit? It seems less crowded than some of the other areas, and I would rather train without fear of getting hit by some errant lightning release jutsu."

Word Count - 827 Words

Total Word Count - 1794 Words

Tue Feb 16, 2021 4:34 pm

With his two companions having fallen into the focus of their studies, Yuuma would distract them for only a moment more with conversation detailed to his thoughts on the Chuunin Exams and his expectations; what the two of them would find out was that the older genin was not only quite enthusiastic about the exam but seemed keen on getting others to rise to the same excitement. Or so was his intention, it seemed. Despite what the two of them might have shared with him- if anything- Yuuma would feel the ease return to his muscles as he took a moment to chat instead of constantly pulling at the earth around him in an attempt to get it to form exactly as he’d like. He could already feel a bit of a strain beginning to settle in not unlike a muscle that was being thoroughly stretched out during a workout. Quietly, he wondered if he was going to feel sore if he overdid himself with just a little training exercise. But what exactly would ache? His core? His head? Maybe his whole body, if he understood the anatomy of chakra and how it flowed correctly. Admittedly, he wasn’t what one might call an excellent student though he did have quite the enthusiasm once upon a time ago to grasp the lessons of the shinobi with both hands. As his gaze wandered from the hill out over the field of other training hopefuls, he wondered just how serious each of them was taking it. Did they see this as an opportunity to test themselves, or would it simply be a thrill of chasing some clout when it came to showing the other villages what Hoshi could do? Perhaps it was even more simple than that; maybe they simply were expected to enter by a mentor, teacher, or expectant parent.

For just a moment, Yuuma’s mind slipped into a recess that dove deep into his memories. The training grounds around the fields transformed into fields, and the lake vanished to be replaced by a central structure that the children of his home village use to gather around in order to play. Groups of the younger children each had their own game, spread out amidst the field before his watchful gaze as he sat from a stump. Some waved sticks as weapons, others seemed to be settling some sort of mystery or dispute. Yuuma never was quite sure, but he enjoyed making little stories in his head for each of them as he watched them play. It wasn’t until the familiar padding of feet would draw his gaze to the side, a dark-haired girl holding a doll and giving him a disgruntled look as though he were sitting in her favorite spot but she shouldn’t have had to have told him as much. The vision made him grin, even as he recalled it atop the hill overlooking the lake that was currently full of Genin going about their practice.

“You told me we were going to play today.” The girl grumbled past her hair, arms bunched across her chest as she hugged close the doll of an owl. “I thought older brothers always kept their word.” A tone that age had given her with no small amount of sass layered thickly over the contours of her words.

“I said I would -if- there was someone else that was going to come to keep watch and make sure there were no dangers to the group while we play.” Yuuma had replied, sweeping a hand across the area around the stump he remembered sitting upon. “No one else wanted to come, so I have to do it. But you can go play! Look, I’m pretty sure the Huili twins are playing house...or something.” The offer came with a motioned hand down into the fields where a young boy and girl were arguing over some manner of a chore that hadn’t been complete. At least their enactment was an authentic one.

The young girl huffed, her arms lifting and falling against her chest as she pressed a single foot into the ground, covered by the soft leather sole of a boot that had been cobbled by humble hands. “I don’t -want- to play with the Huili twins. They are stupid and they just want someone to play a dog.” Though her thoughts were pointed with the disgruntlement that only a younger sibling could express, there was little she could do to hide her disappointment that it was not her brother that was coming to play. Ida always did a fairly poor job of hiding her feelings from Yuuma.

Even in the present, Yuuma could feel himself release a sigh as he considered the moment that he seemed so ready to allow slip by him before. Would that she was here, now, and asked him to join her for some training out on the field, he would not deny her. He would have stayed out for as long as the sun would have allowed them and trained until they had to carry each other home. The thought of it all made a sort of sadness well in the chest of the older Genin, but he did well to accept the feeling as just more motivation for becoming the best at what every one of them had come out there that evening to do. He had tried for a year to the best of his ability, and he had failed. Of course, this meant that the only real path forward was to continue to train. So he hoped that whoever was out here on the fields was willing to work just as hard as he was. If they weren’t, they were in for a rude awakening when it came time for the exam.

His thoughts became distracted as he watched one of the distant Genin practicing his water techniques out on the surface of the water. His eyes watched the fluid movement of their technique, chakra flowing into a woven form not unlike the gentle tumble of the falls. Powerful, yet conforming. The might of the waves had the ability to crush even the strongest stone given enough time. Looking down at his own hand, Yuuma would tug at the strings of his own chakra in an attempt to tempt the element forward. Of course, with earth being abundant just beneath his feet, water was a different story. Granted, the nearby lake offered plenty of opportunities to test out his connection; it would terribly unproductive to do all this practice and not try something new.

Nodding to the two he had been associating with, he would quietly take his leave to plod down the hill and towards the edge of the water where others had been practicing. Focusing his mind, he’d reach into the energy wells that lay deep within his body and close his eyes. A motion took a picture within his mind, the water creating small ripples along its surface not unlike the exact same practice he had been doing with the earth release. Small, circular, and gently in motion. Granted, that flow was a lot harder to achieve as he shared the space with the other students around him. Despite the distractions, however, Yuuma was well and able to feel the tugs of his energy at the water, like thin strings that connected to the very nature of the substance itself. It greeted him as the water would; a sense of purpose and direction while embodying patience and harmony. The essence of the beginnings of life.

Yuuma was pulled from his thoughts as the sound of a body hitting the surface of the water reached his ears. Blinking his eyes open, he’d look around to find one of the other Genin had, somehow, managed to wind up on his back looking up into the clouds above him and didn’t exactly seem too intent on getting back up just yet. The prospect brought some amusement back to Yuuma as a grin struck across his face. He knew that feeling all too well. He had experienced it plenty himself out in the fields when he was younger. The effort placed in such a way that one would not expect results in a failure of the exercise. Poor fella. Still, the younger genin would eventually pick himself up and make the wise decision of clearing out from the increasingly populated area and begin taking steps towards the very same hill Yuuma had just descended. Not that he blamed him- the hill was a great spot to rest, as he could attest.

As the boy neared, Yuuma would offer him a lift of the hand and a small wave in greeting. “Hey hey. Hard at work, I see.” He said, his eyes closing some to fight against the glaring sun that nestled in the sky above them. When the boy questioned about a spot on the hill, Yuuma would half turn to glance up the slope at the two he had left at the top before looking back to the boy. “I don’t see why not! I was just about to vacate it myself, so if there was a lack of space, you are free to have my spot. I spotted you practicing out there.” The comment was accompanied by a thumbs up and a wink of one eye. “Keep it up, yeah? I hope to see you at the exam!” In truth, Yuuma would love to stay and exchange more pleasantries, but he had been there since the early morning and he could feel his stomach beginning to twist in knots from a lack of lunch. “I’m going to get something to eat before I regret doing much more practice- take care, and keep up the sturdy exercise!” He said, offering a slight bow of the head to the boy.

Turning, Yuuma would pick up his bag with his basic scrolls, slinging the lot of them over his shoulder before beginning to make a trail from the training grounds and back into the city. Despite the low-intensity of the workout, Yuuma felt as though he had a solid idea of what concepts to tackle going forward. His path to the Chuunin Exams was beginning to become clear to him.

WC - 1,705
TWC - 3,276

EXIT

Claims:

Stats-
- +32 Vigor.

Other-
- Claiming Ninjutsu spec. 1000 (50% off thanks to Zeo.)
- Claiming Water as second element. 2000 (50% off thanks to Ishii.)
- 276 WC towards Earth Style Wall Rank C [776/1000].

Tue Feb 16, 2021 4:40 pm

Approved

Wed Feb 24, 2021 12:49 pm

As the silver-haired understudy complimented the intriguing young man on his intuitive form of training - using Tai-Chi as a form of elemental exercises, the emerald optics of the teenager easily spotted another kindred spirit who wished to train; this time, it was a young man who appeared to be around the same age as the blue-eyed man along with a relatively normal appearance compared to both the understudy and the young Kamigawa who stood next to Enishi. The dark-haired man seemed to be training, utilizing the Surface Walking Technique to walk on the lake as some sort of practice. The Surface Walking Technique was an E-rank technique that allowed the user's chakra to gain a kind of adhesiveness on the soles of their feet which then allowed the user to walk on top of things that couldn't normally be traversed through from trees to even water itself. The Surface Walking Technique was a true beginner test of chakra control - but that was what it was, a technique for beginners. So why was the dark-haired man practicing such a basic technique - taught in the Academy due to its ease - in preparation for the Chuunin Exams? "Perhaps he's just an Academy Student that got caught in the influx of training for the Chuunin Exams?" The understudy pondered, but no, his hypothesis couldn't make sense. The dark-haired man adorned a forehead protector tied by his waist so that would be already graduated from the Academy. Well, Enishi could just ask questions about the man's training once he was done practicing his Surface Walking drills, and it seemed that the man was already intent on joining Enishi and Zeo in training due to waving at the two of them. The silver-haired Genin merely responded with a short nod of affirmation at the water-walking Kamigawa, non-verbally inviting the man to train with them if he desired to.

Enishi turned his attention to the blue-eyed man, Yuuma Fujiwara once he was done non-verbally communicating to the darker-haired Kamigawa. Unlike most, the man wasn't immediately disgusted at Enishi's existence and eccentric attitude which somewhat perturbed the understudy. Usually, most people would be set off by the silver-haired teen's attitude, seeing it as...inhuman to most. This made social situations a great form of irony for Enishi; as much as he wanted to connect with others, he always pushed others away with his peculiar personality and ideals. Heh, it made sense for a monster like him to be isolated by others and treated like trash. A monster that burned down the orphanage along with the only saint that loved him in his berserk state didn't deserve to be treated normally as if he never killed countless innocent lives. Therefore, the understudy welcomed any form of disgust and negative emotion coming towards him, seeing it as his form of "atonement." So, seeing yet again, another person like Akaboshi and Zeo who treated him normally...feared Enishi. However, he would never show fear again to someone, so he covered it up with his usual charming smile as always. Whilst Enishi was in his deep rumination, Yuuma appeared to finish his Tai-chi elemental exercises and proceeded to walk up the small hill that the understudy and blue-haired Kamigawa stood on.

Yuuma introduced himself as "Yuuma Fujiwara" with a bow, which surprised the understudy and slightly made him blush as Enishi was never used to someone, especially someone considerably older than him bow as a form of respect towards him. Even though he was shaken up at the sudden display of respect, he quickly responded in equal respect once the man was finished introducing himself and discussing how everyone was training for the upcoming Chuunin Exams. "I concur. I'm surprised at how busy it is here, especially around the Training Garden section of the field. You don't normally see many people training on days such as these, but I guess the Chuunin Exams really bring the most out of people," Enishi chuckled sheepishly before bowing towards Yuuma, it was customary to bow towards people older than you and the blue-eyed Fujiwara seemed to be quite older than the two teenagers, "Nice to meet you, Yuuma. My name is Kurosawa, Enishi." The understudy finished with his usual calm yet inquisitive voice; he still wasn't used to his new last name: Kurosawa as it never was his given surname at birth. In fact, he never had a surname. His family abandoned him without giving him their family name so the only name that the silver-haired teen knew by heart was Enishi.

After Enishi - and hopefully Zeo - introduced themselves, Yuuma would ask about whether the two would enter the Chuunin Exams. That was bound to be a question. The Chuunin Exams were the gossip of the month, and as the blue-eyed man analytically stated, it was a great experience that shouldn't be passed on as a growing shinobi. Enishi wanted to represent his village with all the greatest he could muster, so it was a given that he would be joining the exams. The understudy smirked as he answered Yuuma's inquiry about the exams, "Hmm... The exams. Yes, you're correct in your judgment that they will be a valuable experience for Genin like us. I honestly don't know whether I'm capable enough to join the Chuunin Exams; we are going to be competing against people from villages that possibly eclipse us in military strength such as the newly re-established Sunagakure. However, I want to show the world that Hoshigakure can be the face of power and peace for the Ninja World's future, and I cannot do that by sitting around and wallowing in my weakness. I have to join, and I must get stronger for the exams. If I win or lose, so be it." The understudy explained, his emerald flaring with resolve yet his tone always remained detached.

From the corner of Enishi's eye while he spoke those words, the water-walking dark-haired man started advancing towards the group by walking up the small hill they were on. Enishi offered no form of resistance towards the dark-haired man due to already inviting him to their study session non-verbally. Once the understudy finished talking, the dark-haired man was finished walking on top of the hill and would ask politely whether he could join them in training. It made sense. The water the man was walking on was slowly getting crowded by other Genin who wished to practice their Surface Walking training which made training in the crowded lake very inefficient. The silver-haired teen nodded with a bright smile towards the dark-haired man who asked for their hospitality, "Of course, the more the merrier! We need to get as much training as possible for the exams," Enishi replied casually, putting his hands behind his head while still holding the "Great Vortex" scroll in his left hand. Shortly after, Yuuma had to leave to get something to eat to which Enishi would respond with a wave and a smile before the blue-eyed Fujiwara left the premises. The understudy made sure to remember the kind man that was Yuuma Fujiwara, perhaps they would meet again during the Chuunin Exams.

With Yuuma gone, only the dark-haired man, Zeo, and the young Jugo remained on top of the hill. "My name is Enishi Kurosawa. Mind if I request yours?" Enishi inquired towards the dark-haired man specifically, wanting to know his name before he started training the Great Vortex technique. Regardless of if the man answered or not, the understudy would turn towards a small lake on top of the hill that was about 3 meters in front of him; it wasn't as big as the lake below them that many genin were training under, but it was deep and big enough to provide quality water jutsu training. He'd migrate towards the edge of the lake until he was about a foot away from the edge and then he was ready to train the Great Vortex technique; Zeo and dark-haired man would be about 2-3 meters away from Enishi should they not leave their positions. Rolling out the scroll so he could read the instructions, description, and then handseals required to form the jutsu, it would only take a minute for the Jugo to read all of the instructions thoroughly before placing the outstretched scroll a foot right of him on the dry grass. Making sure no one was in front of the carnage he was about to ensue, the understudy finished all preparations.

Tiger → Ox → Monkey → Rabbit → Ram.

These handseals were formed with masterful deftness and would be completed in a mere second. "Visualize a vortex, visualize a vortex." Enishi chanted repeatedly in his thoughts, expelling invisible chakra out of his body to affect the water source that was the lake a foot in front of him. "Water Release: Great Vortex!" He muttered sharply, and then, the water from the lake quickly churned and contorted as if a vacuum was turning it thousands of times over. The water from the lake rose and rushed forward, turning itself into a lethal cyclone of water 50 meters long and 25 meters in diameter in its apex of range that turned anything that occupied the natural disaster of water into mincemeat. The water lilies and the microorganisms that were in the water were all torn apart in infinitesimal parts due to the tumultuous torrents. The vortex didn't advance forward once reaching its maximum length, merely staying in the lake and rotating counterclockwise upon Enishi's command. After 30 seconds from activating the vortex, the understudy would deactivate the technique as all of the water in the 50-meter length and 25-meter diameter vortex washed down towards the lake to be a water source once again. The falling water also slightly brushed down on the training males, creating a mock rainshower of sorts that only lasted for a few seconds as the water finished falling to the lake...

"That easy, huh."

WC: 1762
TWC: 2865

Chunin Study Session

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