Passing on the Torch! [Imane]

Mission Details:

The Chuunin Exams were rapidly approaching, and yet Yuuma had managed to find himself with a quiet sense of calm as he walked to gardens. The lush flora of Hoshi was exaggerated here- bushes grew to half the height of trees and the trees themselves were proud and healthy things. One might think they were plucked right from a forest before they were transplanted here by some manner of a master botanist. And for all Yuuma knew, that was exactly what happened. The little waterways that ran a criss-cross over the gardens like the veins of a body seemed all too purposeful, however. Little pools here and there accented the green land like freckles over a sun-soaked face. His footsteps fell into a steady, slow pace as the Genin walked the garden, his hands tucked into the oversized sleeves of his half-robe, braced to his wrists as the jointure found respite along his waistline. Head tilting this way and that, he would observe with a quiet content at all the wonderful colors of the budding plants. “I could see why you would come to favor this village,” the voice of his mentor would sound from his shoulder. Archimedes, for his part, had seemed to be growing warm to the village. Upon arrival, it didn’t seem at those Yuuma’s avian mentor cared much for the slice of Haven that had been carved out by the people of Hoshigakure. After more than a week amidst the settlement, however, the normally grumpy owl seemed to have been taking a shine to it. At least parts of it.

“Yeah,” Yuuma agreed with a nod and a small smile. “It’s not so bad. Like any place, it has its faults. But that is what makes us who we are, right?” He questioned, glancing up to the owl before returning his gaze back to the direction ahead of them. The sun shone brightly overhead, giving way to a clear blue sky that welcomed the day about them. Normally, Yuuma would see it as a perfect opportunity to get some training done. With the recent synthesis of that strong anesthetic provided by the hospital, he could still feel his system struggling to adjust to the new toxin in the host. He didn’t feel it like the day before or even the morning from earlier that same day. He was thankful that the serum wasn’t quite so virulent that he continued to feel drowsy for days, but instead offered the young man an excuse to take a day from training his body and focus on his mind. A bit of meditation was in order, and the gardens were a perfect place to do so. Granted, the training ground wasn’t far away, but after his last experience with the oversaturation of Genin attempting to hone their craft in time for the exams, Yuuma had a feeling that he’d have to find another quiet spot in the garden to do his mental exercises.

Thankfully, while the trees provided by the Gardens didn’t exactly make for a fully fleshed forest, it did offer plenty of divots and secluded spots to offer one at least a measure of privacy. Granted, practicing things like fire jutsu would probably be frowned upon, but Yuuma would highly doubt that even the more stogey members of the Hoshi citizenry would turn their nose up at someone peaceable minding their own business with some silent meditation. Heck, they may even find it novel that the shinobi had managed to “tame” an owl. An owl that could talk, no less. Sometimes a little too much, but the two of them had still managed to find comfort in each other’s company. “The exams are soon,” Archimedes observed as Yuuma had returned to that usual introverted silence of his deeper thoughts. “Are you feeling prepared? Have you found the motivation that will carry you through to the very end of it?” The owl inquired, having not done so up to that point.

“I believe I have.” Yuuma returned with a confident nod. “Although I’ve been marked a traitor, I still want to do my very best. I’d like to show those people that I met in the Kage’s office that I mean more to the village alive than I do dead. Besides… it is not like I expect to win.” A long breath was taken in through the nose as Yuuma lifted a hand to rub at the scar on his forehead. Still there. Still slightly painful. An etching of the star of the Hoshi Shinobi, though with a strike through it at an angle that pointed downward. Or upward, depending on one’s perspective. Either way, it was a display that not even his raven lochs could conceal. Not as though he wished to- it was meant to be displayed. Just as Shina had said. “I’ll do my absolute best,” Yuuma said though the mumbled nature of the statement might make one believe that it was as much an affirmation to himself as it was his feathered companion.

“I’m certain you shall,” Archimedes responded in a tone that almost seemed amused, though it was difficult to discern given the differences in their speaking pattern. For all the convenience of his companion being able to speak, it brought with it a bevy of uncertainty in some situations. For one, Archimedes had a tendency to use words that brought the gears of understanding to a grinding halt and often required explanation when he made inferences that went over the shinobi’s head. Somehow, however, Yuuma felt as though this last fact perhaps annoyed the owl more than it did him. “I hope you have thought clearly about what motivates you. It could very well mean the difference between an adequate performance, and an exceptional performance.”

With a turn of his head, Yuuma looked up to his companion as though to inquire to the meaning of his mentor’s pondering, though his ear caught a sound that required his attention and disrupted the thought as a whole. Pulling his eyes away, Yuuma would look about to locate the sound having been readily able to identify it as something not particularly natural to the Gardens. “Huh.” Yuuma expressed aloud, his eyes slowly scanning the area before beginning to make slow tracks towards one of those same secluded areas within the trees he had been monitoring before. Perhaps someone else had a similar idea to him as far as an ideal location for some practice goes? Either way, he would shortly be finding out!

WC- 1,083

“Hah! Hah!” A young but deeper-toned feminine voice filled the otherwise quiet, luscious green landscape that was Hoshi’s gardens. Imane can be witnessed in a square stance, leaning left-hand orientation. In hand was her sword sheening in the light peering through the garden. At the waist is where it stood as her pose was still, light pants witnessed by the rising and lowering of her chest. Not another moment was wasted before her grip tightened closer to the guard of the hilt and her body took one swift action. Her back foot came forward, exchanging positions with the left, while in motion, the sword quickly inverted in hand so she can slash upward before the blade inverted once more with a quick twist of her wrist to finish her two-step move with a release of her left hand, the right-hand tightening and pulling the weapon in a merciless, diagonally downward slash. Her pose finished with an open stance, stood at the ready, the weapon kept in place for a moment before her form broke. She stood up casually before her off arm swept her face. Walking over to a select tree bigger than most. At the base of the tree, she would bend for her sheathe in the grass, concealing her weapon into it and clipping it to her rucksack that laid. In the recent display, Imane showed a strong determination with how she can keep to roots of her ability while changing its nature. Her body was tense after a good training session. It was short today than what she usually likes, only being an hour. Anyone coming through would’ve just caught the end of it.  

 

A quick reach into the ruck sack she pulled a canteen out to drink from. With a glance, a nicely painted bronze colored Senju emblem ran across the metal. A release of the cap delivered her a few gulps of water before she released it with a satisfied sigh. She contained the drink after and put it back in her sack. A few village children ran by her quite closely laughing before their small attention spans fixated on the woman. 

 

“Hey, cool sword.” 

 

“Hm?” Imane rose up from the ruck and turned around to the kids. In view, they didn’t seem to be older than maybe 10 or 11. “Thanks kiddo. It’s a reliable and fervorous weapon.” 

 

“A fer- what?” A girl asked in the back. “Is fervorous some type of metal? Why are you so tall?” 

 

This visibly ticked Imane, shown by her hands rushing to her waist in response. She only expressed a sweated laughter to them before sighing slightly. She did tower them in comparison as she stood at five foot eight inches, she didn’t think her height would be an oddity. “I’m not as tall as you think. You can run along now; I need a clear space to train and you could get hurt if near me.” She told them. “Whatever.” The initial child blurted out, walking away. The rest followed suit. “Hey, wait up for me!” some said. On exit, she shook her head. “Good grief.” Her arms dropped and took one good look around the forest. Taking a moment after some action was a principle of her. You always need to know what’s around you. 

 

In her scan that deepened into the gardens trees and focusing on the audio queues of the visual pleasantries, her eyes would eventually fall unto an unfamiliar individual coming through the opposite side she initially entered from. Quickly, her interest piqued when she would see a feathered companion in the form of an owl alongside a ninja, noting his headband being from Hoshi. This is the first ninja she’s actually seen through here today. She loved the aesthetic of birds but wasn’t any sort of handler but she decided to raise her arm tall and wave over to the new entry of this quaint training ground of her. She hasn’t formally met any others in her new ninja life since becoming one herself. ‘Well, the villagers are not fond of me but I shouldn’t have any issues with another ninja from our village,’ she thought.   

"’Ey! That’s an awesome beast you’ve got there. What’s its name?” She introduced herself. 

WC: 708

It didn’t take much investigation to find the source of the noise. Amidst one of the clearings was a girl, her sword swishing through the air, punctuated by the shouts of effort that accompanied her swings. Or at least, that was what Yuuma could gather from the exercise. He hadn’t ever been one to handle a weapon before, but if he was to guess, she was practicing her stancing and striking. Certainly, there was probably more intricacy to it than that, but such knowledge was beyond him. “Huh. A swordswoman.” Yuuma spoke aloud to himself, his footsteps halting as the woman turned to address the children that had stumbled upon her as well. Hands remained folded in his sleeves as he watched the interaction with a growing smile. Some shinobi weren’t exactly welcoming in their practice, and some had ill patience for children. But she didn’t seem to mind at all. In fact, she even had herself a laugh at something that had been said, though Yuuma was well beyond the reach to make it out clearly. Whatever it was though, it certainly brought her some measure of enjoyment. Far be it for him to interrupt the moment. 

Before long, however, the children would lose their interest and continue along the way they had come, taking their leave just as suddenly as they had offered their arrival. It was only then that Yuuma would enter the clearing, making his way towards the woman who would turn to spot him, and in doing so reveal that she was a shinobi as well. Evident betrayed by the headband she had about her person- a striking resemblance to the one he had himself, marking her as part of the same village force as he. Her call out to them pushed the smile a little broader on Yuuma’s face, though it was the reaction of his feathered companion that really amused him. “Beast?!” Archimedes grumbled indignantly, his feathers ruffling slightly as he puffed up some on Yuuma’s shoulder. 

It took a measure of discipline to keep his composure, but Yuuma would maintain the smile as he approached some, giving the woman a comfortable bit of space as he came to a pause in his tracks. “His name is Archimedes,” he said, bowing his head some. “And I am Fujiwara, Yuuma. A Genin for the village. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you around before.” Above all, the young man found it most amusing that she was interested in his companion’s name before she even offered her own. Nonetheless, Yuuma would offer the opportunity to do so by allowing a spacing in his words. “It is a pleasure to meet you. I’ve noticed more and more people recently out and about practicing for the exams, though they are often over by the lake. I wouldn’t blame you for separating yourself, given the sort of things you’d have to practice with that blade of yours.” 

Presuming she wasn’t dismissive or seeming eager to be removed of company, Yuuma would venture a few steps closer in order to close the speaking distance to a more comfortable low tone. “I’ve been practicing myself, though it's mostly been earth release techniques. Oh, and a little bit of water, but I’m still sort of getting used to that one.” He said, tilting his head this way and that for a moment. On this shoulder, Archimedes was inspecting the woman thoroughly. Despite his agitated state, the owl seemed a great deal interested in the opposing shinobi, perhaps having not gotten to meet many himself as of just yet. Regardless of the interest, Archimedes didn’t seem to have any words to offer in kind. “Are you a weapon master?” Yuuma would ask, his gaze returning to her from her now sheathed weapon laying alongside her belongings. 

WC- 635
TWC - 1,718

Imane was visibly stunned by seeing a talking animal for the first time. After being taken aback, a grin formed and her interest rose. ‘So, its name is Archimedes and it talks. Is this a summoned creature?’ Imane thought before accepting his engagement with a welcoming smile. When he was closer, she moved around in a half crescent as she inspects the bird. “Such beautiful feathers.” Winged beasts are a sign of freedom to her and watching them is always a pleasure. She felt like she had done enough with her sword training for now and welcomed another of her work. Her body stood lax but tall with confidence. Her spirit was carefree and her personality was vibrant outside of how she looked when swinging and slashing around. 

 

 

“Where are my manners?” Her step came back to the beast tamers’ front before meeting him with a cheery grin, her tone raising for her introduction. Some of her wild hear stuck to the sides of her face as the sweat acted like glue, some clumps of sweat slightly darkened and flattened due to being wet. “I’m Imane of the Senju clan. I’m actually a new Genin for the village.” Pointing at her hand band around her neck with her thumb. The cheer fading to a normal indoor voice as her sentence ended. Yuuma’s mention of her sword made her glance back to her equipment before her eyes returned to his. Anyone who's seen the sword compliments it but nobody has asked about it as of yet. “I’m no expert, but I strive to keep its legacy intact. There’s honor in wielding it as it belonged to my father, it gives me great strength in battle.” Her words were always formal in relation to her family. She seamlessly swaps back and forth between speech pattern with ease, as if second nature to her. “Other than that, I’m a simple woman with an affinity for the earth. I’ve heard about the exams just around the corner, but it didn’t particularly interest me. I would, however, like to be there and see what kind of talent exists in the world. I like the serenity of these gardens.” 

 

 “True refinement always begins from within” she quoted for the ninja. “That’s a principle taught to me since I was young.” Revealing some of her history to him, she did so without regard. Imagining everyone to have a private existence, practiced an open book approach. Her stance changed a little with her right-hand going to the waist and the other staying limp at her side. Her body leant to the right and her friendly smile held. 

 

 

“What about you Yuuma?” She addressed so casually though they’d just met. “Are you also looking for a quiet place to train or are you just wandering around looking for other maidens caught off-guard?” She threw out there as a lousy joke to show that she didn’t expect anyone to see her, believing that was a pretty secluded spot of the already vastly covered greenery. “I’m teasing. That last part wasn’t a serious question, don’t hold it against me.” Imane said with a quiet laugh under her breath. “Will you share what it is you’re working on if it involves training?” Clearly, this was an interest to her. What she didn’t realize is it could be an over bearing interest as she alludes to it quite quickly, reluctant to detach once it’s begun. 


WC: 572
TWC: 1280

That ear-to-ear grin remained on Yuuma’s face as the woman took a few steps around him, commenting on the coat of his companion. Blue eyes would lift up to Archimedes with a loft of the brow. “See? Not so bad, hm?” As though the compliment was meant to balance out any sort of insinuating the avian might have felt. Nevertheless, the owl would release only a croon of acceptance though his feathers would still along his body, taking on the normalized well-dressed appearance that he usually had. Turning his head back to the woman as she continued to inspect her friend. “No, he is no summon. In fact, he found me. Quite oddly one day, in fact. I was just walking along the streets when I noticed him sitting on a fence. He didn’t quite care for me walking away without speaking. I wore an expression very similar to yours, in fact.” He chuckled some, recalling his surprise at having heard Archemides speak to him.

Her introduction earned another bow of his head in recognition. The Senju clan. All he knew of them was they had a unique connection to the earth in ways that the typical earth chakra didn’t quite capture, though that was about all he knew. “I recognize your surname, though I know not much about your clan,” he smiled apologetically. His gaze followed hers, wondering what it was she was thinking too when she looked at her weapon. The same habit he always had of looking at people when they experienced something else, and just the same, she seemed like she went somewhere else for a moment. It was not so much her expression, but the tone she took when she spoke about her craft and her family. Legacy. Honor. Father. Strength. Words chosen carefully- or perhaps very practiced. Her return to form was impeccable, and even drew a look of surprise over Yuuma’s face when she took her tone once more, but his own expression didn’t last long before melding back into the one of comfort. Her address of the exams brought his mind back to focus not only on the conversation but what he had been doing there that day, in fact. “You should attend the events- if not to compete for yourself then to perhaps see what they entail and like you said, experience the sort of talent that exists out there. I am interested in meeting shinobi from other villages and seeing what they are like- how they train, interesting kind of jutsu- all of it really.” His own expression grew perhaps a bit whimsical as he glanced upwards into the ever-expanding blue sky for just a moment.

His eyes returning to her as she spoke on refinement and principle. Noble ideals, to be certain! Nodding along with her words, he followed along until the jest, where he would laugh in good nature. Despite the implications, the thought of him doing such was absurd enough to laugh at. For someone who had her practice interrupted by a perfect stranger. Instead, she inquired to his own training out in the grounds. The scar on his forehead often did him the displeasure of spooky away anyone that would normally bother for some friendly training talk. As such, he felt a swell of excitement in his chest that didn’t make it past his stoic but friendly face. “Well,” he started, a hand leaving his sleeve to touch his chin in thought. Perhaps he could show off something he had learned? But what? His uppermost techniques were out of the question- not for want of being stingy, but one was a simple medical-related barrier; it wasn’t terribly impressive to look at. The others were the techniques he had gained from the scrolls hidden by his mother. Probably best to keep those to himself for the moment. An idea popped into his head which would display on his face as he looked back to her. “There is some ninjutsu I’ve been learning..”

A few short hand seals later, a puff of smoke would appear on either side of him before dispersing to show a pair of clones identical in every way to Yuuma save for the feathered companion on his shoulder. Same robes, same scar, everything. The originally would motion to the two clones as he spoke, “A more advanced cloning jutsu- Shadow Clone.” Stepping aside, Yuuma would motion to one of the clones, who would nod and begin weaving hand seals. A moment later, some distance behind the set of clones would pop up a row of five spears that burst through the ground and pointed directly upwards well away from where they were gathered. “An earth technique- Earth Flow Spears. Something for an offensive use, though I like to use it to create barriers or places of impasse. You know, make it harder to get to, sort of thing.” He smiled, motioning to the second clone, who would move some distance away and perform a set of hand seals. With a flurry of chakra, the clone would sink into the ground and vanish from sight completely. Even the earth was not displaced in the movement of the clone. “This one- Hiding Like a Mole- has saved me a lot of hurts, actually. Great for ducking away from fights you don’t want to take part in.”

After the little display, he would turn to his Iname with a small but prideful smile. “Nothing one might call a very advanced technique, but things that I thought were useful. Oh, I can also make a rock dome, absorb bits of energy from people I touch, and open a small dimension in which I can place things.” A pair of hand seals later, a small portal would open in front of his hand that he would reach into and withdraw a roll of bandages that he would display to her before placing them back into the space. “I can also cure hangovers...but that’s not so much for me as much as it is other people.” Another smile crossed his face, this one a little more amused as he hides a small laugh behind a hand for a moment before bringing the limb back down to join it’s twin back at his waist. “What of you? I’d love to see what sort of techniques you have been practicing if you wouldn’t mind sharing.”

WC - 1,064
TWC - 2,782

“Found him?” She asked, wondering how that could have happened. Perhaps he rescued the beast? No, that can’t be right judging by him saying the avian found him. She ultimately didn’t want to peer into their backstory without permission but realized she decided that too late having already asked. “I’m sorry if that was a little invasive.” She apologized with a sweated chuckle before moving on from it. “You don’t have to be ashamed of not knowing much, we are scattered and I don’t think I’ve seen a Senju here yet. So far, it’s just me in the Senju tree here in Hoshi that I’m aware of.” Speaking tirelessly, her voice perked at the second mention of the exams, “I wouldn’t mind attending. I, for one, just won't be participating. I wonder what kind of creative things other people use.” 

 

Her eyes rested on Yuuma as he begun to mention ninjutsu. Her attention was grasped, the passion for fighting burning from deep within her like an untamable wildfire. “A shadow clone, huh? Unfamiliar to me.” Her words bluntly released while she watched him perform, the clones reproduced in perfect mirror to him. “Wow, that’s cool!” Then the earth technique unleased with the spears erupting from the ground fascinated her. “Woahh, Yuuma, you’ve been at it for a while. You’re way ahead of me, that’s for sure. Then, her mind was blown at the useful display of the separate dimension pocket he summoned. Did that just practically come out of your ass!?” She abruptly exploded in an informal banter, her mood lit up in amazement. “You are pretty remarkable. Me? I’m not so much as skilled as you. I can pull off some earth impromptu and some a nice getaway move.” She humbly spoke, her body turning off to the side in comparison to him before her body squared. With two quick weaves of the Boar and Ox signs, she bent her body down, her right-knee against the ground. Both hands slammed down into the ground, palms adjacent to one another, and erupted a mud wall that acts as a shield in front of her. It wasn’t anything crazy only being enough to cover her own body, but she wasn’t stopping there. Quickly she raised before tightening a fist, striking off a corner of the wall with a fierce forward thrust. Her eyes beamed with a light of intensity, the focus of her art showing no fault. Rapidly in succession, her body quick stepped left with a follow up thrust from her off hand, knocking off the next corner of the wall.  

 

She allowed a quick pause, taunting herself as if she were done. Her left brow twitched in a bothered form before she twisted her body into a whirl, her right leg following until it came all the way around, her balancing leg sort of bouncing as her stance flowered. The move was a roundhouse against the middle of the wall, causing a then separated rock piece crash on top of the remaining wall stuck to the ground. Without a beat missed her stance immediately stopped with remarkable reaction, her feet planting before immediately the previous balancing leg went on the offensive and rose to her waist line, thrusting forward, clearing the mud wall of the separated rock. Each punch obliterated the rock where as her kicks moved the rocks on the direction they were engaged. To finish off, she held a hand sign to channel chakra in her as one foot stomped down to pop up a big rock from the ground, quickly reacting with a hard punch, the rock being beamed into a tree rather than destroying it like previous punches. The impact crater of the rock on a tree made a visible circular crack. In a smooth transition, she shook it off with a quick body squirm and a bounce before returning to a lax nature, turning back to Yuuma. 

 

“This sort of art is what I’ve gathered through time. Though, if I’m honest, I am not always in favor of brute strength. I hope one day I can learn another display of dominance, one filled more with grace. An ebb n’ flow, if you will.” She demonstrated a slow-moving action where her arms went from one upper far part of her body and flowed down, parallel to the arms being pointed out until they retracted back toward her chest and down to her stomach before being ‘swished’ almost and redirecting the opposite way, coming up the opposite direction from her chest to the next outward far end of her body. She looked as fluid like a calming sea, a wave of calm and excitement ready for manipulation without warning. She giggled a little, now seeing that she’s gone a little bit out there. “I’m sorry if I’ve over expressed myself at all for what should have been small.” She stepped back to keep her humility and respect. 

WC: 821
TWC: 2101

Yuuma continued to wear an amused expression as the woman spoke. Even before her somewhat informal remarks to his Displacement Storage technique, he could feel a comfort in the way she spoke. Something that spoke of openness, an eagerness to reach out and involve herself in a conversation. It was a welcoming tone to take for the conversation and one that made Yuuma feel comfortable to engage with. “No need to apologize- it is something of a strange occurrence, I am sure.” He chuckled, shifting and doing another couple hand seals before the two clones would poof into a puff of smoke, vanishing once again. “I’d love to learn more about your clan if you were willing to share. I recently learned that I had connections to a people from the land of Fire, though I...haven’t explored it much, admittedly.” His tone shifting to something of a more embarrassed tone, though it didn’t last long. “Still plenty to learn. This is why I don’t think I’m all that skilled though I appreciate the compliment. In truth, I’m not certain where it is these things get stored but I imagine it would be quite uncomfortable if it was my butt.” A laugh to match her own as he shook his head; she spoke freely and it amused him greatly. It was a nice departure from a lot of the usual, stogey mannerisms people tended to take. It was actually kind of fun.

“I’m not so remarkable, but I am more than willing to teach you what I know.” His words would fall away as she stepped aside to begin weaving hand seals and then slapped the ground to produce a standing mud wall. Observing with interest, he watched her begin to pummel her own wall with a look of wonder to him. “She’s tough. Wouldn’t want to catch her on a bad day.” His mind replaced the image of her fist with the swinging of her sword, and her kicks were well-placed gut shots that would probably stun anyone who wasn’t ready if not knocked them down outright. She was a formidable close-range fighter. His eyes would watch the mud wall topple down on itself with her final kick when she came bouncing back to a normal stance. “You certainly showed that wall who is boss.” He said with a small smile over his lips. “Remind me never to try and bar your way, less I may end up waking some time later with a bruised face- and ego.” A jesting smile offered to her, though he had no doubt that she could make a person regret crossing her path. The notion of staying on her good side seemed more promising than daunting. His eyes would follow the path of the rock that smashed into the tree, giving a small tut of disappointment as the heavy sediment smashed into the bark of the tree, cracking and breaking it as the crater formed. “Poor tree,” he mumbled quietly.

Her next bit of expression would capture his attention once more. The way she moved, wavering from one side to the other in a grace that mimicked that of the water. Once more, her apology earning her a small shake of his head. “Your expressions are nice- they are easy to understand. Which is good for me. In fact, your movements have given me an idea.” He said, motioning to the direction he had come with his head. “Come, I’ll show you something else you might like. Something to help you find that “ebb n’ flow”, so to speak.” Giving her a moment to gather her things, he would lead the both of them to one of the small pools of water that was fed into by the micro streams that ran across the water gardens like veins in the body. Coming to stand near the edge of the water, Yuuma would push his sleeves up for a moment before placing his hands over the stilled surface. “Your movements, they reminded me of the first time I channeled water chakra.” He hummed, closing his eyes and beginning to focus.

Moments later, a small sprout of water would begin to lift from the pool, branching out like a plant that slowly spun in place. His hands moved as though he were molding a bowl, shaping it, and as he did so, the water would move with him. First, it morphed into something that looked like a plant with branches and leaves, then slowly it would fold outwards and back in on itself into an amorphous ball that slowly spun. “The water is a little different than the earth. It does not require such a firm hand- on the contrary. Once you have put your chakra into the water, you are able to move it with just the gentlest of motions.” Opening his eyes once more, he would nod to her and motion her to move closer. “Come, give it a try.”

Presuming she did, Yuuma would not stop his motions of churning the water. It was a somewhat clumsy manipulation, as though he had a ball of warm putty in his hands that he was playing with. “First, place your hands over the water. Then, find your center- where your chakra rests. In your very core. Much like when you call the earth, seek out the energy of the body of water beneath your palms, and press into it with your energy. As if you were pushing your hand into snow. Or a soft bed. It won’t take much to make the connection, and you’ll feel it around your hand like a sticky, cold goo.” It was at this point of the explanation he would pause and allow her to begin to follow along, his eyes returning to his own works. After some time, he would continue. “Once you have connected with it, simply pull at it with the tips of your fingers. Gently, as though you were holding something soft and breakable. Then…” With a small twist of his fingers, his hands would tilt in opposing directions and the water between them would spin, creating a small, slow whirlpool.

WC - 1,025
TWC - 3,807

Imane began to stretch her body a little bit before addressing him after her display, the tree with the crater visible to her and she put her open palms together as if in prayer. A close of her eyes with her back bending for the tree toward the tree as if giving solace. “Sorry to put a dent in you, nature of Hoshigakure.” 

 

Imane and Yuuma appeared to have a fruitful conversation. “Thanks,” she relieved herself on her words that spoke with indiscretion. “I’m glad to share as much as I know about the Senju clan sometime. I don’t really have all the history as I do my own family. Since the Senju scattered from its home village, Konohagakure, records of our existence haven’t been consistent since, so who knows who else is out there.” She said with a sigh, showing her wear in past studies on the topic. “But you shouldn’t sell yourself short. You can grab stuff from ANOTHER DIMENSION.” She emphasized, sort of teasing him with the intention of boasting about his skill. “If I could do that, I wouldn’t have to carry my father’s sword.” She giggled. “I love it and all but it gets heavy for a girl after some time.” 

 

After she calmed and gathered her things as he wanted, she followed him until he revealed to her a spot she didn’t know existed yet. “Woah, I haven’t been here yet.” She said in awe as her eyes took in the landscape. The pools were close enough to each other with just enough separation to walk between them and some streams came from various nooks and angles, feeding the pools that varied in size. After her moment, her attention fixated back to Yuuma to observe him. She watched the man take a serene look. Her eyes watched in enjoyment as a small amount raised up and was suspended in air with his control. A hand met her chin in remark, sure to take intimate notes on in her own head. Quickly, her eyes widen and her lips part slightly as the water shaped in response to the bowl-like hand spinning, the slow spin of the water allowing her eyes to follow what was happening. She had a keen sense of how chakra flow worked, having a high affinity for it. This affinity is what allowed her to strike so hard and precise with earth, or her sword, as she contained that chakra flow to reinforce some devastating blows through calm nature, rather than through brute strength, as she wasn’t the most physically strong fighter, preferring the route of grace. 

 

“Wow!” She said out loud in fun as the art created sunk itself into a ball that remained suspended in air. Then, she was really in for a surprise. Yuuma’s effort to create a whirlpool with his craft astonished her and she quickly sprung into form, ready to take on the task. “Hell yeah, I’ll try it!” She felt giddy after learning the foundation of the water element. Her mind took in the words of Yuuma on water and she nodded to him. She took a moment to breathe as her body stood tall with her feet stuck together, side-to-side. A praying hand would be made at her chest before the palms slowly separated as the hands flowed downward into her core. Afterward, Imane continued moving her hands around slowly in a ‘gathering’ motion, as if her hands were spinning up the chakra in her in one stable direction. Her breathes became deeper with each take, some harsh on exhale as feeling it in such a manner was different from earth. She can be seen to wince a moment she hastily tried to pull on that chakra, flowing it through her arm and into her hand. She moved forward with one foot and sprung the hand upward from the core against the light of one of the pools. “Hah!” She ended up erupting a pillar of earth from within the pool. It was soft rather than a hard point of the end, showing her attempt was not bad for a first try. She released the firm feeling of earth but couldn’t retain the smooth nature. 

 

“Ahh, that’s wasn’t it...” Her tone was let down, but quickly recovering. Her stance fell before she stood up straight normally and exhaled one big breath. “Okay, one more time Mr. Yuuma!” She formally addressed him as he taught. She stood there in pause, not showing any indication of her next move. Closing her eyes for this, her arms rested limp at her sides. Her eagerness and drive appeared to fade quickly, leaving anyone watching to question what she was doing. Her eyes opened after a moment of her composing and they can be seen as indifferent to emotion, a chilling stillness lurked deep if looked into. With one soft exhale, she held a gentle open palm for her right-hand while it was used to rotate the chakra within her like before. Compared to her last try, the rotation was rough and not understood in the moment. This time around, the rotation was very slow, as if the chakra slushed smoothly in her core. With a soft tug, the chakra felt inside her would flow from her stomach, around her chest and surged into her hand through her arm. Her eyes lit in determination. “I feel it.” Her words not matching her eyes as they were void of expression. Like his teachings came across, the chakra felt as if it covered her hand in a film before this energy joined at her fingertips. With one good pull from the water, her body used both hands to scoop against the vision of the lake, causing large bubble of water came from the lake. It wasn’t perfectly in shape as it wasn’t refined for a first-time user, but the sheer volume grabbed showed that she can manipulate it to her will. The bubble was pulled toward her with a pulling motion of the hands retreating to the core of her abdomen. This made the water bubble shift slightly in form as it elongated to match Imane taking moving it toward her. Picture the bubble ‘stretching’ to keep it’s whole form. Then, with a swift movement her left-hand broke form and took the direction of the water to the left, away from Yuuma and herself. She succeeded in redirecting this water but couldn’t hold it. As it was thrusted away, it exploded in the air, all the water bursting into the green of the ground. 

 

Emotion returned to her face completely and her smile came slow. The achievement crept up on her as she watched the ground she soaked in the water, her mind playing back what she had accomplished. “Yes! That was awesome!” She celebrated and turned to the young teacher. “Did you see that? It was like ‘Swoosh!’ after I grabbed it. The whole thing just stuck together! Wow!” Her personality burned in amazement. “I can totally make this work into something else!” Her words finally ended. Yuuma would see her apparent personality shift as all her care for anything else went out the window in that moment of change, hinting to her ingrained nature for combat and anything learned being useful for it. Perhaps there was more to learn on that trigger, but for now, there wasn’t enough to understand as she only showed a glimpse.  

 

She shook off all the angst she had felt about the practice but in the end, it felt like a second nature to her. “I think for me, water and earth just sort of make sense together, Yuuma.” She expressed to him as she made her way back to him before meeting face to face, assuming he would probably keep his form with the water he had been manipulating from the pool he used as his source. For her, these words rang true. Her eyes looked at both natures being a beautiful display of peace and healing, sometimes strength. But on the flip of the coin, both can be an overbearing wrath with no qualms nor worry, showing a definite judgment in the wake of their own calm. Such power can be released whilst not revealing remorse. It was a cruel twist of fate for anyone meeting natures hand at the mercy of either these two elements. 

WC: 1393
TWC: 3494

With the whirl of the water beneath his hands continuing, Yuuma would hold steady the motion though his attention would turn over to the woman who had sprung up at his side to begin practicing her own portion in turn. His mind emptied of the conversation leading them up to this point in an effort to concentrate on the manipulation of chakra, but that didn’t make the experience any less pleasant. The thought of storing a sword in a dimensional space hadn’t occurred to Yuuma before as it seems like it would be more hassle to weave the hand seals in order to open the portals to retrieve the weapon, which was much more work than snapping it to use off one’s hip. There was something to be said about appearing to be unarmed, however. Both schools of thought had merit but this was not the time to dive deeper into their considerations. Instead, his blue eyes would watch the woman carefully while she centered herself and began to draw in the chakra to start the process of connecting to the water. Yuuma remembered the first time he had done so and the feeling that had taken hold of him as he did. In his mind, Yuuma wondered if she was experiencing it the exact same way he had. Was everyone’s interpretation of the natural chakra affinity different? Did her clan have a special connection to the water as well?

It wasn’t until the sprout of muddied earth erupted from the center of the small pool that Yuuma’s thought stopped diverging into the different paths of curious theory and he blinked a few times before lifting a hand to cover his mouth. He hadn’t been outright laughing, but he felt the mirth with which he smiled might have been loud enough if it was to be seen in full shine. Her tacking of the honorific “Mr.” onto the front of his name caught a small amount of embarrassment from the man, but he made no move to correct her. The title of respect was kind of nice though perhaps felt a bit odd coming from someone that might have been younger than him though was certainly his equal as far as the village shinobi hierarchy was concerned- new as she might have been. “So long as you do not allow yourself to become frustrated, that is the key. Water seems to be something of a fickle element, capable of slipping through your grasp if you aren’t careful, but one that will also wash you away if you’re not firm enough.” With one hand having left the formation, the whirl he had created slowed until it dissipated altogether. With her return to focus, Yuuma would fall silent once again to observe her working and allow her to concentrate on the flow of her chakra without the needless background noise of his voice.


Her words of feeling the sensation of the natural energy drew his attention close as he watched, waiting for an obvious effect without any means of seeing the chakra flow through one’s body- a notion that Yuuma would think to revisit later so that he could remedy. A thought he couldn’t dive too deep into as Iname pulled a rather sizable bubble of water from the body, crude in shape like his had been though with a volume that he couldn’t have attempted on his very first go. “Her chakra control is incredible,” he thought to himself, wondering what her first manipulation of earth chakra must have been like. Was this the power of the Senju clan? A swelling of pride would fill his chest as the woman morphed the ball of water and shunted it away from him, feeding the surrounding plant life with a pleasant drizzle supplied by the swollen ball of chakra-manipulated water. His eyes turned up for a moment to Archimedes. “Is this what it feels like to teach someone?” The curious tone full of energy not unlike that Iname had been shown to be full of this entire time.

An amused coo left the owl- something Yuuma had come to learn was as close to a laugh as the grumpy owl usually got. “Feels good, doesn’t it?” And it was true. With his eyes returning to Iname, Yuuma displayed that smile in full this time to show off a dual pair row of white teeth. Her excitement had returned after the intense focus, and Yuuma shared in the excitement this time even if he didn’t quite show it on the outside.

“That was most impressive. With a little practice, you’ll soon be outpacing me with ease.” His eyes followed her as she returned to him, nodding in appreciation for her attention. “You might be a new Genin but I must say, I’m almost a little glad I wouldn’t be facing you in the exam. If you had enough time to practice, I fear you’d be more than a challenge for me.” A bow of his head in acknowledgment followed along with her assessment of the elements and her role within them. “Earth and water, the elements of life,” Yuuma offered, his hands coming back to rest at his waist as he proposed the idea. “From earth, life grows, and with water, it is made strong and sustains itself not unlike the garden that surrounds us.” One hand broke formation to motion with an upward palm to the fauna all around them. “The other elements, of course, have their role to play as well but I also find myself quite drawn to the aspects that earth and water bring. One symbolizing effort, and the other symbolizing adaptability and consistency. The two of them work together in a sort of harmony that I find to be both lovely and fascinating.” He’d nod, his gaze growing just a bit distant for a moment as he contemplated something before the focus soon returned to her.

“I do apologize for having stolen you away from your training for this little exercise, though I imagine you may have found something new to interest you in your studies?” The proposition was something between an apology and a question, though in truth Yuuma didn’t seem all that bothered to have stumbled upon the strange sword-wielding woman who had been kind to him thus far. “That is about all the unique tricks I know, but I’d be willing to stick around for a little bit and help you practice anything new I’ve shown you for a little while if you’d like. I hadn’t actually come to the gardens with any intentions of my own in mind- I had originally come to clear my mind and center myself but I have to say it’s been really nice meeting someone who’s just as excited to learn new things as I am.” The smile he offered her then was something a little warmer than what had been before- something comforting and welcoming. “Granted, I don’t know anything about using a sword, nor using it with chakra, but my clones and I could offer some practice partners for any techniques you might want to try.” Archimedes had the right of it, after all. Teaching someone something DID feel good. Particularly so when the student seemed to eager to progress and display what they had learned. It was a feeling he was willing to chase.

WC - 1,225
TWC - 5,032

Pride filled Imane’s soul with a glisten of bliss shining brightly from deep within her eyes. She hadn’t been taught any techniques, mostly just figuring things out in her own creativity after she mastered the fundamentals passed down through her father's teachings. “I don’t know if I’d be better than you so quick like that. You haven’t shown me everything you can do.” Her response teased. “But you can make several of you I might add! I didn’t even think to try that.” Her smile was still present as she recounted his ability. Imane dug deep into memory to recall the seals used in the move. She remembered tiger, horse, and another seal she didn’t quite recognize, but the image was clear. She put the thought aside for now. Her expression turned to surprise in his opening up, boasting she would have such raw potential. “You’re too kind. I do work hard, even when some things are easier than others. I’m glad someone else sees I'm not yet done growing. But credit to you is due as well. Your teaching was pretty straightforward to me. I didn’t have any troubles following along.” 

 

Imane settled down and joined him in posture. Her left hand sat at the hip amidst the social interaction and her opposite knee making a good support, her body shifted over slightly. Her right hand rose, holding an open palm to the air. With little thought, the sweat on her hand was combined together to make one bead of sweat, floating it up and onto her finger tips before holding it in place while maintaining the liquid state, suspended just over her nail. Here and there it would shake as a shift came in her focus, threatening to burst. This stunt was her way of listening to him but subconsciously exploring the belief of water being life. Her water droplet mirrored this by how it took the input of a few to create a new, bigger version. All cycles in life are the same with each outlook have a birth, or rebirth, cycle. In her mind, this was no different. Her wild hair blew in the wind against her lean, showing the vulnerability of her neck against the green background. A shot in time can almost be captured as if this were her portrait.  

 

“You sure do have a wise way with words when paying your respects to nature. You look kind of my age; you must’ve been through a lot.” She blatantly stated casually, definitely before thinking. Her lips ran faster than her mind can process but her loose nature allowed her to remain as if she didn’t say something impolite, but her face could be read to reveal she knew it wasn’t the best set of words. The water over her finger burst and her hand swept back the long forest of black she had for hair before letting it fall to the side of her. She let out a bit of an awkward laugh with a humble grin before alluding to his perceived interruption. “I actually enjoyed having someone there to show me something new and give me a little more reason to learn more about some arts out there. This is my usual training spot so if you’re ever around you’ll probably find me here. Or vice versa, if you’re the same.” Her arms now came across her chest and sat atop each other in comfort. “You interrupted at the perfect time I’d say. I was about to end my training with nothing felt to be gained and you changed that. For that, I’m grateful.” She expressed with one bow of acknowledgement. 

 

“I think I have taken up enough of your time anyway.” She said as the light in the garden subtly dimmed in visibility as the day time had been moving by and into the early evening. A quick glance up and around with a swivel of her head, “Oh.” She realized how the day had flown by. She doesn’t even know how long she’s been up there. “In return for your help showing me your techniques today, I want to offer you something.” She said before turning away from Yuuma and walking over to her rucksack that still laid against the base of her selected tree. She first grabbed the sheath holding her sword and tied the sash that had been attached around her waist to secure the blade in place. Afterward, Imane hoisted the rucksack and swung it over her arm, going through one strap before holding it, her offhand opening it up and revealing all her daily items. In it, was some metal objects at the bottom of the sack. There wasn’t too much inside so it was easy to see that much. She pulled out a round, thick coin with a hollow cut diamond shape in the middle of the coin. She closed the rucksack and fixed it onto her should before returning back to Yuuma’s spot and revealed her token of appreciation. “This is one my family’s ‘bonding leaves’ so to speak.” The coin is nearly entirely copper, the cut out being outlined in a stainless steel, the edges of the metal coin showing off a stylish brush finish. “It holds weight with me.” She finishes before placing it into one of his hands brashly. This is also a way for her to make up for what she saw as misplaced words.  

 

“I’ll remember your offer for future training sessions, maybe your clones can help me then. Perhaps, I’ll even show you how to use a sword. If you can make a pillar, you can be a pillar!” She exclaimed with no clear purpose for the line. A sort of odd humor marked off of her with the weird comparison of Earth pillar jutsu being like holding a sword. “Ehh, maybe forget I said that, okay?” A hopeless and quick giggle left her lips. “Anyway, this is where I make my departure. I’ll see you around.” She spoke before taking her leave from him with a last bow of appreciation. “It was nice to see you too Mr. Owl, Archimedes!” She addressed the beast with a smile before she would nod off the duo, leaving their immediate area. As the evening drew closer for her, she wanted to make it back home before it was too late, needing to wake up early to ready herself for the day and get in some light training. Her drive to improve never faltered.  

 

Today was a testament to her growth as her strut kept a high head, not allowing any of the looks from any villagers get to her head. When she had gotten back home, she opened up the front and kicked her shoes off at the entrance before coming in. She still had a little energy within her so she took to the living room/kitchen area, where she’d begun to recreate the shadow clone jutsu she saw with Yuuma. She decided first to go about it with an all our approach. Weaving the signs together to make Ox, Tiger, and the unfamiliar seal, she felt a surging channel of chakra bubbling within her, a puff of smoke showing beside her with a lifeless clone on the floor. She sighed and dispelled it and tried again, this time on taking a little more time to weave. Feeling the same channeling of chakra, she held it until it bursts, releasing just one clone into the room. It had been larger and shorter than her. “Okay, I don’t even know if that’s supposed to happen.” She said to herself before holding the final seal to dispel this one. “Third time is the charm, no?” She boosted herself with reassurance as she weaved the signs in succession, creating the same clone she just did. Frustration ticked in her forehead but she took a look at her mirrored self. It just stared back. “Egh, creepy.” She laughed and dispelled this one too. “At least I’m close.” She gave one release of air before trying again. “Ox, Tiger, Clone.” She says aloud as the seals formed with her hands. With a louder puff of smoke this time, she created a perfect replica of her with the Shadow Clone Jutsu. Her smile brightened her, the clone mirroring her actions by her own will. Together, Imane and her clone jumped up in excitement before relishing in the accomplishment. She waved to her clone. “Hi, me.” 

 

“Hello!” The clone responded to her.  

 

“Oh, this is cool on so many levels, you don’t even know!” Imane reacted. 

 

“Oh, I know them. I’m you, of course. Check this out.” The clone said before pinching itself with a tight squeeze of two fingers, making a big enough impact to leave a mark to be felt. 

 

Imane already understood the current theory to be witnessed. “Right!” She dispelled the jutsu and felt the experience of that clone, feeling the burn of the pinch left over. No mark or damage showed, only the feeling of her clone remained. “That is awesome. But terrifying. I can’t wait to use this later on.” She said before retiring for the night. 

[EXIT]
WC: 1525
TWC: 5019


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