Simple Swords [Training]

The clash of steel on steel rings out in the room.

"Again" Mitsu thinks to himself.

MItsu's katana glows blue, a cloak of chakra rippling across it that steadily becomes harsher. Longer. The cloak growing past it's original length one meter, two meters, three meters long. But as soon as he tries to bring it down onto a testing dummy the blade has already faded back to its normal metal. The clash of steel on steel rings out again. His muscles and his chakra system burned.

He sighs, letting his blade fall limp at his side. He had been trying to use the technique for so long now and it still was not coming to him, maybe he needed a break. So the young hyuuga slumps against a wall, taking out some food to munch on while he waited for his body to calm and to refocus himself.

[150]

Today was an odd day. Despite the small issue with the new elevator's bell system going off before the door opened, causing him to step face first into the doorway three times, having slipped in a puddle outside of the house, and the inevitable kareening face first into a prickly bush owned by the neighbors, Pinochio was feeling pretty good about today. Theres just some days that nothing can get ya down yanno? He'd decided to try out a cool new outfit; something that wasn't quite so expensive. Instead of a well tailored suit, he'd called ahead to the tailors and picked up some real working man clothes. After pulling the last sharp leaf from his face he adjusted the top of a beautiful pair of black cowboy boots inlaid with gold stitching. The wide brimmed hat on his head protected his skin from the sun. To finish the look, he wore a black button down shirt tucked into a pair of wrangler jeans. Yes. he was feeling pretty good.

He took off for the training area. The chains of his Kasurai gama jingled as he rushed off down the widing streets of the village hidden in the mist. It took him a few tries to get into the building. The first time he'd followed just a little too far behind another ninja entering the building. The automatic doors shut just as he reached them, somehow causing him to faceplant into a wall of metal and glass. He stepped back, and found his timing off several times before finally moving out of the sensors range and walking forward again. This time he tripped the sensor going foward instead of back, and gained entry. Yes. Even this would not put a damper on his day! His plan was to work on some Tai, maybe try out some weaponry, and hopefully finally learn how to open these stupid gates. That's when he saw the small ninja he'd done missions with before.

THe boy seemed to be working on a technique that used chakra infusion? The weapon's blade shifted and glowed with the technique, but he couldn't quite hold it until the strike was complete. Well that should be an easy fix.

"Hey mitsu! So like. Looks like the technique you're using requires precise chakra control, but you still gotta give it some juice pardner! Pour that energy in instead of limiting the flow. IN trying to focus on control, it looks like you're holding too much back is what i mean" He flipped the latch that held his kama in place. The long length of chain flowed downward to pool on the ground below with a palm sized metal ball.

"What even is this jutsu you're working on by the way? Looks kind of cool! I've been meaning to get some weaponry study in over the past few weeks. Struggling with a tai maneuver though. Plus I had to stop and blow off some steam with a friend. Check it out!"

He rolled up his sleves, revealing pale white skin that was tatooed with what looked to be a realistic wood grain, still a bit puffy from freshness.

(TWc 526)

As he munched he saw the small ninja from the trash day. Seems he chose at least a... moderately smarter clothing option this time around. He still didn't think it was fitting and it looked like it came from some far off foreign continent but what he or other shinobi wore wasn't his business. "Trying to work through the Samurai Sabre Technique." He picks up his katana from his side as he continues to munch on an onigiri ball. He cringes, bleh, sour.

A chakra cloak flows around the sword once more. Extending its reach by a meter before shifting oddly. The end of the chakra cloak curves inwards like a scythe, before straightening again and developing seven branching swords off its sides. The weapon continues to shift its form as mitsu speaks, from the branched sword to a whip to an axe to a sai and more. The form of it shifting and changing with every moment.

"Its a simple technique but keeping it going through a strike has been difficult. Allows you to extend the reach and change the shape and such of the weapon. Figure'd Id pick it up to supplement the ranged difficulties with melee weaponry but its been a struggle."

"As for Taijutsu... Honestly Not much I can do to help you there" He says it a little embarrassed rubbing at his neck "All of my taijutsu experience is related to the Gentle Fist, relies more on speed and my eyes than any real strength"

[410]

"Huh. Samurai sabre technique." In a moment Pinochio was transported off to a distant land. For a moment he could see himself in heavy lamalar armor, A giant helmet blocking his view as he stood against the forces of evil with nothing but force of will, a sword, and chakra infusion. Samura Piochio used a bladed polearm that was fifteen meters long--no. A pole axe. No. a war hammer so tall it stretched across the horizon!!!! The mental dance through alternate reality pinochio was quickly brought to an end at the realization that he would look rediculous in that armor. Literally at his height it would be like a grey ball walking through combat with a weapon so large it drug against the ground as he tried to strike. He could definitely use it to pole vault though.

"Pole vaulting weapon..." His head shook as he brought himself back to the present. There was time to consider new weapons later. "Uh. Sorry. Is there anything you need to know in order to do this technique? Honestly I feel like it would be a great thing for me to learn too. I was just going to work on unlocking the eight heavenly gates by punching trees really really hard. " He knew that wasn't how it worked, but he was also incredibly hard headed. WIth enough time and energy, he was certain his method would work, even if it was because he'd gotten so angry that not focusing on how to perform the technique properly that he'd used it on accident.

"Hm. I can be pretty fast.... Don't have fancy eyes though. Gentle fists doesn't sound very fun either way. I'm more of an extremly rough fists type. OH OH OH I should create my own cool Pinochio pinochio exclusive fighting style and call it rough fists. It would still focus on an aptitude in speed over brute force, but maybe I could like. Glue sand to my fists before hand and really scrape the skin off. It'd be like skinning your knee with every strike!" The idea of a fighting style was not new. He'd been meaning to learn specified techniques involving fighting with both weaponry and his fists for some time, but again it seemed he might have missed the mark. With his excitement at the idea of learning something new he'd lost focus in everything he'd tried to hammer into Tria and his mind wandered on what seemed the coolest. As his mind shifted between options for a new ability he could use, one small thought creeped in until it couldn't be ignored.

"Wait. You're a physical fighter..... OH!!!! So listen. If you ever need like. Repairs or anything hit me up. I'm not one to brag but I've opened a blacksmiths shop recently and I've gotten some pretty cool customers. I got to repair Keita Uzumaki's armor the other day so you know i'm good! Plus im working on this dope augmented armor that is based on the mistwalker armor i bought at the ninja shop a while back. Would look really cool with spikey blonde hair and an impossibly large sword. "

(TWC 1050)

Seeing the other shinobi deep in thought Mitsu could tell he was entranced by the idea of Samurai. Admittedly he had a fondness for it too. The warriors in the land of iron. But they were shinobi, so they were kept to their nations more delicate matters. Though when he talks of pole vaulting weapons Mitsu stifles a chuckle.

" Unlocking the Eight Gates through sheer willpower huh? My father had talked about them before. He was on the route to opening more of them before he had retired. Though I can tell you're going a much harder path through it." Veins appear around his eyes for a moment, as he decides to look at the other shinobi's chakra system. Curious to see how many, if any, gates he'd opened at this point. Even if he didn't plan on going for tai jutsu like his family usually did it would pay off to learn about the body of a tai jutsu user. And how effective it'd be to fight against them.

"As for rough fist... well you already use that if you use Taijutsu. Gentle fist is my family's style. Works around the chakra system of our opponent. Sending more or less than their nodes can handle and disrupting it. Simple but effective" He does a small little demonstration, bringing two fingers together, a small glimmer around his fingers. Though his mind is a bit stuck on his other comment. The image of using sand to hurt yourself in a fighting style sounded insane to him but hey, odder things have been used.

"Oh do you now? Might head over sometime. I've had a fair amount of ryo burning a hole in my pocket so having someone else augment my weapons would save me time instead of doing it on my own." He always could do the smithing himself but another would save him time to train more and do more of his own smithing.

"How much experience do you have with fighting anyways? Recently discovered-" The memory of travin flashes in his mind for a moment.  "-That I need to be shoring up my own weaknesses since all my training has been alone and against static targets."

[791]

"Yea, it's kind of intense... Though honestly it's the first technique i've tried to learn. I figured i'd go big or go home since i spent so much time doing taijutsu with absolutely no training as a puppet. I've heard tales of the legendary eight heavenly gates technique and I knew thats what I wanted to do. The shinobi who use it are so... I dunno cool? I wanna be powerful like that. Really prove to the mizukage that I can be an asset to the village. " Mentally he went through the checklist for the eight gates technique. There was so much he needed to remember and undestand that it actually gave him time to look back on his teaching methods with saya and wonder if he'd been pushing too hard. He quickly decided he hadn't. She would never have gotten anything done without him.

"Yea but like. Do extra damage to the enemy with sandy fists yanno?" He was so caught up in his sandy fist idea that he almost missed the important information about her clan. His head cocked to the side as she began to talk about how her gentle fist worked. It didn't sound very gentle at all. Maybe it was called that because the energy used defeated opponents without actually having to hit them? Still didn't sound very fun. "Huh. That sounds kind of scary actually. I mean. I don't really use chakra for anything.... Does it only effect chakra users? "

"Yes! It was alot of work because I learned halfway into opperation put an entire forge in my bedroom so that I can make my own equipment that forges are incredibly large and super heavy so I had to hire a crew to move the thing. It worked out though. I managed to run pipes out of the ceiling that lead to fresh air so that the smoke from the fires don't suffocate me, and I'd like to think i've made some great stuff. I plan on getting some specialty metal and jade to upgrade my armor. You can't see it right now cuz I wanted to dress up a bit so it's in my bag until I need it" In emphasis, he turned, pointing out the messenger bag at his side that seemed to be brimming from the combination of random items, tools in case he needed to fix something, and a bunch of bulky armor.

"So listen. The only real fighting i've done so far has been as a puppet. I defeated a genin Saya met with taijutsu mixed with the abilities granted by being controled with chakra threads and I helped to defeat This higher ranked guy named travin back when Saya and i were just kind of starting out. I've also beaten up alot of bad guys, but unfortunately all that skill is work nothing to me now. All the muscle memory I'd built up as a puppet I lost when i became real so now I have to train these muscles to understand the ins and outs of combat. "

(TWc 1560)

"I can understand that. Seeing their techniques and the power held in it. Don't worry. Personally I'm looking to something else. Looking further into weaponry and kenjutsu I had actually learned of something called Thunder Breathing. The description of it sounded intense and incredible but I feel as though I'm a good ways off from actually learning it myself" The lightning ripping through the air, the power and speed held in the techniques. It made his eyes light up just imagining it. But they were far off. Here was the now. So he had to study what he could of the basics.

"Well every living being has chakra. Shinobi are just the ones that use it and train it. Taijutsu users use it to enhance their bodies. Ninjutsu users use it and transform it to create all their feats. Genjutsu users use chakra to alter the mind. Even the eight gates! The eight gates are eight specific nodes in your body which regulate the chakra. Unlocking them is opening the nodes to allow further chakra flow through the body. More than its meant to be using." Mitsu was pretty happy to go on about his knowledge of chakra. It was necessary in using gentle fist and especially in the field he wanted to go into, gentle blade.

Honestly he was a bit confused as to why Pinnochio would go through all that effort with the forge? He assumed itd just be easier to make  it outside to not worry about fumes or suffocation.

"Well the only fighting I have done is against travin where I lost to his genjutsu or sparring against my family. Figure we could both use it"

[1090]

"Thunder breathing huh? That sounds more like ninjutsu than Kenjutsu.." it was an odd name for a technique that used weaponry. he could infer that the technique probably involved lightning style, but beyond that was a mystery. Maybe the user put senbon in their mouth and fired them with a burst of electricity? No that wouldn't work. Senbon are extremely sharp and one wrong move could have the user impale themselves on them. Imagine tripping because you forgot to tie your shoes! It happens way more often than one would think, especially if the aflicted was a shoeless puppet for most of their life. People could die.

"Yes, I know quite a bit about chakra, Im just curious about how affecting a users chakra nodes would disrupt someone like myself who doesn't really train their chakra. Can you use these techniques to make someone punch less hard? If so, would there be a point when someone is strong enough to push through the technique and still punch the user? I can punch REAL hard so im interested if the strength of my punch could be enough to get past such an ability." He did not in fact punch real hard, but relative to the people he'd been around before, that seemed a factual enough statement. Compared to his student's strength he was a professional weight lifter. That brought an interesting question. What if he punched so hard he could just break through Saya's Ninjutsu. That would show her.

"Yea genjutsu is pretty tough. I didn't have to worry about that at the time cuz puppets don't have chakra networks. I think Saya used a wall of wood to break line of sight when he tried to use it on her. You should have seen it. THe fight was epic. I rushed forward to punch him real good, but he shot snakes out at me. He didn't know puppets are on strings though so i lept through the first set, and when they struck again she pulled me to safety like a rag doll and I kept up the pressure until I was in place to transfer chakra threads from myself to Travin. With that done She took control of his body and wham bam. He was kneeling on the floor accepting defeat! Gosh. That had to be like.... a week or so after she got out of the Academy. She hadn't even decided if she was going to wear her headband yet. " He was so focused on retelling the account of their epic battle that the suggestion the boy, who was obviously a manly totally masculine boy and could never be mistaken for a girl because that would literally be silly, had that seemed to hint towards them testing their ability against one another completely flew over his head. Thankfully it wasn't clear if the boy, who i will reiterate for no apparent reason(and totally not because I misgendered him cuz i was typing too fast), was suggesting that they actually fight, or asking to swap combat stories so they could analyze their styles against one another.

(TWc 2077)

"Well there are three hundred and sixty one tenketsu in your body. Eight of these are the gates. But the rest of them go all throughout your body to power your cells, your muscles, your ability to mold chakra, etcetera. Almost like blood vessels. If you give me your hand I could demonstrate a technique I've been working on. Don't worry would only sting for a second."

If pinnochio actually did give him his hand then Mitsu would demonstrate a technique he had in progress. Gentle Fist: Overload. His fingers would spark for a small moment before pricking Pinnochio's shoulder with two fingers. Within seconds the limb would begin to feel numb before Pinnochio would realize the arm has been completely paralyzed. It would fade after a few more seconds.

"That was gentle fist overload. I targeted a tenketsu in your arm, and sent my lightning chakra through it and into the chakra pathway system of your body. Caused your muscles and nerves to lock up and not respond. The full technique is sent throughout the entirety of the enemy's body paralyzing all of their limbs for a much longer period of time" As he went about explaining it he seemed pretty happy with himself for not messing it up this time.

Though pinnochio's talk on sayas fight with travin was honestly very interesting sounding. He should check the training facility recordings some time later and see if it had their fight he could study. Maybe pick something up to beat travin when the time came to it later. "Honestly struggled to fight him even with a chunin on my side. But then again I could guess he was weaker than he is now?"

[1387]

"Holy crap. thats one for every day in a year. Yanno. I probably should have studied a bit more into the chakra system than the base level. Either there were holes in the lessons taught by our instructor when Tria was young or this was too advanced for a seven year old. We learned of the seven chakra points... Or maybe it was Ki? Either way we learned of the seven main points, as well as secondary points. Our teacher said that each of the basic elements finds a home in a different one of these slots. We were also able to extrapolate that Specialty natures, or advanced elements, use secondary chakra points. Those points varry from person to person, and can be shifted about the body with intense meditation. " He didn't even think about the implication of what he was asked to do. As he spoke on his own understanding of chakra manipulation, which he knew aligned with the old norse tradition taught by the Otterbrook clan, He offered his arm to the boy, who I feel the need to point out once more is a very manly masculine boy. No reason, just feel like its important.

His arm fell lax at his side as the effects of Mitsu's overload techique activated. He was not a fan of that. At first, he assumed it was broken, causing him to quite literally freak out. He put all is force behind lifting the limp apendage. The end effect was simply him swinging it around in windmills like a very ineffective club, not actually hitting anything. There was however a light popping sound as something slid from it's joint. Unfortunate. It was after this grave mistake that what his friend had said actually set in.

"Wh. Well. yanno. I can't say I'm surprised that this has gone worse than it was meant to. That seems to be a theme in my life lately, but crap. Hold on. I think I need to.." Slowly he felt the feeling return to his arm. Taking a few steps to his left he leaned against a conveniently placed wall, and then seemed to try with all his might to put himself through it. There was a loud popping sound as the shoulder slid back into its socket, followed by a great sigh of both pain and relief.

"I would assume. This was months ago. If he were at the same strength I would be sincerely worried. It is also helpful to note that behind the veil of rediculousness lies a savant. She was classified as a genius pretty early, and was given an incredible private tutor in her youth. She retained little of the information because that's kind of who she is, but my personal partition in her mind, pre being alive, held the information until she was at an age where she could actually be made to sit down and listen long enough to make use of it. That's how she's been progressing so fast. I'd put her power rank on par with Village jounin at least if I had to guess. "

(TWc 2594)