Teaching A New Dog Old Tricks [Training / Private]

As quickly as Kaito emerged from his "Earth-Style: Wall" and began to engage Arantima with his enhanced "Rending Drill Fang", he could feel his heart flutter and the earth around him pulse. Having been so enticed by the possibility of being able to land a hit on Arantima's face, something he had been unable to do during their last spar a few weeks prior, was the young Inuzuka's fist mistake and the prologue to his immediate downfall in this instance.

Firstly, upon making eye contact with Arantima, Kaito could see the killing intent in his eyes.

No... This wasn't just killing intent...

This was something much more potent... More powerful and menacing...

'Crap!' He thought to himself, trying his best to shield his eyes and not have a repeat of the feeling he first had when meeting the glare of Arantima's killing intent from their first encounter. The eye contact would be the least of his worries, however, as he quickly began to realize that his speed had dropped exponentially to just over half of what his [110] speed had been during his utilization of the "Taijutsu Amplifier" enhanced "Rending Drill Fang". The drop in speed and loss of focus was more than enough to make him fall rather easily to the ground from no more than two meters above the sandy earth below. The strength of his attack also had been reduced down to almost nothing, barely enough to be of any notice should it have connected.

"Gah!" He exclaimed with a thud, the wind being knocked from his lungs. Hurrying to get back to his feet proved futile as, by the time Kaito was able to hold himself back upon his left knee, Arantima already had one of his clawed fingers pressed against the cloth of the forehead protector against Kaito's forehead. The blade was positioned just above his temple. Should this have been a real battle, life-or-death, Kaito would have already been dead.

Kaito opted to not say a word as he looked onward at the older shinobi, who went on to explain that what Kaito had witnessed with the technique known as the "Furious Design". This was the technique that Kaito had cringed at before their spar, but now it was something that the young boy would take much more seriously going forward.

'I'm a Shinobi...' He said internally to himself as the thought of having to kill someone for this power started filling his head. 'Sooner or later I am going to have to overcome my fear of death...'

He shuddered at the very thought of death, even if it was not his own, but he listened and watched intently as Arantima told him that he really would not have had a chance against him yet at all. The gap between the two of them, despite them both being Genin, was still too much. Kaito felt a fire start within his gut. Even if he did not mean to, he couldn't help but feel somewhat humiliated. Everyone would after having just lost a fight, he was sure of that, but even more than that he felt powerless.

Despite all of the training and missions he had completed over the past few weeks, Kaito had hardly anything to show for it all other than fuller pockets and a handful of flashy Jutsu.

"Damn!" Kaito exclaimed once Arantima had finished his explanations. He slammed his fist upon the ground, lifting up small tufts of dust into the dry air. He wasn't upset with Arantima in any way whatsoever, and he hoped that despite his angry state he could convey that he was only upset with himself. He looked at the white-haired boy eye-to-eye, trying his best not to lose his senses or his breakfast as he still felt the effects of the "Furious Design" that had been utilized against him. "I really do appreciate the spar, Tima..." He started. "But I need to bridge this gap as quickly as possible, especially if I want to become the Kazekage..." Kaito stood up from his crouched position, slamming a clenched fist upon his other flat palm before lowering and holding his arms out at his sides. Unintentionally the Chakra within his system began to boil and mold, seeping from his pores and enhancing the color of his black slitted eyes and brown hair to both be crimson red. An aura of the same crimson color also erupted around him, enough so that small pebbles started lifting from the ground at his feet.

"I need to get stronger now... I need more power..."

Kaito continued to hold his position, not even realizing the shift in his aura and physical appearance.

"Tima... You say I'm messing around with low-level Jutsu, right? Well, there has to be more than you can show me now that would be somewhat in your class. Anything... I don't care if whatever it is Wind-Style, Taijutsu, Bukijutsu, or anything else... I just need strength..."

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[Word Count (Total) - 5,361]

The two differing tonalities that inhabited Arantima's voice did nothing to cause Kaito any fear or confusion. In fact, Kaito barely noticed the fluctuations in the older Shinobi's voice as his own frustration boiled physically around him; quite literally having changed the color of his hair, eyes, and the aura around him into a crimson-red color. Kaito did understand, however, when Arantima told him to utilize his rage and infuse the burning Chakra further into his physical being.

Kaito did just that, joining Arantima in letting our furious screams of emotional passion, the aura of pure Chakra continuing to erupt around him as he did so. Arantima then proceeded to walk over to Kaito before leveling down to the young Inuzuka's size. He said that he knew of the will within Kaito to get stronger and that he would continue to teach him. Suddenly, the white-haired boy turned sharply on his heel, catching with his arms two of the oversized Fūma Shuriken he had marked the arena with earlier.

'What the heck was that?' Kaito asked himself, suspecting Arantima to have recalled them with his own Jutsu to continue their training. Cocking his head over Arantima's shoulder, however, revealed something much more sinister...

Something, or rather someone, that Kaito never expected to see ever again...

"N... No way..." The Inuzuka sputtered, his heart beginning to beat faster and faster as just sixteen meters before him stood the murderer of his own Ninken three years prior. The man still looked the same as he had all those years ago; silver hair slicked back into a ponytail; a tan, slender face; and the same, piercing black eyes and gut-wrenching smirk. The only difference now was a few scars upon his face, most likely caused by Kaito's father, Haji, when the latter had supposedly killed the man on that fateful day in retaliation for harming Kaito.

The man proceeded to address Arantima, stating that he had been there to collect him for a reward. Whoever wanted Arantima, however, wasn't going through Kaito's head at this time. Having just been frustrated moments prior, he was now sheathing with rage, the aura around him changing into a solid black color to reflect this. This was no normal black, however. This was the type of darkness that one could easily lose themselves in, possibly forever if not brought back in time...

This darkness was something Kaito, normally a pacifist, was now willing to partake in if it meant being able to enact his revenge upon the man who killed his Kawomaru...

He could not let the man live, nor could he allow him to harm another one of his dear friends.

"This bastards' mine..." Kaito said simply, holding his right arm in front of Arantima. Much like the change in tonality within Arantima's voice early, there was a very much noticeable change in the tonality of Kaito's voice currently. One that reflected a willingness to kill. The latter must have accepted this as he motioned for Kaito to go ahead, advising him that he would help out if need be. Kaito continued to step forward at a slow pace as the man continued to stand in place mockingly.

"Stay out of this, Kid." The man said as he grabbed a black mask from the pouch around his waist, placing it upon his face to match the aesthetic of his pure black uniform. "This is between the taller one and me; Bunta Jinpacho. I ain't got business with you."

"Oh, but I do with you..." Kaito proceeded to remove his Sunagakure headband and the happuri attachment underneath it, casting them to the side to lay in the sand. He wanted this Bunta person to remember who he was; the scared little boy that he had been three years before. ""Surely you remember who I am?" Bunta cocked his head, reflecting some confusion as Kaito pointed upon the Inuzuka warpaint upon his face, but suddenly he clicked his tongue off the inside of his cheek.

"No shit! You're that Inuzuka kid whose mutt I killed!" Bunta laughed manically, drawing a sword from its sheath around his waist. "You still haven't learned to stay out of adult affairs, I see." He prepared himself, fixing the sword in his hands until its tip was pointed directly at Kaito's heart. "This will be the last time I tell you, Kid. Get the hell outta here..." Much like their last encounter, Kaito clearly disobeyed. The difference between this time and the previous one, however, was the confidence that burned within Kaito's soul. The Inuzuka rotated his head in order to crack the muscles in his neck and at the same time cracked his knuckles hand-in-hand. He continued to let the ugly dark Chakra swirl around him ominously. "Don't say I didn't warn ya!"

Bunta began running straight forward at his rather mediocre [45] speed, letting out a passionate scream as he tucked the sword into the pit of his arm and torso. Kaito smirked, letting out a light breeze of air from his nose.

"Think again, old man!" At his top [90] speed, easily double the speed of Bunta's, Kaito formed the 'Ram' hand seal. A gust of wind and sand swelled around him, and within less than a second he was gone. Ensuring that nothing would be in his way, he allowed the wind to carry him 30-degrees to his right and forward from there a mere two meters. All of this in the blink of an eye. As quickly as Kaito switched places, Bunta was still only roughly one-and-a-half meters in front of where he had been previously, which was now thanks to Kaito's use of the "Body Flicker Jutsu" brushing shoulders with him.

With his left hand and at his full [90] speed, Kaito reached into the item pocket upon his left hip and removed one of the few kunai inside of it before quickly trading it over to his right hand. Positioning himself directly behind Bunta, Kaito drove the kunai into the back of the man's neck before driving it down the length of his spine. A blood-chilling scream pierced Kaito's ears and echoed throughout the vast desert that was the Sixth Training Grounds. It was music to Kaito's ears, remaining himself of the screams he had himself let out as he watched his best friend die right before his eyes many years before.

"Sorry... My hand must have slipped..."

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[Word Count (Total) - 6,429]

As Kaito continued to drive his kunai down the length of Bunta's spine, he allowed the chilling sounds of the man's pleading screams to fall upon deaf ears. He couldn't help but chuckle as when he finished, Bunta falling and laying on his stomach helplessly upon the ground. Kaito could see as the man tried to move away, his muscles twitching like they wanted nothing more than to move, but the movements falling short. Surely the man was near paralyzed.

This bout of paralysis would matter not, however. Kaito would quickly put the man out of his misery. Removing the kunai from the man's spine, releasing crimson-red blood mixed with what could be assumed to be cerebrospinal fluids violently against the sand around them, Kaito took his foot and with it pushed the man upon his stomach. Tears welled up in the man's eyes and snot sputtered from his nose as a look of pure and utter terror overtook his face.

"Pl-ple... I-I beg of y-you..." Bunta pleaded in a near whisper. "D-don't.. kill me... Plea... Please!" Kaito stood unopposed and unrelenting atop Bunta, his glare piercing and unwavering as the ugly black Chakra still swirled around him. He wanted the man to suffer as he did, fearing for his life, knowing not whether help would arrive or not in the most dire time of need. He wanted Bunta to relish on this feeling and consume him. Looking up, however, Kaito could see Arantima walking up towards him, the remaining Fūma Shuriken sitting upon his back. Tsking, Kaito leaned down over Bunta until his face was within a foot of his own.

"Just be lucky that the guy over there is here. This would've gone on for hours otherwise..." Pulling both of his arms back over his head, Kaito angled the blade of the kunai until it would easily come down upon the trachea in Bunta's throat. "This is for Kawomaru!" At his top [90] speed Kaito forced down his arms. The kunai pierced Bunta's throat easily enough before Kaito quickly removed it again. The scent of blood met Kaito's Inuzuka-enhanced nostrils as light breezes of air escaped from the hole in Bunta's throat.

Standing up slowly, Kaito watched on as the life was sucked away from Bunta's eyes, indicating his departure from this world.

Not thinking, however, this also indicated that Kaito was now labeled, and always would be labeled, as a killer...

In the eyes of some Shinobi, he was truly now one of them.

Revolving his neck in a circular motion, Kaito proceeded to crack his neck as Arantima inched closer and closer, stopping a few meters away to unload his Fūma Shuriken before kneeling down over Bunta's head. The older Shinobi picked up the lifeless body and tossed it out of the way. It landed face down in the dirt, revealing again to the world it's exposed and shredded spine. He went on to talk about weakness, complacency, and strength as Kaito waltzed over to pick up and put back on his Sunagakure headband and the happuri attachment underneath it. Looking back over at Arantima as the boy spoke, however, revealed that he was now in a fighting stance.

He told Kaito to dwell upon his murderous intent. To focus and let it overcome him.

He wanted Kaito to unleash his killing intent...

Taking in a deep and long breath and turning until he faced Arantima head-on, Kaito shut his eyes. He allowed the ominous Chakra to surround his body further; a furious vortex of wind suddenly surrounding the boy as the Chakra rose high above him behind his back. It continued to rise, fall, and move around erratically until it finally took the shape of a black, demon-like dog with piercing red eyes about a meter above Kaito's head. It growled deeply and ominously, snapping its fangs almost uncontrollably as though it was ready to devour anything within its grasp. As it stood now, this was the form that Kaito's tainted Chakra took internally, this "Display Of Power" he had unconsciously tapped into finally showing its true form to the world.

The Demon Howling Within The Shadows:

As quickly as he felt the ugly Chakra form behind him, Kaito snapped open his eyes; his gaze more piercing, calculating, and cynical than it had even been before. Kaito recognized it as the same, penetrating glare he had seen from Arantima a handful of times before.

This was the gaze of a killer, and someone who was itching to do so again should the situation call for it...

It was the "Furious Design"...

Despite this, he continued to keep himself collected, showing himself to be relaxed and unable to withhold a rather condescending look upon his face. Part of him was raring to go. He wanted his enhanced sense of smell to burn with the smell of fresh blood and guts. He wanted to feel the sensation of watching the life snuff itself out from someone's eyes.

As one could simply tell, this was not the same Kaito anymore...

This was something much more dangerous...

"Stand down, Tima." He commanded, taking into account again the boy's fighting stance. A bit of his humanity was clinging on for dear life and the conflicting feeling of not wanting to fight his friend and mentor was starting to overcome him. "I don't want to fight you... Not like this..."

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[Word Count (Total) - 7,321]

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Arantima just laughed at Kaito's demand to back down, sounding rather unhinged and chaotic as he did so. Kaito let out a tsk of annoyance, preparing himself for a fight as he lowered himself into his signature half-crouched position reminiscent to the fighting stance of the rest of the Inuzuka Clan. The sounding of thunder echoed throughout the training grounds as dark clouds began to roll in from overhead, bringing a hail of rain down upon the ensuing battle.

"Don't say I didn't warn you!" Kaito started running at his top [90] speed preparing some hand seals as to make the first move, but in a flash Arantima was already directly in front of him. "Shit!" He thought as he tried to jump backwards out of the "death bubble" that was the three meter radius around a Shinobi. He was too slow, however, as the older ninja was able to fake two punches at both his right hip and left shoulder before connecting his heel with Kaito's chest. Pain instantly engulfed the area of the kick, knocking the wind from his lungs. He didn't even have time to gasp whimlessly for air, however, as yet another blow to his chin would land without a moments notice. This blow landed more than enough force for the young Inuzuka to propel upwards into the air before yet again being kicked in the chest.

"Gah!" He exclaimed, choking for air. In desperation of not being thrown backwards, Kaito grabbed upon Arantima's free hand to pull himself back to the ground. He also hoped that the maneuver would knock Arantima off balance enough for him to have an opening to counter, but just as he was able to grab his target, the shape of what appeared to be a kunai burned itself painlessly  into his skin.

'What the fuck is this?' He asked himself. Unbeknownst to him, however, this was Arantima's "Demon Wind Launch" technique, which could cause some serious damage if not handled properly.

Once the seal was placed, Kaito felt his body pulse as his heart beat. As this happened, his Chakra Sensory would fail for just a moment. This was enough for Kaito to land akwardly upon his feet, mud created by the sudden and ongoing thunderstorm making him slip.

"Fuck!"

Kaito's leg gave out from underneath of him, twisting his ankle and dragging him down to the ground. He landed harshly upon the ground, his head smacking off the ground. He closed his eyes, pain filling his mind as the world around him began to spin. Suddenly, it felt as though the world around the boy became clear. He clenched his head with the hand Arantima had planted the seal upon, unaware that it had even been placed there in the first place. He felt as though he had been hit by a train, the last few minutes blacked out from his mind completely. In fact, the last thing he remembered was watching Arantima catch the two giant Shuriken without a hint of trouble. The malignant Chakra that had engulfed him from both his "Emotions On Your Sleeve" and "Display Of Power" techniques ceased in a flash as the boy's features returned back to normal and the shape of the ominous dog disappeared into nothingness.

'What the heck happened?' He asked himself, hearing Arantima's words as he advised the boy to never let another Shinobi lay a hand on him. He started to sit upright, looking around at his surroundings as he did so. It was then he saw it; the gruesome remains of Bunta's body just meters away. 'What the hell!?' He went to rest his hand upon the ground to help him fully rise to his feet, but stopped as he noticed something red upon the back of his hand. Shakingly he raised the bloodstained hand to his face, now beginning to put two and two together. He began to hyperventilate, his stomach churning. Ever since he witnessed the death of Kawomaru years ago, death had been the biggest trigger for his underlying PTSD. Seeing the dead body just feet away from him was enough to drive the young Kaito crazy. His eyes wide with terror, he shot a dispared and terrified look over at Arantima, who still stood above him.

"Tima, what the hell happened here!?"

If it wasn't clear enough for the older Arantima to see, Kaito had no idea what the heck was going on. The Kaito he had been interacting with for the past few minutes or so had been... someone different... a darker, more sadistic Kaito that resided deep from within the dark recesses of the boy's consciousness...

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[Word Count (Post) - 774]

[Word Count (Total) - 7,203]