Training Day [solo]

Green and blue streaks of light passes Seiichi as he dashed through the darkness of his own mind. He could hear foot steps of soldiers behind he,. He didn't know what to do. His heart racing. Seiichi reached down for his laser device, but his belt line was empty. It was always empty. He couldn't ever do one thing right.

A flash overtakes him. He is a boy, sitting alone aboard a shipping vessel. A man walks over to him, He looks down at his hands and binds are holding them together. His feet are also tied together by crude rope, he can't speak any longer, his mouth is gagged, thrown bellow into the cargo. Time seems to pass slowly at first. Then, looking down into a puddle of water, he can see his reflection, aged forty years. He was an old man now, still bound, still on the ship.

He began to cry.

"Hey. It's time to wake up Seiichi." His fathers voice pulled his mind back to reality. "You OK?" He asked.
Seiichi noticed tears rolling down his cheeks. "Oh, yeah. I'm fine." He wiped them away with the blanket.
"Long day today. I'll meet you down stairs."

Seiichi nodded towards him as he left the room. What a dream. He thought. He had been eating a lot before going to sleep, maybe that could explain these crazy dreams of sort. He wasn't sure if it was what he was eating, or if it was just the stress of the world. He could feel everything on his shoulders more so than when he wasn't a ninja. People asking him what to do and when. How this building should come down, how many calories should they eat to gain muscle, what techniques they need to learn and now to master them. Suddenly he was supposed to be an expert in architecture and weightlifting. Deep down he just wanted to be left alone. He had to figure these things out along the way. Why shouldn't they all struggle? But of course he helps them anyways.

Seiichi grabbed his gear and headed for the door. Heading down stairs his father met him. "Here is your lunch.. and your breakfast." He gave him two separate bags.
"Thanks. Oh. I'll be coming home late tonight. So, don't wait up." He said as he closed the front door behind him.

The sun wasn't rising yet. The spars woodlands around the residential area was still teeming with life. Seiichi could feel the cool breeze coming off the winter soaked waters of the bay. Taking in deep breath. Stress. Go away. He thought. He began walking towards the military district of the village, all the while he contemplated his most recent dream. Streaks of light? Bound on a ship for years? Did he feel trapped somehow? Maybe that he was forced into this position by some higher power. It was all possible, he gave it that much. But he hated that his past seemed to cause so much distress. Maybe a good workout and some water is all I need.

As he approached the military district he could see a couple towering watch posts. They were well above the ground, one pointing to the residential area, and the others giving the people atop them a three hundred and sixty view of the entire village. These towers were there to give alarm in case of bad happenings. Seiichi was glad that he hadn't been here long enough to experience anything like that yet.

There was a little walkway that went between buildings and lead towards the back. It was a well traveled path, rocky and devoid of any grass. He had to watch as he stepped, a lot of the path was carved out by large flows of rainwater that have sense dried up. Bouncing from one side to the other, he made his way to the training grounds. In the middle of the grassed area there stood several large wooden poles, larger than a street light. In the nearby tree hung targets that still held kuni, three of them hanging at different heights. Other than that, this place didn't seem too wooded. It was mostly grasslands, one tree, and then building to his back. He wondered is anyone was still asleep.

He dropped his lunch, having eaten his breakfast burrito on the way here, his dad knew how to make them the way he liked. Sausage patties, eggs, cheese, some cut baked potato, and a side of salsa. It made is mouth water when he remembered it.

He turned his gaze towards the field and listened. It was time for practice, but he needed a target in order to do so effectively. Then it dawned on him. Biting his thumb, making a string of hand seals, and placing his hand on the ground, a large plume of smoke rose. As the wind took it, a humanoid rat size figure appeared.

"Ahh." The rat said, examining Seiichi. "So, your the one we have to stand watch for nowadays." He said. "My name is Akimi." He bowed. The rat was wearing a deep red kimono, elaborately embroidered with streams of white clouds, and blue waves, covered in a tattered only black cloak. "So, what is it you need?" The rat must have sensed no pressence of anyone else.
"I need a training partner." Seichi said. Examining the old looking rat, he had a scar that blinded his right eye, and used a black wood staff to help him walk. "Are you up to it?" He said asked skeptically.
"Of course. But first..." The rat looked at him puzzled. "What is your name?"
"Seiichi Kittaru. I thought you would all know that by now."
"The young talk of you. But I just needed to be sure."
"I thought I was the only one who could summon you all."
"Oh, no no. I have been summoned to battle many other times. No, you are the first one to take a contract with the rats near your village. The traveling mischief."
Seiichi nodded. "That makes since. A race like you all, I am sure you have been around since the creation."
"Not quite that long. But anyway." The rat dropped his staff, and threw off his black cloak. He began to do stretches. Seiichi wasn't sure if he was ever going to get past the idea of rats standing on two feet, and having hands like humans.
"Today I want to work on the parallelization technique."
"Oh, and which one is...." The rat was frozen mid stretch.

Seiichi had weaved the hand signs as fast as possible, catching the rat right were he was, then he fell to the ground, twitching. "Ahahh" The old rat exclaimed. But Seiichi couldn't hold it for that long. The rat was quickly unbound by the chakra aura that originated from him. Once the rat was free, he jumped up.

"Now come on! You gotta warn me first." He wagged his finger in Seiichi's face. "that could have hurt."
"Oh, you'd be fine." He brushed the words off. "I just need a living target is all." Seiichi said. Preforming the seals again. This time the rat dashed off, then jumping and grabbing the large branch of the tree, he pulled himself up and crouched there.
"A real target, does not stand still." He said grinning.

This was a true statement, but only in some instances. Seiichi could sneak around someone and try to trap them in this jutsu. That would be easy enough to accomplish, at least he hoped so, he has never been in a fight before. And he kinda hopped he wouldn't have to. The things he has read about the village history, how the country was war torn for years, he just knew that it wasn't going to last. He had to prepare.

Throwing his hands together he dashed forwards at top speed. The rat easily evaded him. Seiichi didn't know what he could do. "Ok. It seems I can't catch you. Can we just practice on a stationary target for now?"
"hmmm." The rat looked at Seiichi. "I suppose." He jumped down. "You know. You need to focus your chakra inside, and force it out through your eyes."
"You know the technique?"
"I know something like it. Techniques for our race, are just a little different. Our bodies are different, therefore, the way chakra is gathered and used, is also. But most of the basics are the same." The rat shrugged. "Now, try again." He stood only a couple meters from Seiichi.

Putting his hands together. Seiichi released the parallelization technique. He felt that he could hold the technique for a long time. The Rat stood there. Shaking. He could see the thing was about to fall over, when Seiichi released the it.
"OK. I think I got the hang of this one. Lets move on to the next."
"What do you have in mind?" Akimi said.
"Do you know anything about genjutsu."
"Only that it is a powerful weapon on the battlefield, uh, if you know how to use it correctly." The Rat reached into his pocket and pulled out a small book. It was bound in wood, and had a sinuous design on the cover, like a tornado or vortex.

[wc 1550]

"Thank you Akimi." Seiichi said and took the book. He set it next to the rest of his stuff by the building. "Well. I guess I can try and focus on something else then. I'll read the book later. Do you know anything on sensory techniques?" He asked the rat.
"We tend to rely more so on our natural sense to be honest." He said. 
"Well, how about this. Go and hide, and I will see if I can find you at all." Seiichi said. He really had no idea what he was doing. Only that sensor ninja seem to be able to pick up on the smallest amounts of chakra in the area and learned everything there was on about them. What elements the user can use, what techniques, their location, and other things. As the rat dashed off into the field Seiichi began to focus his chakra into his body. Listening to the things around him. No He needed so try and feel the things at a distance. He pushed his chakra out in a wave like pattern. He pretended he was a pebble, falling into an ocean. His body relaxed. The ripple of his landing was his chakra expanding as far as it was natural. Seiichi tried to feel for the rat, but it seemed impossible. He just wasn't able to pick up on the things chakra.

Instead he began to preform hand seals. Let me try something a little different He said. Pushing his chakra out to the edges of his body. Every cell in his skin began to bust with energy as they became supercharged. He could almost feel the light as it began to reflect off his skin. At first it was in waves. In busts, and then, nothing. His body was still visible.

"Are you gunna look for me or what?" The rat said, standing in the middle of the field.
"Ah. lets try something different."

The rat made it's way back near Seiichi. It sat there next to the tree and pulled a pipe from one his sleeves. "What do you have in mind?"
"Just watch me and see if I am preforming this right." Seiichi said.

He pushed his hands together. Monk, boar, ox, ox.
"No no no." Akimi said. "Monkey, boar, ox, RAM." He said, small clouds of white spoke flowed from the rats mouth as he spoke.

Seiichi tried again. The signs flowed more easily this time. He could feel his body flooding with the energy. But still nothing seemed to happen.

"Maybe I need to take a walk. Clear my head a bit."
"But you have only just started." Akimi said.

In a puff of smoke the summon vanished back to where it came. Seiichi dashed off into the field. Clearing his mind.

[wc 465]

Approved.