Buried in Hair, Drowning in Sweat [P/Dracoso]

It was just another day at the communal training facilities, with many echoing strenuous grunts and the pungent odor of sweat permeating throughout. Nemui made his way into the facilities early in the morning and found himself now running the track that skirted the facility's edges. His figure from the right angle could appear to be a bouncing bundle of light golden hair but nevertheless there was a boy under all of it. While running he thought of the smells these training facilities consisted of and how unpleasant they were to breathe in. Still, this smell was preferable to the scent of animal faeces that could be caught during an unfortunate breath running around the village. Nearing the conclusion of his tenth lap, Nemui slowed down to a steady walk comprised of consistent, rhythmic steps. A faint but familiar burning throughout his body's muscles signaled progress being made.

Next on the agenda would be sparring with a dummy or willing participant. Being that it was still early in the morning however, he figured it may be difficult to find someone. After a hearty chug of water from the drinking fountain Nemui began making his way over to the dummies. Quietly observing the few present people using various exercise facilities, he wondered if any would notice his approach and seek to end his solitary status.


(WC: 224)

It had been some time since Dracoso had last stopped by the training facilities in Kiri. As a child, he had enjoyed watching the many ninjas who practiced here over the years. He would take notes and question why making hand symbols even gave people supernatural powers. He recalled a faint memory once of when he had attempted to as a woman about how certain things worked....

Dracoso shook his head with a small blush. Sutsui became interested, sending waves of curiosity through their bond, but Dracoso quietly refused to give her any further imagery. He turned his mind back to the training grounds and nodded to himself. "I guess what I had been hearing was true..." he said softly under his breath. When he first joined Kirigakure as a shinobi, there were very few new individuals who were around his level of experience. Seeing now that their numbers were growing, Dracoso wanted to support them in their growth and give them the tools they would need to not only survive, but to thrive.

He made his way out onto the grounds, waving to a few familiar friends, before pulling his armor out of his storage displacement jutsu. Once dressed with the helmet hooked to his hip, he noticed what appeared to be a small boy staring at the ninjas who were practicing on the training dummies. His first thought was why a child had been allowed into the grounds, but as he approached, he realized that the boy was just very small for his size. With a gentle breath out, he silenced his footsteps, wanting to emulate a trick his old teacher pulled once, and stopped a few steps behind the boy. Upon closer inspection, he noticed the rather worn and patched clothing the boy was wearing and wondered just how long he had been using it.

"Are you here to train?" Dracoso asked softly, so as to not startle the boy too much. "If you are looking for guidance or a partner to practice with, I just arrived myself and would be happy to assist. My name is Dracoso, and I was assigned as a teacher over the village in the past. Perhaps there are a few techniques or methods of training I could teach you?" He asked. As he would listen to the boy's responses, he would nod and consider what abilities or skills the boy would benefit from most.

WC = 403

Undenounced to Nemui a man was sneaking up behind him with quieted footsteps. Suddenly hearing a voice behind him the boy stood still for a moment, rigid with embarrassment that he didn't notice the approach. So surprised was Nemui that he didn't even process the first sentence inquiring of his intent to train. Luckily the man spoke once more with further information clarifying his inquiry. With an awkward, noticeably uncomfortable stance, he turned around to face to man. "M-"cough. Nemui choked, not realizing that his throat had rapidly become dry from anxiety, despite drinking water only moments before. Quickly composing himself and swallowing some saliva, he continued. "My name is Nemui. I wasn't expecting to meet a teacher here but I'd be honoured to have your guidance."

Bowing to his senior, the boy's expression softened as he came to understand Dracoso's intentions. Standing up straight after a short delay he looked upon the man's figure. To Nemui's surprise the man before him was also of a shorter stature than most; this was a good thing in his opinion as it meant he wouldn't have to look so high up to see the man's face. What the boy saw before him was a man obviously more experienced than he, clad in the same armour that he had previously seen other ninja wearing around the village. Paying close attention to the man's armour, Nemui suddenly felt uncomfortable as though he was staring at Dracoso for too long. With a shift of his gaze to the right, he continued speaking in a soft, even shy tone. "My hope is to make my family proud by mastering Taijutsu. If there's any guidance you can offer for me to improve with that I'd really appreciate it."

Taking a breath, Nemui continued while looking up to the man's face. "I only know one Taijutsu named Throat Chop currently so really, anything you can offer would be really helpful." Finishing his sentence at the same time as seeing Dracoso's face more clearly, the boy was briefly taken aback by how friendly he appeared. It wasn't often that seniors in Kirigakure looked down upon him with such a warm smile, in fact, he couldn't remember one that did. Suddenly a feeling of comfort overtook Nemui and he bowed once more. "I look forward to your tutelage, thank you." After a span of around five seconds, Nemui would stand up straight once again, awaiting the man's guidance.


(WC: 408)

Dracoso would take in the boy's response and give a small smile. From the way the boy examined Dracoso's armor to the nervousness the boy showed when meeting a new person, Dracoso had a feeling that this boy was rather fresh in the ways of the ninja. This was confirmed by the boy only knowing one jutsu, which Dracoso had learned a while back from his teacher. It had originally been used to help stop an outbreak of squirrels without actually killing the small creatures. He nodded to the boy's words as he explained his reasons for training and would respond with a soft warmth in his words

"While Taijutsu is not one of my personal specialties, I have learned quite a few techniques for it just in case they would come in handy. Throat Chop is rather useful, if applied against the right target. If they have a great amount of fortitude of course, then they will not be phased by it. Bridging the gap between you and them is also a challenge that some techniques may assist with." Dracoso gestured for the boy to follow as he led them to the edge of the training dummy area. This gave the pair more space to practice as well as a trio of dummies set aside in a triangular pattern.

"Taijutsu does give you an advantage as many of the techniques do not require you to use handseals before engaging with them. At the same time, some create barriers which also protect you against attacks, or weaken them upon impact. Take for example-" Dracoso lowered his body and suddenly rushed forward at the front-most dummy, a hunter's senbon in hand to deflect blades and jutsu, before impacting it with his shoulder. He stood straight up before continuing. "-the Bull Rush technique. It is very useful for approaching your opponent while defending from oncoming attacks. Whether they are physical or chakra-based."

He= then carefully unlocked the latches from the base of the dummy and pulled it up so that it was balanced on its own weight and could easily be moved. "Once close, you could apply the throat chop technique, or try to use your opponent's gravity against them. If you are unsure if you are strong enough to do so, you can also always enhance the technique-" Dracoso held one hand to his side and formed one-handed seals to draw strength into his body. He suddenly dropped his weight and swung at the base of the dummy with his leg, sweeping its lower half out and causing it to drop to the ground with a loud thud. He looked back to the boy before continuing, "-before weakening your opponent to make them more manageable. The Leaf Gale technique is an effective means to do so. There are other means which do not require you to be so close, but those lay more in ninjutsu. While you may focus on Taijutsu, you may still learn up to a third rank level of jutsu in all other specialties. Some may refer to them as C rank jutsu." He hoped he had not overloaded the boy and paused to let the boy take it in.

WC = 534

Nemui felt a tinge of disappointment when Dracoso mentioned not specializing in Taijutsu, although he didn't feel this way for much time at all since the man followed up with knowing some techniques. Paying his full attention to his new mentor, Nemui listened to the explanation on Throat Chop and its weakness against a stronger opponent. Although some may have mocked this as stating the obvious it was an important point to be made by someone of greater experience, to a very inexperienced ninja such as Nemui. Naturally as a newly inducted Genin he wasn't aware that people of such fortitude existed; that anybody could absorb a blow to their throat was mind boggling. There was no time to question it however as Dracoso continued his lesson.

The idea of fighting such people with his current skill sent a chill down his spine. It also reinforced that learning what Dracoso could teach him would be invaluable; now following behind the man, he continued astutely listening and observing. Seemingly being led to a more secluded section of the training facility, Nemui's excitement began to build as he noticed the dummies Dracoso was leading him to. "You're truly going to show me something practical? Thank you.." The boy's previously shy demeanor melted away as a sudden sense of comfort overtook him. This was his preferred method of learning and to have a complete stranger offer their assistance in this way, it meant a lot to him.

Dracoso's lesson continued, describing some advantages of Taijutsu before he blasted forwards into one of the dummies. Studying every movement, Nemui replayed the memory of what just happened in his head several times to ensure he'd remember later. After Dracoso's explanation of the technique, the boy spoke while watching him unlatching the dummy's base. "A technique made just for closing the distance.. Whoever made it must have encountered more than their fair share of elusive opponents?" Inspiration struck Nemui as he considered the possibilities Hiyu techniques might offer for such a thing; unfortunately he wasn't experienced enough to create any but he made a mental note nonetheless.

Once Dracoso continued speaking Nemui continued listening with his full attention. Using the throat chop after closing that distance could work as the man said but he also added something else. Before the boy could question what he meant about enhancing techniques, Dracoso was performing a hand seal with just one hand. Since Nemui hadn't seen this before it was just another thing to be awe stricken by. Suddenly the man disappeared from view briefly as the boy struggled to keep up with watching his movements. Just as quickly as he'd dropped to the ground, the dummy fell over from his sweeping leg. Nemui excitedly clapped with a toothy smile seeing this Taijutsu; something about it seemed incredibly simple yet effective and the boy wished to try it.

Remembering where he was and what they were doing suddenly, he stopped clapping and scratched his head awkwardly while Dracoso spoke. Further things that Nemui wasn't aware of such as his supposed ability to learn techniques up to C-Rank even if they weren't Taijutsu. Surely that would require a considerable amount of effort with his lacking knowledge on those subjects, or so he'd think but he trusted this man now, there was no reason to doubt his guidance. Thinking on what Dracoso said and the Jutsu he displayed, Nemui gave a confident nod. "I want to see if I can copy what you just did, please correct any mistakes in my form." Turning then to face one of the other two undisturbed dummies, Nemui took a long breath in, out and in again.

Rushing Chakra inefficiently throughout his body in a flawed attempt to mimic what Dracoso showed him, Nemui rushed at the dummy and slammed into it with his shoulder, pretending to carry a weapon in his right hand. Although the impact against the dummy would have shaken it a bit this was more so due to the boy's inherent strength, rather than a comprehension of the technique. "That didn't exactly.. feel right." Nemui turned to face Dracoso seeking more guidance on what he recognized as a mistake...


Later, the boy would also attempt the Leaf Gale, naturally following the same process he'd seen of unlatching the dummy and pulling it up to simply balance on its own weight. Performing the singular hand seal that Dracoso showed him while focusing on making his body stronger, an awkward feeling overcame Nemui. He felt just a little bit stronger than usual but not by much. At this point the boy realized that the hand seal wasn't involved with the Leaf Gale. Somewhat excited by the prospect of seeing what he could do with this slight boost in strength though, he didn't ponder for long before dropping down and slamming his heel into the dummy's base. It wasn't nearly as graceful nor efficient as Dracoso's example prior but hopefully it was a good start.

Once again Nemui would turn to happily seek approval from his newly acquired mentor. "Was this alright?" The boy's excitement was visible as he smiled while huffing and puffing.


(WC: 860)

Dracoso smiled at the boy's enthusiasm, even as he stopped and awkwardly scratched his head. It reminded him of his own behavior when he would rub the back of his neck when he was unsure how to respond to something. Dracoso saw a lot of potential in the boy with how receptive he was to training, mixed with a good build and plenty of determination. Dracoso watched closely as the boy attempted to copy the bull rush technique and saw the extent of the boy's current strength on collision with the training dummy. After a few nods, Dracoso walked over to Nemui and patted the shoulder he had impacted the dummy with before speaking.

"You have a good understanding of the technique to begin. You just need to understand a bit more of the mentality and physicality behind the technique." He took a similar stance to the one Nemui had in his charge and emphasized where the hand holding his senbon had been as well as the lowered shoulder. "When you first begin charging, it is about using your center of balance to remain flexible in motion. You can choose to dodge attacks or even deflect them as you run, so you want your stance to allow you to remain quick while being able to respond to threats. You can gain this through experience by practicing shifting your weight and finding how to keep your balance, even when overextending."

To demonstrate, Dracoso started by simply standing on one foot and holding out one hand with his senbon balanced on his fingertips. He would slowly extend his arm and move it around himself, letting it reach the full length of his arm. The senbon would gently shiver from time to time, as Dracoso's body would slowly rebalance as he did this. He gently leaned his body forward and repeated the motions with his arm, showing a different positional effect on the tool. "By doing so, you find how to focus this sense of balance and create the greatest momentum. By understanding your momentum, you can also control your direction and your reaction, as well as increase the strength of your impact." He took a few steps back so that he was in clear view of the boy before aiming for the last remaining dummy and charged at it. As he crossed the distance, he quickly placed one foot down and redirected his motion, suddenly circling the dummy, and brought his full weight to strike the dummy from behind a matter of moments.

"Taijutsu is all about understanding the body and the methods in which we express our abilities through it. The breath you took before you attempted the technique was good. You want to make sure that when you take that breath, focus on your body. Many taijutsu users train themselves to feel pain and focus the mind to overcome it so that their strength is not hindered by it. Others train for hours on end striking dummies such as these to deaden the nerves in their body to deliver more strength and receive less damage when being struck." Dracoso outlined this carefully, using his own body as example for the toughened skin and muscles he had built along his arms and legs from the many months of training he had engaged in to learn his techniques.

"The body connected to the brain where our mind determines in-the-moment decisions and calculations. For a taijutsu user, it all comes down to their focus and concentration on the flow between their body and their brain. When you find the state that your brain and body communicate most effectively in, you find the connection you need to deliver the technique." Dracoso directed the boy to attempt the technique again and began to give him pointers on how to focus in on his body. Each time the boy would seem to focus too heavily on the target or seemed unfocused on his body, Dracoso would try to slow him down and redirect him. Like threading a needle, Dracoso simply would say, "as a teacher of mine once told me, it is the difference between trying to breathe and naturally breathing. When you try to breathe, you are measuring every step and the brain and body communicate too much. When you are naturally breathing, the body and the brain communicate within each moment. Do not try to breathe. Just...breathe"

As the boy got the hang of the technique, Dracoso would move on and realize he had missed one part of his lesson before he had used the Leaf Gale. "I had mentioned it, but one other technique you would benefit from is the general method of amplifying your taijutsu techniques. In this way, you are able to give yourself additional power behind a single jutsu to possibly overpower your opponent." He watched Nemui then attempt the Leaf Gale and Dracoso nodded softly. He responded to the boy's words "that was a very good first try. Far better than mine when I didn't know to unlatch the dummy and ended up breaking a toe..." Dracoso chuckled at himself as he rubbed the back of his neck.

He returned the smile Nemui had on with a smile of his own as he continued, "you have a great eye for following the motions and effort put into each action, which is good for learning. It takes time to learn new techniques, no matter your background or experience. Some may take more time than others and some may apply the technique differently than you would expect. That is where many of the new techniques you may see in the future come from. For the Leaf Gale, it is important to keep in mind your opponent's balance in comparison to yours. You are not quite looking to overpower your opponent, but rather to destabilize them. Using their own sense of balance against them through your own, so to speak. As you practice, this will make more sense." Dracoso said in response to the boy's curiosity.

He stood the first dummy back up and, with one hand, he again made the Tiger and Rat seals before leaping towards the dummy, twisting in the air and bringing the front of his foot downwards and knocking the dummy face-down into the ground. Once Dracoso had regained his stance, he turned to Nemui and said "the amplifying technique can be used with a multitude of techniques, such as the Leaf Whirlwind, which you just saw. Most go for a kick to the mid-section of the body or use a roundhouse kick. I prefer a downward strike as it allows me to more effectively disorient the opponent with my speed rather than my strength. Try it and feel free to do it in the way you feel is most natural to your body or style." Dracoso stood the dummy back up again, balancing it carefully before taking a few steps away.

(WC = 1155)

Following along with the new advice being given to him to better understand, Nemui mimicked the motions Dracoso made during his demonstration. He began lowering his shoulder and adjusting the position of his hands as his mentor did. "Balance and flexibility, dodge and deflect, remain agile, practice shifting my weight.. Even when overextending." Nemui made these mental notes of what Dracoso said, as he said it. Seeing that the man suddenly was standing on one foot, the boy watched as he extended his arm and then understood this was an exercise; he began doing the same following along. Even though he didn't have a weapon to hold he instead pretended again. Slightly wobbly on his one foot, Nemui was at least not falling over yet.

However when it came to leaning forward he suddenly lost his balance for a moment and caught himself on the other foot. Not allowing it to staunch his lesson, Nemui quickly kicked back up onto the other foot and resumed leaning forward. His full attention was being given to Dracoso as both his eyes remained focused on every move the man made. Slowly but surely the boy was beginning to comprehend how with enough practice this exercise could prove effective. After Dracoso finished speaking, Nemui audibly muttered while still balancing with arm extended and leaning with it "Focus my sense of balance.. To create more momentum. Understand my momentum to control.. My direction and reaction.. And increase my impact strength."

Still balancing, Nemui observed Dracoso as he created some distance between them. Seeing he was about to be shown something else the boy dropped his other foot and stood up straight. The man once again charged at a dummy but this time circled around it, seemingly denying physics with the greatest of ease. Having watched closely though it didn't slip by Nemui's gaze when the man pushed off one foot to change his approach. While Dracoso continued his lesson the boy would be mimicking the motion of his foot to remember it later. A toothy grin appeared when the man complimented Nemui's breathing but he didn't interrupt the speech nor fail to take in what was being said. "So I should train myself to overcome pain." Was the mental note he made from this particular lesson.

Seeing the man then offer the sight of his skin and muscles that had clearly been through the wringer, Nemui tried to picture himself with similar qualities. "I try to take really good care of my skin so it's pretty soft." The boy would suddenly blurt out before thinking about what implications his sentence could have. His face grew pale "Not that.. Your skin's not being taken care of." Feeling more embarrassed by the second in the twenty-foot hole he'd dug himself now, Nemui stopped talking after looking at the ground and whispering "Sorry.." The boy quietly rubbed his left forearm with his right hand reached across his stomach, thinking about the benefits that could be offered if his skin weren't so tender.

When Dracoso would continue speaking; once again the boy observed and listened intently. Summarizing again to himself from the newest lesson "So I'm overthinking my actions." When directed to give the technique another go he'd nod and take position. After a few attempts to get started where he would be interrupted and corrected on his stance or staring too intensely that the dummy, Dracoso shared some wisdom from his own teacher. Nemui absorbed his words and repeated in his head "Don't put a lot of thought into it, just go.." Shaking his body out while attempting to clear his mind and relax. Nemui took a breath in and suddenly learned forward before launching himself off the ground with his right foot. Knowing where he wanted to go, he allowed his body to take him and he'd collide against the dummy with a resounding slam.

It felt right this time as though he had appropriately built up the strength expected. Nemui took a moment to compose himself, rubbing his shoulder and turning around to face Dracoso. "I think I understand what you meant now." With a crack of his shoulder the boy went on. "I feel like this experience has changed my perspective so dramatically that I regret not meeting you sooner." With eyes that hungered to learn more; Nemui looked at the man, eager to continue.

After performing the Leaf Gale and learning of the Taijutsu Amplifier which the handseal apparently activated, the boy accepted Dracoso's compliments on his first try while awkwardly scratching his forehead. Shyly he'd comment "Thank you but I could only learn this so efficiently with your example." The idea of breaking a toe was pretty horrific as a practitioner of Taijutsu considering the recovery time involved. Following this was the explanation of learning techniques and the difficulties involved but also the flexibility of techniques. With Dracoso offering a concise explanation of how Leaf Gale works and how one shouldn't simply attempt to overpower their opponent but destabilize them. Nemui nodded along and made a mental note.

Since Dracoso also added that this would make more sense with practice, the boy didn't think too hard about it while the lesson continued. Nemui watched the handseals performed of Tiger and Rat followed by a remarkable flying kick. The boy followed along with the explanation of how one could amplify a variety of techniques and how a technique's function could be slightly altered with a different angle of attack. After Dracoso's comment on going with whatever feels most comfortable, Nemui looked at his hands. "Well I think my best quality is my strength so I guess I'll give it a shot." Nemui made a few practice motions of twisting his body so that he wouldn't overdo it mid-air and injure himself.

Looking at the dummy he'd Bull Rushed earlier, the boy tried not to think too much about how he'd move his body. "How to make sure I hit this dummy with the greatest amount of strength I possibly can.. I guess, I'll go for something straight-forward." Performing the handseals of Tiger and Rat to amplify his strength, Nemui kicked off the ground with his left leg and sent himself flying at the dummy right foot first. Upon point of contact he'd push his upper body forward while extending his right leg, using all the muscles in his body to press his right heel into the dummy's torso. Not having a landing planned however, Nemui fell onto his back in front of the dummy as it collapsed away from him. "Maybe I should think just a little bit." He joked.

On his back now, the boy would either stand up on his own or take a helping hand if offered, before dusting himself off. "You mentioned using your speed instead of your strength, unfortunately I don't think that will work for me but maybe the opposite could?" With a moment's hesitation on what he was considering doing, Nemui looked at his mentor. "I think I'll trust you because you've helped me so much.." The boy looked around to ensure nobody else was listening before speaking in a hushed tone. "I come from the Hiyu Clan and we can manipulate our cells for a variety of effects." Attempting to do as others had shown him at home, Nemui recalled their demonstrations and his education as his hands formed the Ram and Bird seals.

Raising his right hand, the boy's fingers would grow in length as he'd wiggle them around using the Advanced Transformation Technique. "Things like this are possible for us." Then performing the Tiger seal, his fingers would return to their original size. "If you could please keep this knowledge a secret but I thought it may help you when considering what to teach me."


(WC: 1301)

On Using the Advanced Transformation Technique:

Dracoso would observe the boy as he followed each piece of advice or guidance he provided. Nemui was quick to take in information and apply it through his actions. Dracoso understood the need to start young with training as it allows for a greater level of receptivity. He thought back to when he first became a ninja a little over a year ago and how most of the individuals at the academy tried to convince him that it was not necessary. Learning the basics and growing through practice is a necessity though. He realized that he needed to start from square one and with that personal experience, he was able to help others find their way as well.

He would reassure the boy in small ways as they had spoken. Letting him know not to worry about the skin comment as it comes down to genetics and selfcare to make sure that a ninja's body stayed fresh and ready for action. Watching him apply each lesson and even mimic the words showed Dracoso just how seriously Nemui was taking this training. He would nod and watch as the boy would impact the dummy with his shoulder and take note on where the boy seemed comfortable extending his body. With a chuckle, he would respond to the comment about meeting sooner by saying "With how many people live in this world, I am glad we are able to meet now and grow together."

As the boy would shyly thank Dracoso, he would nod softly and say, "I learned from a teacher of my own and learned to fail and succeed in many ways. We carry on the lessons of those who came before us for the next generation to grow further. It is your effort that gives you the opportunity to succeed." After sounding a bit like a motivational speaker, Dracoso would give a soft sigh at himself and even Sutsui would quietly send him an image that would feel like she was asking him if he was serious. He responded to the image simply by sending a wave of stubborn confirmation back.

"Strength is important to have. I myself am not very strong physically. I use my mental abilities and understanding of the situation to create opportunities to use other strengths. You can apply your strength more fully, especially if you use a good fighting style that emphasizes this," Dracoso would explain. "Many taijutsu users will also learn fighting styles in order to focus their abilities through either their speed or strength across any technique that allows it. For example, the bull rush technique allows you to move quickly, but with the right fighting style you can use your sheer force to increase your movement."

As the boy explained his bloodline and his cellular ability, Dracoso would nod and watch closely. The fingers would grow and shrink in front of him and Dracoso would say to Nemui softly, "I will of course keep this a secret. I do not go around sharing private information about others and will make sure to incorporate this subtly into our training so others will not notice." He stood up and smiled softly before saying, "and since you have shared with me, I will let you know that I am from the Yuki clan myself. Though my last name is not the same, I am from a branch family. The coloration of my skin and hair are a sign of my clan. We are good with water and wind and we are able to handle our body temperature more fully than most."

He would stand up at this point and scratch his chin before asking "Do you have any elements you are proficient with? Some elements can also help you to enhance your taijutsu methods. I have seen a few through fire and lightning which provide different boosts. Lightning, for example, can pass through your attacks and provide stunning effects. Fire can increase the overall damage you can output. Wind can give you enhancements to speed or stealth, while Water is good with enhancing the flow of each attack. Actually..."

As Dracoso scratched his chin, he formed several seals and placed his hand on the ground. As it connected, a symbol would spread out from the palm of his hand and a poof of smoke would spread before clearing to reveal a large black and gray fur covered wolf standing beside Dracoso. Kechi would look over Dracoso, giving him a soft nod, before glancing at the smaller human in front of him and speaking. "Based on your appearance and scent, you are more of a fighting type," Kechi would say in a deep voice. Dracoso would pat Kechi's shoulder and say to him, "he is just learning how to apply his abilities into Taijutsu, but he is very good at picking up on concepts and he is a quick study when he sees the example given."

Kechi would nod slowly, keeping a close eye on the boy before turning to look at the three dummies nearby. Kechi would take a few steps to one side, taking Dracoso and Nemui into account, before raising a paw and slamming it into the ground towards the dummy still laying face-down. A shockwave would rocket out from where Kechi had struck and the wave would impact the dummy, launching it into the air. As it would hover for a moment, Kechi would already be in the air, floating beside the dummy where he would deliver a rapid strike to the base of it, launching it twice as far into the air. Kechi would then seem to dance along the air, jumping up to the height of the dummy, before charging chakra up into one paw and firmly slamming it down into the top of the dummy, causing it to rocket back down into the ground with a loud crunch.

Dracoso would rub the back of his neck as he felt awkward at how quickly that went overboard. Kechi would land on quiet feet before looking from the dummy over the Nemui. "Taijutsu allows you to strike quickly and control the battle. What you just witnessed are techniques that you may learn one day if you need them. Earth Shaker is a method that can disrupt your opponents and gives you a physical advantage. The Leaf Rising Wind technique can amplify this and even immobilize your opponent. To keep up with your opponent, the lightness skill technique lets you stay airborne in case you want to make yourself a harder target. I finished this maneuver off with the taijutsu puncture. A strong technique used to drive points towards opponents at a distance. many do not expect it from point blank, making the force behind it all the more powerful. "

Dracoso would shake his head and say, "I said he has just started to learn how to apply his abilities. I didn't say to give him a crash course in how to destroy someone." Kechi would look Dracoso in the eye and responded firmly, "I have been teaching pups for many years. If they do not know what they could be capable of one day, they will not see the true value in their lessons." Dracoso held one hand out in front of him, palm up, as it to emphasize his words as he said, "yes, but how is he going to actually practice these techniques if he does not know how you are doing them?" Kechi glanced over at the boy before looking back at Dracoso. "By starting with the basics of course."

Dracoso just sighed and deflated slightly, rubbing his forehead with one hand as he said, "then can you start with a basic technique he could learn?" Kechi gave what appeared to be a shrug and walked over to the dummy where he had left it. He lifted the dummy by the head with one paw, watching as the bottom fell off due to a large crack left in it from his earlier attack. He shook his head again at how weak these practice targets were and dropped the top half he was holding. He went over to the dummy Nemui had practiced on earlier and lifted it to a standing position. He pushed off on one arm, causing the dummy to spin as if swinging at Kechi. The large wolf twisted, catching the oncoming arm in his mouth and twisted his head around, flipping the dummy over itself to land on its back.

"Tsuri-Goshi," Kechi said simply. "A starting technique that allows you to disrupt an opponent's attack. Mainly used to deal with other taijutsu users." He then looked to the boy, waiting to see what he would do.

WC = 1452

In response to Dracoso accepting Nemui's feelings of being happy they'd met he would give a sincere closed-mouth smile. Then later when Dracoso spoke of his own teacher the boy would listen attentively as usual, hanging on the man's every word. With his family history Nemui was very familiar with generational knowledge being passed down and this subject spoke to him on a personal level. Nodding in appreciation of the man's words, there was nothing for the boy to say in response. Once Dracoso continued speaking of his strength not being physical it was honest and forthcoming, earning ever so slightly more of the boy's trust. This wasn't all though as the man also spoke of values outside of strength that make one a more capable fighter, or really, person in general.

Having Nemui continue to be enthralled with his knowledge, the boy made mental notes of his advice to find a fighting style that could compliment him. Such things he knew of from rumors about other Hiyu Clan members and their progress with modifying their muscle structure. Inexperienced as he was it remained no easier to understand how doing such a thing would make him faster, however; as Dracoso continued to explain that one's strength could be translated into speed with the right movements it piqued Nemui's interest. A connection was made for him between his earlier thoughts and that very sentence. Changing his muscle structure so that it was condensed and light weight would allow easier short bursts of movement such as punching and kicking.

Combined with having these easier movements and retaining his same strength, he would be able to move faster by leveraging his body with more agility than it could be otherwise burdened by bulging muscles. Of course there were other aspects to this but as a Hiyu, he operated more on instinct instead of medical knowledge when it came to manipulating his cells. At this point Nemui began doing just that, shaping his muscular structure in a way that felt better to move around; although he said nothing of it and the process would be slow-going. He'd snap out of his thoughts suddenly and get back to learning, eventually leading to the moment that Nemui revealed his clan to Dracoso. The boy visibly took comfort when told that his information would be kept a secret.

Suddenly Dracoso began sharing what the boy previously considered private information which made him feel a little bit silly for being so secretive. Or maybe he was being trusted in kind? Hearing of the Yuki clan for the first time was truly fascinating. Nemui didn't think that one's clan would impact their appearance but there was no reason to doubt what Dracoso said. The whole branch family thing also went over his head. In the end though Nemui couldn't help feeling slightly disappointed. He expected this Yuki clan to have some mind-blowing power but aside from handling their body temperature a bit better, with good control over wind and water, nothing else was revealed. Nemui couldn't help but ask "Do you have a special bloodline that you're afraid of sharing too?"

Later when asked if he had any elements he was proficient with, he'd give an enthusiastic nod and answer "Water." Dracoso's explanation on elemental Taijutsu was greatly intriguing for Nemui who perked up immediately. Water only got one mention at the end though which was a small letdown. However the versatility implied from having techniques flow better was a little interesting. Nemui's eyes widened as Dracoso touched the ground and a symbol formed on the ground. Fuuinjutsu wasn't a very well understood concept to the boy although he'd received some lectures explaining its utility, his first time seeing it in person was something else. How a symbol could be formed on the ground in the first place was strange enough but to have something appear suddenly out of thin air was bizarre.

When the smoke cleared to reveal Kechi, Nemui looked on with starry eyes before pointing at the wolf and stating "that's so cute!" Eventually he'd come to regret this first interaction as the wolf began speaking, bearing an unexpected intelligence. While there may or may not have been a punishment for his words it mattered not; Nemui would be embarrassed all the same. Once processing what the wolf said he would nod cautiously in response. A sense of relief came over the boy when Dracoso began explaining the situation for him and some pride as well, when the man complimented his studious nature. Smiling subtely, Nemui looked to the wolf as it seemingly stared him down for a moment before turning away. Drawing his gaze to where the wolf was facing it became clear what was going on.

Still what happened next came as a surprise as Nemui never expected a wolf could do something akin to Jutsu. Mouth agape, he looked on as the dummy flew into the air before being struck upwards by the wolf, whose movements the boy didn't even notice until it was beside the dummy. Nemui's awe grew palpable as he watched the wolf jump in mid-air to reach the dummy once again and send it crashing down in one solid hit. The boy immediately shielded his face instinctively but nothing from the construct flew in his direction. These dummies were a lot sturdier than Nemui expected. Seeing the wolf gracefully touch ground from so high up the boy stared on dumbfounded from what he'd witnessed. As with so many times before though there wasn't a chance for Nemui to question anything as a new lecture began.

The wolf went on to speak of Taijutsu and techniques that Nemui could learn. Processing each one as they were explained, it began to paint a picture for the boy to understand what they looked like. However since it was a wolf that performed each technique the image he could formulate of himself doing each one wasn't very clear. Witnessing a wolf doing these things though did give Nemui pause for thought on the possibilities of disguising himself as an animal and what offensive capabilities he may still have in such a case. The boy patiently listened while stifling his temptation to smile or giggle because he still thought it was cute. When the wolf finished speaking he'd immediately give a small head bow followed by nervously saying "Thank you for the lesson."

It was Dracoso though that did something unexpected now, lecturing the wolf on what it had taught Nemui. Apprehensively raising his right hand in the thought to intervene and say it was alright, the boy couldn't bring himself to do so while the two argued. Nemui dropped his hand and allowed the scene to play out as both Dracoso and the wolf made good points. A nervous smile creeped onto the boy's face as the wolf said he'd need to start with the basics. Nothing looked basic about what happened earlier. Turning to look at Dracoso in the hopes of a silver lining that would make understanding those techniques a little easier, the boy was relieved to hear his next question posed to the wolf. "A basic technique to start with, please." Nemui agreed, turning to smile at the wolf.

Then he watched as the wolf attempted to lift the dummy whereupon the base fell off. Nemui gave a concerned look while considering what would happen to a regular person in that dummy's position but made no comment lest it become him. Observing the wolf's actions closely, the boy saw from start to finish as it spun the dummy before grabbing it with its mouth and.. probably in its case, gently threw the dummy onto the ground. Following the explanation he'd receive of what the wolf did it seemed fairly straight forward. "I'll give it a try, please offer me guidance if I make a mistake." Offering a slight head bow to the wolf followed by picking up the dummy, Nemui thought about what he saw and how the wolf described it. "So I spin it to generate some momentum.." He narrated while spinning the dummy.

"And while it's spinning.." He thought. Then as only someone who'd never seen or studied wolves before could do, Nemui mistook its earlier actions as the actual technique and caught the dummy's arm with his teeth. Twisting his body to throw it onto the ground. "Ptoo.. Peh" The boy spat in a vain attempt to clear his mouth from the taste of sweat and wolf saliva, rapidly swiping his tongue with both hands. "Yike att?" Nemui asked unable to close his mouth.


(WC: 1437)

Spoiler:

While Dracoso had glazed over his clan's special ability and had not yet focused on the water element, they were both sitting in the back of his mind. He wanted to focus on a few things for today's lesson, as providing too many aspects at once can lessen the benefit of the overall training. He would decide to play something of a tag team with the older wolf in terms of training to help provide the boy with a well-rounded understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of taijutsu and other specialties.

Kechi gave a soft chuckle of disbelief at the boy's attempt. "You are pretty fresh, it seems. I should have explained that this method can be done more effectively with your arms. Those within the Okami use their mouth to enhance many of their methods when in combat." The wolf would walk over to the dummy and rest one paw on top of it where it lay on the ground. When standing beside Nemui, the six-foot-tall wolf would overshadow the boy by more than a foot. Even then, Kechi gave Nemui a confident gaze, as if showing respect for the efforts the boy was putting into his learning while discerning just what the boy was capable of.

"In order to understand how to defeat your opponent, you must understand the weaknesses of their body and their mind. Taijutsu is not just a battle of physical strength, but one of mental fortitude. When one makes a mistake or shows an opening, it also depends on their opponent's ability to see and capitalize on that mistake in order to benefit from it," The wolf explained. "There are many styles out there that people come to depend on in the hopes to win a fight. When you realize that lacking mental fortitude or mental flexibility creates openings, you see the mistakes other fighters make even before they have made them."

Dracoso would listen and add in, "just as we spoke of styles that focus on speed over strength, some people will try to use that speed to overpower their opponents. Take my clan's ability with water and wind, which we transform into the element of ice." As Dracoso spoke, a thick mist began to permeate from his body, as layers of ice slowly spread over his arms and legs. Steadily, a cloud of mist spread around his body and circled him as the ice thickened slowly. "One mistake a speed user might make is to underestimate just how quickly ice can remove that speed-" Dracoso rapidly made four handseals and touched the ground again away from the two. A sudden shockwave of ice spread out from him in the direction he touched, coating the ground. "-and provide their opponent with an opening," he would finish.

Kechi would nod in agreement and look back to the boy. "The lightness skill I had shown you earlier would help to answer to this, to some degree. There are many different aspects of being a taijutsu user which others may take for granted. Your senses, for example, can be used against you. Genjutsu can disrupt what you see and hear to present false images and sounds. Ninjutsu can create great threats between fire and earth and their destruction powers. Taijutsu provides you a great amount of resistance to some aspects of these powers, yet only if you understand how these threats function in the first place."

Kechi shifted, getting a bit tired of just talking, and decided to be a bit more active again in the lesson. He looked to Dracoso and asked, "What all had you taught him before I arrived?" Dracoso thought for a moment, the ice slowly melting around him, as he held up a hand and counted off as he spoke. "Bull Rush, One Handed Seals, basic amplifier, gale and whirlwind, and the understanding of balance and mental focus." Kechi gave another nod and said, "then we should present how elements combine with this." Dracoso took a few steps away and sat nearby to give the large wolf some space. Kechi walked over to the dummy which was still standing and let out a small breath.

He raised one paw and tensed, a sudden wave of electricity running down his fur to where his claws were clenched. With a quick strike, there was a sudden shock and the crack of lightning striking as it passed from his paw into the dummy. "The elements can be infused into your attacks. Lightning, for example, provides the ability to paralyze your opponents. This is known as a lightning jab. For attacks which do not naturally contain an elemental enhancement-" Kechi moved his tail and head in a quick pattern of seals specific to his race. Lightning coated his entire body, crackling softly around him as he threw up one paw and struck rapidly at the dummy, creating a cone of strikes that pummeled his target. As he finished this wave of strikes, he lowered his paw. The dummy was singed and its material was somewhat flattened across its frame after the assault.

"-can be enhanced through elemental amplifiers. Using the Howling Thunder Soul technique in combination with the Hundred Fists of Fury allows you to not only create a powerful wave of attacks which can incapacitate your opponent, but it can also provide you a defensive option against oncoming projectiles and enemy strikes." Kechi would turn back to Nemui and examine his response to these methods.

Dracoso would follow up and say, "keep in mind, each element provides a benefit that you can apply to your attacks. At the same time, they can also have a negative. Water can put out fires while wind can weaken lightning. Finding a good balance between the physical, the elemental, and the mental will be important in the future. While some of these techniques are still a bit too advanced for you to practice right now-" he would say as he turned his attention to the wolf. Kechi would return his gaze and they would both release a soft sigh. "-a good way to incorporate these lessons might be a ninjutsu technique." Dracoso would finish.

Dracoso stood up and made four handseals, from ram to tiger, followed by ox and then dog. He would then turn his head in another direction and spit out a thick liquid that expanded rapidly into a large puddle nearby. The liquid would seem to shimmer softly in the sunlight as Dracoso gestured to it. "This is the starch syrup capturing field. A water ninjutsu technique which can catch and slow opponents that get caught in it. When you are not delivering blows and strikes, this is a handy method that anyone can use to disrupt the flow of their opponent's actions."

WC = 1128