From Words May Come Wisdom [p/Nemui][training]

After a long day of handling paperwork and getting his clearances back in order, Dracoso was heading back towards the training facilities to meet up with Nemui. It had been several months since his last attempt to create new supplies and materials for his shop, let alone reopening it with the new business expectations that were in place. He had a bit of money still saved up, so he put down a bit more capital into it and the shop was in order. Just a few dozen more creations he had in mind, and he would open the shop to begin selling his creations.

He knew he would need to challenge his abilities again soon as he was reaching his upper limit of strength. With all the training he had done in the past and the vast array of jutsu he had learned, he felt rather comfortable with the thought of an upcoming mission to hunt down and capture another ninja. He scratched the back of his head and wondered if he should still aim to learn any other specific skills to prepare. With a soft shrug, he realized he was starting to get lost in his thoughts again and focused back on the path he was taking.

The facilities had felt so large when he first used them. It felt like there was a biome for each type of element and specialty. He had read quite a bit back at the academy about the facilities, and even some of the underlying features that were offered if you knew how to access them. Dracoso began stretching, getting into good shape, and checked in with Sutsui. The snake softly shivered awake from a nap and communicated pheromonally by sending Dracoso imagery asking him for some candy. He let out a soft sigh and sent back an image portraying that he had no candy on him and that they could get some later. She returned an image of the skull candy, and he immediately declined it, making sure she understood the importance of the item.

She ruffled in frustration, then calmed down as she woke up. Dracoso was used to her being a bit cranky upon waking up from her naps, so he drew down the back of his suit and let her feel the sun on her scales. A few warm waves of content came across the connection they shared as she basked in the warmth. Dracoso smiled softly and finished stretching before keeping an eye out for Nemui.

WC = 418

The day was already some ways in with many civilians roaming the streets on their lunch breaks. Nemui had been reading at the library to study creatures found in nature, homework for theorizing Hiyu techniques he may be capable of creating in the future; it wasn't particularly easy to study for something you weren't ready to do yet. Nervously the boy scratched his head while attempting to finish a passage on snakes detailing their recently discovered ability to sense heat. This was valuable knowledge although Nemui didn't know it yet being so inexperienced. Reading to the end of the final paragraph concerning this topic, he leaned back in a stretching motion. It was far too easy for one so deep in their studies to lose track of their surroundings.

"Wonder what the time is.." The boy thought, leaning his head to the right as to catch sight of the wall clock. "Oh.. Oh bollocks." Nemui exclaimed with a hushed tone before standing up suddenly making a quick walk to the exit. Immediately upon passing through the door to outside he began sprinting towards the training facility, thinking on repeat "I hope he hasn't been waiting for me there for too long." Building anxiety in his chest the boy simply continued running without a second look to anything or anybody he passed by. With civilians eating and walking the streets in droves, Nemui would have several close calls nearly bowling people over that weren't watching where they walked.

Eventually though and luckily without any incidents, the now stressed out boy found his way into the training facility's grounds; entering with his hair and clothing ruffled as though he'd just been running a marathon. Nemui would take a few glances around before spotting Dracoso in the not-so-far distance. With a friendly wave and a relieved toothy grin he'd make his way over at a jogging pace. Along the way he'd remember the fact he arrived after his senior and on arriving at speaking distance of Dracoso would say "I'm so terribly sorry for being here later than you, after I went and asked for you to teach me today." Awkwardly wiping his face Nemui waited for a response from the man.

Coming from the angle he did the boy wasn't aware of the snake currently using Dracoso as a sunbathing chair. Given the subject of his earlier study though it was quite unfortunate. Nemui's clothing today was the same kind as yesterday although it could be observed this wasn't exactly the same set, with patches of different colours and placements. It could also be assumed that he'd been studying at the library prior due to a faint black text printed on his left forearm; the result of leaning on a piece of parchment he'd been taking notes on but somehow forgot to collect in his panic.


WC: 474

Dracoso shaded his eyes from the sun shining down on them as he watched across the grounds. It did not take long before he saw the shape of a small boy looking around the grounds. As he turned and made his way towards Dracoso, the teacher returned the boy's wave with one of his own. It was unusual to be able to continue training with one of his students so soon as many would immediately go running off on missions or simply disappear after their first session. He felt like this was a positive sign, as he had not been able to truly support or assist others in their growth beyond a few key touch points.

As the boy apologized, Dracoso just smiled softly and replied, "it is fine. I can understand how tough it might be after just coming out of the academy. So many things to learn, so many people depending on you. The feeling of wanting to be everywhere and doing everything," he said, giving a soft chuckle as he remembered his own urgency to gain as much ability and knowledge as possible. "You will find a good pace to deal with things. Just take in what you can as you can. Of course... you may want to make sure you are not trying to absorb lessons in too many ways..." he would say with a soft smirk, his eyes gazing down at the ink staining Nemui's arm.

He would offer the boy a cloth with a bit of ink remover and then manipulate the water nearby to wash off the remainder. Once the boy was cleaned up, Dracoso would shake his hands out to get full feeling into them and turn to the boy. "So, what shall we focus on today? We could discuss Taijutsu a bit more. I can also teach you about many of the tools we have available to enhance your efforts. If there are any other specialties or elements you want to learn about, I can provide you training on techniques that I might have." He stopped for a moment to let the boy process all that he had said before feeling Sutsui quietly peek her head out from around his neck and observe the boy.

"Oh right," Dracoso said as he reached up to stroke the snake's head and neck. "You may also want to learn a bit about familiars and summons. Kechi, the wolf you met yesterday for example, is an example of a summon from the race who I have a contract with. While familiars and summons are not as strong as you might be, they can help to answer to problems or issues that you yourself might not be able. Whether this is during missions or just while you are training." He stopped again and figured he would let Nemui select the direction they would take that day. With so much to learn, he knew they would be busy. Dracoso would have been so focused on presenting this information, that he would still be wearing his lightweight bodysuit for more basic training.

WC = 515

With Dracoso assuaging Nemui's fears that he may be upset the boy was late he breathed a sigh of relief while patting his own chest. The man's words also rang true for him, constantly feeling like he wasn't learned enough and that he couldn't get done everything what needed to be done in a single day. Just researching the knowledge Nemui felt was necessary to effectively progress his Hiyu abilities took hours of study every day. "Thank you for being so understanding.." He'd mutter with a nervous smile before Dracoso continued to instruct upon finding his own pace. A calm sense of familiarity overcame Nemui while he came to truly understand the man spoke from experience.

Then to the comment about absorbing the lessons he looked down curiously to spot the ink "Where'd that come from.. Ah, I forgot to grab my notes." Nemui lamented while closing his eyes briefly. He'd graciously accept the supplies and scrub his arm thoroughly. Seeing Dracoso manipulate some water to rinse his arm off he trustfully extended it and allowed the water to finish the job. "This technique you're using to control the water seems rather useful." Nemui watched as the water took away the inky mess before looking at the man. Observing him shake his hands out, the boy copied this action recognizing it to be a warmup exercise.

In answer to Dracoso's inquiry about what he wanted to learn today the boy thought for a moment. "Kechi mentioned yesterday something about Genjutsu and I don't have anything to deal with that just yet. Is there anything you can teach me to protect myself from it please?" Making this request, Nemui looked up at Dracoso with his big blue eyes, watching in waiting for his response. However this may have had to wait as at that moment the boy spotted a snake around the man's neck. Tilting his head curiously, Nemui thought back to his studies and started looking for pit organs on its face while Dracoso spoke. "That's a summon as well huh.." He'd think to himself.

As usual the man gave a fairly thorough but brief overview of the topic. After hearing what Dracoso had to say the boy snapped out of his trancelike state, realizing he hadn't been paying his full attention to the lecture, he anxiously moved his body weight from one foot to the other. Nemui brought both his hands together at his abdomen to twiddle his thumbs together "Uhm, well summons can talk right so I just have to ask.." Looking back to the snake nervously "Can you see body heat as well?" Nemui's gaze was transfixed on the snake as he wondered what kind of knowledge could be gained from an animal capable of speech.

His experience with summons was entirely limited to Kechi from the day prior and therefore, lacking in every regard. In truth it would benefit him greater to simply focus on learning what Dracoso could offer but at this moment his curiosity got the better of him. His facial expression could be described to possess childlike wonder, while his body stood straight as a board to get as good of a look at the snake as possible.


WC: 535

Dracoso would nod to his request for help protecting against genjutsu. "There are a few ways to resist genjutsu techniques, primarily knowing that you are under the effect of one. If you are not aware that a technique has been used on you, you may end up stuck in it at the worst time," he would explain. He would wave a hand over his sealing bands and pop a book out of them with title Jutsu Encyclopedia. While holding it up, Dracoso would continue, "there is knowledge out there on many of the different techniques you may encounter. More often than not, you need to be within sight of the user. This book-" he said as he tapped the side of it, "-explains several of the more basic techniques you may encounter. You can pick one up for relatively cheap at any ninja shop in the village."

He would let the lesson sink in before stating, "there is also the genjutsu release technique. Due to many of genjutsu techniques being capable of paralyzing your body, most ninja practice the release technique to work without the need for the handseal. That way, you can immediately break out of it upon contact and not be stuck in place. More often than not, it does stick the user in place as well, so it is a bit of a double-edged sword if you are not careful. We could practice with you breaking out of a few of my genjutsu techniques, if you are up for it." He would finish his explanation before going on to describe the summons and familiars.

As Nemui would look and speak to Sutsui, Dracoso would give a soft chuckle. He would realize that the boy had confused his familiar for a summon and softly pet Sutsui as she regarded the boy. "Sutsui here is actually a familiar. She is able to talk with and communicate with me through her pheromones subconsciously, but she does not really talk to others," he explained. He would look to her and send a soft suggesting way to show one of her sensory abilities. Sutsui would look confused for a moment as there was no real threat or need nearby. Dracoso sent a few images of back when they were training together and then overlayed them with images of Nemui. With a rough understanding, Sutsui would look back at the boy and then the scales along her body would ripple in oddly familiar patterns. A moment later, a wave of chakra would flow over the snake's body, and it would appear as if she suddenly vanished from sight.

As Dracoso watched Nemui's reaction, Dracoso would explain, "The shifting of scales along her body is her version of our handseals. As most familiars and companions are animals without fingers or hands, they have alternative means to use techniques. Scales for a snake, tail and head movements for wolves, some even use their organs, if you can believe it." He would give an awkward chuckle before signaling for Sutsui to return to visible sight. The snake would reappear and then wrap around his shoulders against before returning to sunbathe.

"Sutsui stays primarily within my armor so that she is not exposed to most forms of enemy attacks, genjutsu included. She has a specialty with sensory which allows her to track and communicate with me instantly for tracking opponents." He would scratch his chin as he carefully thought how to explain the next part. "One thing to keep in mind is that a familiar or companion is always present on this plane. This is different from a summon who you must first make a contract with and who then appears for a time using your chakra to sustain their time on our plane." He would realize that he was getting a bit deep into the explanation and paused to let Nemui respond or ask for more information.

WC = 651

Nemui absorbed Dracoso's words on Genjutsu with a thoughtful almost studious gaze. It sounded rather terrifying to be stuck in an illusion, unable to recognize what was or wasn't real. He then watched as the man pulled out some kind of book from nowhere although upon closer inspection, the boy would realize it had to be a Fuuinjutsu. This book looked quite curious even without the method in which it appeared. Simply looking on attentively, Nemui made sure to understand what Dracoso said so it wouldn't bite him in the ass later. He'd look to the man after he finished speaking briefly and confirm "I'll make sure to buy one on my way home today."

With the lecture continuing shortly after Nemui's mind eased at the mention of a technique for escaping Genjutsu. Furthermore, the possibility of mastering it to a point of being able to use it without handseals in cases where paralyzation occurred was quite a relief. After hearing Dracoso out fully it ended on the note of having some practice escaping Genjutsu, which Nemui wasn't yet entirely comfortable with but also wanted to understand further so they wouldn't become his demise. "I'll gladly take any help you can offer me, I'd rather practice recognizing and escaping Genjutsu right now instead of in-the-field." He'd answer before letting out a nervous laugh.

Continuing on from when Nemui attempted to speak to Dracoso's familiar unaware of the difference between it and a summon, the boy began to feel embarassed as the man explained the difference. Following this, the boy watched as he communicated with the snake without exchanging a single word. Most curiously for Nemui the snake's scales took on patterns and afterwards she disappeared. Dracoso's explanation would clear this up for the boy, now fascinated by what a familiar could do but also the abilities of Sutsui. Seeing the snake return Nemui wanted to ask more questions but waited as Dracoso continued providing a valuable lecture on the matter.

Having a familiar with sensory made a lot of sense to the boy as did having something to keep the familiar safe during combat. The man's explanation made familiars sound quite difficult to keep safe as an anxious knot formed in Nemui's stomach. He was beginning to want a familiar of his own but the thought of it dying made him uncomfortable. Noticing that Dracoso stopped to allow him a word, Nemui took his opportunity. "I'd like a familiar of my own although I am afraid of something happening to it.. I am quite fond of animals and spend a lot of time studying them lately." Looking to Sutsui and then back to Dracoso. "What you said about communicating with pheromones, I'm curious if one day I'd be able to emulate that with my bloodline."

Nemui thought for a moment about everything he'd just learned and smiled gently, feeling as though he'd found a path to walk in life, a method of which he could pursue to further his family's knowledge of Hiyu abilities.


WC: 504

Dracoso took in Nemui's words and placed his hand softly over his mouth and chin in thought. He thought for a time and nodded to himself as he considered their options. If the boy was uncomfortable having Genjutsu cast on him, seeing another person or being under the effects may not give the context the boy would need. He figured it would be good to try gentle techniques to start and help the boy understand them from the base level up. As the boy also explained his desire to have a familiar, but was worried that something might happen to it, Dracoso would nod. The reason he was so comfortable with Sutsui in the field was because of how close their bond had become. She was used to being in dangerous situations, due to her experiences growing up in the wilderness being hunted by birds. Being close to Dracoso gave her a safer environment while still using her natural hunter instincts to benefit her.

With a nod, Dracoso said to Nemui, "we can start with some of the less dangerous or intense genjutsu techniques so that you can adjust to them. Do not feel bad if the work well or if they may disorient you, as you are coming into this relatively new. Just take your time with them and we will see how it goes." As Dracoso was finishing his sentence, he would have one hand behind his back quickly making three handseals to finish with his last word. As he finished, a butterfly would appear in Nemui's vision floating down between the two of them before taking off to his right. The butterfly would keep a few feet out of reach of the boy at all times and would stay roughly a foot above the boy's height. It would softly shimmer as one of the natural mist-wing butterflies from the nearby forests of Kirigakure.

Having cast the genjutsu, Dracoso would watch the boy's reaction to the butterfly and he would play along and act as if it was completely natural. After watching how to boy responded to the technique, he would say "this is the butterfly effect technique. It is meant to redirect the individual and harmlessly lead them around so that they can be put into a bad position." He would make sure the boy was doing ok, reassuring him if needed, and then offering to try another if the boy felt up for it.

Once they had finished, Dracoso would say, "that is understandable in regard to wanting to protect your familiar. Familiars can come in many shapes and sizes, in an array as wide as the types of animals that exist on this world. I even knew someone who had whales as their summons. Quite a few craters were left after her battles." He chuckled softly before continuing, "once you choose a familiar, it creates a bond with you that allows it to become stronger alongside you. Some believe it is due to sharing in your chakra on a day-to-day basis. Others believe it is due to sharing in your goals and dreams and creating a stronger drive in the familiar. Whatever the case may be, familiars are tougher than most animals and gain in power and capability as they train with you. Going on missions and sharing in your efforts allows them to become quite resilient."

"What kind of animal do you think would work well for you?" He would ask, curious in relation to the boy's bloodline.

WC = 584

Nervously listening to Dracoso's proposition of starting with "less dangerous or intense Genjutsu" Nemui thought about it carefully. Taking a deep breath as the man continued to explain his thought process, the boy understood how this could benefit him and calmed his nerves. Towards the end of Dracoso's explanation however, Nemui glimpsed his hand moving out of sight and one could only assume the reason why. Suddenly having the butterfly appear and with the topic of Genjutsu beforehand, he knew this was likely to be an illusion. Still, it didn't matter that he was aware of the possibility as the Genjutsu captured him and he'd raise his right hand, attempting to coax the butterfly into landing on a finger. This only resulted in disappointment as it would move further away.

Tilting his head, Nemui was compelled to walk after it although he would resist as best he could, rigidly moving his legs in pursuit. The boy as though exercising a great effort would turn his head to look at Dracoso, hearing the explanation that this was named the "Butterfly Effect" and what its purpose was. With a confused expression he'd answer "But how do I make it stop?" before having his attention torn back to the butterfly, doing his best to resist it. Nemui's feet would drag as he pursued the butterfly slowly and in a vain attempt to break the illusion he'd make several swipes at it with his hands. In whatever way this situation developed they eventually moved onto the topic of familiars..

Attentively listening as per usual Nemui heard out Dracoso's lecture concerning familiars. Eventually this lead to him asking the question that the boy was most unsure of. "Truly.. I don't know. There's too many animals in the world for me to choose one over another." Twirling a length of hair with his right index finger, Nemui gave further thought to the question briefly before adding "I don't really need a familiar that fights alongside me though, I'd prefer if it can stay out of danger and alert me to potential threats, as I can only imagine yours does through.. pheromones?" He'd look curiously to the man, seeking confirmation on his assumption.

"I also intend to fight with my Taijutsu so that poses further risk to any familiar's life accompanying me." An exacerbated sigh following this statement lead into further internal reflection. "Maybe this isn't something I should rush into." Nemui dejectedly added while staring into the horizon.


WC: 412

As the boy would swipe at the butterfly here and there, Dracoso would make sure to keep Nemui relatively close before ceasing to sustain the illusion. "When you become aware that you are in a Genjutsu, you can sense a disruption. Chakra is being applied to your body and mind, whether to your sight, touch, smell, or whatever it may target. It tries to disrupt how you naturally see the world and add or remove part of what you are experiencing. The way you remove it is by disconnecting that additional or removal from yourself. You apply your own chakra to the area being influenced and dispel it using as much, if not more, chakra than is there. When you are successful, you force it to release you from the Genjutsu. That is why it is called the Genjutsu Release technique."

As he finished explaining it, he would place his hand softly over his chin and lower lip and say, "I do have another Okami who specializes in Genjutsu as well. They could offer more insight if you would like to learn more about it? Their techniques will probably far more advanced, so they may know more ways to explain some of the aspects to look out for..." Dracoso suggested. He knew a few more techniques that he could apply, the only downside is that both were more intense than the one he had already used.

As the topic moved on for familiars, Dracoso would nod to Nemui's words. "It would be hard to have a familiar who both stays out of the way of combat and who provides you with knowledge in the fight. My first thought was to possibly get a bird who you could teach space-time techniques to. This would allow them to safely move around the battlefield while supporting you and still being capable of keeping up. From there, perhaps you could have a burrowing pet, like a mole or some forms of rabbit, which can move safely underneath you and avoid most forms of attacks while still connected with you. If you train enough with one, you can begin to sync your attacks and motions together so that it is almost like telepathy."

As Dracoso scratched his chin in thought, he continued, "otherwise, if you are planning to use taijutsu, you could simply get a pet that is capable with Fuinjutsu. There are several methods which can be used to enhance your own abilities so you can fight. Once the seals are applied, your pet can retreat and await somewhere safely nearby before you return to it for further enhancement or support. This allows you to have access to many other specialty techniques you may not normally have, while keeping a pet safe from combat." Dracoso paused at this point to see what Nemui's thoughts were on this.

WC = 473

As the illusion vanished, freeing Nemui from its influence, the boy shivered and hunched over. Leaning forward with both arms supporting his weight against his knees, he looked up at Dracoso. The man's explanation concerning Genjutsu left nothing to be desired, allowing Nemui to understand how they worked and the method of which Genjutsu Release enabled the removal of these illusions. Despite not knowing the handseals involved with the technique, the boy could now at least comprehend how to use it. He'd give a nod once Dracoso finished this first part of his lecture to acknowledge his understanding; following this he'd stand up straight, ready to continue.

The topic shifted then as Dracoso brought up one of his Okami, offering to have it advise Nemui on Genjutsu. At hearing this idea the boy gave careful consideration to whether or not he wanted to endure Genjutsu at the hands of something more proficient than Dracoso. "I think I'm quite happy practicing with you to be honest, Sensei." Nemui remarked jovially. "But if you think that having your Okami instruct me on Genjutsu would be beneficial.. I'll trust you." Smiling trustfully, the boy shrugged and steeled his nerves in preparation for the worst. Visually he would not appear very enthusiastic towards the idea despite his words being truthful.

Later as the topic of familiars continued from Nemui expressing his doubts about having one; he listened attentively for Dracoso's advice. As the boy thought, the man seemingly agreed that having a familiar remain safe in close-combat would be fairly difficult. Dracoso still offered some good suggestions however, the bird of which Nemui thought about particularly fondly. Burrowing pets on the other hand could easily be crushed underground against the wrong opponent and didn't really appeal to him. Seeing the man briefly think deeply while scratching his chin, Nemui continued to think about various birds and what advantages they may offer him in combat.

Before the boy thought to speak up about his preferences, Dracoso's lecture continued suggesting the use of a familiar proficient in Fuuinjutsu. Hearing his explanation of what capabilities this familiar would have, Nemui thought it sounded very compelling. After listening to everything Dracoso had to say and providing a momentary pause encase he continued further, the boy took his chance to speak. "I rather like the idea of having a bird familiar, perhaps an owl given their excellent sense of sight and sound." Nemui brushed some hair aside while giving consideration to his next words "A familiar that can enhance me between combat using Fuuinjutsu also sounds fairly safe."

Then flicking the hair behind his shoulders he'd continue "Is it possible to get a familiar that can do both?" Nemui questioned Dracoso, curious about what limits a familiar may have.


WC: 460