Last minute Missions.

Mission List:

It was a tad strange that a shipment had come in during mid winter, a shipment of farming soil that is, the manufactures didn't give much too go off, merely a list and the several sacks of dirt, perhaps there was a reason it was so sudden and secretive but the Ninja Missions Bureau didn't care much on the details, besides inspecting it too find it was just soil. They sent out a mission request and that was that, said mission request would sit there for a few hours before eventually mid-day someone picked it up and decided too do it.


It was a somewhat off day, the sky was clouded, with little sun light, not the kind of day you'd expect too get much done, Xena thought at least, she was laying in her room, half asleep, her night gown had risen up her leg a bit as a leg laid haphazardly off the side of her bed. Indeed it was as if a hurricane had torn through the bed, Xena laid on it even still her eyes shut and her hair a absolute mess, she wasn't planning too get up at the time so she certainly didn't expect it when a loud knock shook her more into the waking world, another knock would wake her fully before she could hear some yelling, it was her mother waking her, this early, what time even was it? Why couldn't she just sleep in 5 more minutes she asked herself in her head, her eyes remaining shut, she didn't even respond despite thinking she did, it wasn't until the door was kicked open that she rose up with some shock too find her rather angry mother standing in the door way, holding her hands up in a motion as if too say she surrendered, her mother walked out of the door way back into the main section of the house. "Fuck... Hell hath no fury like a mother scorned I guess..." Slowly the girl crawled out of bed completely, stretching her arms and legs as well as her back, guess she was working today even if she didn't want too, hopping up she sighed, shutting her door before sitting at her desk and taking a brush too her unruly hair, truthfully her hair was getting too be so long it might be best too cut it, but she enjoyed it being this long in all honesty, maybe simply cause it gave her a distinctive look. She pulled her clothing from the dresser in the desk, placing her night gown inside and changing too her robes, they were quite comfortable, being made of luxurious material does that she supposed. These missions were profitable at the very least, taking a leap out her window she made her way across Uchiha District towards the mission center.

Some Time Later

Coming too a landing atop a house overlooking the mission center, Xena hopped down too street level before walking over and into the center, she simply asked for any mission she could grab, being informed there was 4, with one she could do right now, the other 3 were expected too be ready in 2ish hours, this first one she asked the details on while agreeing too join in on the other 3 as well, this first one was a simply delivery mission, taking soil across town, why was soil brought into town mid winter she pondered, not taking too much time too question it she just accepted it and walking out and into a side room she found the soil that needed too be brought elsewhere. Sighing she placed seals upon the bags, setting them up too be summoned via the summoning technique, this would be easier then carrying them across the village. Having done so she'd begin making her way outside with a given map, it'd lead her too the villagers that wanted all this soil, it's still strange why they'd want soil in the middle of the winter, maybe they were simply stock piling and this was a late delivery, eh, unlikely. Though she supposed she didn't care now taking a leap into the sky, onto a building, this might take a good 30 or so minutes so, she began leaping from roof top too roof top, the first building wasn't actually that far away so this wouldn't be too bad... Landing infront of that building so soon, she signed the seal of confrontation, the bag appearing before her as she'd knock on the door before leaping into the sky again signing the body flicker technique too soar off through the sky looking through the blur of streets she eventually landed onto another building checking her map she went back down too street level, finding a house with a somewhat dead garden, this seemed too be the second place, walking over she once again sealed the sign of confrontation a bag of soil appearing before her as she knocked on the door, jumping onto a tree moving over towards a much more farm heavy district of the village, some 20 farms being visible the first one on the left had requested the final bag of soil, so landing there she'd do the final sign of confrontation knocking on the door as the soil appeared before leaping off, frankly this took her barely 15 minutes which shocked her, no doubt due too not having too carry the bags of soil by hand, making her way back too the mission center she'd likely have too wait until the others who were set too do the missions were around, so she'd take a seat crossing her legs and yawning.

WC:941 | MWC: 941/2150 | TMWC: 941/8600

Meanwhile, outside the main city of Konohagakure-no-Sato, within the village outskirts...


A young, short black-haired kunoichi readies herself for another 'bout of missions to complete. This time, with Xena, Nokino, and a quaternary member she's yet to meet personally herself. Nevertheless, she's excited to go on another assignment run with Yours Truly, donning a long open-sleeved, lavender-colored qipao with purple and white accents, fishnet undergarments, mesh legwear, a thin violet choker, shorts, and black open-foot sandals with her other ninja tools holstered at her left rear hip. An engraving of her clan symbol displays itself on the back of her qipao's torso and she wraps her village forehead protector around her hips securely, tugging at the bands before she nods to herself and slides the shoji door from her room, down the hallway and toward the living space.

"Oka-san, Onee-chan! I'll be—!" And she soon finds out her mother's nowhere to be seen. Himari puffs her cheeks and slides another shoji leading toward their backyard and finds no trace of the woman anywhere. "Maybe she's gone shopping together with Onee-chan," she murmurs to herself. "I'll leave 'em a note, then, just in case." She heads back inside for a notepad and pen, scribbling down a short message for her mother and sister before setting it down on the table. With that taken care of, she heads outside once more to begin her trek toward the village's mission assignment center.  Fortunately, the walk isn't too long, so she arrives at her destination with plenty of time to spare. Upon arrival, Himari sees a few shinobi already waiting in line, but they don't look familiar to her.

While Himari waits, she recalls the overview of the mission details and unfurls a missive she received from the administration facility of the specifics of the assignments she'll be doing today. Starting from the very top, the Konoha Ninja Academy is due for a revision of their Taijutsu training module and requires an expert in the discipline to assist in demonstrations and a brief sparring session to record for further evaluation from the higher-ups. Sounds like that'll be right up her ally considering—despite her proficiency in the Gentle Fist Art—she has experience utilizing non-Hyūga-related techniques throughout her ninja career, especially during the time her Byakugan had been dormant for up to 13 years until recently. The next is a talent show being hosted by the Academy, once again, however, being located at the village training grounds. The task is as simple as making sure nothing goes awry and no saboteurs during the event.

Thereafter, there's another task that requires the 4-man cell to remove a tree that's caused a considerable disturbance in the roads of Konohagakure-no Sato, alongside performing some landscaping work to make sure it doesn't happen again. Finally, Himari reads the last and most familiar mission: delivering a large order of soil throughout the village to those waiting for their shipment to arrive. Thankfully, none of these missions are inherently dangerous, but caution is always advised. She vividly recalls the first and last patrol mission she went on with Arutemisu and Tenshi that ended in subdued catastrophe.

"I wonder what Xena-san's doing," she wonders aloud, looking around for her friend before she spots her sitting down on one of the benches inside by her lonesome, too. "Ah! There she is!" Himari waves and strides over to her, taking a seat beside her on the bench. "Good morning, Xena-san! Hope I'm not late—Oh! And I've got a heap to tell you, too! Do you think it'll be long before the others come? Wouldn't wanna leave ya on a cliffhanger if they aren't!"

---

WC: 608
TWC: 608/2,150
TMWC: 1,549//8,600

Yukio rushed out of the house, a bit of Wood Chakra closing and locking his door as he sprinted through the threshold. He was late! He was never late! He had agreed to take on a few missions with a team of other Genin like himself and should have met them at the administration building fifteen minutes ago! Molding chakra, he formed the Ram seal and flickered through the streets of the Village Hidden in the Leaves as fast as he could manage. Soon enough, and with only two civilians cursing at him for his tearing down the streets, he arrived at the Administration building, seeing two of the four of the squad he intended to work with already waiting on him. He stopped a block away and centered himself, smoothing out his appearance. It wouldn’t do to show up late and look disheveled. With one more burst of chakra, he flickered to the two genin waiting, Xena Uchiha and Himari Hyuga. Smiling a greeting, Yukio spoke with the two of them, bowing at his waist.

”My deepest apologies Xena, Himari! I got sidetracked on the road of life, you see…” Yukio trailed off, confused where he had heard the phrase from before. ”In any fashion, I am prepared now to assist! Are we still waiting for our fourth?” He asked of the two shinobi before him.

---

WC: 227 | TWC: 227/2,150 | TMWC: 1,776/8,600

Xena had sat there for a long while, her legs slowly growing numb as she changed seating positions multiple times before finally resting on her knees, in a ceremonial sitting arrangement. due too how her family sat it was the most comfortable, sitting around the small table, talking about the daily happenings, though recently not much has happened, the Chuunin exams was coming up, though Xena was still unsure how she felt about it, she was confident she could manage things but depending on who she was put up against it could be a nightmare, speaking of Nightmares, since that night not long ago, with that strange woman, Xena's never been able too relax, always believing their precense was there, even when it almost definitely wasn't it was all so strange, rubbing the side of her head, the right specifically, the one where her eye was covered by her bangs, she felt across the wound, it was so smooth, you'd almost think nothing was ever there, and it was frightening, once the chuunin exams began, she'd be fighting for herself, and only herself, she didn't want too see her friends as enemies, but, she wasn't sure what else she could do, the teams seem to have fallen apart for most of them, she wondered how the exam and missions would go, hoping they'd just be sorted into new teams for it, though that would likely be wishful thinking wouldn't it, her mind wandering she came too a sudden thought, what if during the exams she came across the woman again, would she freeze? Would she be unable too defend herself, just like before, she wasn't sure. But she didn't want too feel as weak as she did then, she wouldn't allow herself no matter the case, it just wasn't something she could stand.

Sometime had passed, maybe, 20 minutes, or maybe less, Xena's racing thoughts coming too a silence once she could hear a familiar voice. That soft voice, one of youth, and precense, yet also a fierce determination. Only one of Xena's eyes opened on hearing the voice at first, with the second one following soon after, seeing the Young Hyuuga she's known for some time, surprisingly no sign of Zarina, out on her own for once, how they grow so quickly amazed Xena. Not that she was agaisnt it, the growth of the Hyuuga Clan always would surprise her again and again, it made her question her clans hatred towards them so often, perhaps it was only part of her clans history, she didn't want too let that definite her, that's for certain. The Hyuuga would begin apologizing for their being late, there was a set time too begin with Xena would question, though with a soft snicker she'd simply pat next too her commenting. "It's fine Himari-Chan, come, sit. There's plenty of time too talk I'm sure." Xena would say with a simple smile, though she'd question if Chan was the correct thing too call Himari, she always felt Himari was so much younger then her, but really just how old was Himari she wondered, her thoughts weren't able too last long before a male approached, one she's also met. Of the Senju clan, Yukio. She didn't know why, she also felt he was some rich boy, maybe because of his clothing style, she hasn't actually seen him in his battle attire, perhaps that WAS his battle attire, in which case, who was she too judge. "You're fine Yukio, feel free too sit, we were just getting ready too talk while waiting for you and Nurai I believe his name was." That last one never would show up, would they. A minute passed, then two, then five, and finally Xena took note of ten minutes passing, and would simply state. "I suppose Nurai isn't coming, maybe something more important came up." Xena would state with some bit of condesention but also with a bit of understanding, important things do happen, though not saying anything about them is rude in her eyes, Xena slowly would rise too a stand looking at the two before stretching.

"Well then, I'd say we best get going, wouldn't wanna be late now would we?" Xena stated with a simple smile, finally turning too the sliding door and sliding it open before stepping outside. They should get the tree situation dealt with first she believed, as the other 2 missions took place in the same area, after thinking that she'd state it aloud. "I think the best course of action would be dealing with the tree first, considering the other 2 missions are in the same place y'know?" She'd say turning her head a bit so that she wasn't talking too them while her back was faced at them completely. "You two think that's a good idea or you wanna go down too the academy first?" She'd ask wanting their opinion rather then just blatantly commanding them, should they agree that the best course would be going too the tree she'd begin walking in that direction, it was in the southern side of the village, near quite a few houses, it'd be best if one of them acted too remove the tree, while the others made sure it didn't fall on anything important, they could theoretically just burn it down but that brings the danger of setting nearby houses on fire. Which would just simply be a awful idea. Though if they decided they'd rather go too the academy Xena would nod accepting their choice, the academy was westward, about a mile away, jumping there wouldn't be that difficult, and with the use of body flicker which just ignores what you're normally physically able too do jumping there should be even easier, with that thought in mind however, she couldn't ponder just ditching her team, not only would that be rude it wouldn't be the best for them all, seeing how getting seperated in a team effort isn't the best for most circumstances, but that's simple knowledge is it not.

WC:1007 TWC:1948 MWC:1948/2866 TMWC:2783/8,600

Upon hearing Xena's remark, Himari nods with fervency in response. "Oh, OK, great! So, a little while ago, I was gardening with my mom and we were talking about how cool it'd be if I had a sibling and everything. Then..." She soon attempts to divulge the events that transpired during her conversation with her mother, although careful to avoid giving too much as well, as it was a private matter between family.

It becomes even more difficult when she describes the circumstance of a surprise relative, Hyūga Hisaki, entering the narrative and decides the best way to go about the occurrence as being akin to the ole 'long-lost sibling' troupe. Thereafter, the story takes an unusual turn when she tries to piece everything together without it sounding completely incoherent which, whether Xena chooses to believe it or not, Himari will remain stalwart in her storytelling as she contemplates whether the presence of a Living Clone would cause a conversational upheaval.

Before she can explain the occurrence of how Himari was re-united with the most recent addition to her family, she hears a boyish voice holler toward the duo. She turns to look and finds Yukio approaching at a hurried pace. "Yukio, hello!" She waves with both hands high over her head with a dopey smile on her countenance. "I'm happy to see you're doing better since I last saw you... A fourth? I dunno." She turns to look at Xena, who later deduces that their fourth member, Nurai, is unlikely to attend today's assignments. A bummer, she would think, but her mood is quickly revitalized knowing she'll be spending time in good company of two good friends. "That's fine! This'll be a cinch for us!"

When Xena proceeds to exit, Himari follows suit and listens to the options given by her colleague. Given where relative to everything else in the picture, Himari chimes in, "I think... it'd be easier if we tried to move the tree outta the way before we go to the Ninja Academy from here. I don't mind the exercise of moving around a lot since I'm used to it, but like ya said, the less we gotta go back and forth, the better, ya'know?" She then pivots to face Yukio. "What'd ya think?"

---

WC: 378
TWC: 986/4,300
TMWC: 3,161/8,600

Xena sat her legs crossed over one another as she would listen to Himari's story, it began with a short tale of her and her mother gardening, supposedly during this conversation she spoke with her mother about how it would be if she were to have a sibling. A interesting prospect, Xena herself always felt the younger Uchiha were simply her younger brothers and sisters, all part of the same clan, all part of the same family. Perhaps it was too good to be true but it's how she saw it, though she decided to not bring it up too Himari. Himari herself seemed distraught somewhat as she would bring up the sudden arrival of a long lost sibling, how, ironic? Was that the word, possibly not, It was strange, and in the weird kind, but who cared, it wasn't her buisness, even if she was being told of it. The Uchiha would stare into the Hyuuga's eyes, she could feel the nerves of the Hyuuga, but she didn't mention them, what could she even be nervous of. 

"I see... Well, Family comes from the strangest places, never let that change your heart." Saying such the Uchiha would smile. Before looking over towards Yukio who had walked over, the Senju seemed nervous of something before finally stating rather quickly too the two ladies. "Apologies friends! But a emergency has come up, I was just informing the Administration to notify you but noticed you aside so I came too inform you myself, I wish you both the best!" Before walking off, Xena would nod as he did, understanding emergency's coming up. "Well it appears that Yukio has other things too do, as does Nurai, shall we be going Himari-Chan?" Xena would ask as she stood moving towards the Administration Buildings front door, following the small dialogue of deciding where too go she nodded moving her way south. As she walked she made sure too walk a bit slow, her height difference over Himari made her walk at a much faster pace, so walking slower was required to avoid walking off away from her. "So Himari-Chan, this new family member, do you enjoy their company?" Xena would comment as she walked.

WC:369 TWC:2317 MWC:2317/4300 TMWC:3530

Himari bobs her head excitedly at Xena's remark before turning her attention back to Yukio who, unfortunately, has to depart on an important matter as he arrived at the facility to submit his resignation from their mission together. There's a slightly, downtrodden frown on her countenance as Yukio takes his leave but it quickly vanishes as she waves goodbye to him. She then nods again in response to Xena's question. "Yeah! I do... She's actually really sweet and kind!" Himari says with another smile as she turns back to face Xena, following suit as they exit the building and head southward of the village to attend to the fallen, troublesome tree.

"We get along really well, too! Her name's Hisaki! She doesn't go out often, though, because she prefers to stay at home with our mom, but it's kinda relieving knowing my mom has someone to have around while I'm gone. But, sometimes," Himari leans a little toward Xena, comically simulating one whispering to another as though her elder sister were present. "Onee-san can be a bit of slouch when we train, though. Not that she's lazy, she's just a really fast learner—even faster than me!—so what would take me a month to master, she can do in a week, it's crazy!"

Himari blinks as she realizes she's been rambling on for a good minute or so about her sister and quickly straightens herself back up, suddenly feeling embarrassed. "S-Sorry! I didn't mean to go on like that. I don't get to talk about my family a whole lot with anyone..." She says sheepishly with a nervous laugh as she rubs the back of her head. "But yeah, Hisaki Onee-san is really cool and awesome! What about you? Do you have any family?" She asks curiously, listening to whatever answer Xena provides as she intermittently nods attentively with a jovial grin.




The duo arrive at one of the junctions of the village where, sure enough, there's a fallen tree blocking off a portion of the road. It's moderately sized, but it's still manageable for two kunoichi to handle on their own. Himari looks around to see if there's anyone nearby that can help them out before turning back to Xena. Seeing no volunteers, she announces for any passerby to vacate the premise before getting to work. "I guess we should get started then..." She says as she approaches the tree. "This shouldn't take us very long, just like last time." She murmurs as she stretches her hands above her head. "I think I have an idea for this one: I'm gonna try and make it into smaller pieces so its easier to move around. Maybe we can give them to a local lumbermill or something so it doesn't go to waste."

Performing the following hand seals: Tiger → Boar → Dog → Dragon → Rat, a sudden surge of heightened strength surges through her body. Although there are no distinct features that would alter her physique, the result speaks for itself. Himari strides over to the base of the tree and adopts a kiba dachi stance with one, open-palm hand hovering above the trunk. There's a moment of silence as Himari slowly raises and lowers her hand, drawing in each breath as it rises and expelling as it drops. Then, with a sudden cry, she raises her hand and hammers it downward. The trunk immediately gives way to the kinetic force exerted upon it and snaps into two pieces, which Himari then kicks apart to make them more manageable.

"There!" She says triumphantly before turning to Xena, with her arms curled at either side of her head. "How's that? Pretty strong, right? I used to have a really hard time doing this at first, y'know! But, it's a lot easier with what I know now than before when I graduate from the Academy. I'll handle the rest, don'tcha worry!" She proceeds to repeat the process and splits the trunk into individual segments, careful to measure the blow of each strike such that any residual debris don't splinter off and harm any pedestrians nearby. Thankfully, the process doesn't take too long and there now lie seven heavy, segmented, disk-shaped trunks lying about on the concrete floor. Each possessing a width of 0.5 meters, a height of 0.25 meters.

"There ya go! All done!" She comments, dusting her hands of stray splinters. "Hmm... I think we can roll them off to the side of the road for now until we get everything else done. If not, we can always just let the admins know it's done so they can fetch for someone to collect them. What'd ya think?"

---

WC: 778
TWC: 1,746/4,300
TMWC: 4,308/8,600

---

The Stats:

As Xena walked her hair casually catching the breeze blowing through the streets, having messy long hair had its perks, this was one of them, the feeling of air pushing it back, it was something you'd have too feel to understand, as she tilted her head towards Himari too make sure she could hear her they seemed excited to talk about their family, how cute, must be nice to have siblings. Stretching her arms back as she yawned, this was nice, just relaxing, sure they were on a mission but these weren't life threatening, they were peaceful ones, relaxing ones, just basic work. Who would of thunk. The easier, and relaxing missions were nice? Hah. It sounded to Xena like Himari's new family is a recluse, can't blame em, the sun hurts her eyes too, or at least somethings been hurting them. Supposedly their quite capable though, according to Himari they train like no tomorrow. How very interesting, though as Himari leaned almost against Xena her eyes finally focused on Himari rather then forward, felt weird having someone so close to her. They would comment that they learned like no tomorrow as well, at least 3x faster then Himari did. "Is that so?" Xena would ponder placing her arms down from behind herself, as Himari finally realized however she's been talking for a while and became embarrassed Xena would simply giggle, they began apologizing, Xena didn't see the point but accepted said apology. Then she asked a personal question... what was her family like. "Ah. . ." Xena seemed almost shocked no one had asked of her family, no even... H E R... shaking that thought from her head while rubbing the side of her head, almost too the point you'd assume she rubbed something off she thought for a moment. "My... Family is interesting, I suppose... I don't have any siblings, just my mom and father. Mom's a teacher at the Academy, you probably didn't meet her though, Father runs missions, keeps the income coming so we can afford our little... hut. Strangely he hasn't made me start paying rent." Xena would chuckle at that as if it was a joke, but it wasn't it was something she genuinely pondered as too why. "Father helps me train sometimes, he's really good at Taijutsu..." Saying such she'd seem to shiver only for a moment though. "I think you and him would do really well together, you might even give him a run for his money." She'd say smirking. How she'd love too see that... Though she'd never admit such a thing, if not out of fear, then blatant respect for her elders. "I always wondered what it'd be like too have siblings though... closest I had was Zarina but, she seems to of vanished as of late, maybe she simply moved villages, wouldn't surprise me what with how close us and the sand village are now..." Looking up towards the sky she'd simply ponder just where that girl was, it didn't matter she supposed. Finally finishing she realized she rambled for perhaps a solid 5 minutes, they were already at the tree, yikes.

Walking forward she watched as Himari took charge of the situation, how... adult of her. As Xena walked over too the tree too try too destroy it Himari stopped her, she stated she'd simply make it into smaller pieces, how smart, though Xena didn't immediately see the point until Himari commented about saving it for lumber in the village, watching her work with the wood it was impressive seeing her cleave it into segments, Xena could never have that physical prowess, it hurt a bit too think about honestly, leaning on a standing tree she could tell she wasn't needed currently, waiting until Himari cleaved the tree into multiple pieces she finally was told too roll them off the side of the road, nodding she had a jutsu just for this situation, well not specifically just this situation but you get the idea. Weaving the Seals of Tiger - Horse - Ram, then the Seal of Cloning, 2 identical clones would appear, and with that they'd immediately start moving the wood, rolling it off road, 6 hands is far better then just 2 after all. It wouldn't take long maybe a few minutes until all the lumber was moved, it was clear they couldn't move it too the lumber yard, thats across town. Himari commented too just let admin know and one of the Xena's would nod while another gave a thumbs up, the two making the clone seal would vanish into puffs of smoke with the final Xena walking back off after pushing the final log out of the way. "Well that's done, we can let the admins know when we turn in the missions, off too the academy then?" Xena would tilt her head, she half expected Himari to be excited to return too the academy, but what did she know.

WC:822 TWC:3139/4300 TMWC:4352/8600

There's a faint glint of excitement in Himari's eyes when she mentions Xena's mother being a teacher at the Academy. "Whoa, really? My mom's an Academy Teacher, too! Although I don't think I've seen yours before while I was there, I'm sure my mom's crossed paths with her a couple of times... Paying rent," Her eyes widen slightly, arching one of her brows. "For living in your own home? Shouldn't you do that because you want to, not because you need to?" She hums lowly before continuing. "But, it's nice to hear you have someone dependable like your dad around to help keep things together. I wish mine did the same instead of leaving me and my mom behind..." She whispers the last sentence with a crestfallen expression that comes just as quickly as her countenance shifts to her usual, upbeat self.

Listening to the remark of herself and Xena's father exchanging pleasantries and blows does rouse a giggle from her. "I'd like to think so, too! I'm not sure if I could give him much of a run for his money, but it's happy to know you think I can." Himari's ears perk up at the mention of Zarina, listening to Xena's speculation of her having transferred to the Hidden Sand Village, and remembering the promise she agreed upon before her sudden departure from gods knows where she is now. At that moment, Himari felt a sudden conflict with informing Xena of what transpired during their last mission outing together. Yet, she senses within herself to stay her tongue from divulging any information. Then there's the situation regarding Hakudōshi...

While she cherishes Xena and eases the concerns she may have for her friend, she's also a dreadful liar. Even white lies "She's...doing fine! I mean, I haven't heard anything from her since she left, but I'm sure she's okay." She smiles reassuringly at Xena. "Don't worry, I'll tell you if something happens." She makes a face one could interpret as her contemplating her next words before she blurts out with her hands, open and high above her head. "But, you'll always have me, too, Xena! You're like a big sister to me, so... um," She lowers her arms. "I don't know where I was going with this, but, please don't feel like you're alone without Zarina with us. I miss her just as much, but we still have each other, y'know? That's what friends are for, to be there for one another when times get tough!"

Later, as the duo clears the troublesome tree from obstructing the village traffic, Himari watches the two clones Xena forms assist in rolling the log disks out of the way. Light work. They're done in mere minutes before Himari feels the adrenaline rush from her earlier Jutsu steadily declining before achieving homeostasis. "Done and done! And to the Academy, we go!"

This particular mission excites Himari and understandably so. "Y'know," She starts, almost acquiescing to the feeling of jogging to the Academy. "Of all the subjects taught at the Academy, I could never nail down how to use Ninjutsu all too well. It didn't help I wasn't great at chakra control, but my mom helped me realize my talent for hitting things really hard. So, it's almost fulfilling in a way that I get to play a part in helping other students do better in something I'm now great at!" She then turns to face Xena with a dopey smile. "And don't worry about feeling outta place when we get started, it's what I'm here for!"



The pair arrive at the Academy and introduce themselves to the nearest available teacher about a new Taijutsu training regiment they're implementing with the other faculty. The teacher is more than happy to oblige and has the two follow him into a large gymnasium where he explains the situation to his colleagues. Wasting no time, they immediately set to laying the groundwork of the training exercise by segmenting it into three phases: the first phase involves brainstorming a roadmap of the regiment, the second provides a demonstration--within Himari's and Xena's capabilities--before finally, the third requiring a Taijutsu-only spar with one of the instructor's for first-hand experience.

They begin deliberating with the first phase and organizing a timeframe, what core exercises should be improved and others revised, and how long each session will last. They also discuss possible scenarios that may arise during the training regiment, such as students falling behind or excelling beyond expectations, and what to do in those situations. After an hour of discussion, they have a rough outline of the training regiment ready for the second phase.

"I'll demonstrate the first exercise," Himari says, stepping up to the plate. "It's a basic striking drill where I'll be hitting these wooden dummies with various techniques." She demonstrates by punching, kicking, and elbow-striking the dummy in front of her with varying degrees of strength. After a few minutes of demonstrating, she steps aside to let Xena attempt her part in the exercise. Otherwise, one of the instructors steps in to try their hand at it, too.

With that, the instructor begins demonstrating the second exercise. This one is a bit more involved than the first, requiring the student to perform a series of movements while maintaining control over their body. The goal is to improve coordination and balance while also strengthening the core muscles. Next, the third exercise involves partner work where one student acts as an attacker while the other defends against them. This helps develop reaction time and teaches students how to defend themselves from different angles. Finally, the fourth and last exercise is a sparring match between two students. This coalesces the previous three exercises to determine the individual skill of each student and test their skills against someone relative and gives them a chance to practice what they've learned in a real-world scenario.

The final exercise is what Himari hoped to apply the demonstrations put forth in the previous exercises to a practical scenario. She's confident that she'll be able to hold her own against one of the Taijutsu coaches, but she's also aware that she may not have the experience or knowledge to win every time. Still, seeing how far she can go against them will be fun. With the timer set for two minutes, Himari and a Taijutsu instructor trade blows with one another.

Himari begins by throwing a few jabs at the instructor's face before attempting a roundhouse kick to his head, which he easily blocks. He counters with a punch of his own, but Himari dodges it and tries to sweep his leg out from under him. The instructor jumps back just in time, narrowly avoiding the attack, and then launches himself at her with a flurry of punches and kicks. Himari blocks most of them, but one manages to slip past her guard and land a blow to her stomach. She grunts in pain but doesn't let it slow her down, continuing to fight back with everything she's got.

The two exchange blows for what seems like an eternity until finally, Himari lands a solid punch to the instructor's face, knocking him off balance. He stumbles backward and falls to the ground, and Himari quickly takes advantage of the opportunity by pouncing on top of him and pinning him down. She holds him there for a few seconds before releasing him and stepping back, panting heavily.

"That was...a good fight," The instructor says as he gets back up. "You're definitely going places with those skills."

Himari smiles at the compliment and nods in agreement before turning to Xena, "What'd you think?"


Passively accumulating 2 Heavenly Body Stacks (2/10)

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WC: 1,280
TWC: 2,326/4,300
TMWC: 5,588/8,600

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The Stats: