Training Under the Moon

Today at 9:13 pm

The moon seemed massive as though it would never be less than full, the moonlight shining down on the almost silver grass and various fauna. A sparkling from various crystals scattered around the open moody meadow, the sounds of the nearby stream creating a tranquil atmosphere. Sitting upon a flat stone merely a meter from the waters edge was a brown haired young man, his eyes closed as he sat in silence with his legs crossed and forearms resting on his thighs. A small wisp of smoke rising into the night sky from the cigarette in his lips, it began to glow bright red as he inhaled and then allowed the smoke to slowly roll from his nostrils. With eyes still closed, Takashi clasped his hands together in front of his chest. His fingers interlocked as though woven together, his palms pressed flat to one another in the seal of the Snake as chakra began to swirl around his body like a vortex being drawn into a focal point. It began to build larger and large, the chakra collecting between his lungs in his chest. His hands released each other as he curled his right ring and pinky fingers like half a fist, extending his right index and middle finger towards the sky. Mirroring this form with his left hand only laying his ring and pinky fingers atop their right hand counterparts, the seal of the Ram formed as the chakra ball inside split into two each engulfing his lungs in as much chakra as he could muster. The chakra began to form invisible flames raging inside his lungs as his hands began forming the next seal by spinning his palms. His hands completely flat and palm to palm with his fingertips facing the opposing wrist, his final seal being that of the Monkey as Takashi pulled in as much air as he could causing his chest to nearly double in size. Fusing the air inside his lungs to the chakra he had used to create his fire filled lungs, his eyes opened rather suddenly as he exhaled with great force creating a roughly 10cm stream of fire. The flame burned hot as it pushed forward separating from the initial stream from his lips, the stream combined to form a fiery sphere roughly 5 meters in diameter and burst after reaching a mere 8 meters from himself. Takashi let out a sigh as he took a drag from his cigarette that he managed to hang on to in the process, he remained seated as he began thinking over the steps needed to perform the jutsu he attempted.

(437 WC)

Today at 10:00 pm

Oda looked up at the moon from his training spot, he had been here for a little while simply meditating. Fire release was all about passion and frenetic energy, he felt himself pull from his anger when he used Fire jutsu. However, Lava release was different, it required a deeper and more fundamental passion in the same way lava formed the deep and fundamental aspects of the land. It was a slow and arduous process, and Oda could feel his body heating up at the practice of it. He imagined deep and ancient feelings, imagined his chakra as it connected to that primordial energy, but more than that he imagined his chakra as a flowing river of lava, burning but controlled. He felt as if his very veins coursed with liquid stone.

His thoughts were interrupted by the familiar glow of fire a few training stations away, and his curiosity got the better of him. He rounded the bend to the clearing and stopped. To his surprise it was Takashi, the man he had met previously at the gate. He leaned against a tree and observed him practicing the jutsu. Oda was thoroughly impressed by the man's breath control, and made sure to take mental notes. This was a technique he too was trying to learn.

As Takashi finished the seals and exhaled the final fireball Oda looked on in amazement at the size he had reached already with the technique, he resolved himself to improve as well and could feel a friendly rivalry forming. As Takashi sat down and began smoking, Oda spoke up with a jovial tone.

"Alright alright alright bossman, well done." He gave a sincere clap and a thumbs up "You're gonna master that technique in no time! Mind if I join ya?" He asked with a grin on his face.

Oda would not wait for an answer and somewhat boisterously hop over the small divider fence that separated the training areas.

“Y’know the trick I've found with fire jutsus is it's less about the technique and more about the passion!” He said with enthusiasm, putting emphasis on the word passion. Before sheepishly scratching his head and giving an apologetic look “At least, for me it is.”

He continued on albeit with less frenetic energy.
“For instance, what sort of mental headspace do you try to get into when doing Fire release? It's all in the mind bossman!” He said pointing to his temple.

WC: 408

Today at 10:39 pm

As the thoughts on each aspect of the jutsu cycled through Takashi's mind a voice came from the shadows over his left shoulder, a familiar voice to Takashi as he immediately registered it was Oda Terumi the guard who allowed him into the village. Oda's optimism was as high as ever he noted as he listened to him speak as he made his way over, the proposition of them training together came forward from his clansman though no time was given for a response. Takashi listened as Oda carried on about passion being the key to Fire Release, it seemed whenever he spoke he tied passion into his monologues but to some extent this could be true for some. Then he was posed a question, 'what sort of mental headspace do you try to get into when doing Fire release?' to which he responded calmly without moving from his seated position, closing his eyes again as the smoke from his cigarette continued to wisp into the night air. "My headspace? Simple, I clear my mind. Envisioning a black void of nothingness, in the center a small flame no bigger than what a lighter creates. I then see this flame grow to a raging fire that illuminates this darkness and roars an uncontrollable devastation." Takashi's eyes opened again, evident that he had just envisioned such a sight. He then stood from his stone seat, turning to his left and coming around to facing Oda continuing to speak "For me the hang up is maintaining the roaring flame, to bend a fire to my will. It's controlling the handseals to mold my chakra and buff that heat to a furnace I can wield." He signed as he reformed his chakra as before, first it was snake, followed by ram, and finally monkey. He inhaled deeply, his chest growing as it had before, the feeling of burning embers in his lungs as he turned back to the right, ensuring not to release this flame towards Oda. Takashi exhaled with great force as a stream of flames poured forth, the farther it reached from his body it became more and more of a cone shape. At this rate it was still only 8 meters in diameter at its maximum and burning out rather quickly, leaving Takashi standing there and a few little flames burning themselves out on the ground.

Takashi turned back to Oda, "See I seem to only fail to maintain, perhaps it is a lack of 'passion' but I'm not sure my chakra is as emotion connected as yours." Takashi took the final drag from his cigarette before removing the butt from his mouth and crushing it, remembering Oda picking his up the other night he simply tucked it into one of his pockets without saying a word. "Care to give it a go?" Takashi gestured to the open darkness next to them. He would wait to see what Oda could do, he wanted to see this 'passion' in action since it seemed to matter so much to him.

(507 WC)

Today at 11:09 pm

Oda was slightly taken aback by Takashis answer- at least the first part of it- and he did a poor job of hiding it. He listened intently to Takashi describe his process more and sat upright as the brown haired ninja moved to try the technique again. He was thoroughly impressed with the precise nature of his hand movements, and watched them intently as he formed the seals and performed the jutsu.

Oda watched as the flames exhaled from Takashis lungs and filled the air with heat, Noting the impeccable form of the fire as it launched from Takashis position before fizzling out. He grinned and stood as Takashi walked back from his spot.

Oda listened as his training partner described his issues with the technique and nodded along. He nodded again as Takashi asked him if he would like to give it a go and as he walked out to the center of the training ground he mused to Takashi.

“Hmm, is it not true that when we build a campfire we have to keep putting logs on?” He circled around the training grounds a bit as he said “You built a great campfire, but you’re not throwin more logs on the fire” He gave a smile and it went away quickly “that’s just my observation, far be it from me to critique. I get the sense in my meditations that fire is something that burns through its fuel source quickly, whether that be the wood on a campfire or the chakra in our bodies, or the passion that fuels us. We need to feed her.” He gave a mischievous grin "And we do not wanna piss her off"

Oda returned to the center of the clearing and closed his eyes, continuing to talk as he focused. “For me, I see a raging tornado, made of impossibly hot flames.” He did one hand sign, albeit clumsily and with not very good form. “And I imagine that tornado as condensing down to a pindrop.” He gave a deep breath and formed the second hand sign in a passable manner. He paused “And then, it explodes” Oda said in a strained voice as his lungs were filled to the brim with air, air that began to feel hot. He formed the final hand sign, rushing the form and fumbling for a second before exhaling.

The stream of fire that came out was wild and nearly uncontrollable, flames licked outwards from the side of Oda's mouth as the heat dissapated wastefully to the sides, and the stream was more like a cone, he furrowed his brow, imagining the raging explosions of a volcano, and exhaled more with renewed energy. The cone formed into an even larger fireball 13 meters in size and undulating wildly as if off balance before shooting outwards and reaching its max range. The scorch mark seen on the leaves as it veered to the left before impact.

“Whew!” He said enthusiastically “That was the best one yet for me!”

Oda walked back to the sitting area and looked at Takashi “We seem to be different sides of the same coin here bossman” and gave an awkward laugh.

WC: 529

Training Under the Moon

Training Under the Moon

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Re: Training Under the Moon

Re: Training Under the Moon