|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 3:26 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 3:28 pm
 Ever a man...
.
To achieve greatness one must often times push the limits of what one believes possible. Inochi knew his sister was not the sort of person to... well he was wrong. She had used him and he had to retaliate. Even if it was just to ask "how" or... "why". Inside his own mind Inochi shuddered at the thought of his sister's actions. There had to be some reason behind it... but what exactly he couldn't figure. No matter what the reason... Inochi had to be ready. He was unfortunately predictable. She knew AT LEAST the techniques he knew. His trump card was already known... an unfortunate circumstance if he ever came up against her. No.. he needed to best her at her own game. She was the sort of person who would learn something new now that he had got close to her. He knew she liked to be on top. He hadn't minded it as a child but now he was second guessing his entire life so even that had to change...
No... Inochi needed something new. Something to catch her off guard. She knew his earth techniques and his Yamanaka techniques where the same as hers... if not a little inferior by the sound of things. He had to come at her sideways... that was his only real chance at coming out the victor if they fought.
Considering things, Inochi had an affinity of Eath chakra. He use to love being able to sink into the earth. It was where he felt most safe... and maybe that was why it was where he was now. His techniques primarily manipulated the surrounding earth. They could be used for offensive and defensive techniques... but he had an affinity for using defensive and utilitarian techniques rather than offensively using his earth element. Maybe he should learn some offensive ones? No... to predictable...
Earth allowed him to travel through ground and that was useful for setting up attacks- not executing them.
His element was naturally strong against water (or "Suiton") techniques... but he was at risk when fighting against ninja with lightning techniques. A weakness to be sure... lightning techniques where almost totally offensive and had a distinct advantage over his comparatively slow earth technique. That was it... Inochi would learn to manipulate the power of "Raiton" jutsu.
To understand how it worked, he though back hard. He had been an astute student and his memory was good... just not THAT good. He took the liberty of acquiring a copy from the library. It was little beat up, but the library had escaped with considerably little damage. His keen young eyes ran the pages up and down many times before he was confident he understood the nature of the task at hand. It would be daunting... lightning was one of the rarer affinities for a ninja to posses and he was naturally in tune with his opposite. This was a task that scared him a bit...
"Raiton allows the user to generate lightning by increasing the high frequency vibrations of their chakra."
Inochi closed his eyes and recited the line. He needed to make it "part" of him before he could continue. Digesting the line, he exhaled sharply to clear it his a bit. Picturing the flow of chakra inside his body he allowed himself a few full minutes for his inner eye to acclimate to the darkness. A steady, firm flow pulsated in his body. It was calm, collected, slow, and steady. Like him... that was how he produced earth technique. This was NOT a time for that.
Try as he might, Inochi couldn't seem to make his chakra vibrate anywhere need as quick as he needed it to. He could make the imaginary waveform bounce in rhythm and fluctuate chaotically, but it was only for a short spurt. He knew he was on the right path- he just wasn't in the right mindset. He was to collected, to shy, to steady. This was normally his greatest edge, but today it was a hindrance.
Inochi collapsed on the ground, defeated. He just wasn't able to do it! It wasn't something that he could do! It was like-
Then it clicked.
HE couldn't... not as he was. No... HE couldn't. But HE could...
Inochi had felt the confidence, the ferocity, the tenacity, the razor-honed determination that he required before. He had felt it during the chunin exams. He'd felt it at the Wild Card meeting. It was PAIN... pain was his trigger. He recalled the surge of emotions. The steady, overwhelming power it provided him. Everything had been brighter. Everything had smelled more potent. Everything FELT realer. It was a bit intoxicating... but he could allow himself this indulgence if it meant he could best his sister.
Sheepishly Inochi unhooked his tanto from his shoulder harness. Inspecting the tip of the blade warily he started to have second thoughts. What if it didn't work? What if he hurt himself? Was Inogare really worth all this? She wasn't so...
Inochi plunge the tanto into his right bicep... and the pain overwhelmed him. It pumped in his ears. It resonated in his teeth. His bones chattered with it. It was numbing and intoxicating... like he expected. His whole body felt like a thousand tiny micro-pulses where electrifying his skin in unison. The tiny pulses mellowed his spirit and honed his attention... this felt... right.
After a moment of basking in the glow of his pain/pleasure... the youth keenly peered at the boon beside him. High frequencies... right.
A spark, a crack and a light.
No problem. It was cake. Not only could he do it, he could do it easily. He just needed a bit of pain... a bit of an incentive... a reason to do it. He could do just about anything on this man... he was good.
A crisp "crack" of his fingers snapping was accompanied by a feint spark and small rumble of thunder. Without a doubt- this was HIS element.
[Leaned: Lightning Release 1,000 words]
...becoming a lion
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 3:29 pm
Ever a man...
.
But Inochi couldn't stop there. No... not like this. Now he was a lion! A lion that hungered. He needed MORE. To slate that hunger he began to flex and bend his chakra. More finger snaps. More little booms. This was as intoxicating as the pain. His arm was bleeding badly and he could feel the strength draining out of him little by little... but it felt GOOD. Damn good...
The cut was shallow enough he wasn't in any danger of blood-loss, but he WAS in danger of dehydration and exhaustion. To bad. Tough it out.
Letting down his hair he keep up the pace. He snapped his fingers and the little sonic boom that followed was incentive enough to keep going. He even laughed once of twice. This was FUN. Goddam... if he could enjoy jutsu like this every day he'd never stop. Little by little he worked the tiny "bang" into a sizable "crack". Each time he did it, a childish little giggle slipped out. His heart would jump and soon it was soaring. What fun...
"CRACKBANG!"
"CRACKBANG-CRACKBANG!!!"
Inochi almost couldn't stop himself. One snap after another the small little sonic booms split the air. Then he noticed... the air was distorting. The small little spark, followed by the ever-amusing "crack" could be useful for something... hot dam.
"Just a bit more chakra and..."
"CRACKBANG!!!"
The air split with a loud bang that nearly floored Inochi.
"THAT'S THE STUFF!"
Inochi was like the little kid he had never been growing up. He was EXCITED about this!
"Ok ok... once more..."
His face was lit up as his hair fell down around his face...
"CRACKBANG!!!"
The air distorted and forced him backward until he tripped over a small log. Falling flat on his back, he let himself hit the ground with all his weight. Inochi was laughing so hard that his sides hurt... or that could be from the fall. Either way, he was having the time of his life.
Finally, after a long while, he regained his composure. A heavy sigh escaped his lips and he allowed himself a bit of time to breath deep. Despite what had happened to him... and the world he use to know... he was happy now. He was... freer. He had grown in the last three years significantly more than he had grown in his entire life. He had friends, he had choice, he had PRIDE. He had a lot of things he didn't have before... and he was happier for it. Even the bad things, they made him who he was and he wouldn't have done it any other way...
Dusting himself off, he stood up. Using on hand to tie his pony-tail back in place, he tended to the wound on his arm. After he cleaned it out, he wrapped the bandage tight. The twinge of pain that pricked him as he wrapped the wound was a found reminder of the last few hours.
It was harder to summon up the lightning chakra like this... once he'd settled, but he was still coming down off it. With a quick snap and a sharp look, the air in front of him. A little "crack" split the air and force him back. He could employ this technique at close range. While it wasn't going to level an enemy- it could turn back a kunai or force an opponent to back off for a moment. It only required one "handseal" so it was fast-acting and could catch them off guard. Useful... but as he could only use it after his blood was drawn... it had limited uses.
["Raiton: Shishi no Osakebi" or "Lightning Style: Lion's Warcry", Rank D Training Complete 600/500]
...becoming a lion
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 3:31 pm
Ever a man...
.
Lightning was well and good, but he couldn't rest on his laurels if Inogare was his opponent. He was behind the eight-ball with his clan techniques. She knew all the ones he knew. He had even learned one from her. There was no way he could rely on her training... not by a long shot. No... he needed something much more surprising. He had to go above and beyond what normally was though possible. He had to make his own technique...
The thought was daunting. He had to create an entire technique by himself...
From the handseals to the chakra transformation to the right amounts of chakra... there where a thousand things that could go wrong. No... he would have to base it on an existing technique. It would require a touch of "him" too. But how?
Inochi thought long and hard on this. He wasn't one for direct attacks... not that was not his style. He was not a support fighter either. He had mid range attack mostly. He could utilize his earth techniques... or his new lightning chakra. He could mold them togeth... no. Not yet. He had JUST learned how to preform lightning techniques, he couldn't fathom mixing them. His mainstay was Shintenshin no Jutsu... he could use that. He'd already made his own version of the technique "Sashitomeru no jutsu". It was a long shot, but he decided that he would use it as his basis.
Now... how to improve it. He could make it STRONGER... but that was kind of useless. He would make it effect MORE people... an interesting prospect. He was always catching people off guard by thinking two steps ahead of them. This would be a very interesting prospect. But HOW? He EXCHANGED his soul... and he only had one of those. Less than his FULL soul only stunned an opponent. There weren't two of him...
Then it clicked. Inochi figured it out. He didn't need to make a NEW technique. He just needed to re-purpose an existing one. The Shadow Clone technique could make two of him. They where living breathing copies of him. With a little extra work he could probably have them transfer their consciousness. The only problem was... he didn't know Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. He knew the basics. He could do a basic clone and an earth clone. He had developed excellent chakra control... but his stores of chakra where not his strong point.
Even so, he didn't expect it to be to bad a challenge. After going over the formulas in his head, he could probably produce two shadow clones with no problem. He'd be low on chakra, but the two clones could end a fight pretty quick. Even with half his normal chakra he should have no issue getting a Shintenshin no Jutsu off at least with plenty of left over chakra to sustain them. That would also mean that he wouldn't have to go unconscious when he used the technique. The benefits where mounting...
He found the hand-jive to be a little more complex than he would have liked. It involved a unique hand seal that he'd never seen before... odd. However, Inochi wasn't daunted. He practiced it in steps. First he did them slowly, adding on an extra hand seal only after he was confident in the previous one. He went at this for a good twenty minutes before he allowed himself a little respite.
Eating his fill of some rations he brought with him, he allowed his mind to drift.
Once he mastered the Shadow Clone technique the possibilities where endless for a ninja like him. The clones this technique produced where are actual copies, not illusions. They could fill in for him almost entirely. They could activate his jutsu, fight in his place, be used for surveillance. He was THRILLED at the prospect of having another piece to move. The earth clones where useful... sometimes. They had a much slimmer area of use. Normally as decoys or venues of attack. He understood the risks though. His chakra would be distributed amongst the clones. This gave them each an equal fraction of his already slim chakra reserve. (Slim compared to an older, more vital ninja. Inochi WAS a chunin and had plenty of experience) He knew the clones where capable of performing ALL of his jutsu on their own. For decoys they where near perfect. They LOOKED like him at the time of creation, allowing for a confusing effect. He already planned to made use of their summoning smoke by slipping under the soil. That way his opponent could focus on the clones while he enacted another part of the plan... believing it was him.
As his attention returned, he read onward.
He found it unique that shadow clones where originally created for recon. After they are dismissed (or killed), any experiences the clones gained during the mission would be returned to him. Any extra chakra the clone has when it disperses is also would be returned to him. This made his plan for using Shintenshin no Jutsu dangerous. It would consume a lot of chakra REAL fast. This would make his trump card a costly one to play. He'd only have ONE shot at it... but it would be an effective one.
Placing the book away he returned to the hand seals. He had intentionally distracted himself so that he could force himself to test his memory. He was able to execute the hand seals flawlessly on the fifth time through. He wasn't arrogant- it actually impressed him that he got in so quickly again. He did his best to keep his focus on the hand seals. It wouldn't be long before recalling these hand seals could (and very probably WOULD) save his life. He had to make it muscle memory because once he got to training the actual technique- he wouldn't have the focus to dedicate to the hand seals. It had to be second nature. He was quick learner, but even still it took a good hour before he could do it confidently. With a bright smile on his face, he turned the page to see what else he could learn about the technique before he jumped into it.
[Training: Shadow Clone Technique 1,040/2,000]
...becoming a lion
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 5:42 pm
Ever a man...
.
Inochi allowed himself a bit of time. After all... he didn't really have a plan. As far as he knew, he was the only Leaf ninja left aside from Sybil. He figured that there where probably more... he just hadn't seen them yet. Whatever the situation, he didn't have enough power to mount an effecting counter attack beyond what he had already done. His time was better spent improving his own value now that the force of the the Leaf village where so diminished. Everyone would need to be in top form if they where going to make it. That started with himself and he needed this technique to do that.
Refocusing, he closed the book. He was never overly confident, but he was fairly sure that he could pull off the technique. The practiced order of the hand seals flashed through his mind a split second ahead of his hand as he did them. The chakra rose up with grace and control to form a perfect copy of himself.... well "perfect" wasn't the BEST word for what he had created. The clone was a bit... small. It was only about half his height and was twiggy as they come.
"Oh... I'm -um- sorry..."
Inochi turned red at his mistake. Not enough chakra obviously. The clone simply shrugged and was dismissed with a hand seal. The sensations that filled Inochi's mind where... wow. He suddenly had memories of looking up at HIMSELF. It was an odd sensation. He felt like he always had the memories, like he had been there. He'd heard rumors of ninja using this to train. It cut down the time of training by allowing two versions of the user to work on the same problem. The downside was that both the copy and the original had only half the normal amount of chakra. This meant there was a drastic decrees in time that a ninja could use this to train for. For Inochi, it was a unique prospect however. He didn't intend to use the clone for techniques. He could use it to plan... with himself. It was like having two of him. He wasn't one to brag, but his plans where his greatest asset. He was essentially doubling his own mind this was... interesting.
Regathering his chakra, he summoned up enough for another go at making a clone. He gave it his all this time, raising his chakra level for the clone above what he thought he needed. Last time he had gone with what he expected and it was far to little.
"-um- Kage Bunshin no Jutsu...!"
Reluctant and hesitant all at once, his confidence was a bit shaken after his first attempt. He hadn't expected a perfect clone the first time, but... he hadn't expected to miss something so basic.
A dull "poof" glided into the audible range and he was surrounded by the smoke of the clone's creation. Hidden within the smoke was his clone, who promptly took a taichi stance.
...unfortunately... it was not the least bit graceful...
Inochi sighed as the clone, bulging with fleshy love handles and bad acne tired in vein to execute a basic rowing stance.
"Um... sorry... good try..."
Inochi was apologetic, but visibly discouraged. After it had tried to do rowing, it had landed flat on it's a**. It had NO balance and was now struggling like a beetle on it's back. Shaking his head he dispelled the clone.
Inochi shook his head. He wasn't getting anywhere. Apparently the margin of error for creating a perfect clone was much smaller than he had anticipated. He had assumed the more chakra he put in, the more power it would have- like an earth clone. No... this was about art. This was a creation that required finesse rather than brute chakra reserves. Luckily... that was more his style anyway.
Re-reading the text he was able to locate the area he had overlooked. He had read the section on the creation of the clone and the balance of chakra- but he had assumed that it was close enough to an earth clone and had disregarded it for the most part. He mentally chastised himself for being so lax about something as important as chakra levels. "Assuming" didn't do him any good.
Looking back on his past failures, he found a happy median between the two levels. It wasn't to high and it wasn't to low. In fact, it was only SLIGHTLY above the normal amount a "perfect" ninja would require. He was good... but he wasn't perfect. He wasted about 2-5% of his chakra when he used a technique. That wasn't bad. Some ninja, especially the bulk of taijutsu users, where as poor as 20-30%. He wasn't a genin anymore and he was improving day by day. Soon enough he'd only have about a 1% margin of error. On his clan's jutsu he was almost flawless. It came naturally to him, even amongst his clan. This technique was no different, he just needed to sink his claws into it.
With a sigh, he set his mind to forming the clone. He kept a very careful eye on his chakra levels and the amount of chakra he was putting into the clone. This seemed to be the tricky part. It was like filling up a thimble with water. To much and it would spill over. Not enough and any more water you dropped in would be bound to spill over. There where no second chances. He knew if he got it once, he'd be good for the future. Just finding that sweet spot once was all he needed.
"K-kage Bunshin no Jutsu...!"
The smoke came and went and before him stood the fruit of his labors. A perfect copy of himself, complete with the sweat and grime that he'd accumulated crawling around in the pipes earlier. A wide smile split his face- this was the moment of creation of a VERY useful tool for him...
[Complete: Shadow Clone Technique 2,036/2,000]
...becoming a lion
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 6:44 pm
Ever a man...
.
It wasn't enough... not yet. He had to keep pushing himself. He had come to the realization that those who gave him respect where worthy of his own respect with the Shishi. He wanted to protect those who assigned him value. He wanted them to be better for knowing him. Prior to Saito-sempai and the Shishi, he was living vicariously. He was living FOR other people. Now he had his OWN worth. He was living to HELP other people. If he improved his worth, he could better help others. That was his way. It was a choice he made himself.
His greatest weakness was in close combat. He was... decent. Any ninja worth their salt could beat him in a fair fight. He tried to trick his opponents rather than face them head on... but it was a fool who thought himself wiser than every man. So Inochi had to play for what was POSSIBLE, not what was PROBABLE. That being said, he resolved himself to train himself to be a more effective close range fighter. He had come a long way with his own brand of taichi. He'd even matched wits with Saito for a few blows. That being said... Saito was holding back significantly.
To better understand his faults, Inochi decided that training with his own clone would be adventitious. That way he could gain a good deal more technical knowledge. He wasn't concerned with power... no, Tai chi was not about power. That's what had attracted him to it. Rising up, he drew his chakra from deep within himself. Like he had before, he flashed the handseals up and produced a perfect clone. At least that was working... he smiled. He'd only just leaned the technique and he was already enjoying the benefits.
Waves of wind swept the forest clearing that he'd been training in. The setting sun called to him as he faced off against himself. Their eyes both held the same intelligence as they tried to predict what the other would do. His mask had long since been discarded and his face looked a mess.
Immediately, both him and his clone struck out with a long kick. The blow was not designed to hit, just offguard his opponent and allow him to gain access to the opponent's backside. It was more a "great step" than a real attack. Both him and his clone spun to face one another. His clone launched into a high kick aimed to connect with his torso, but Inochi dropped into an open palmed parry. The force of him redirecting his clone's kick helped Inochi deliver a stronger kick of the same sort back. His clone had predicted that and had a long stuff limb ready to turn a solid blow into a harmless glance. His arm under Inochi's leg, the clone simply pushed forwards with his torso as Inochi rocked back slightly from being off balance. Inochi landed hard, but recovered almost instantaneously. He leaped back up with a graceful knee towards his clone's torso, arms wide and balancing. His clone caught his attack wide and effortlessly redirected him to the ground.
[0:22-0:29]
Both where breathing hard. All their moves had been pre-scripted. They where thinking at least three motions ahead. Inochi knew himself... so he knew his clone...and his clone knew him. This exercise really showed the true nature of his style. He wasn't fighting with his body... no, he was fighting with his mind. It was about thinking AHEAD of his opponent and using their own motions against them.
Facing off once more the two ninja set up in an open palm stance. The tips of their fingers where slanted upwards and they stood about three feet apart. His clone took a slightly wider stance, allowing for a strong spring. Inochi on the other hand chose to take a more firm, lower stance. The difference was minuscule but important. Inochi's stance was more closed and fluid. It would allow him to redirect the force he was expecting easier. Despite knowing this, his clone launched into a series of well placed blows at him. The entire time, neither one had spoken. They where totally focused on the fight at hand. The clone's wide knife hand strikes where met with Inochi's high guard defense as he dropped his weight for what was to come. Sitting a bit lower, he seized his opportunity when one of the clone's blows was directed blow his center of gravity. Effortlessly turning the parry into a wrist-lock, Inochi off balanced him with a tug and laid into him with his shoulder. The explosive force from the coiled motion, coupled with the clone being off balance from the earlier move, allowed Inochi to propel his sparing partner several feet back.
The clone recovered, never even falling down. Had this been a real fight- Inochi would have followed the attack up with a technique or perhaps a kunai. His goal was to off-balance his opponent and put them in a vulnerable spot. He could easily slip away. He was a competent mid-ranged fighter, so his goal in when engaged at a close range was to distance his opponent.
The clone once again closed in, a furious series of blows fell deftly against Inochi's calm motions. The lack of rigidity in his limbs was meant to keep his form passive and fluid. If he tensed to much, he would certainly lose his edge over his opponent. This back and forth was easier than the rest, the clone's arm was quickly pulled down and Inochi send his opponent to the ground behind him.
[0:36-0:44]
As he dispelled the clone, he was breathing heavy. Who knew it was so exhausting being calm? A warm-down was in order. The recalled information from his clone was still digesting as he preformed a long, sweeping pushing hands form. While normally done with a partner, he was just doing it for his own benefit. It calmed his spirit and body. It allowed him to breath and work things over. He felt peace when he was doing tai chi... and he knew that the world needed a bit more of that right now...
[Combat Tai Chi Training C-Rank to B-Rank Complete 1,026/1,000]
...becoming a lion
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2011 5:57 am
Ever a man...
.
Now that he had improved his close range techniques, it was time to focus on something a little closer to home. He had made the "Hiding Like a Mole" technique into his mainstay in combat. While it was all well and good to be able to burrow when the situation required it, he never spent any more time on the technique after he first learned it. It would PROBABLY be a good idea to move quicker. It was not very chakra intense, so he could probably just overload himself.
As Inochi sat to rest, he considered how this could work. If he could just "body flicker" under the ground... there had to be a way. The issue was that the body-flicker technique was simply overloading one's body with chakra to move quickly for an instant. Above ground there was no issue as there was nothing preventing a ninja from moving. That having been considered, the technique is a common and wildly successful technique employed by almost every ninja. Inochi didn't use it all that often, though it was not something he was unfamiliar with. His issue was the underground was QUITE different story. He was faced with a SOLID area, preventing him from using the body flicker unless he could transmute the earth to sand AHEAD of time. That took time and time wasn't something that a technique like a body flicker should take. It needed to be spontaneous and instantaneous.
Inochi considered his options. He could transmute the earth ahead of time... but again... that would take time he didn't want to have to. He could transmute the earth AS he did it... but then he ran the risk of messing up. Messing up in a body flicker underground would be akin to riding a horse into a limestone wall at full speed. NOT ideal for him. Inochi rubbed his nose instinctively. It hut him to even think about it...
Inochi thought on the practicality of an "underground body flicker" for quite some time. He weighed the risks and benefits before he opted to give it a shot. What's the worst thing that could happen?
"I could run into a solid wall of limestone while in the middle of a bodyflicker..."
He externalized his thoughts and accompanied them with a long, low, groan. With a heavy sigh, he slid into the soil. The feint sound of shifting sands accompanied him as his rather grumpy eyes slid under the soil's surface. This was NOT going to end well...
Concentrating, he tired the plan he had conceived first, to see if this was at all possible. Focusing his chakra, he was able to sense the ground above him and a fair amount of the soil around him. Good... at least he could get a vague heads-up of the soil content AS he was flickering if he had to try the second way.
The ANBU decided that a short-range test was in order to start things off. Allowing himself to transmute the sand a few feet away, he activated his body flicker. He surged the chakra in his body, overloading his system for a moment.
Then... everything went dark...er.
Inochi sputtered as he came to... a little too far apparently. All that test had got him was a few lumps and a mouth full of sand. His eyes stung and his arms hurt. He came the the conclusion that nothing was broken as he felt around. What little tatters of his pride he had amassed over the years where not flying high at the moment... but he'd live.
He rubbed his eyes in the crook of his elbow. They stung and he was pretty sure he'd have a shiner. In the pitch black of the underground he decided that he must have misjudged the distance. He actually hadn't suspected that it would have been a problem... but the inability adapt rendered this idea useless for the moment. With a heavy sigh from what sounded a LOT like tear swollen throat signified that he was done trying that...
Next he'd have to come up with a better way. The second option now presented itself to him. It wouldn't work... he knew he couldn't claw at a high enough speed to keep up with the body flicker. No... it wouldn't work. He needed a better plan. Just because it was the only one he had SO FAR didn't mean he had to do it.
Gathering his wits, he fought off the... never mind. The pain from the vague injuries where overwhelming him. He felt the small micropulses under his skin as endorphins rushed through his system. This WASN'T helping! He needed... wait...
The night-life of the underworld lit up with his smile. Down there no one could see his true fangs... so he let it all loose. It was a matter of... hmmm. It was a matter of splitting the earth ahead of him... so why not employ the same kinda of principle as when he used lightning chakra. High enough frequencies would allow him to SPLIT the earth ahead of him... hell he didn't even need high a high chakra frequency... he just needed the transmutation ahead of him! It didn't matter how far... just so long as when he passed though it he was not at risk of coming into contact with it. There was no doubting that pain honed his senses...
Inochi allowed himself to revel in the pain for a little bit before he focused on the task at hand. He deserved it... man what a treat. Though... it was a little weird. Other ninja didn't like pain like this... no.. he was different. He felt a bit dirty... a bit guilty. Inochi had to shake his mind clean, push it back to a deep corner. He'd deal with that later...
Once he had regained his true, meek, settled composure, he closed his eyes as he stood in a deep dark tunnel underground. It was only tall enough for him to crouch and the air was moist. He breathed in deep... the moist smell of wet earth surrounded him. Nothing better...
That was the "clean" he was seeking... the purity of nature and the wholesome thrill of a problem solved. Well... he hadn't tested his solution... but that was next...
Inochi let the damp air fill his lungs as he drew his breath deep in and let it out in a long, slow, exhale.
"I... can -um- do this... yeah..."
Inochi focused his chakra in his palm. He held it out before him. His thumb, pointer and middle finger where at full extension against one another, but his ring and pinky finger were curled,. This was the typical "chakra gathering" potion. It was actually a one-handed tiger seal. His other hand was quickly preforming the handseals necessary for the body-flicker. As the exhale ended his eyes shot open and he saw the ground before him seem to pull itself closer. It split, allowing him to pass. It all happened so slowly when it reality it was actually quite quickly. His focus undiminished, he allowed himself to slow down. The earth didn't come at him as fast at first and soon it altogether stopped.
Inhaling again, he let the damp earth fill his lungs. It had only taken the space between a breaths to travel what he guessed was a few hundred feet. Interesting...
Interesting? Excellent... exciting... exhilarating!
Inochi gave a tired smile. This was the sort of mastery few ninja managed to gather in a lifetime but his little brain had a unique way of just working things through. He wouldn't say he was "creative"... in fact it was probably more true that his strength came from quite the opposite. He was dogged. He could focus on a problem and just WORK through it. He considered all the angles. It was like a math problem... a really really complex math problem.
Faster now...
He inhaled deeply, and flickered. The spot where he once was was empty and in his place was just the tunnel he left behind. It happened in realtime this time... but he was ok with it. He was "splitting" the earth AS he traveled. The technique actually required LESS chakra if he didn't include the body flicker part in the equation. He was expending a BIT more, but going a LOT faster. His range was limited by the distance he could sense the soil. A few hundred feet was probably all he could manage without putting himself in danger. His ability to sense the surface was diminished as he flickered. It was all jumbled together so he had to take a second to gather information again. A potential pitfall...
Again and again he tried it and found the technique worked as well if not better than his hiding like a mole technique. It was more... jagged. Sporadic. It was physically more intense and exhausting. He could only pull off a half dozen of the techniques, even over a short distance, before he was winded. That left very little room for an attack. Though... physically he could execute some very unique attacks. He could flicker/burrow above ground and attack, only to retreat at a moment's notice.
Picking a nice tree, Inochi flickered to it's root system and waited until he'd gathered his stamina back a bit. The chakra wasn't the problem... it was just the stress on his body of constantly overflowing his chakra network.
Bursting forth like a shark from the ocean's depths, he landed a wide knife hand attack on the tree from the outside of his body. Before he could even register the hit on his hand, he was underground again and a split second later he was on the other side of the tree. Another blow fell deftly on the tree and he was almost striking it again with a high, reaching, light, kick before he could feel the impact of the previous blow. Drawing several kunai, he made it a game to place them as quickly as possible along the trunk. The ground became his ocean and he was nothing shy of a predator. He would burst from the earth one second, only to be gone before the "thud" of the kunai could echo against the trunk. His attacks lost a little accuracy, but that was to be expected. When you could hit an opponent on his back then his front- it was almost not important. That being said, it was worth considering that he shouldn't attack with it in a crowd or near targets he might mistakenly hit.
Finally, he climbed from the ground- Inochi was shot from a hole and his feet where firmly on the soil again. Inochi was breathing heavily as he dragged himself back to his little makshift camp in the forest. His "camp" was really just the area where he had laid his few supplies out near the vent amongst the boulders he had came from. considering the tactical advantages his new "tools" (what Inochi thinks of his jutsu as) afforded him- he was considerably more useful now. He could combine his new jutsu (which he called "Wac-a Mole") with his head hunter technique, he could pluck any number of opponents off the field. With his new found skill with tai chi, his attacks would be more effective. The blows he landed would be soft but numerous. He could also use it as PART of his tai chi. He could disappear at a moment's notice and off-guard his opponent almost as his leisure. While most people where constricted by the floor beneath them- Inochi was not. He had to conciser that tactically when he fought... and there would be plenty of fighting in his future. He was sure of that...
Next on his list was to go gather intel. Right now he could really use that. This technique would be pivotal in helping him avoid detection and move when/if he was spotted. After he did a preliminary sweep, he would re-locate Sybil and get her. He didn't want to expose her until he had to. If there where any other Hidden Leaf ninja in the area, he needed to find them. While he hated to admit it... this was war.
[Wac-a Mole Technique: 2,000+/2,000]
...becoming a lion
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2011 10:28 pm
Garou Flying through the tree tops Garou was heading for the village at full speed, he kept his eye on the small cloud of smoke in the distance as it got bigger. Dodging and weaving through the branches he was also thinking about something new he could try and do for the village, improve himself and his jutsus that he uses. Dodging a branch Garou jumped into the air using his distance to think about it more, it was a great idea considering that he had a mission to do and he was going to do it to the up most effect. Landing he willing fell to the ground but landed on his feet, continuing forward he increased his pace back to double time. Running at double time was hard on him and his body, even more so because he had never gotten rest from the break he had awhile back. Garou nodded as he put his hands on the back of his head doing breathing exercises to help him regain some of his breathing, after a good long while he stopped in his tracks and took a break for a moment. Sitting down on the ground he took a book and started reading while he pulled out a bottle of water from his robe sleeve, drinking the water for a bit he took notice of everything around him and sniffed the air a bit. He was closer to his village then he expected to be but it was to be expected after he pushed himself to go double time all night, regardless he put his water bottle away into his sleeve along with the book back in his bag. Getting up he thought about the time he rested up but pushed it aside, he needed to get to the village no matter what and with that he stared running for the village again. flying through the tree tops some more Garou jumped into the air to see the damage from above, and it was worse than he expected, the entire place looked like someone just used a few boxes of explosive tags on the entire village but that was not the case, the case was that he needed to hurry and get into the village. Landing on the branch he shot forward using the body flicker ability to fast travel forward to make up some of his wasted time and picked up at double time again heading for the village.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 6:09 am
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 7:00 am
Garou landing on a tree branch garou continued his momentum as he looked over thinking to himself about the next move, this just made his job worse then what it already was. Regardless he was sure that the sink holes and the soldiers were either gone or still there some what, looking back at inochi he sighed and returned to looking forward. " I see that our sensei's concern for the village was positive, even more odd that your full of energy and not helping the village recover. " Garou was suddenly strict against his friend not only because he was being odd what why he was there when the village was attacked and he put sink holes in the village that was the cherry on top, he needed to see the damage for himself and know if they begun recovery. " Kagekarsu went to the exams the last time i checked and Kirabachi-sempai is busy with an important matter. Either way there is no reinforcements, we are the reinforcements. " Garou's voice still sounded strict but was a bit calm and relaxed now, he was sad to be strict towards his best friend and brother but it could not be helped. being a jonin now he had to do this mission and tell him everything later, he hoped that inochi would understand his feelings and forgive him.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 7:32 am
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 7:57 am
Garou Stopping what he was doing he landed on a tree branch for a moment and placed his hand on the tree trunk, thinking for a moment about what inochi had just said. He was right he did what he had to do for the village and thought of a way to stop them from damaging the village more. " I know, I know... I'm sorry brother, I haven't slept in two days straight and my head is killing me. But you did the right thing doing what you did... can you please forgive my attitude." Garou's personailty went from totally strict to his original self again but he was telling the truth about it, being up for so long got him in a pissed off mood and the massive headache was not helping him either. Returning back to his mind set he turned back to inochi and nodded to him confidently because he had a plan. " Inochi, my mission was to inspect the damage of the leaf village and if the chaos had past to help put the village back on it's feet before i return to my original mission... Can you help me bro. " Shiro asked that question not as a team mate but as a friend and a brother, to be honest he knew the job was impossible for one man to do and he needed help from everyone even his best friend.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 8:07 am
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 8:35 am
Garou Thinking for a moment threw the very painful headache he had he gathered some very good intel but it took a bit longer then he liked to be processed, after it he needed to inochi agreeing with it but he needed to inform his brother about it. " yes... thank you inochi, but we must also check on the hokage as well. Our sensei wanted to know what happened to him the most and if he is still alive we could help him, but knowing the enemy they may not have left any one alive so we have to assume the worst. " Sighing for a moment he rubbed the back of his head letting his mind rest, it was very painful to think at the moment. but it also went without saying that they needed to go now. " Ok... lead on, we need to get inside the the village and save as many as we can."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 8:44 am
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
