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 Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2011 9:47 pm
 It took a few seconds before Hiru fully grasped the extent of Taka's comment. As soon as he realized what it meant, the shark man was awe struck. There weren't many reasons for which a Swordsman of the Mist would escort him to the Hoshigaki Council Chambers in a time of reconstruction after having consulted with the village's highest officer... could it really mean...
As his superior gave him a friendly wink, Hiru was in such shock he couldn't even answer. He simply followed Shizoni as he invited him to do so and started heading for the council chambers, still not being able to get his mind around the only reason he could logically be taken there.
[Exit to Hoshigaki Compound]
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Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2011 4:20 am
 Shizoni loved the shock on the face of the young shinobi. He then leaped away towards the meeting place where the Hoshigaki council was to meet them. He was probably more psyched up about this then even Hiru. He had only seen the strongest of the swords once, and the last wielder died when he was still in training to be a swordsman. He was shocked it took this long to find someone worthy of using it, but it was a relief one had been found after all this time.
[To Hoshigaki Compound] (Ah... this look is perfect for Shizoni! I liked the long hair look, but him being more noble looking does suit him better!)
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Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2012 11:05 am
They swam ashore in the dead of night, cloaked in black with night vision goggles and breathing mask. The tallest took off his mask, "Team thirteen, you take the academy area and the grove, I will oversee you in the grove. Team ten, spread out and eliminate any Kiri Shinobi that you find." Two of the Shinobi vanished and the three others ran into the wood. The tall one went after them. This time would be victory.
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The Ghost of Xmas Awesome rolled 10 20-sided dice:
11, 17, 9, 4, 14, 8, 2, 1, 15, 19
Total: 100 (10-200)
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Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 10:02 pm
((Meanwhile, in a parallel dimension of off time training, Batman is...oh, it's just Byakuran.))  Byakuran Usotsuki LV. 9 Experience: 207/500 Hp: 144 Cp: 234 MHp: 117 Dodge Bonus: 20 Training: Martial perfection! Fear the power of the fist! Taijutsu: 0 DC: Always ten higher than skill Roll: 10 or higher to count Train: 5/10 Byakuran took a long slow deep breath. The motions…the flowing currents of the waves…the flowing currents of his own body. For the moment, the were like the one and the same. He was standing he atop the surface of the water, his eyes closed and his mind clear as he continued to go through various forms that he had learned in the academy of the mist. He hadn’t gotten Bumu as his teacher, but he still managed to pick a few things up. Still, the fact of the matter was that while he was genius in ninjutsu, and had chakra on par with a Jounin, he had zero talent for taijutsu. He was one to whom it had simply never come easily. He had always been slow to pick it up and never able to actually get a full grip on the concepts that it preached. His body had simply never been in the condition before, and he had been so much more willing to commit to ninjutsu, the thing that he he actually did show a great deal of talent for. But now he had what was quite possibly the most powerful chakra amongst any of the genin of the mist…and his ninjutsu still weren’t enough. He needed a fallback, something else that he could rely on in battle. Something that he could use to beat back though who managed to get passed his clones, whether by chance, surprise attack, or skill, he needed to be able to fight cloe range battles, and while he had already taken one step towards completely that goal, he was still far fully completing it. He had hardened his previously frail body, he had gone through intensive training to make himself more durable, faster, able to take a hit and keep on coming… to be able to endure a great deal of continuous punishment. He was capable taking hits that would have killed him before, with barely a scratch on him. His previously weak and gangly form was no such animal any longer…it had become a whole new beast. A body capable of enduring the life of a ninja…and a body capable, perhaps at last, capable of enduring Taijutsu training. It was the first time that he had truly attempted this…to throw himself into something for which he had no talent whatsoever. His endurance had merely been a trait of his body, something that he could merely endure and strengthen through force of will. But taijutsu was a refined and complex art of blows and punches and manvuers and kicks… it wasn’t a matter of smashing himself against the rock wall. He would have to study the art…live the art, bring himself up from his rudimentary understanding of the art to a level that would allow him to match his fellow shinobi…maybe even those who specialized in it. He would allow himself fully commit to this…he would become a proficient in taijutsu…even if it meant that he had to face the fact that he was failure with in who possessed zero talent…he would still face it and heaven help him he would master it. There was no way that he was going to let himself falter when this was what his fighting style needed to become greater…to become what he aspired it to be. The weapons that he had obtained from the shop were weapons to be used by a martial artist…someone who knew taijutsu and was able to use it adeptly…someone able to crush others beneath his heel with his hands alone…someone capable of wielding those two steel bars like a storm of devastation. His body was quick enough, there was no problem there…what he lacked at the moment was the skill…the ability to bring down his foes with talent for the art…rather than merely being faster on the draw… true with the number of water clones he could make that was negligent, it would be a simple matter to outnumber someone of his skill level… but what needed was to be able to enage multiple foes, or to crush those of even greater skill level. He needed to be able to fight, to block, to parry and reposte. He needed be a true fighter, a beast poised for war. As it was he was powerful weapon with the chakra overflowing from within him… but it wasn’t enough. He still needed to be able to fight…to crush his enemies beneath his heel. He needed to be able grind those who faced him into the dust like so much sand underfoot. He needed to be able to destroy his foes with his finesse and skill…with mere twists and turns of his body…sheer speed made into a weapon of death… that was what he needed…
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The Ghost of Xmas Awesome
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The Ghost of Xmas Awesome rolled 10 20-sided dice:
5, 2, 11, 8, 4, 17, 4, 5, 18, 11
Total: 85 (10-200)
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The Ghost of Xmas Awesome
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Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 11:32 pm
Byakuran Usotsuki LV. 9 Experience: 207/500 Hp: 144 Cp: 234 MHp: 117 Dodge Bonus: 20 Training: Martial perfection! Fear the power of the fist! Taijutsu: 0 DC: Always ten higher than skill Roll: 10 or higher to count Train: 9/10 Byakuran’s eyes seemed to be locked unto the vision of the future, his mind far off and waiting for the day to come when he would at last be ready to face his clan. When he would at last be ready to declare himself free from their influence. He had been working ever since he could truthfully say he had begun walking the path of the ninja…the warrior. That had been his goal, his horizon. If indeed he might say that he had one. In truth his horizon was one with no boundaries. He was too whimsical for such things. He merely wanted to be strong enough to go where he would, and see what he willed. This art, this effort, the workings of turning his body into a weapon beyond merely his chakra’s power, this was one more step that he had to take, another way he needed to be learn to defend himself…and to defeat those that stood in his way. He was aware that with his complete lack of talent it would take a lot of time and effort, but that was something that he was willing to bare. That was something that he was willing to go through. The water seemed to flow softly under his feet, his chakra keeping him aloft as he continued to practice the standard Kiri academy Taijutsu form, his basic movements and kicks rather simple in the look of things, unpracticed and rough, but there was a great deal of speed behind them, and within the speed was contained the power in them. He was indeed very fast for a Genin, even if not to the point where it even closely compared to his advantage in chakra. He was certain that his efforts in dexterity training had had a great deal to do with this…in addition to own natural spryness. It made his movements more fluid and versatile, more wiry and unpredictable…and most importantly it made them effective, so long as he was able to put a bit of finesse behind it. His tonfa would be the perfect weapon for him, assuming that he learned how to use them properly…assuming that he learned to be able to fight with his body. It would be a long and arduous process to be sure, but he had never once been the sort’ve person that this mattered to. He was an incredibly fast learner and threw himself completely into his training… he was willing to dril himself into the ground it meant that he would be able to achieve the level of skill nessecary for him to excel in this field. It was true that he had no natural talent for the art, but already having been practicing as he had, standing atop the water and his black coat hung from one of the nearby dry rocks by the shore side, he was beginning to show some signs of improvement. His punches were certainly becoming less wild, taking the hints from the scrolls that had been handed out at the academy, and thinking back to the lessons that they had given him. He had received lessons as a child of the Otobe as well he supposed, but those had been long ago and they had always focused him more on the things for which he showed promise, namely ninjutsu. He swept his leg low across the surface of the water, slipping back into the default stance. That had felt right, just about there. He slipped into a straight jab, a fall back, a kick, a punch. His bodies level of endurance was allowing him to drive himself into the process, giving him the chance to keep going without slowing down, and his relentlessness was certainly starting to pay off. He had been practicing non stop for some time now, and he was getting better… his punches were certainly less sloppy that was for sure. He was able to begin to grasp little problems in his stance and certainly starting to get some grasp so as not to completely embarrass himself if he were to claim that he had been through the academies Taijutsu lessons. He still had to admit that he had no talent for it whatsoever, but then, he supposed that that stigma wouldn’t go away until he had truly worked himself to the bone. He would have to truly give this his all if he was to turn his pathetic excuse for an attempt at emulating the academies style of fighting style into a proper show of taijutsu. There was not going to be anything that could
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The Ghost of Xmas Awesome rolled 10 20-sided dice:
13, 10, 20, 10, 16, 6, 6, 4, 5, 9
Total: 99 (10-200)
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Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 11:34 pm
Byakuran Usotsuki LV. 9 Experience: 207/500 Hp: 144 Cp: 234 MHp: 117 Dodge Bonus: 20 Training: Martial perfection! Fear the power of the fist! (Part 1) Taijutsu: 0 DC: Always ten higher than skill Roll: 10 or higher to count Train: 10/10 Training: Martial perfection! Fear the power of the fist! (Part 2) Taijutsu: 0 DC: Always ten higher than skill Roll: 10 or higher to count Train: 5/10 His foot swept high, he jumped back slightly, a jab, a quick series of punches, a backpedal, a roll to the side, he swept around, another punch, a swerve to the side…a stumble. He rolled across the surface of the water, catching himself, but not able to deny the mistake. He gave a slightly annoyed sigh as he stood back up, retaking the rudimentary styles default stance, and taking a long slow deep breath. It was getting late, and he was in no fit shape to keep going, but he couldn’t let himself back down from this or he would never be able to overcome his handicap for the art. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Part 2 He tried again, attempted to run through the complicated series of moves, or complicated to one who had no talent for Taijutsu, and proceeded with his training just as though he he had only started, the same fervor and dedication in his motions. He seemed truly and completely determined to do this it seemed, his eyes narrowed and his teeth tightly closed as he went through the academies advised training exercises…fighting, battling, his own inability to take to the motions. It was difficult for him because for Byakuran…everything had always come easily. At least, everything that he had tried regarding the ninja arts. True he needed to train his body, his own limits, but when it came to grasping concepts, perfecting the art itself and the facets of jutsu, he had always gotten things easily. He’d mastered wall walking and water walking on his own, mastered jutsu easily, some well above what his current skill level should have allowed for, and yet he still couldn’t throw a proper punch. He supposed it was true when they said that some people were born to be good at some things…and some people were born to be good at others. In his case he was most certainly not born to be a Taijutsu expert… but that wasn’t going to stop him. He was going to improve his taijutsu even if it killed him… he needed this to complete the hole in his offensive style of combat…he needed the shield to protect him from those who got passed his Ninjutsu, he needed to be able to combat them evenly with fist to fist…or in his case steel to fist. This tonfa that he wielded would allow him to crush his opponents…with finesse, tenacity, and skill. He took a long slow deep breath. Taijutsu was the art of turning your own body into a weapon. It was the act of completely allowing yourself to cast aside physical weakness and turn all weaknesses against your opponent. It was about weaving a web of movements and strikes that allowed for more, and those in turn would lead to more, until your opponent, your target, was simply no more. Until your own personal skill was what led to their demise. He personally thought much the same of ninjutsu, and indeed to him Ninjutsu seemed much more intimate. It was using ones own soul to destroy their foe…to crush them with their own being. He suppose genjutsu, by that logic, was even MORE intimate, given that it was quite literally a battle of wills. Yet taijutsu too had it’s own allure he supposed. It was physical…one was truly getting to to destroy opponent with their physical prowess, not merely their soul or their mind. It was crushing and breaking and ripping and cracking with one’s own hands…with one’s body. Byakuran supposed when he thought about it that way it was rather intimate, merely not on the same level, not it the same way. In a way, he supposed that the three arts of jutsu, gen, nin, and Tai, all represented the elements of chakra itself, the elements that were said to compose the soul. The Spiritual power, Ninjutsu, the mental power, Genjutsu, and the physical power, Taijutsu. If he was to put it in that way he wasn’t really all that talented when it came to the physical aspects of chakra… his abilities with it only going so far. Perhaps that was why he wasn’t able to properly grasp taijutsu, it just didn’t click with him because he didn’t understand the physical aspect of his existence…he supposed that that was going to have to change. Yes, if he was going to be able to best those who stood before him with this newly defined weapon he was slowly forming, then he would have to pit himself fully and completely into this training…and form the weapon as best he could.
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The Ghost of Xmas Awesome
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The Ghost of Xmas Awesome rolled 10 20-sided dice:
4, 18, 18, 4, 3, 12, 20, 5, 5, 10
Total: 99 (10-200)
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The Ghost of Xmas Awesome
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Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 11:42 pm
Byakuran Usotsuki LV. 9 Experience: 207/500 Hp: 144 Cp: 234 MHp: 117 Dodge Bonus: 20 Training: Martial perfection! Fear the power of the fist! (Part 2 ) Taijutsu: 0 DC: Always ten higher than skill Roll: 10 or higher to count Train: 10/10 Training: Martial perfection! Fear the power of the fist! (Part 3 ) Taijutsu: 0 DC: Always ten higher than skill Roll: 10 or higher to count Train: 1/10 Byakuran’s moves seemed to be growing faster, more focused, but he was still barely able to hold what might be considering the proper basic taijutsu for taught in the academy, let alone do anything with it that might improve upon his use of it. He didn’t nearly have the raw talent to fall back on to take such steps naturally, everything that he accomplished with Taijutsu would be a pure matter of effort, a matter of solid work ethic and dedication. A matter of focusing himself completely to this task, to applying his entire being to the continued growth in this matter. A punch, it was amazing how much detail and meaning that the art could put behind a single motion, a single turn of a muscle a single facet of the way one shifted one’s balance. It was incredible how much detail the art could contain…and how very complex it could extend to be when many times those who used it were considered to be far more simple individuals. Byakuran was never one such person who held to this stereo type, but even so he was amazed at the shere massive complexity that went in to something so seemingly simple a solitary punch. Everything had to be taken into account, one’s surroundings, the weight distribution, the way one was shifting from side to side, their opponents attack and dodging patterns. It was a thing that much of which involved experience, but it was also a complex art that held far too many factors to be called anything but. Byakuran’s figure continued to stand atop the water, the shallow sea beneath him playing up against the rocks at the base of the cliff behind him as he continued to seem completely lost to the world. He was throwing himself completely into this task and wasn’t slowing down to slowing up for any reason. It was like he had been possessed by this need, this drive, to prove to himself that he could complete this task. He wasn’t used to not being good at something…and unlike many he tended to take the path of most resistance when his abilities being questioned. It was more than just that though…he knew that. It was more than merely his drive to grow stronger that was powering him… it was more then merely this drive that was making him fight the air like he intended to win. Because in his mind, deep within his mind, he wasn’t fighting the air before him at all. He was fighting…his brother. His brother, the knight of Forte. The Black Sonata, and one of the key weapons of the Otobe clan. He knew for a fact that if he was going to defeat his brother, a swords man of unparalleled might, then he was going to have to be able to do so much more then throw jutsu at him. It was a matter of being able to engage his brother head on…being able to fight him with all that he had in him steel for steel. With the Tonfa and their style he would be able to engage him…but he still would need to be so much more skilled with them. He would need to be storm of steel on the battle field…he would need to b e able down opponents with a single strike of his tonfa…because that was what it was like to face his brother… that was what it was like to face Senkyo Otobe. He’d once, long ago, seen his brother fight when he was small, freshly emerged from his battle with his second self, and made to watch with the rest of the clan as Senkyo took his test to be considered for the position of Knight. At the time, Senkyo and only been 14, the same age that Byakuran was now… and he had been at the level of a Jounin… +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Part 3 Senkyo had passed the test, fighting off countless opponents and winning the title for himself, and standing atop a mountain of defeated foes as though it was nothing…that blank look on his face…as though he could have cared less about what he had done and how he had done it. Byakuran wasn’t nearly as strong as his brother…it was just the solid truth. Even had he faced his brother all those years ago, before he had grown even stronger and reached the rank of “Knight of Forte”. He would still have lost to his brother…he still would have been defeated handily just like all those others who had faced him during the Knight exam. That boy…he was hardly human…
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The Ghost of Xmas Awesome rolled 10 20-sided dice:
19, 5, 10, 16, 9, 5, 9, 12, 9, 7
Total: 101 (10-200)
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Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 11:43 pm
Byakuran Usotsuki LV. 9 Experience: 207/500 Hp: 144 Cp: 234 MHp: 117 Dodge Bonus: 20 Training: Martial perfection! Fear the power of the fist! (Part 3 ) Taijutsu: 0 DC: Always ten higher than skill Roll: 10 or higher to count Train: 5/10 His foot swept high, he jumped back slightly, a jab, a quick series of punches, a backpedal, a roll to the side, he swept around, another punch, a swerve to the side…a stumble. He rolled across the surface of the water, catching himself, but not able to deny the mistake. He gave a slightly annoyed sigh as he stood back up, retaking the rudimentary styles default stance, and taking a long slow deep breath. It was getting late, and he was in no fit shape to keep going, but he couldn’t let himself back down from this or he would never be able to overcome his handicap for the art. He tried again, attempted to run through the complicated series of moves, or complicated to one who had no talent for Taijutsu, and proceeded with his training just as though he he had only started, the same fervor and dedication in his motions. He seemed truly and completely determined to do this it seemed, his eyes narrowed and his teeth tightly closed as he went through the academies advised training exercises…fighting, battling, his own inability to take to the motions. It was difficult for him because for Byakuran…everything had always come easily. At least, everything that he had tried regarding the ninja arts. True he needed to train his body, his own limits, but when it came to grasping concepts, perfecting the art itself and the facets of jutsu, he had always gotten things easily. He’d mastered wall walking and water walking on his own, mastered jutsu easily, some well above what his current skill level should have allowed for, and yet he still couldn’t throw a proper punch. He supposed it was true when they said that some people were born to be good at some things…and some people were born to be good at others. In his case he was most certainly not born to be a Taijutsu expert… but that wasn’t going to stop him. He was going to improve his taijutsu even if it killed him… he needed this to complete the hole in his offensive style of combat…he needed the shield to protect him from those who got passed his Ninjutsu, he needed to be able to combat them evenly with fist to fist…or in his case steel to fist. This tonfa that he wielded would allow him to crush his opponents…with finesse, tenacity, and skill. He took a long slow deep breath. Taijutsu was the art of turning your own body into a weapon. It was the act of completely allowing yourself to cast aside physical weakness and turn all weaknesses against your opponent. It was about weaving a web of movements and strikes that allowed for more, and those in turn would lead to more, until your opponent, your target, was simply no more. Until your own personal skill was what led to their demise. He personally thought much the same of ninjutsu, and indeed to him Ninjutsu seemed much more intimate. It was using ones own soul to destroy their foe…to crush them with their own being. He suppose genjutsu, by that logic, was even MORE intimate, given that it was quite literally a battle of wills. Yet taijutsu too had it’s own allure he supposed. It was physical…one was truly getting to to destroy opponent with their physical prowess, not merely their soul or their mind. It was crushing and breaking and ripping and cracking with one’s own hands…with one’s body. Byakuran supposed when he thought about it that way it was rather intimate, merely not on the same level, not it the same way. In a way, he supposed that the three arts of jutsu, gen, nin, and Tai, all represented the elements of chakra itself, the elements that were said to compose the soul. The Spiritual power, Ninjutsu, the mental power, Genjutsu, and the physical power, Taijutsu. If he was to put it in that way he wasn’t really all that talented when it came to the physical aspects of chakra… his abilities with it only going so far. Perhaps that was why he wasn’t able to properly grasp taijutsu, it just didn’t click with him because he didn’t understand the physical aspect of his existence…he supposed that that was going to have to change. Yes, if he was going to be able to best those who stood before him with this newly defined weapon he was slowly forming, then he would have to pit himself fully and completely into this training…and form the weapon as best he could.
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The Ghost of Xmas Awesome
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The Ghost of Xmas Awesome rolled 10 20-sided dice:
4, 12, 13, 1, 16, 5, 12, 20, 8, 15
Total: 106 (10-200)
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The Ghost of Xmas Awesome
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Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 11:44 pm
Byakuran Usotsuki LV. 9 Experience: 207/500 Hp: 144 Cp: 234 MHp: 117 Dodge Bonus: 20 Training: Martial perfection! Fear the power of the fist! (Part 3 ) Taijutsu: 0 DC: Always ten higher than skill Roll: 10 or higher to count Train: 10/10 Training: Martial perfection! Fear the power of the fist! (Part 4 ) Taijutsu: 0 DC: Always ten higher than skill Roll: 10 or higher to count Train: 2/10 Byakuran’s arm came about, a brief swipe, a kick, a jump forward, another barrage. His training was continuing to go forward, as only it could as he continuously fought the air as the sea frothed and sprayed at his feet, his stance upon the surface of the water constantly shifting and changing as he moved. He was starting to gather some concept of form now, at the very least the brief beginnings of it. He was sure that he was refining himself ever so slightly, regardless of the fact that he was probably still hardly at anything someone used to using Taijutsu would call any level of skill. He suspect that he would have to do what he had done thus far ten fold before he could call himself an adept at the art, or to be able to bring himself up to the level that he was with Ninjutsu. Still though, he reasoned with himself, that wasn;’t in any way impossible. He was a warrior who was determined… he was one was hell bent to excel no matter what the cost. That was the sort of individual he was. What he had to be if he was going to fulfill his ambitions and dreams. If that meant that he was going to have to press forward to face the unknown and push himself in taijutsu until any sane person would have just quit and stuck to what they were good at…then he would bare that weight. He would face that eventuality. That was going to be his obstacle of overcome. He had after all, already done what many would consider impossible. His training in chakra, to have exceled so far so quickly…it was unheard of. Nigh impossible to imagine. But he had done it. He had brought his chakra up to par with that of a Jounin. So yes…he was ready to keep going, he was prepared to excel as much as he needed to if that was what it took to complete this training. His hands continued to sweep and move, his movements cutting the air repeatedly as the sweat continued to form over his body. This entire process was exhausting, it was strenuous, and that was all the more reason that he knew he couldn’t stop for even a moment, he couldn’t relent. This was about more then merely getting a little better at this taijutsu…he wanted to be able to bring it up to a level where it could make up for his distinct lack of muscle. To bring it up to a level where he could defeat those who stood in his way endlessly and repeatedly. He needed to be able to stand atop a mountain of defeated opponents made by his own hands… it was the only way he was ever going to be able to fulfill his vision of himself. It was the only way that he was ever going to be able to succeed. There was nothing now between himself and the sea. His feet danced across it’s surface in a series of cutting kicks and punches while he battled the air, and it’s waters rolled in and out with the tide. He had been coming down here a lot to complete this work out…to hone his skills in the art of taijutsu, and thus far he had barely gotten any opportunity to see the results…but at the same time he knew for a fact that he had gotten infinitely better. His form now was beginning to resemble actual Taijutsu form, which was miles away from what he had been before. He was picking up the academy style bit by bit, and was what more he was actually finding ways to slightly adapt into it. He supposed that was what this sort’ve style was about. Even the methods of ninjutsu and such that were instructed at the academy were made merely as a basis to be built upon, to be improved upon, and adapted. It was made to merely be the starting point, the root, for all things to come as one learned the arts. It was true that some Ninja never went beyond it. They merely learned what they had to learn and carried on their entire careers never building on it, but those were the same types of ninja who never made it past chuunin their entire lives. They merely did as they were told and never advanced, never had any trace of ambition or skill to take their duty and their skills any further than need be to get by…and that was why they would fail when put against him. That was why he was going to defeat them. That was why he was going to bring them all to their knees. He had a strong final punch in this series of combo’s, his day here on the beach coming to a close as he took a long hard breath and knelt down on the surface of the water, his eyes closing while he caught his breath. This was the still just the beginning…this was still just the start of his trials… He was having to face a great deal of opposition from his rather talentless take to the art…but he was still going to keep going… that was his determination. That was his…he supposed he would call it, Nindo…his ninja way.
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The Ghost of Xmas Awesome rolled 10 20-sided dice:
7, 13, 5, 9, 8, 10, 19, 16, 13, 17
Total: 117 (10-200)
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Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 11:54 pm
Byakuran Usotsuki LV. 9 Experience: 207/500 Hp: 144 Cp: 234 MHp: 117 Dodge Bonus: 20 Training: Martial perfection! Fear the power of the fist! (Part 4 ) Taijutsu: 0 DC: Always ten higher than skill Roll: 10 or higher to count Train: 8/10 Byakuran started early this morning, his feet taking him in a swift descent down the cliff as his chakra control kept him in place, the water below crashing against the base of the rocks as relentlessly as ever, as relentlessly as himself, as it happened. He was dashing up and down the wall of the cliff, punching, kicking, adapting his stance, adjusting his forms, righting his balance, back parry, a jab, a tist of the heel, shifting of the weight, and full punch, a back pedal, and a so forth. He was moving constantly, and just as constantly throwing himself into the forms. It was an odd thing to think that when he had first entered the academy, he’d already had Taijutsu training, and yet he was still so talentless at it even after having graduated. His clan had given him a basic education in all the ninja arts in preparation for his infiltration. A crash course that would condition him to be able tp properly adapt and show promise in a ninja village…and most importantly, allow him to be able to gather intel to send back to his clan. Disguising himself, Ninjutsu, adapting himself to intense situations. They used to consistently drill what he should do and how he should think into his head, all the while Byakuran was learning from them, and hating them all more and more for it. The had trained him that he couldn’t allow anyone to live who had found out about him, no matter who they were or whether they could be trusted or not. They were a loose end that needed to be tied, because his mission was for the clan, and thus could not be allowed to fail. They taught him that the clan’s interests always held sway, so that if he was given a mission by those he was infiltrating that jeopardized the purposes of the clan he was to always find a way to turn the mission to failure, without actually revealing his part in it. Using others as scapegoats was always the best solution. And the more serious the crime that he could frame them for the better, because it would mean that the people would be willing to blame all the more of the failure on them, rather than him, and even more so, it might eventually lead to their execution, which would again tie up an unwanted loose end. They taught him that he could not allow himself to become close to any of those in his new village, that they were all his potential enemies and that emotionally he must consider them such, even if they seem harmless or trustworthy, he had to be ready to cut them down at a moments notice, or as soon as they became a hindrance to his mission. He couldn’t feel sympathy, he couldn’t feel regret, and he couldn’t feel pity, these things were not permitted in the life of an infiltration agent…and from this point until he was relieved of his duties as one, that was all that he was. All that he was. That had repeated to him very many times. He was nothing more than an infiltration agent. He could not allow himself to be anything more beyond that. He could not have emotions, he could not have personal goals, he could not have attachments beyond his dedication to the clan. They wanted to steel himself entirely and merely wear a mask for all the world to see. A mask that gave the impression they were looking at a child, when all that lay behind it was a cold calculating machine bent to serve the Otobe… that was what they had tried to teach him…that was what his clan wanted…expected, of him. But Byakuran simply wasn’t the sort of person who could play that game. As with all his problems with his clan, he had far too much of an individual ego, rather than a group one. He was far too personally involved, personally ambitious, and personally curious, to become the sort’ve selfless weapon…tool, that his clan wanted him to be. Oh he could serve them surely enough. He had very little choice in the matter. If he didn’t serve the purposes of his clan then he would be…dealt with. And due to his clan’s sense of removing personal disgrace, the one they sent after him would likely be his brother. And there was no way that he would be able to escape, or hide…there would be nowhere that he could run that his brother wouldn’t find him…and then it would be he that was facing the black Sonata, not nameless faceless opponents who didn’t mean anything to him. It would be him versus one of the most dangerous monsters the Otobe clan had produced… no, if indeed he was going to be expected to face his brother head on, then he would have to be far stronger, far more skilled, then he was right now. Yet…even so. Even though he was being forced by this to serve them, to obey his clan’s orders and continue his duty, they would still never have his loyalty. At the earliest opportunity, as soon as the status quo changed…he would eliminate them. All of them. It was the only way to be sure. He would gather allies, he would gather resources and powers that were his alone…and he would, finally, bring down those oppressed him…those that would try and see him turned into nothing more then a mere tool for their purposes…
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The Ghost of Xmas Awesome
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The Ghost of Xmas Awesome rolled 10 20-sided dice:
3, 5, 9, 1, 4, 5, 20, 15, 1, 18
Total: 81 (10-200)
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The Ghost of Xmas Awesome
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Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2012 12:03 am
Byakuran Usotsuki LV. 9 Experience: 207/500 Hp: 144 Cp: 234 MHp: 117 Dodge Bonus: 20 Training: Martial perfection! Fear the power of the fist! (Part 4 ) Taijutsu: 0 DC: Always ten higher than skill Roll: 10 or higher to count Train: 10/10 Training: Martial perfection! Fear the power of the fist! (Part 5 ) Taijutsu: 0 DC: Always ten higher than skill Roll: 10 or higher to count Train: 2/10 He continued to fight an imaginary foe across the surface of the rock face, his movements swift, quick, calculated…but sloppy, unfocused, and amateur at the same time. He had the speed to make this work but none of the raw power. None of the usual punch that was necessary. So he would just have to close the gap between them with skill…skill which at the moment, he simply didn’t possess. He was, he was quite sure, proficient at least the basic academy style. He was capable of preforming the moves and forms as needed and with his tonfa, he would be able utilize his speed and form to out maneuver and damage his opponents, it was just a matter of being able to fully utilize his skills and form. Which would eventually, he was quite sure, mean that he would need to focus more on the style of using his tonfa, rather than merely continuing to practice taijutsu without them, or rather, in his current state, practicing on getting down path the rather simplistic academy style of taijutsu. He needed to be able to truly move as one with his weapons, to adapt them flawlessly into his fighting technique. At the very least though he felt he needed to establish a firm grounding in Taijutsu first. Especially since he wanted, sometime in the future, to be able to control and establish the ability to open at least one of the gith gates…the Hachimon. They were the key to great power and though pushing the ability too far would lead to death, something he didn’t even have a desire to learn, the first gate, at least, would give him a strong edge in combat when his back was against the wall. It was a dangerous and difficult thing to learn, he knew, but his chakra control was easily such that he could master it, it was just a matter of training his body to and knowledge of taijutsu up to the point where he could truly master it. To where he would be able to open the gate merely with a thought, and initiate it’s power mid battle to turn the tide. It was a powerful and deadly skill that could allow someone to outstretch a foe that they would otherwise be evenly match with, and though he suspected that he would have to greatly train his body to be able to endure the process and excel with it, but he was prepared for such an eventuality. After all he had greatly trained himself to be able to get this far, it would be no great bother to keep going. He was, after all, more than capable of pushing himself completely into training. He was the sort of person who could send himself into hell if it meant that he came out that much stronger on the other side. The only way that he could ever stand was if he fell down countless times. That was his belief, that was his justification for all the times that he had fallen so far. This was his conviction, and this was his belief. His fists continued to fire through the air, his jump carrying down along the cliff at a rapid speed only to him to cling to the cliff with chakra with chakra once more, his fists flying once more before falling into a kick. It was starting to become more clear to him how it was possible to adapt the style to different situations, beyond the basic forms. He supposed that made sense. The art of taijutsu was mainly about adapting to your opponent. It was about being able to read their moves, and being able to adapt your own accordingly…but that was once you actually had moves to properly adapt. Byakuran was only now starting to get the style mastered to the point that he could properly execute the moves. He took a deep breath as, low of the cliff that he was, he allowed himself to flop down into the water, next to where his coat hung on the rocks. The water was welcoming and cool on his tired limbs, soaking him as he made a hand sign, chakra flaring up within him for a moment as the water on either side of him rose up, forming his own shape as they seemed to solidify, a pair of water clones completing themselves as two of himself seemed to suddenly standing above him, helping him back unto the surface of the water as he stayed aloft, just as they were, with chakra. Nothing needed to be said between Water clones and their user, they were of the same consciousness, even if they were divided into three. Both of the clones sprung back and sank into a combat stance upon the surface of the water, Byakuran himself slowly entering the same, the three of them standing still for a moment…before rushing one another. The blows from his clone’s were not softened, and neither were his own upon them. The spar began violently as Byakuran showed himself no mercy, the forms of the academy style flying between them as they fought.
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The Ghost of Xmas Awesome rolled 10 20-sided dice:
20, 16, 13, 11, 2, 10, 8, 9, 16, 13
Total: 118 (10-200)
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Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2012 12:09 am
Byakuran Usotsuki LV. 9 Experience: 207/500 Hp: 144 Cp: 234 MHp: 117 Dodge Bonus: 20 Training: Martial perfection! Fear the power of the fist! (Part 5 ) Taijutsu: 0 DC: Always ten higher than skill Roll: 10 or higher to count Train: 10/10 Training: Martial perfection! Fear the power of the fist! (Part 6 ) Taijutsu: 0 DC: Always ten higher than skill Roll: 10 or higher to count Train: 1/10 The first clone jumped up into the air, coming back down with an elbow intended for his face, but Byakuran quickly swept around it, shifting instead into a hard cross against the second clone, only to have the blow easily avoided. The water clones were far more limber than himself, and even if they were using the same style it greatly showed. The plus however that their blows were softer and weaker than his…making this perfect for training. It was perfect for training. The second swept about, his foot steps rippling slightly on the surface of the sea as he came around and devliered a hard kick to Byakuran side. Byakuran himself shifted about, sliding to the left just in time to avoid another quick jab from the first, his hands finally swiping about in a an arc to land and had blow to the side of the first clones face. Still, the clone took it in stride, it’s form flipping back, as the second rushed in to fill in gap. Byakuran swept around it’s first few blows, observing it’s form as it hit. For this was his form. He was fighting himself, he was fighting his own style and efforts. That was also what made this perfect for training. It allowed him to observe himself from a rather unique angle…that of his opponents. Another hard punch, this time to jaw, but Byakuran used the momentum to swing about, slamming his own fist into the clone’s shoulder, yet the first reentered the fray, delivering a kick to his chest that sent him back. Flipping back up unto his feet, Byakuran once more set into his stance. The two clones stood resolute, their stance identical to his own as he slowly shifted his foot, each of them seeming to be awaiting…watching….then charged once more. Truth be told this should have been a fair fight. Water Clones were about half as strong as the original, so a two on one between them should have been an evenly matched fight…but there was something to be said about numbers, and their skill was as his own. Another flurry of blows and that he was able to avoid, but his own attempts to strike back proved equally fruitless, his movements adapting to compensate, only for the clones to do the same as another hard kick found his shoulder. The tide was turning…but in the literal sense beneath their feet as they battled, Byakuran’s constant fighting actually having a deep effect as he flipped and fought against the two identical water born doppelgangers, having an opponent to fight against having a true effect on him as he proceeded to be forced into situation after situation, his insistence to fight two opponents at once showing itself as he continued to adapt and shift his forms, the academy style coming to him easier and easier as he was forced to use it’s forms In new and innovative ways to avoid punching himself in the face…quite literally in this case. The water clones didn’t tire, they didn’t slow down, his chakra sustaining them, and if they should fall, he merely conjured up another to take their place. His chakra was such that it was really no great trial. He could easily sustain far more than two in the time it was taking him to dismiss them, and with his amazing chakra reserves he wasn’t even feeling it. What he was far more focused on was his own progress, his own style. Watching himself, or the clones rather, preform it, he was gaining a great new perspective on it, allowing him to grow and expand upon moves and correct particular mistakes of faults. It even allowed him to focus on the areas that worked about the style, enhancing what he was already excelling at. This was indeed the perfect way to train, for the moment at any rate, without actually having someone else to teach him a more proper form of taijutsu. It would do more than satisfactory until such time as he had completely surpassed the academy style…and, just maybe, if he was able to, it might have been possible for to him excel and adapt his own style of fighting if left to his own devices. It certainly wasn’t unheard of…he was a rather innovative fighter if he did say so himself, and he was certainly intending to put his all into this…there was no telling what the future might hold.
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The Ghost of Xmas Awesome
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The Ghost of Xmas Awesome rolled 10 20-sided dice:
17, 9, 14, 12, 15, 12, 14, 16, 16, 4
Total: 129 (10-200)
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The Ghost of Xmas Awesome
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Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2012 12:12 am
Byakuran Usotsuki LV. 9 Experience: 207/500 Hp: 144 Cp: 234 MHp: 117 Dodge Bonus: 20 Training: Martial perfection! Fear the power of the fist! (Part 6 ) Taijutsu: 0 DC: Always ten higher than skill Roll: 10 or higher to count Train: 9/10 Byakuran’s eyes narrowed as his clones squared up on either side of him, before the fray continued once more. The speed of his clone’s attacks was much slower than his own, but there was two of them, and they more than made up for it by matching him with his own skills. Water flew up as the kick skimmed the surface of the water, a punch hitting air as the rapid exchange of blow’s continued, Byakuran jumped up and springing off the top off of the clone’s shoulders, landing down on the water once more as he unleashed another combination of blows. The fighting was surprisingly fierce between the three Byakuran’s, despite the fact that this was merely a spar. Because the Clone’s blows were naturally softened, and Byakuran himself didn’t need to hold back because they were easily repairable water clones, coupled with his tendency to not take it easy on himself, and one had all the elements one needed for a battle in which no punches needed to be pulled. Byakuran was being beaten and battered in comparison to his clones, but this was merely because the clones themselves were merely being born from his chakra. Given his vast stores, they were effortless to repair. It led to the relatively equal battle to seem rather one sided, but this conflict wasn’t about who won or lost. He didn’t care who “won”. They were all himself… this was about learning, acceding. The was about the process of getting stronger faster more powerful. This was about being able to surpass his weaknesses and transcend his current style of fighting. The clones rushed forward across the surface of the water, shifting from left to right, left to right, swerving about like the water that composed them. Byakuran himself slid low, sweeping blows headed for the two’s legs, only for them to preform rather effortless flips over them, his own hands rising behind him to catch their blows. This had been happening more often as he continued to train. He was getting much better at reading his own movements, at mastering the academy style taijutsu from both the user and the opponent, meaning his clones were likewise doing the same. As a result he was having to adapt and create new moves and more efficient surprising maneuvers just to be able to land a hit. It was a good way to improve innovation, or rather, to force it. He use of the academy Taijutsu was becoming more and more limited now as he adapted new moves and new stances based merely upon necessity, he was beginning to realize how so many came to say that experience was the best teacher. He was training relentlessly still, his water clones giving him no respite, no rest, because he himself didn’t ask or have want of it. He would train till he could train no more…until he was finally assigned a team, until he was proved worthy. Until he was finally able to call himself a warrior of adept taijutsu skill. Then he could finally start focusing his attention, and that skill, on adapting his taijutsu into his weaponry, that was, his use with the tonfa’s. He was applying himself fully and completely into this extended training, this addition to his normal regime of Ninjutsu and raw speed. His ninjutsu abilities were excelling nicely already…that wasn’t the problem. His problem was and would be, until he fixed it through raw effort, his zero talent for close quarters combat. He couldn’t allow himself to grow complacent. He couldn’t allow himself to be bested by this lack of natural born prowess in something. If that was the case, then the reason he was going to great was because he had been born so…and he didn’t believe in such things. He was born TO be great…but he had to work to attain that level of excellence…he had to push himself to be able to truly reach that pinnacle…that level of paragon. He had to turn himself into a warrior that could best his clan and those that wanted to stop up his fun…he couldn’t just expect to become such by osmosis. He was a thing that would be self made…a warrior that would rise up with his talents and skills that would rend all before into nothing…he would learn to bring death with the steel of his tonfa’s, and to become as the oceans to bring down their wrath on his enemies…he would even, if need be, master his Kekke Genkai and bring down the wrath of sound itself. He was intent to do all of this as he needed. He was intent to do all of this as he had too.
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The Ghost of Xmas Awesome rolled 10 20-sided dice:
12, 16, 19, 3, 7, 4, 12, 17, 3, 12
Total: 105 (10-200)
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Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2012 12:13 am
Byakuran Usotsuki LV. 9 Experience: 207/500 Hp: 144 Cp: 234 MHp: 117 Dodge Bonus: 20 Training: Martial perfection! Fear the power of the fist! (Part 6 ) Taijutsu: 0 DC: Always ten higher than skill Roll: 10 or higher to count Train: 10/10 Training: Martial perfection! Fear the power of the fist! (Part 7 ) Taijutsu: 0 DC: Always ten higher than skill Roll: 10 or higher to count Train: 5/10 The waves crashed against the shore, the rocks taking yet another small hit as they lost another small piece of themselves to the patience and strength of the relentless ocean. Byakuran continued his own never ending spar and couldn’t help but laugh at the odd similarity. Here he was slowly bit by bit chipping away at his own weakness… unable to overcome the rock that was his lack of talent with a single blow, so he was slowly bit by bit, just as the ocean, eroding it away. In many ways, in so many ways, he was very much like the water which composed his elemental affinity. He supposed that in a way, their elemental affinities contained much more about them then they would have liked to admit. Or perhaps they were merely a matter of looking and seeing the similarities that one wished to see. That was rational, he supposed, but at the same time he couldn’t help but think that the affinities held some truth in them either way. He himself was the sort of person to flow with situation, to take whatever form he needed to in order to fit and persist, however at the same time he was always seeking to expand, and the tighter and space one attempted to squeeze him into the more powerful he became, the more that he resisted. And when met with opposition, rather than striking through it or waiting it out, he merely chipped away at it piece by piece, slowly eroding It away into nothing. He could even became like a cloud when he was pressed, when he was set free from conformed positions and allowed to be truly whimsical. There was a strange sort’ve truth in comparing him to water appealed to him greatly. It was just a part of his nature. Just a facet of his very being. It was…comforting to think of in a way. It was inspiring. He continued fight with renewed vigor. A slash, a parrying roll, he jumped high into the air and came down with a crushing blow to his clones head. He then lunged to side as a blow from the second water clone narrowly missed his temple, his hands flying up to black a kick from the first. Rolling back out of the way, sliding along the surface of the water, he swerved back and forth to weave about the hail of blows from the clones, ducking just barely under a spinning roundhouse from the second as he slid into the first’s legs, delivering a powerful upper cut to it’s jaw and sending into after as he immediately spun about to cross guard a punch from the only remaining. His legs set against th surface of the water as he pushed, forcing the clone back, and jumping up himself over it’s head as he engaged the thing in a series of aerial punches and blocks before they both landed, he himself striking a quicker pose and barreling forth to deliver and hard punch to the things gut, only to be anticipated. It seized him by the arm and spun him about, throwing him full on and rushing after him slamming him into the rock wall of the cliff before he managed to catch it’s own fist and throw it off a balance. With a final move he swept it’s legs out from under it and sent a finishing punch right through it’s chest, the water bursting back into it’s natural form as he himself took a deep breath. After only a few moment, he resumed his hand signs, and two more clones sprung up in their place. Then, to his surprise, he heard the sound of clapping. It was a slow studious clapping, as though the person doing so was a rather lapsidasical individual out for a stroll. But…he was standing at the base of a cliff…on the water. There was little to no way to get here without a boat or swimming around from the distant beaches around the corner of the island. Unless someone was a Ninja, the only possible way that they could have reached this place without swimming an upsurd distance was scaling the rather steep cliff wall behind him. Yet surely enough, looking rather unruffled and with a rather relaxed, almost somber smile in place, a man with a silvery, almost white, hair, was sitting on one of the larger rocks to his left, observing the boy as he fought with himself. The man’s hair fell over one side of his face, and his single, almost striking jade eye seemed set in a rather worn, gentle sort of way. Beside him on the rock seemed to be sitting a long black coat, which he apparently wore of the sweater that he was currently dawning, odd considering how seasonably warm it was, and a large pack that suggested he was a traveler who either had, or expected, to be on the road for quite some time. “That was well done. You might want to try to keep your stance in closer reserve though. The key to taijutsu with your kind of frame is defensive and quick movements. If you broadcast your moves like that, you’ll only be doing some much damage to your opponent.”
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The Ghost of Xmas Awesome
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The Ghost of Xmas Awesome rolled 10 20-sided dice:
8, 19, 13, 12, 1, 4, 4, 2, 10, 3
Total: 76 (10-200)
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The Ghost of Xmas Awesome
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Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2012 12:14 am
Byakuran Usotsuki LV. 9 Experience: 207/500 Hp: 144 Cp: 234 MHp: 117 Dodge Bonus: 20 Training: Martial perfection! Fear the power of the fist! (Part 7 ) Taijutsu: 0 DC: Always ten higher than skill Roll: 10 or higher to count Train: 9/10 Byakuran blinked looking a little unfooted by the man’s presence, he and his clones looking to the man with some surprise. When had he gotten there? And how long had he been sitting there? And how had he gotten there without Byakuran noticing him at all? Byakuran was not exactly the greatest in his clan at learning to hone through the vast array of what they could sense around them, but he was still rather aware of his surroundings, he could hear for a greater distance than he could see, and he should have heard this man well before he could get so close… that placed this man as a ninja, no matter how Byakuran spun the board… But he didn’t seem to sense any ill intent from the man. In fact he couldn’t really sense anything but a pleasant attitude coming off the man in droves. “Ah…” Byakuran said at last in response to the man’s advice. “Thankyou…and…you are?” The man rest his arm as his knee as he sat rather comfortably on the rock, turning his visible jade eye out towards the sea. “Hm…that’s a tough question. I guess you’d probably just want to settle for Crow. That’s the name I go by for my books, anyway.” Byakuran took a moment to let the surprise sink in, only for him and his clones to adapt more thoughtful expressions. “Books…you…you wouldn’t happen then, to be the writer for Kino’s Journey.” He could hardly believe the coincidence of it…but if that was truly the case, Byakuran had actually READ this man’s books. Or, book, as it happened. One of the few copies of that particular book which had been spread around to the various nations. It was said that one was lucky to get their hands on one, because the author was a wander Ro-nin, and actually wrote the books as more of hobby then to make money. Hence the man sitting before him, who did indeed look like a wandering Ro-nin if his ability to sneak up on him was any indication, his lack of head band, scratched or otherwise, still further…there might be some truth to that… “I am.” The man confirmed, looking rather pleased that the boy had heard of his work. “That’s one of my more famous books, but I’ve written a few others.” Byakuran was still in his stance facing his clones, his head the only thing turned in the man’s direction. “I see…then…might I ask what you’re doing here?” The man seemed rather laid back about the matter. “Certainly. I’m searching for inspiration.” Byakuran raised a brow. “For your writing then…” he looked out at the ocean, and the secret little shallow coave at the base of the cliff that he had been using to do his training. He supposed it was indeed such a spot that one might search for such a thing. “I see…and giving tips on taijutsu is merely a side effect is it?” he gave a slight smile at this remark, fairly bemused in the man’s nonchalant way of giving advice. Crow merely gave his own smile in turn. “I suppose it is.” He picked up a book from beside his pack with him on the rock. “Though, if I were to give you my full opinion, I think that you’ve pretty much got the basic academy style of taijutsu down. I don’t really know how much more training that way with it will teach you.” Byakuran raised brow in thought. “I admit I felt that I’d reached the end of what it might be able to be capapble of, but…what alternative have I? are you saying that you’ve a style to teach me?” The man laughed. “No, definitely not. But…I can tell you that if you give yourself a handi cap, you’ll start using the style for what it was originally intended for.” Byakuran blinked looking confused. “Fighting…?” Crow shook his head with a little laugh. “Heh. The academy style that your using, kid, was made to serve a basis from which you develop your own moves and style…preforming it’s movements so strictly will only be a hindrance to you if you’re thinking about following them so closely.” Byakuran seemed to pause a consider this for a moment. There was truth in what he said…but, in a waqy he couldn’t really help it. He had to think about what he was doing, it was just the way that he fought when using taijutsu. As someone with no real talent in it, everything he had achieved in it had come with method and careful thought combined with effort. It was difficult, no matter how many times he’d done it, to just…turn off his brain mid combat. Was it true that that would be the best way for his style and fighting talent to evolve though…? He supposed that that…made sense, in a way. “Here. Take this.” Byakuran’s senses detected the object flying towards him through the air, his hand coming up to catch it almost on reflex. “Hn good sense of your surroundings. This exercise should work for you.” Byakuran looked slightly confused at the book in his hand, the object that the man had thrown to him. “A book?” What was that supposed to do? From the title it looked to be some manner of work of fiction. Containing, it appeared, a rather strange otherworldly tale about the travels of a pair of demons and a Hyuuga of ancient times that was “NOT BASED ON ANY HISTORICAL ACCURACY, ANY SEMBLANCE TO PERSONS LIVING OR DEAD IS PURE COINCIDENCE.” Or so the book’s back cover seemed to insist. “That’s what it is.” The man confirmed with a small chuckle. “I find that if you’re still aware of your surroundings without relying to much on your eyes, reading while you fight can be a pretty good way to force you to adapt and divide your focus.” He settled back on the rock looking rather at ease. “Give it a try. I garuntee that you’ll probably get pummeled brutally, but if you can adapt and learn to fight in spite of that, using only your cursory senses and relying on your natural reactions and movements, basely using the motions of the style from muscle memory…you might just surprise yourself.” Byakuran looked at the man oddly, before his eyes fell to the book. “I…see.” He seemed to ponder over this. “Very well. I will…do so.” Byakuran focused on opening the book with one hand, shifting his focus to his more enhanced hearing…his feel of the vibrations around him. His sense of everything…of the water, of the shifting waves…of his water clones… he slowly took a controlled stance, the book in his free hand. “Alright.” His clones dashed forward, and though he was able to block one of the two hits, the other slammed into his face. “Heh, might wanna start slow and work your way up.” The man suggested. “Hmmm…” Byakuran concurred rubbing the side of his face. He began to read, only having one of his clones engage him at a time… It still was rather…pressing. Even as he tried to read the first words the he was frustrated by the oncoming set of attacks, forced to, as the man said, divide his attention between fighting and reading, and what was more with the use of only one of his hands at a time, switching the book occasionally. This…was definitely going to be…difficult… The air…was stagnant, as though something dark had sapped all the life from it long ago, leaving nothing but a dry thankless stretch of stale oxygen.
Even as he took his first breaths here, the boy could already tell that something was wrong.
Just what? He had no idea, to be honest, but whatever it was already nagging at him at the back of his mind, an uncomfortable thought gnawing away at him in an attempt to get his attention.
The first thing which occurred to him, putting off for just a moment further inspection of his surroundings, was that he had absolutely no idea who he was. This, though obviously he couldn’t really recall any instances of it being a bad thing, struck him as quite serious. It stood to reason that one should at the very least know who they were. Closing his eyes he raised a hand up to his forehead, the throbbing pain there the most likely culprit of his lost memories.
‘Argh…what the heck was I doing?’ the boy mused rubbing his head slightly affronted, as though a bit put off that the world saw fit to do this to him. Didn’t he have a enough problems trying to keep…his affronted expression softened slightly.
Trying to keep…someone, in check, he was sure. But who? He couldn’t remember...
He put on a slightly childish irritation once more, opening his eyes to at least get some idea of his bearings. Perhaps something would be…familiar?
After an initial survey, the answer was a definitive no.
While he was somehow sure he’d been in some strange places in his time, and seen more than his share of bizarre things, this place was like none of them. First of all the color seemed to be…off, here, as though he was seeing everything through an old TV set. He considered the fact he might be colorblind, only to take a look at himself and discover that HE was the only thing that WAS in color.
Lack of color besides, even the landscape around him was just plain unworldly. All around, as far as the eye could see, the boy could glimpse nothing but heaps upon heaps of, for lack of a better term, junk. Some of it seemed normal sized, like the nearest object under his foot, which happened to be a nutcracker of all things, and still others seemed to be many times larger than could be considered normal, such as the teddy bear on the horizon that looked to be roughly the size of Mount Olympus…mons. He’d never been there, he seemed to be able to recall, but…someone, had dropped him a post card from there while they were on vacation…if only he could remember their name…
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