A Mountain Climb

[Eichi]

Eichi walked the track, taking in the sights as he continued to climb. The place was beautiful, but he wasn't thinking of the sights today. His head was held high as he remembered his past. His Byakugan seemed to peek at moments that he'd didn't expect. He looked to Hon, wondering what sort of stories this place had held for him. The younger Hyuuga wasn't as knowledgeable of the dojutsu, but from his past experiences, all he needed was the focus to overcome such a situation.

The mountains walk was unpredictable. At times the path led them to dead ends, seemingly with no way to continue up the mount, but as shinobi, sometimes one has to make a way. The bushes and areas of grass upon the mountaintop made comfy rest stops, but breaks didn't last long. He wondered how long until they made it to their destination.

[ Topic Entered ]

 

[Honnou]

Hon really punished himself back then when he climbed up this mountain for the first time. Young and alone, he was desperate to prove himself, seeking further trials and challenges from the elements around him until his eyes evolved…

Now, he was showing this place to Eichi for the first time. No harm in what wouldn’t harm him – this mountain range was as wild as wild could get, and a monastery was located near the top of the Spine of the World. Raiden’s Monastery, a strange, strange place. Monks secluded themselves there, living day and night in prayer.

Hon tested Eichi upon the mere walk up the mountain – wall-walking, fending off wild animals, and preventing oneself from gliding off the cold, cold edges. Hon was teaching him to shield from the elements with vigor and a jacket, and to constantly seek further strength to overcome what slowed you down here and now. All of that before they even reached the top…

The top of the mountain was shaped flat – a platform or summit of some sort. After crossing the clouds, the weather became much clearer – however, it was nighttime, and the stars naked above shone down at them. Clouds roaring below, even the air was thin up here… Eichi would feel exhausted. Drained. But the real challenge began now.

“Keep. Your. Focus,” Hon sternly reminded him, “Focus on your target. Focus on me… let the rest ebb away… come at me, Eichi. With all you’ve got!”

 

[Eichi]

Focusing his chakra to his soles, he slowly began up the mountain. Step by step until he burst into a run. Keeping up with cousin wasn't an easy task, but the boy managed. Dodging falling debris, he began to feel himself slip. He took a leap upward, grasping a branch just a few steps away from the ledge. He let out a sigh of relief, looking towards the ground to see loose rocks fall to other tops of the mountain. He looked upward to see Hon continuing on. He took a moment to gain balance upon a nearby ledge. Standing to his feet, he would try something different. He noticed a current of Wind that rose above his head from time to time. Taking advantage of his environment, he began to rush upwards, using the wind to drift to the next ledge. The momentum was enough to help him catch up to Hon.

Just as he pulled himself up to what he thought was safe grounds, a giant pig with flames on its back began rising towards him. It's risks aimed for the boy. Thinking quickly, the boy dropped ball down on the ledge, hanging by only his fingers now. The pig rushed to a stop, looking around before going back to is daily routine. The AiT would be getting no breaks between his travels to the mountain. He looked to the top of the ledge, now seeing Hon continuing on. He followed suit, careful not to let his guard down. He listened to his cousin as he explained what it took to keep his learning pace at a constant. Taking mental notes, he knew this was all part of his dojutsu training. He didn't know if he'd succeed or not, but he kept his spirits high. He only nodded as they continued on.

The next cliff wasn't as easy. The ground was broken up to the point that one would have to leap to the next ledge instead of taking normal footsteps to continue on. Eichi took it as a game of hopscotch. Slowly leaping from ledge to ledge. If he wasn't careful, he'd surely be taking a fall towards the ground. He decided to show off a bit, and began jumping between the ledge with his hands, keeping a constant handstand as he continued to proceed. Landing gracefully on the last ridge, he began to give a wide grin and a peace sign. At least until one of those flaming pigs rushed at him once more. Eichi used a simple genjutsu to cast fear into the pig, causing it to run away in fear. It gave the boy a few chuckles, and he continued on without a thought.

As time passed, the boy could see the stars in the sky. He was done for. He'd never climbed this mountain before, but it was an amazing feeling to see the stars up so close. It was the perfect time for a breather, but instead of a lecture, Eichi was given the track of facing Hon in a training spar. He wanted to ask for a break, but he was being put to the test. He would have to start slow, at least until he could catch a breather.

The boy took a stance, readying himself to come at Hon. He tapped his foot on the ground, causing a shift in balance of the earth under Hon. He hoped it would be enough to knock him off balance. He would then rush towards Hon, giving him the old One-Two. He would end with a low sweeping kick, and would return to his feet, backing away a bit to keep them at a distance. It was a rather simple maneuver. He knew the ANBU senior was great at close combat. He would have to find a way to get a punch or two in, all while trying to find the true meaning of awakening his eyes.

[ MFT | WC: +600 ]

 

[Honnou]

As the boy took a stance, Hon took one so in return. That was when he felt something weird beneath his soles – the previously solid ground was suddenly all grainy and sandy. It was right when he’d taken a step forward, as well – good timing from Eichi on that part.

The first two attacks, Hon parried with his swiping hands – without the Byakugan’s prowess, Eichi wouldn’t be able to target any Tenketsu, so using his own body for defense was viable here. The sweeping kick was dealt with a leap, allowing Hon to elevate into the air and blend his limbs in with the stars above. For a brief moment, he embodied the White Tiger, one of the larger symbols in the star-dotted sky. There were many symbols painted in the sky tonight - the birds, the dragons, the mansions and the heavenly kingdoms. Tigers, lions, chimeras and the like.

But Eichi would soon also see a descending Hon with a powerful heel kick. That dread… the intensity of a life-and-death situation… something similar had to occur – and Eichi had to reinforce his focus under such circumstances in order to awaken his clan’s white eyes…

 

[Eichi]

Watching Hon leap into the air, the boy became a bit distracted from the image of the stars. He almost knew he saw a large tiger, eyeing down at him. Hon's next attack was so graceful that he hardly had time to react. The boy attempted to block the quick, unable to move as he didn't have to time. The impact of the kick to Eichi's forearms definitely caught the young man in a losing direction. He began to squat down lower to the ground, a crater now forming as they younger Saito tried to hold his own. He legs began to feel the burnt of the blow, trembling as he continued to stay standing. The crater became deeper, he keeping his balance and the ground formation began to give way. He tried pushing back, but Hon's attack was a bit more powerful. The ground now gave in, the boy fell to the underground, a giant hole now where he once was. He tried to stay up, keeping his battle spirit as he noticed his current position in the ground. His eyes were closed, but he could feel his cousin's presence above ground. He wouldn't let the attack stop him from the spar, they were only at the beginning of the awakening of the boy's Dojutsu.

He felt the willpower within him kick in, he wasn't going to give up. Finding focus, he began to draw in deep breaths. He hadn't used this technique before, but it was the perfect time to try it out. He opened his eyes, now ready to deliver his next attack. An entrance one couldn't help but notice was initiated. The boy erupted from the ground, aiming a kick at Hon. He knew where Hon once was above ground, so he aimed the kick in that general direction.

Above ground, Eichi would have his sight back, but was that really the way to fight? While underground he had to move while blind to Hon's appearance. Finding his true direction was gritty to begin with, but it caught the AiT's attention. If he could learn to fight without sight, he'd be able to move a bit more with great motion. While falling from his aerial attack, he now listened to Hon's movements, beginning to come a little closer to the true meaning of the Byakugan. A series of roundhouse kicks would be aimed at the higher ranked ANBU, one blow based off the sound of Hon's breathing from his nose, the next aimed at the swiftness of Hon's movements, going for his abominable area, the last kick would be aimed after listening to the ground's reaction to Hon's footsteps. He would land gracefully on the ground. Taking a stand and readying himself for Hon's next attack. His eyes would be closed now, listening closely for Hon's movements. He knew it wouldn't be off of sound alone, 'There has to be another way to track him.' Eichi thought to himself. He didn't think of how far he'd already advanced with his spar with Hon, but instead, he was in the midst of the battle, learning from his Captain at a pace that he didn't quite understand yet.

[ MFT | WC: +500 ]