Branching Paths [Open]

[Amano Hikari]

“Hyaaa!” The shout echoed throughout the nearly empty training field as the young student ran towards his target, a carefully carved stone jutting out of the ground in the shape of a humanoid, with a kunai knife in his hands. His footsteps kicked up dirt with each stomping of his feet against the smooth sand underneath them. It was clear his footing was awkward, having lived most of his life within the subterranean portion of the village, not being exposed to the environment that surrounded them at all edges until recently. Though within moments he made it to his target, bringing his hand upward towards the throat of the stone figure, kunai knife twirling upward in his grasp.

Only to stop inches before, his hand beginning to shake as he tried to push himself further. Sweat poured from the boy's face as he stared towards the stone target, attempting to will himself just a few inches further, yet he could not. Every muscle in his body could strain as hard as they ever had, yet his hand would move no further. If anyone had been watching, they would realize the young student had been at this for hours, not yet making a single scratch on the dummy. The kunai flew off in a random directly, lodging itself in the soft desert sands as he plopped down into a sitting position out of frustration. “Why can't I do this... He was right.. I need to do this to protect those I care about.. But if I can't even strike down a dummy made of stone, what use will I be..?” Normally Kichiru was bright and happy, but today he was alone, and when he was alone he often feared that his reservations about hurting others would one day cause pain to those he cared most about. He wanted to be one of the greatest protectors of life, just like his ancestors, but how could he does that... if he couldn't even manage this? A loud sigh escaped the boy's lips as he laid back, staring up towards the ceiling of the Shinobi Complex.

 

[Ryu Hime]

Hakuren as a Yamanaka was quite skilled at possessing living things. Most of the time she would use her ability to spy on people by taking control of one of her many pets. Other times she takes control of her siblings so she could actively interact with the people of the village. Hakuren was different than most shinobi in that her body is considerably weak. She would have likely passed out trying to walk to the training ground this boy was on. Hakuren did not mind being physically weak for to her a body is nothing but a mere shell in which her soul sleeps. While possessing a person she takes on their physical traits, but retains her mental status. Because of this she is more focused on genjutsu rather than taijutsu.

A woman walks onto the field with the attire that of a shrine priestess. This was Ai, one of Hakuren siblings, and she had an interesting ability. This sister seems to have a strong connection to the world beyond and thus can see the spirits of the dead. Hakuren admires her for Ai was a far better spy than even her. Ai could commune with ghosts and thus use them to spy for her. Luckily this was a passive skill and thus Hakuren could do it to while possessing her.

The priestess looks at the field seeing not a single dummy recently damaged. She could only assume he was like her and came to the training grounds to look for a partner. She was a genjutsu expert and thus requires a living person to train on. “Are you looking for a partner as well?”

 

[Raizo]

[col]A yawn would escape as the white haired man would come stumbling upon the two youngsters. Roku, taking a break from his investigations and parading around the village in one of several masked personas, was enjoying a day off. After a recent battle victory, he had taken it upon himself to enjoy a break. So what did that entail? Getting loaded and stumbling around the village until something caught his attention.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, he had happened upon the training grounds and the boy and girl before him. Leading up to his approach his eyes had been on the boy struggling to land a fatal blow on a training dummy. The female was one he had not noticed prior, which just meant his level of inebriation was probably reaching its peak. The rather tall figure would be holding a glass bottle in his hand that contained an amber colored liquid that would splash around frantically as he spoke with his hands.

"Hey... hey... what's going on here... is this some weird date?"

The math seemed to be sound within his head.
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OOC:
|

[legend="[glow=#800000][b][size=5]Roku[/size][/b][/glow]"]

 

Name: Okayama Roku
Epithet: Suna's Raging Beast
Height: 6'2"
Build: Lean and Muscular
Eyes: Red
Blood Type: O NegativePersonal DataStamina: 50,400
Chakra: 31,200
Power Level: 3600 [CL: 15]
Stamina: 600 / 600
Agility: 600 / 600
Ninjutsu: 600 / 600
Taijutsu: 600 / 600
Genjutsu: 600 / 600
Chakra Control: 600 / 600Fight DataWiPActionsWiPWeapon EquippedMood MusicWiPMISC X

[/legend]​

[/col]

 

[Uragaeshi Riyoji]

Of the many options Yanjirou had for how to spend each day, today he chose something that was different, but not abnormal for him. Instead of choosing to wander the city and study the many commoners of the village, it would be a day to study whatever books he could salvage from the abandoned scroll locker. After his finding enough material to learn Runic Terran without the famed book to teach him, he saw it as an efficient source of knowledge, so that would be where he spent his day. Or so he thought.

As the cat-eared boy walked his usual path to the locker, he noticed something that was rather interesting. A boy. This alone would not be enough to catch his eye, but the one thing that caused him to stop was the child's strange behavior. Unlike normal student's, or shinobi, or whatever the boy might be, he had not put even a scratch on a single dummy in the time that he was being observed. Instead, he stopped his blade several inches before touching the stone slabs. The thought of what might be going through the boy's mind each time he attacked was enough to make Yanji's eyes glow because of his intrigue, so he decided to stay and watch. Might as well think of this as a learning experience as well, seeing how the strange people of Suna train their body and mind.

It seemed his presence went unnoticed, which was ideal for the boy. A test subject always performed best when they did not know that they were being monitored after all. No natural desire to show off to their observer. At least an hour went by as Yanji watched the student in silence, keeping a good distant between them to avoid being seen. Eventually, either from exhaustion or frustration - both being present and prominent - the boy tossed his kunai aside, looking up to the cave's ceiling. At this point, Yanji assumed the fun would be over, but it didn't take too long for another interesting subject came onto the scene before him.

Despite his feline ears, the two were too far away for the young Byakko to hear what was being said, so his time being spent in the shadows would have to end... The boy stepped out from his haven and approached the two, arriving just in time for something about a partnership being mentioned.

Another unexpected event befell them as he approached, however, as a strange man walked up to two. It seemed he had an interesting idea about what was going on between the two, so Yanji figured he might as well build onto the drunken man - or what he could only assume was a drunken man's - assumption.

"Have we just walked in on a budding relationship? My apologies if I've interrupted your confession ma'am." Yanji said as he closed his eyes and smiled. His expression was obviously a fake one, his monotonous voice likely ruining his ruse. His only desire was to learn more about the three before him, as now would be the perfect chance to not only learn why the boy could not strike a stone dummy, but also why the woman, girl, or whatever was clad in shrine maiden's attire. Today would be a good day for certain, learning about human behavior always took priority over other things! Maybe, as a plus, he would also be able to learn what the strange liquid in the bottle was. Though it was almost obvious it was some alcoholic beverage.

"My name is Bya-" His bad habit of saying his surname first still hadn't been broken, but thankfully he manged to stop himself, as usual, "Yanjirou." The boy placed his hand over his chest, and gave a deep bow with his other hand and leg outstretched. As he rose, he would await introductions from the other two, as it was only customary to give your name after someone else introduces themselves.

 

[Amano Hikari]

Kichiru sat up suddenly as he heard the voice of the approaching woman, not having heard her footsteps due to the nature of the soft-sand that surrounded this particular training field. Turning around to face her, he jump up onto his feet and looked towards Ai “Oh, I mean.. I was actually just...” He turned around to look at the untouched dummy, knowing that it was best not to lie as it was possible she had seen the scene unfold just a few minutes prior and therefore any deception would be seen through instantly. Plus, he was never much of a fan of lying. He had learned that it would be necessary to use deception in his life as a shinobi, but this couldn't be one of those times, right?

With a deep sigh, he began to explain himself, only to be interrupted from his potential embarrassment by an oncoming man with white hair and a bottle full of a liquid Kichiru had never seen before. While his father did occasionally drink, he mostly did it outside of their home or in very small quantities for certain celebrations. That was the case for years, except for the night that Kichiru had found him hours after receiving the information about his sister. Not only was his father just standing there blankly staring out the window of their home, he was also holding an empty bottle that looked quite similar to the one the white-haired man was holding. Kichiru never asked too many questions about the contents of the bottle, but it seemed, from how the white-haired man was acting, he would soon figure it out.

“Wait, what!?” Blood rushed instantaneously to the child's face as he turned a dark shade of crimson from the man's question. “No! She was-” his attempts at a rebuttal were shortly interrupted by another person, much younger than the first at almost Kichiru's age, walked over only to make the exact same comment. It likely wasn't possible to get any redder than Kichiru already had been, though it certainly looked as if his poor cheeks were trying.

“I... -” He let out an exasperated sigh as he began to, once again, explain himself, only to be cut off by the boy's introductions of himself, strangely enough deciding not to introduce himself by his surname. Perhaps this was part of that deception he needed to learn more about? As the crimson started to drain from his cheeks with time, Kichiru replied “I'm Kichiru, nice to meet you... all.” He added the final word as awkwardly as he could, scanning over the situation as he looked towards the woman draped in a strange formal-attire that he hadn't recognized as that of a shrine priestess, the white-haired man carrying the bottle of mysterious amber liquid, and finally Yanjirou, who Kichiru now realized had dropped into a deep bow to follow his introductions, which Kichiru awkwardly attempted to mimic a few moments too late after stating his own name.

 

[Ryu Hime]

Hakuren’s face turns slightly crimson at the suggestion and she was not sure what embarrassed her more; the idea she would confess to a boy like this in public or confess to a boy in her sister’s body. Hakuren was not sure how in the world a man could come to such a strange conclusion. The age difference was extreme. She highly doubt the boy was even old enough to be interested in girls yet. As the kid babbled Hakuren was at a loss for words. None would come to her until finally some introduces themselves.

“I am Hakuren and this body is my sister Ai.” This introduction usually gave surprise to most people. For some reason it just sounds creepy to them and Hakuren has learned to accept it. Not like she could lie and say she’s Ai for she’s is here to commune with other people and thus would wanted them to know it is her. However she can’t just say she’s Hakuren either, because that would lead into confusion later on. “Unfortunately my own body is not strong enough to make it here by myself.”

The shrine priestess seems to turn towards some invisible person and talks to her. “Thank you Ai, I can take it from here.” Then a specter-like character separates from the woman’s body. The translucent being looked to be a blind girl not too much young than Ai. The pseudo-spirit wore black in contrast to Ai’s white. A halo of flowers floated above the blind girl’s head. This is one way Hakuren can possess a person. True she did not really have to possess a person to get here. Her sister could have carried here her, but that would cause more embarrassment than the confession scene. She knows that she is physically weak and she has far too much pride as a shinobi to show it in such a manner. People would think her unworthy of the title if they saw her sister carrying her and she can’t have that.

The flowers floating above her head wither away to nothingness and she returns to corporeal form. The two sister faced each other. Ai’s face shows a bit concern for her younger sibling. Gently she places a hand on Hakuren’s cheek. “Are you sure you don’t want me to stay?” Hakuren replies with a nod. “Very well, but please don’t push yourself. If you start to feel light headed don’t be afraid to take a break and rest.” The relationship between the two of them almost seems more like mother and daughter than sisters. “Now I’ll send Toha to pick you up when I get home alright?” Ai kisses Hakuren on the forehead and starts to leave.

 

[Raizo]

[col]And there would be a brief moment of awkwardness as Roku would just look at the two of them with his glazed over eyes after asking his question. But after asking if this was some sort of weird date, his mind began to work in drunk overdrive analyzing the two before him.

Hey, wait a minute... she is older...

So with his synapses firing off he would begin to delicately handle this new revelation;

"Hey, wait a minute... she is ol..."

Before he could continue on with his new deduction, a true genius of inebriation at work, a third would appear and question if the couple before them was a relationship.

I don't think so bro, she is older and he looks like a kid...

Is what he thought. What he said was... nothing. Instead, he would look over to Yanjirou and do a mixture of head shaking and nodding, as if that was answering his playful tease. After completely handling that moment like a boss, he would turn back to the flustered boy who attempted to clarify what was happening before accepting the weirdness of all of this and just introducing himself. Now two names were known. His gaze would shift over to the female who started off her round of speaking by introducing the concept that she was one person and her body was her sister.

"Ah, I see... I have siblings..."

He would mutter, not fully grasping what was said. Hakuren would rectify this misunderstanding for Roku. Without any warning, a ghost girl would be expelled from the body of Ai. Roku would watch this with a stone cold expression, for at least a moment.

Ah, ghost girl in the body of their sister, classic.

He would nod to himself until a moment of clarity would hit him like a ton of bricks. Since his brain and his body were experiencing some cognitive dissonance, as the reality of what he had just seen started to sink in.

Wide eyed and confused, Roku would stand for a moment staring off into the distance. But like any good adult, he would take a swig of his bottle and seem to calm his nerves. In a world where he had seen a shadow monster lock someone in place with a mere look or where the kage soared around in big metallic suits it was easy to get past the initial shock of something new.

"GHOST GIRL!"

Seemed to handle that well.

"Sorry... what I meant to say was.... Roku. I am Roku, Roku I am."

Much like Yanjirou he would take a bow but it would not look nearly as elegant. Pulling the upper portion of his frame back up he would look over the three of them again.

"Ok, so Byanjirou..."

Pointing at Yanjirou, he would not seem to pick up that the boy had started to say one name and then quickly changed to his given name. Instead, what he heard was Bya----yanjirou.

"Ghost girl from the sister's body.... Haruken..."

Taking another swig to help swallow the pill of that existence.

"And Kichiru, the boy who is trying to hook up with older girls"

He would lean over and nudge the boy gently, accompanied by a wink. After that, he would look over the setting once more and then back to the three of them. Thoughts would begin to course through his mind as he tried to fully analyze the situation. It was a weird little collection that had gathered at a rather random spot, so there is one thing that he had to ask.

"...the hell is going on here?"

Nailed it.
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OOC: 605 words MFT
|

[legend="[glow=#800000][b][size=5]Roku[/size][/b][/glow]"]

 

Name: Okayama Roku
Epithet: Suna's Raging Beast
Height: 6'2"
Build: Lean and Muscular
Eyes: Red
Blood Type: O NegativePersonal DataStamina: 50,400
Chakra: 31,200
Power Level: 3600 [CL: 15]
Stamina: 600 / 600
Agility: 600 / 600
Ninjutsu: 600 / 600
Taijutsu: 600 / 600
Genjutsu: 600 / 600
Chakra Control: 600 / 600Fight DataWiPActionsWiPWeapon EquippedMood MusicWiPMISC X

[/legend]​

[/col]

 

[Uragaeshi Riyoji]

Yanjirou couldn't help but be amused by the boy's attempt at a formal bow, as he hadn't ever seen anyone attempt it after his own. At this point, it was simply second nature for him to add a bow after each introduction unless, of course, the person or persons he was speaking to had another idea in mind. Perhaps he would have to give the this "Kichiru" lessons on how to properly bow, though he would prefer to learn than teach. Speaking of learning, his mind went from amusement to awe in just a few seconds as the older woman announced something that was simply... Spectacular! The drunken man of the group seemed to have a difficult time grasping what was going on, but the moment the boy heard something about possession, and even witnessed - first hand - two sentient beings splitting from a single body, he couldn't help but watch with a silly look on his face.

In the middle of their separation, Yanji couldn't help but reach out and try to touch the floating ghost-woman, but before he could make contact, her figure regained color and fell to the sand. The boy was almost heartbroken, an opportunity to touch such a strange being had almost literally slipped through his fingers, the girl disappeared before he could even ask any questions! Or so he thought, as he was too focused on the chance he had and lost, that he didn't even realize the girl was right below him. Of course, as he fell to his knees, entirely prepared to shout to the heavens about his failures, and how he's been betrayed by his craving for knowledge, he saw the same woman that had just released her sister from her control. The excitement he felt was not only visible on his face, but his eyes lit up like the sun above their massive wyrm tunnel. Literally. His quest for knowledge, it seemed, would begin now! Textbooks might not even be needed after learning first hand about things he'd never even dreamed about. Possession was a thing of fiction!

The cat-like boy sprung to his feet, and offered a hand to the girl - forgetting her mention of being too weak to walk. "You must tell me how you manage that! What sort of technique do you use, is it your bloodline? A well kept secret within your family? A gift from the gods themselves!? He quickly realized how out of control and childish his question were becoming, so he decided to tone it down a bit before he scared the frail woman away, causing her to roll away or something.

"Or I suppose, the more preferable possibility, what's the science behind it? Possession seems like a useful skill to have." His eyes would continue to glow with the same intensity, possibly able to temporarily blind someone should they look too long. Nothing had ever excited him this much before! Was the rest of the world this way? If so, he might not even wait till he got his passport out of the village!

"My apologies if I'm making any of you uncomfortable, but I can't be the only one who finds such a unique skill fascinating!" Unlike the fake smile he gave during introductions, this one was as genuine as can be, reaching from ear to ear. Even to him, it didn't really seem possible that a person could smile so wide, but at the very least, that's what it felt like.

 

[Amano Hikari]

Perhaps it hadn't been the greatest idea to attempt to deal with his hesitations today. He could be at home helping his mother with dinner, or perhaps he could be combing the library trying to learn new things about the history of Sunagakure, or perhaps he could quite literally be anywhere other than here. Maybe that was a little harsh; Yanjirou didn't seem too strange, regardless of his ability to embarrass Kichiru within seconds. Ai seemed nice enough, though they hadn't gotten in much conversation before the others approached. And then there's the white-haired man. Well, maybe it was a little fair towards him.

Wait, is he even listening? A hand would wave in the direction of the man with the thousand-yard stare. He wasn't dead, right? Kichiru had read stories of people who simply dropped dead without explanation, destined to be trapped within their body as a ghost, praying that they would one day be released from their tomb. Or perhaps that was simply made up as strange and obvious foreshadowing for what was about to happen. Who could be sure these days?

“Uh... Excuse me?” The second sentence out of the priestess's mouth had been that she was apparently someone other than herself. Kichiru was of a completely sane mind without the slightest bit of alcohol in his system, as one would hope for his age, and he still wasn't sure of what the young woman had said. His head slowly turned towards the others in hope that they were just about as confused as he was, or even perhaps that they had an answer to the burning question in his mind.

Ding Ding Ding

It appears Ai...-Hak.. Aikuren had the answer after all to the question she caused as a strange specter appeared to leave her.... their... Ghost came out of the lady.

Soon after the ghost appeared to return to corporeality and all that was left was the two women, one of which was the sister and the other was the OG (Original Ghost) that was known as Hakuren. As Ai began to leave, Kichiru waved towards her “Nice meeting you... I guess?” turning towards Hakuren and beginning to speak once more toward her “Alright.. So, that was interesting. Are you sure you're alright to stand? We could go inside where we could sit down.”

It was then that Yanjirou came over to bombard the young frail woman with questions about her possession “He does have a point, it doesn't seem like anyone of us have ever seen anything like that. And... While it was strange, it certainly was really interesting.” The tone of the conversation changed once more as the white-haired man, apparently named Roku, had begun verbally internalizing each of their names, at least to the best of his ability, which apparently wasn't top-notch. A sigh escaped Kichiru's lips as the earlier confusion was once again brought up, though this time he didn't seem to blush, only returning a polite smile to Roku's nudge. Whatever was wrong with him, he seemed at least to be a nice person.

A nice person who definitely did not own any masks.

 

[Ryu Hime]

The blind woman smiles at the boy’s onslaught of questions. It did not make her uncomfortable at all. In fact she enjoys the attention. She likes it when people admire her talents. “Let me re-introduce myself.” Her hand pinches the sides of her dress, she bends her knees thus lowering her body and holding her dress outwards. With a bowed head she completes her curtsy and greets the group, “I am Yamanaka Hakuren, It is a pleasure to meet you all.” Yamanaka is a well-known bloodline so hopefully this will answer the boys question while correcting the drunken man’s mispronunciation of her name.

She returns to a more casual stance a turns to face the first boy on the field. “Thank you for the offer, but I did come here to train like I assume most of you did.” Hakuren had not a clue why Roku was here. She could smell the alcohol from his breath from here and the sound of his voice says he may have had one too many drinks. Did he stumble into the training grounds in a drunken stupor or something? ”I’m a genjutsu specialist. Would one of you young lads be willing to be my training partner?” This was the reason she came with Ai in the first place. If there was nobody already her Hakuren would spar with her. Hakuren prays that Roku would not volunteer for she really did not feel like right casting illusions on a person that is intoxicated.

 

[Raizo]

[col]There were definitely some shenanigans afoot with this group of peculiar young'ns. The Bayanjirou seemed fascinated by ghost girl, ghost girl seemed intent on training (still not really picking up that he is at the training grounds, give him time) and then the young stud was just being polite. It all was such a swirling of madness that Roku could not help but begin to laugh. So for those not in a drunk state of mind, the tallest and oldest of this group would begin to randomly laugh to himself.

His laughing would quickly stop as Hakuren's words started to sink into his mind. It seemed she wanted do some training, and if there was one thing Roku enjoyed, it was training. His face would go through a shift phase as he would now have serious look plastered upon him.

"Wait, we doin' some trainin'?
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OOC: Sorry about the short post, had a rough day but didn't want to delay the thread. Y'all 3 are the stars of this show anyways, I am just here to party
|

[legend="[glow=#800000][b][size=5]Roku[/size][/b][/glow]"]

 

Name: Okayama Roku
Epithet: Suna's Raging Beast
Height: 6'2"
Build: Lean and Muscular
Eyes: Red
Blood Type: O NegativePersonal DataStamina: 50,400
Chakra: 31,200
Power Level: 3600 [CL: 15]
Stamina: 600 / 600
Agility: 600 / 600
Ninjutsu: 600 / 600
Taijutsu: 600 / 600
Genjutsu: 600 / 600
Chakra Control: 600 / 600Fight DataWiPActionsWiPWeapon EquippedMood MusicWiPMISC X

[/legend]​

[/col]

 

[Uragaeshi Riyoji]

Yanjirou was pleased to hear that his questions weren't making the girl.. Hakuren, uncomfortable. For if they had, he may have to abandon the group and observe common courtesies elsewhere until he had a better handle on them. Thankfully however, he would be allowed to stay for the time being.

"Yamanaka, hm?" He mumbled as he tried to remember everything he'd read about the clan in the past, "From the texts I've had available, Yamanaka are only able to possess the victim's - or I suppose volunteer's - mind, correct? I've never heard or read of one able to put their entire physical body into that of another. Is it some form of secret technique?" His mind was almost working in overdrive now, trying to think of all of the possibilities for how this woman would be able to place herself into someone else. At the very least, he would have to keep an eye on her. Maybe even after this encounter... It would be wonderful to learn more if she didn't reveal everything now.

If she chose to answer the question, or not, then Yanji would return to her offer to train. Though, by the time he'd asked his question, it seemed Roku had already jumped on the opportunity. Or at least expressed his approval through a simple question that sounded as though it was filled with some kind of enthusiasm. Regardless, the boy wished to test a theory he's had for quite some time after an eventful encounter on the rooftops of Sietch Zensunna.

"It seems Roku-san is quite ready to train, though I'm not entirely sure if he knows what he was volunteering for. However, I would ask that I get the first shot. I've got a personal question that needs answering, and I believe this may be my chance to do so." The young Byakko stated, his eyes beginning to glow once more as he prepared his mind for whatever genjutsu might be thrown at him. It wasn't often that he was able to train first hand, usually he simply read about certain subjects to better his understanding on the whole thing, rather than going out and learning himself. Though, as he's sure anyone can tell you, learning things in person was always better than reading about them in a book.

 

[Amano Hikari]

“Yam..Yamanaka? Interesting, I've never read any stories of people who were capable of possession. It must be a very secretive technique!” Kichiru nodded towards Hakuren as he spoke, still trying to process the entire situation that had just unfolded before his very eyes. He was aware there were plenty of techniques that he had yet to discover, but he couldn't have even imagined devising one such as the one Hakuren's family possessed.

It was then that Roku began to laugh. Perhaps one would find his laughter inappropriate or just strange, but the situation they had just witnessed confused the lot of them equally, so it made sense that one, especially in such a strange state as the white-haired man, might react in such a way. Kichiru was hard-pressed not to become infected by the man's laughter, as others would notice his facial muscles tensing up as he tried not to burst out in laughter.

His laughter would only momentarily erupt from his lips as it was quashed immediately by the sudden seriousness on the man's face. Any hope of continued laughter was completely eradicated by the strange change in expression that seemed to happen the moment Hakuren mentioned training. The man had easily many years on her and the others, he couldn't possibly expect that sort of fight to be fair, could he? Perhaps they were dealing with someone who was, for some odd reason, actually on their level? It would be bizarre if Kichiru were to refuse, simply because there was no indication that he had actually trained, due to his inability to make contact with the training dummy. Why else would he be here if not to train? Kichiru was not normally shy or easily embarrassed, and he had begun to realize that he had slowly began slipping into that state ever since his entrance into the academy. Perhaps it was insecurity? Perhaps it was fear? Either way, he knew that he wanted nothing more than to return to his former self. To be proud and courageous.

“Alright, I'm in. Let's do this.”

 

[Ryu Hime]

“You correct Yanjirou.” Hakuren decides to show off a little by cast a far more flashy Name of the Rose jutsu than before. Name of the Rose is a secret ability of the Yamanaka Clan, showing the true power of their Mentality. This ability allows the Yamanaka to convert their body into a form of their choosing created purely out of intangible chakra, with a glowing Halo of Flower Petals floating over their head. In this form, the user's mental capabilities are significantly increased, and they gain access to much more powerful illusionary techniques. However, this form can only be held shortly, and the Halo above their heads rapidly wilts away as their time shortens.

In a brilliant flash she transforms into a knight in shining armor. Golden plates clothed her form from head to toe. The suit was polished to perfection so much so that it shown in the rays of the morning light giving her a majestic aura about her. Despite the beauty there were some imperfections that marred her precious suit. Dents, nicks and cuts littered its surface. However, even with these imperfections the suit still serves its purpose. Hakuren had wings like an angel and when she was first came into view she had them stretched out wide and they looked to be like veils of pure fire. Plumage of red, orange and yellow adorn her wings. The feathers shimmered in the light like a flickering flame. Her feathers were unique, though they looked like a birds upon closer inspection one would see not tiny little hairs sprouting from the stem but scales like that of a reptile. The scales were light but durable and were in a sense the armor to her wings. Now as she stands before the group tall and proud, she folds her wings into what looks to be a long flowing feathery cape. The wings however were not her only animalistic appendage she possessed. Around her legs a crimson tail lightly wraps. The tail was serpentine with yellow and orange fur stemming from its tip like a fine paintbrush. Its scales were like that of her wings. Up above her head was a bunch of white roses woven into a crown and floated just above her head like a halo. With each passing minute a single petal falls from the halo of flowers.

“However with this jutsu we can combine with an entity.”

 

[Raizo]

[col]It would seem that Hakuren was still full of some surprises as her ghostly visage began to morph into that of an armor clad, haloed angel-like presence. It was a rather odd ability but to be fair he had not really encountered that many Yamanaka. As far as he could recall, which this wasn't exactly the best time to be testing his memory, this was the first time meeting one for him. However, the visual presentation, especially in his current state, was very impressive. Equally impressive (if you could call it that) was the fact that it just now registered that Hakuren, prior to her new form, had stated she specialized in genjutsu.

"Ghost Girl got genjutsu..."

He would mutter to himself sloppily. She was the type of shinobi he did not enjoy encountering; those that used the art of mental and illusionary deception. For a brawler like himself, it was much easier to let loose with an opponent that was determined to smash away at one another. However, he was growing very curious as to what she could do. So like any grown adult, he would collapse to the ground in a sitting position, spilling a portion of the contents of his bottle like an alcoholic volcano, and prop his chin in his arms as he awaited to see what happened next.

It was still not entirely clear what Roku was doing here or if he truly knew what was going on, but it seemed he was making himself a spectator at this juncture.

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OOC:
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[legend="[glow=#800000][b][size=5]Roku[/size][/b][/glow]"]

 

Name: Okayama Roku
Epithet: Suna's Raging Beast
Height: 6'2"
Build: Lean and Muscular
Eyes: Red
Blood Type: O NegativePersonal DataStamina: 50,400
Chakra: 31,200
Power Level: 3600 [CL: 15]
Stamina: 600 / 600
Agility: 600 / 600
Ninjutsu: 600 / 600
Taijutsu: 600 / 600
Genjutsu: 600 / 600
Chakra Control: 600 / 600Fight DataWiPActionsWiPWeapon EquippedMood MusicWiPMISC X

[/legend]​

[/col]

 

[Uragaeshi Riyoji]

Yanji barely managed to hold back a smirk after hearing that his assumption was correct, partly because he now knew he was right, mostly because there was a chance that he would learn whatever this "secret" technique was rather soon. Which, almost as if he predicted it, Hakuren decided to show the group her technique, though it clearly wasn't the same appearance she had when... Exiting, her sister. Still, Yanjirou was barely restraining himself from quite literally drooling all over the training grounds. It didn't help how the armor was gleaming in the un-natural lighting of the cave, which was strange, but the ability was too amazing for the boy to question it. Once the boy regained his composure, however, he noticed the the armor this new form wore was already rather tattered. He wasn't sure if she was able to choose her form or not, but it was worth asking.

"The armor you're wearing now seems like it's seen battle, is that your choice, or simply an example of what you've put it through? Considering how quickly you took that.. Awe inspiring form, I can't imagine it's the first time you've used it." The young Byakko said, watching as the drunken man with them seated himself to watch. At least that's what he hoped was going on, he didn't want to see anyone else's breakfast today.

Once his question was answered, if it was answered, Yanji would get back to the topic at hand. It was obvious that, after his question about a potential secret ability of the Yamanaka clan, Haruken was trying to show off to her Juniors, and the odd man that was with them. But he still remembered her offer to train, and as always, he had to train some part of himself before he could be satisfied enough to go home.

"Well, thank you for that example of your ability. But unless you plan on using that to strengthen your genjutsu, shall we get on with training? I'm eager to see if I'm able to see through your illusions. Though I'm sure it will be a little bit easier since I'm expecting it..." The last part was mumbled out of disappointment. Any form of physical conflict is undesirable to the boy, but any chance he gets to show off his mental fortitude is one that he takes. Whether it's to prove to himself, or to someone else, how intelligent he is for his age.

 

[Amano Hikari]

“Huh.” were the only words Kichiru could seem to muster as the oddities of the day seemed to only grow exponentially stranger and stranger as he stuck around. Of course, this was thankfully not quite as excitement-packed as his night in Soon's Haven, which he'd rather forget sooner rather than later. All that blood... He snapped back into reality as his mind began to wander, focusing on the current phenomenon going on right beside him as Hakuren transformed herself into some sort of Yamanaka Paladin of sorts. “That's really cool Hakuren! Your family must be pretty strong to be able to develop a technique this powerful.”

Now the white-haired man sat quite suddenly, spilling a decent portion of the unknown liquid all over his lap. He winced slightly in memory of the one time he badly stained one of his formal outfits right in front of his mother. It almost took him an entire week of being extremely attentive to the chores around the house for her to stop being mad about it. Of course, that was neither her nor there. Though to be fair here was quite strange at the moment so there appears to be an attractive option for those who preferred to keep their sense of reality intact.

He nodded as Yanjirou made a few keen observations that Kichiru was far too deep in thought to even consider. He hadn't really considered the reasoning behind the form Hakuren took, more so figuring it might be how she learned the technique or just what she thought would be the most interesting. As he began to consider her possible reasoning for choosing such a form, Yanjirou seemed to switch the topic back to that of training, though Kichiru wasn't exactly sure how much physical prowess he would be able to show off against two people so clearly willing and able to battle others. How could he compare when he could barely bring himself to attack a training dummy? Taking a deep breath as he closed his eyes for a moment, Kichiru attempted to put himself in a situation where he think he'd be capable of fighting. It was then that he saw his mother and father, both cowering in fear at the hands of some unknown assailant, oddly similar looking to the figures he encountered in Soon's Haven. I have to pretend that I'm protecting those I care about.. That's what this training is for. Not to get stronger or learn how to be okay with violence, but to do my best so that when the time comes I can protect them all...

His eyes opened as he peered over towards Roku “Perhaps you should count us down, since it seems you'll be observing Mister.” He wasn't overly confident just yet, but he was ready to do everything in his power to keep himself in that mindset that would allow him to train properly.
[MFT]
OOC: Sorry for the delay.

 

[Ryu Hime]

The one student asked about her armor and she smiled, “no, it’s just décor… decora…” Hakuren was being to sway as she talked and before should could finish a word she reverts back to her original form and collapses to the ground completely passed out. It appears she pushed herself to hard in order to look cool in front of training partners. This was a part of herself she was ashamed of. While her ability to possess entities was a gift, the physical conditions of her bodies was a curse.

 

[Raizo]

[col]The young Byanjirou still seemed to be very interested in the ability of the girl, and very eager to test himself out against it. Out of the three, he seemed to be the most similar to Roku at this time. There was a quiet intensity, like a wild animal pacing around its prey. Maybe he was just projecting his own moments of blood lust onto the young one. Ghost Girl was still in her new armor form and the little stud who flirted with the older Ghost Girl seemed to be getting himself fired up. Kichiru asked if he could count down for them to begin, to which Roku would give a sloppy nod and hold up his bottle as if toasting the young ones.

"Ok, so 1, 2...."

The ghost would collapse and her form would revert back to a more human, less-armor, appearance.

Huh...

"Anyone know Ghost First Aid?"

Was that a thing? Who knew? This all was a little ball of madness, but his assumption was that the form the girl was using was powered by her chakra so her life would not be in real danger. If she used up too much chakra the form would probably return back to the actual body, who would be very exhausted. With that assumption in mind, his eyes would bounce over to the two boys. His expression was one that was asking "what's next" or "still training". Maybe they wanted Roku to train them?

Ooooh... could that be it?????????????

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OOC:
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[legend="[glow=#800000][b][size=5]Roku[/size][/b][/glow]"]

 

Name: Okayama Roku
Epithet: Suna's Raging Beast
Height: 6'2"
Build: Lean and Muscular
Eyes: Red
Blood Type: O NegativePersonal DataStamina: 50,400
Chakra: 31,200
Power Level: 3600 [CL: 15]
Stamina: 600 / 600
Agility: 600 / 600
Ninjutsu: 600 / 600
Taijutsu: 600 / 600
Genjutsu: 600 / 600
Chakra Control: 600 / 600Fight DataWiPActionsWiPWeapon EquippedMood MusicWiPMISC X

[/legend]​

[/col]

[/quote]

 

[Uragaeshi Riyoji]

Yanji's heart raced in response to his anticipation rising, what could this form possibly be capable of? What destruction could it cause? Diseases it could heal? Beasts it could tame? There was no telling how it worked, until he experienced it himself, and even the risk of death would not sway him from finding out now. As Hakuren spoke, the boy's eyes widened, assuming that what was said was some kind of chant, but his short-time dreams were swiftly cut down as she simply passed out before them. The young Byakko could have sworn that his heart dropped from his chest if he didn't understand simple human biology.

As the other two pondered what exactly had happened, Yanji simply stared, despair in his eyes. Such a fascinating ability, and now he may never know what it does! That thought alone would be enough for him to give up on life, though - deep down - he knew that it must have put quite the strain on the frail girl's body. Once the drunkard spoke up, still apparently not fully understanding the situation, he asked if anyone knew ghost first aid. The boy let out a long sigh before approaching the now limp Hakuren, placing two fingers on her neck and feeling for a pulse. Which, as he expected, was still there.

"Well she still has a pulse, so she most likely pushed herself too far when she activated that form." The boy explained to the others. He hoped that her survival was obvious long before he checked for a pulse, but with how drunk the white haired man was, it was difficult to really tell what he thought of the situation. Yanjirou took a deep breath in after allowing himself a moment of silence, then decided that he wouldn't be leaving this place without at least learning something, which is when he looked to Maki Kichiru...

"Well, it seems this.. Eventful meeting, may be coming to an end soon. But before any of us go, I think I'd like to have a spar with you, Kichiru-san." He explained, smiling slightly as he gripped the hilt of his katana. "I would like you to go all out, as I won't be going easy on you either. If you need an explanation as to why, let's just say I'm... Interested, shall we?" Yanji would push the blade out of its sheath slightly, revealing the gleaming metal underneath a wooden shell. "Excuse me sir, if you could continue your count down from before, it would be greatly appreciated." He would say, wanting to add to the tension he'd hoped to create. Once the count down ended, he would wait for Kichiru to attack, but if he refused, then he would lead by quickly drawing his sword and moving to stab at the boy's throat. He assumed that they were both around the same level of skill, but if he was unable to avoid it, then Yanjirou would move the blade away from his flesh and re-sheath it, a disappointed look on his face.

MFT