Ninpocho Chronicles

Ninpocho Chronicles is a fantasy-ish setting storyline, set in an alternate universe World of Ninjas, where the Naruto and Boruto series take place. This means that none of the canon characters exists, or existed here.

Each ninja starts from the bottom and start their training as an Academy Student. From there they develop abilities akin to that of demigods as they grow in age and experience.

Along the way they gain new friends (or enemies), take on jobs and complete contracts and missions for their respective villages where their training and skill will be tested to their limits.

The sky is the limit as the blank page you see before you can be filled with countless of adventures with your character in the game.

This is Ninpocho Chronicles.

Current Ninpocho Time:

CQC (Non-Space Variation) [Class]

Tsuirakuya Shashu

Well-Known Ninja
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The setting was an odd one, as far as classrooms go. When one imagined a 'classroom' they typically imagined the usual rows of desks facing a single podium, and shinobi tended to follow this standard for most classes that didn't demand practical exercise. Even when accounting for more combat-oriented lessons one might expect a room designed for such things, such as a dojo or even a flat, open area outdoors.

In contrast, minus the usual odor and noise that accompanied such things, the room most closely resembled an un-populated market street. The floor was dusty cobblestone and wooden faux stalls were placed intermittently along the walls, each bearing some form of signage or decoration. Wooden tables and chairs were also spaced through the room, though these were mostly clustered around the 'food' stalls while benches covered other areas where seating might be expected. Each stall also boasted wares in some form, however these were all easily identified as props at a glance.

Apart from all that, the large blackboard at the opposite end of the long room was the only concession made to the traditional classroom. On it's surface the letters 'CQC' were written vertically in large red chalk. Other than that there was no form of instruction, and the instructor seemed absent as well. There was ample time left before the class started however, so nothing was out of the ordinary. It seemed that how the students occupied themselves until the start of the class was up to them.
[OOC Notes: I'm not concerned with word count, so long as everyone follows the site minimum and adequately responds to what's going on in the thread you should be fine. Make sure you post at least a few days within each other (no week long breaks without letting me know ahead of time), and we'll be good on that front. If you take too long to post I will fail you for inactivity, but I'd rather not do that. I'll post a day or so after everyone has joined, so until then feel free to RP with each other as you like. Post order isn't an issue, so let's enjoy ourselves :3 After this class I'll do a follow-up for Anti-Chakra Techniques as well if there are any takers.]​
 
Kyo strolled along the halls of the academy once more. With the disappearance of Doku, he was left searching for another way to achieve his goal. While he was still on the same path, the fact was he had no one to lead him down it was an issue as he had become lost, it didn't help that Miko, Jun and Yukiko where gone as well, which meant the team that they had planned on putting together was gone as well. Still, he was nothing if not determined and sure of what he wanted. A few classes to get to know the current crop of students, new faces that he didn't recognize would be nothing but beneficial. That was why he found himself in the odd classroom, one that seemed to resemble an empty cobblestone street, complete with tables, chairs, and benched stalls. He had arrived early, apparently earlier than even the instructor for the class as they were nowhere to be found. He quickly scanned the room once more before entering, closing the door and then moving to the left hand corner, setting his back against the wall as he stood, awaiting the arrival of the other students as well as their instructor. He knew it wouldn't be long, as while he was early, he wasn't that early. He considered his options for a moment before he performed a series of jutsu, starting with clone and ending with him sinking below the earth, leaving the clone standing in the spot he had been just a moment before. This would allow him a bit of leeway in dealing with any surprises that happened, and his tremor sense would allow him to sense the others as they arrived.
 
Being the great student she was, Sashine had once again forgotten her school materials. Most of the time though, it didn't really matter as she could always find someone to let her borrow what she needed or luck would strike and there would be absolutely no need for them. Her luck had run out as the soft-spoken boy who she usually asked for materials had gone sick and messed her entire system up! If she wanted to borrow something from another boy, the original meek one might not continue to give her anything and if she asked a girl, they might expect to be friends outside of these walls and the mere thought was annoying. She put enough effort into letting people think they knew her, why would she go through so much more effort in her free time? She ended up asking the teacher, feeling it was the best option and the stupid teacher called her unprepared in front of everyone! That boy would have to pay for causing so much harm.
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Sashine skipped down the halls glad that a new class would mean different pupils who wouldn't have seen this morning's exchange and her dignity would be safe once more. Her dress bounced in the air as the human cupcake moved past the crowds of students traveling from one class to the next, surely bothering some people from just how much more space the pastel pink child took up than the average light-weight clothed ninja. After pushing aside a far bit of students with her frills and saunter, she arrived at the door that would be today's classroom. As she pushed it open and took her first step inside, she took a few seconds to digest the room. She took note of the insignia, the utensils, the benches and the boy on the wall that was just chilling. She wasn't sure whether the boy would be the teacher or not because she'd been more surprised about appearances before and based on the classroom's look, Sashine did what seemed most appropriate.

Disregarding the boy, she walked over to the food stall because of course, it had the most seats in front of it. Sashine untied the bows on her hair, re-making one into a bow and looping the other into the bow as she pulled her hair back and tied it as a hairband to hold the pink hair back and away from her face. She stood next to the food stall and in a mezzo-forte street vendor voice began her performance art.

"Step right on up folks, 800 yen per bowl! We got fish, noodle, vegetable and our recommended bowl of the day... SPICY MUSHROOM SURPRISE!", she paused a bit and waved the invisible people toward her stall. "Prices negotiable if you can answer a riddle, come on ma'am, don't be shy, your kid's hungry and I can tell he wants to know the surprise!", she'd continue on loop, talking to invisible people and if actual living human flesh walked by her stall, she'd call them over as well, repeating her street vendor menu and pausing every few moments to walk over to tables and pick up invisible trays and of course, to cook the meals. Cooking classes came of use at the very least.

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WC: 547
 
Komora’s arrival to the taijutsu class was difficult if she had come here on purpose or not. On one hand, there was Sashine. It could have easily been guessed that the Mochizuki girl followed the pink ball of fluff from the street to the school and into the class room. Yet on the other hand, Komora’s clothes were clean, by Mochizuki standards that meant that someone had just recently dressed her, as she wasn’t one to pay attention to things like clothing. Even her entrance felt a little out of character, that is, assuming anyone here knew anything about how Komora was prone to act. She entered the room and observed the pink ball of fluff speaking like a salesman. The point of the Pink thing’s imagination was lost on Komora. Komora blinked as she saw that Sashine actually had nothing for sale. She seemed to be trying to show off an invisible display, but Komora wasn’t interested. As she wandered over to the blackboard she stopped and looked at the boy in the corner of the room. Her eyes were keen and she noticed something that had caught her attention.

Her uncharacteristically quiet entrance was broken. She stalked across the room until she stood in front of the clone. She was uncomfortably close. Except she didn’t seem interested in him at all. Instead, she gazed hungrily at the two kunai holstered at his chest. She knew that it wasn’t polite to take other people’s swords. She had learned this through countless encounters with people back at her clan home. She had often tried to steal the swords that others wore on their belts or on their backs, and they would always come and claim the prize that she had pilfered. So instead, here she was. Staring at the kunais on this boys chest holster. It couldn’t be said to be immediately obvious, but she was actually inching closer and closer until her head was practically resting on the clone’s chest as she stared at the kunais. She really wanted to take them, but she restrained herself. She restrained herself with all the fibers in her being. So instead of trying to steal this boy’s kunais – she just drooled over them. Trails of spittle began to trickle down from the corner of her mouth as she gazed at the kunais.

The Mochizuki troupe didn’t allow Komora to have knives, because the last time she had a knife, she used it to carve up a small animal. They were worried that she may decide to carve up someone else next, or even herself, as she has proven to be the reckless type. It probably seemed odd that her family would send her to the academy to become a shinobi when she was mentally stunted. She was here purely because of her obsession with sharp things. For how much experience she had with sharp things, she was incredible knowledgeable about them. Seriously. She knew the names of many styles and their standard practice forms. She had memorized all of it was a glance. Just like she was memorizing this plain looking kunai in a holster on this boy’s chest.
 
Kyo watched impassively as the next student arrived, a girl in a dress, a rather elaborate one, with dress gloves, frill along the sleeves, gloves, chest and bottom of the dress as well as her socks, bows tied at the side as well as in her hair and on hear ballet shoes, and all of it in a pink and white color scheme. While the class was one on CQC, the color scheme was not appropriate, it drew attention easily and would stand out a great deal on roof tops, in the forest or other locations and anywhere really other than in the streets in Susukino District or The Seki District. He admitted that the attire was fine for the room they had found themselves in, but he doubted it had been picked with that in mind. There was also the problem that she was attending a CQC class in a set of clothing that could very easily allow others to control her movement via grabbing a hold of her, after all she took up much more space with that dress than would otherwise be had.

He watched her first actions in the room, being moving to a stall, the one with the most seats in front of it, and tied her hair back utilizing the bows in her hair to make a hairband "That is something at least.", he thought to himself as he watched begin to try and hawk things to an invisible crowd. He watched her for a moment before internally shaking his head, "She is playing. How childish." he sat even more stone-faced than he had been before as he watched the performance and her antics, though he was focused more on the approaching set of steps that he felt, they were to light to be a full grown adult, unless they were purposefully attempting to hide, but he doubted that from the way they seemed to plod along.

When the girl entered the room, he shifted his attention visibly to her, she was clean and dressed much more appropriately for the class at hand, she was also very small even smaller than the other girl, and very much younger than the other girl. His opinion of her on first sight was much better than the girl decked out in pink, though that was soon to change. The girl hand wandered to the blackboard before looking over at him, stalked his way and stood there, seemingly interested in the kunai he had holstered on his chest. She got closer and closer, near enough that he actually expected the girl to attempt to take the Kunai from its holster with her drooling mouth. He was actually disappointed that the near normal looking girl had turned out to be.. Well he wasn’t sure what was wrong with her, just that there was something wrong with her. The clone quickly pulled the Kunai from its holster and slung it across the room, where it struck the opposite wall with a clunk, if the girl didn’t move to follow it and instead chose to focus on the other kunai he carried he would sling that one across the room as well. If these were what he had to choose from in this crop, then he would be greatly disappointed unless his first impression of them turned out to be wrong, there were less likely things to happen, but he wasn’t sure what they were off the top of his head. He just hoped that the instructor would arrive soon, and that they could get the class over with in a timely manner "I think it is time I moved on from the academy, even if it means moving on by myself with out a team."

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Italics are thoughts.
 
[OOC: Since it's been a week, I'm skipping Takeo. He can join late anytime before my next post, but if he hasn't posted by then he fails the class.]​

Several moments passed in awkward silence before the clack of the sliding door alerted the student's to the arrival of their instructor. The man that entered seemed to embody the phrase 'grizzled war veteran' to a T, even to the point of dressing in military fatigues as opposed to the standard shinobi uniform.
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Moritsuke 'Heartless' Hidetsugu
Truant students face punishment by defenestration.

"Alright kiddies, enough playing around." The man said as he walked to the board. "First things first, introductions. I am Moritsuke Hidetsugu, often called 'Hide the Heartless' or 'Heartless Hidetsugu' by you young'uns depending on if you've had class with me or not. None of you have, so I'll give you the same spiel I do all the others. Ahem."

"Let me make something abundantly clear. I am not a shinobi. My rank is merely a formality given to me so that when you young-uns get uppity I can smack you right back down, and when you go running back to your mommies and daddies I can wave this wonderful little piece of paper in their faces and send em' packing." As he spoke Hidetsugu would reach into another breast pocket and pull out a folded piece of paper bearing the Raikage's official seal, showing it briefly to the students before tucking it back into the pocket. "It bears mentioning that as far as the village is concerned, until you kiddies graduate my word is law, both in and out of the classroom. As such, you will address me as 'Sir'. Not 'sensei' or 'shishou' or any of those fancy titles you fogheads think up. Failure to do so may result in expulsion from the classroom by means of me tossing your ass out the window."

"Now, onto the subject at hand." He pointed to each of the letters on the board in turn. "C.Q.C. An abbreviation that stands for 'Close Quarters Combat'. An important distinction here is that CQC is not the same as Taijutsu. Can any of you guess why? While you're at it go ahead and introduce yourselves to each other, since I doubt any of you took the time to do so before I showed up."
 
Four-letter words poured out of Takeo’s mouth as he raced towards the Academy. He had not slept in late, his mother had not fussed at him about one thing or another, he hadn’t stopped to save a kitten from a tree; he had been at the Path. He worked there almost every day, and trained there every night. A fight had broken out in the sparring area between two rival gladiators, and his boss wouldn’t let him leave until all the blood was mopped up.

He flew as fast as his feet would carry him, slamming through the front doors of the Academy and weaving through the halls until he found the classroom he was supposed to be in. He skidded to a stop outside the door, and heard the gruff voice of what must’ve been their teacher coming through the wood.

”… my word is law, both in and out of the classroom. As such, you will address me as 'Sir'. Not 'sensei' or 'shishou' or any of those fancy titles you fogheads think up. Failure to do so may result in expulsion from the classroom by means of me tossing your ass out the window. Now, onto the subject at hand. C.Q.C. An abbreviation that stands for 'Close Quarters Combat'. An important distinction here is that CQC is not the same as Taijutsu. Can any of you guess why? While you're at it go ahead and introduce yourselves to each other, since I doubt any of you took the time to do so before I showed up.”

Crap! This guy sounded like a hard-ass! No way he was going to take Takeo’s tardiness well. With a deep sigh, Takeo resigned himself to his fate, opened the door, and entered the classroom. The sense-- wait… the teacher looked even more grizzled than he sounded; his old, worn out fatigues and eyepatch showing that he was definitely a veteran to some harsh combat environment. Sashine was there as well; her vivid pink-ness making her presence extremely apparent. There was also a girl that looked even younger than Sashine who was, literally, drooling over the blades strapped across the chest of the only other student in the classroom; a male around Takeo’s age, maybe older, who looked extremely annoyed at the antics of both the girls.

Takeo realized he must look an absolute mess. He was right in the thick of things when the fight broke out at the path; and, between the swinging blades and the mess he had scrubbed up off the floor, he had been vigorously spattered with blood. It was all over his old, worn out tennis shoes, his faded blue jeans, and his thin grey hoodie. His face was smeared with it where he had tried to hastily wipe the crimson liquid from his brow and cheek, and there was s fresh bruise on his left cheek as well. He didn’t appear to be armed in any way, but his arms did appear to be slightly bulkier than they ought to be.

”Apologies for my tardiness, sir.” He said, his breath finally under control from the cross-village sprint. ”I’m Raikou Takeo; and, I guess the difference between CQC and Taijutsu is that the latter implements chakra to enhance your physical abilities.”
 
The boy ignored her and that was fine, he had a weird-looking face anyway and then she walked in. That little devil child, Komora. Sashine was unsure of how she felt about the child but she was pretty sure that whether she liked or hated the midget, it would haunt her infinitely. Sashine would not break character and fortunately, it didn't approach her and she could freely continue selling to a middle-aged woman and her child. She was right about to make the sell when a large man walked in looking like he had just gotten back from the latest Shinobi War. He seemed mean and firm and that was interesting because while it would mean she would have to keep the fun at a minimum, she could be much more cutthroat than usual without the smiles and glitter. Sashine took the bows from around her head and walked to the spot in the middle of the room, in front of the blackboard and military looking instructor. As he spoke and got through all his gibberish of being mean, she tied her bows back up on her hair, parting it for the pigtails and making sure the ribbon remained on her hair but also stayed large and fluffy without getting hard lines. Sashine's eyes were focused on the teacher mostly because she couldn't look up at her hair and there were no mirrors here but her focus was to tie her hair.

From what she caught from the man; he was mean, wasn't even a shinobi, some buff guy that got permission to teach, wanted to be a lawyer but wasn't good at that either so he made children his victims and liked to litter by throwing things out windows. Honestly, Sashine didn't understand what the difference was between Taijutsu and close quarter combat but she was good at introducing herself! Luckily, or maybe unfortunately, Takeo walked into the room late, beating her to both introducing himself and answering the question but honestly, it only slightly changed Sashine's own answer. She waved at Takeo as if they were best friends and honestly, she probably wanted to stick by him more than butt-face and demon baby. It didn't matter whether he felt the same, she was a leech and pulling all her teeth off was not easy.

"Ooo~ I'm next.", Sashine stepped forward, facing the students and the teacher. "I'm Ueno Sashine.", she pushed her pigtails up to make her hair bounce up. "It's nice to meet you all, I honestly don't know the difference between the two but Takeo-chan's explanation makes sense."

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WC: 432
 
Komora’s eyes never left the kunai as kyo threw his dagger to the otherside of the room. Was he trying to say that he didn’t want his kunai anymore? Well that was fine with Komora. Better even. She skipped to the other side of the class room as a gruff fellow entered and declared himself their teacher. Komora didn’t listen to him though, because she was busy pulling the dagger out of the wall. At some point during his speech, Komora had managed to walk over to Sashine, since she wanted to show Sashine that she had gotten another Kunai. Sashine seemed to like Kunais, even though they weren’t Komora’s favorite type of sword. They were sharp so it was something. A random boy burst into the room and mutter his apologies. His face was spattered with… Huh. He was all dirty. Komora cut a random square of cloth out of her shirt and then she spit on it.

She walked over to Takeo and tried to clean his face using the cloth her spit cloth. It was just like her mother after all, so Komora thought it was a normal thing to do. You were supposed to clean people’s faces when they were dirty. In the meantime introductions had begun. To her it felt like everyone in the class was taking turns speaking. As the class fell silent and eyes seemed to drift to her, Komora thought that it must be her turn to speak. Komora has a sword. Komora thinks kenjutsu and bukijutsu are more effective style than taijutsu. She offered as her introduction. For Example, Kunai. Technique differs between swords, but this sword is a multifunction tool. It can be used in melee combat as well as thrown to targets at range. The loop at the end adds to the sword’s utility, its uses limited only be the imagination of the user. The wide flat blade on this sword is good for digging which compliments its function in the wilderness. Truly, its key feature is that it is a survivalist’s weapon. As shinobi are often on missions away from the village for extended periods of time, the Kunai is the ideal weapon for a ninja. In general, hand to hand users may be skilled, but bukijutsu and kenjutsu styles are often more capable at controlling an opponent’s range. With a variety of weapons, the range can be controlled from anywhere from mid-range to even grappling. If you grapple Komora, she’ll stab you with a short blade, like a Kunai.

She wasn't thinking at all at her answer. Her attention was mostly on Takeo the whole time, as she found new places that needed to be cleaned. Once she finished talking she began to clean Takeo anew and tried to overpower any protests of his and continue to clean off his face from all the red smears on it. Her tongue stuck out the corner of her mouth. She was determined to help Takeo, and No was not an answer. If you were dirty you had to be cleaned right? But not Komora. If she was dirty someone else would clean her. This guy was probably the same way.
 
Kyo left the clone standing in the corner where Komora had come from as he moved himself towards the man that had entered the class. He had taken an immediate liking to the man, the man's appearance, his no nonsense attitude, and the fact that he was still capable of teaching despite him not being a shinobi. The fact that he didn't care for the titles and would like to be addressed simply as Sir was also a plus in his book, he didn't particularly care for the usage of honorifics himself. He didn't seem to be as harsh as Zaku, but then again that a teacher was harsh at all was a welcome experience to his mind. He allowed the others to speak as he put away the kunai that he actually had across his chest, he didn't want a repeat of what had happened before the instructor had arrived with that Komora, and they would likely just get in the way in any case, so into his pouches they went, out of sight, out of mind. The arrival of the other boy, Raikou Takeo, and his appearance was also something he had approved of, though it seemed he had attracted the attention of Komora, who was trying to clean him as if he was her child.

He rose from the earth at the far end of the line silently, no flash or pomp as he did so, he gave the man a small bow, keeping his eyes on him as he did so and then introduced himself after Komora had finished speaking as instructed, "Hotaka Kyo." he paused a moment to straighten before answering the question, "Sir, In CQC you utilize shorter range attacks, grabs, breaks, sharp strikes and the like while leaving little room between you and your opponent. Useless outside of thirty meters for the most part. It requires a precise application of lethal force, and as such violence of action is a main component."

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[MFT]
[WC: 300+]
 
Ah, the pitter-patter of late little feet. That'd be Takeo then. He thought as he gave his spiel to those already in the classroom. He'd said it enough at this point that hardly needed to pay attention anymore, allowing his thoughts to wander freely over the files of those present. Raikou Takeo, average height and lean build. Troubled home life with evidence of abuse. Good with his hands, prefers unarmed styles thus far. Likely to stir up trouble in groups. That would probably account for the lateness. Knowing his situation, he had probably been strong-armed into finishing some inconsequential task. Still, boy's gonna have to learn to prioritize. He won't get far if he lets it drag him down.

True enough, soon as Hidetsugu finished talking Takeo came in apologizing for his lateness and immediately offering his answer.

"Aye, that's one part of it. Good of you to finally join us." He walked forward and offered the boy a hand, then seized Takeo's right arm at the wrist and pulled forward. From there he sidestepped and struck him in the back with his left palm to send him to the ground. Hidetsugu held the pin with Takeo's arm raised painfully, just shy of dislocating his shoulder.

"I don't take kindly to tardiness. If it happens again, you'll be leaving with a slightly more permanent warning than this. Regardless of what you think, these classes are the single most important thing in your life right now. I expect you to treat them as such. See me after class. Next."

The next to answer was the walking cupcake. Ueno Sashine, average height, average build. Troubled home life due to an abundance of brothers and sisters with an over-competitive atmosphere. Strong sense of self-preservation, focuses on helping self first, then others. Fighting style has yet to develop. She would be the canny sort then, the type that hangs back and doesn't involve themselves unless necessary. That mentality would serve her well in this line of work. Her response however...

Stalking from Takeo towards the pink-clad girl with narrowed eyes, Hidetsugu waggled a finger in front of Sashine's face.

"If I wanted to hear the same answer twice I'd buy a parrot. You don't contribute, you don't pass." Following that he swept her legs and sent her to the floor with a backhand to the gut. "See me after class. Next."

Rather than a simple answer from the smallest of the class, Hidetsugu had the dubious pleasure of receiving a lecture on the merits of kunai. While she rattled on, he considered her prospects. Mochizuki Komora, short, thin build. Member of the (in)famous Mochizuki Troupe. Mentally and socially underdeveloped, but something of a savant in matters pertaining to bladed weapons. Hidetsugu didn't entirely approve of putting someone of her mental status through combat training in the first place, but experience had taught him that there are no bystanders in war. If she had the talent, far better that she hone it than let it go to waste and potentially cost her her life.

He nodded gravely at her answer as if Komora had actually given one in context. "That's another good answer. However, things are rarely quite so easy. For instance, do you see this knife?" He produced a serrated-back combat knife from a sheathe on his thigh and held it up for her inspection. Once he had her attention he subtly shifted his stance and snapped a kick at the kunai she held, sending it flying to embed itself in one of the stalls. Immediately following the kick he planted his foot forward and stepped into her, holding the combat knife against her throat while his other hand held the back of her head in place. "How do you suppose you'll stab me now? Next."

The last student chimed in as Hidetsugu stepped away from Komora. He'd been hiding under the floor til now, using a clone to draw attention away from himself. That was to be expected, however. Kids were always using some technique or another to one-up the other students. Hotaka Kyo, tall, well-muscled build. Heavily trained by family prior to enrolling, somewhat favors an unarmed style. Direct and focused with a marked drive to improve. Close relationship with siblings, little social interaction otherwise. Out of this group, he was what one would call an ideal candidate for a shinobi. Constantly improving oneself and focusing on one's duties while ignoring distractions. If he kept that attitude he'd do well and go far, but unless he mellowed some he would burn out before his prime. Boy needs a team that'll drag him into having fun whether he likes it or not.

Hidetsugu frowned at his answer, however. "Did you pull that one off of Wikipedia boy? Dear ol' dad drum it into your skull maybe? I asked you what you thought, not what you pulled out of some book! 'Useless outside of 30 meters' my ass. Short of outright shooting someone or throwing something at em, there isn't a single goddamn martial technique, Taijutsu or otherwise, that is effective more than two steps away from your opponent. Three if you've got a really big ass sword." He suddely kicked Kyo in the shin, knocking that foot out from under him, before striking him in the shoulder with an open palm. With Kyo's body now at an angle Hidetsugu struck him in the back to send the boy to the floor as well, then planted a boot on his back as he leaned down. "I also seem to remember asking for the difference between Taijutsu and CQC, not a rundown on the capabilities of one. Moving on."

Walking back to the center of the group of students, Hidetsugu allowed them a moment to pick themselves back up and dust themselves off before he spoke again.

"You've raised good points thus far. In contrast to Taijutsu, CQC utilizes no chakra. In addition, CQC focuses much more on the use of throws, hand-to-hand strikes, and small weapons in extreme close proximity to your opponent. As a result it lacks the range and raw destructive power that those disciplines possess, which leads to the majority of shinobi considering CQC an unworthy path of study. If this were the case however, I would not have the kill count I currently possess, nor would I be alive to brag about it."

He paused for effect, then continued. "It is important to note that I am not telling you CQC is overall superior to Taijutsu, or vice-versa. They have different functionality, and thus are useful in different scenarios. Now, before I elaborate on that point, let's review. I've demonstrated a technique on each of you. Tell me, in your own words this time, what you observed about those techniques and the similarities or differences between them."
 
”Aye, that’s one part of it. Good of you to join us.”<i></i> The instructor said, walking towards Takeo and extending a hand. Strange, from his introduction, Takeo wouldn’t have thought this guy was the type to go around shaking people’s hands. Of course, just as Takeo reflexively extended his own hand to reciprocate the greeting, the man grabbed him by the wrist and yanked him off balance; striking him in the back with an open hand and pinned him there, twisting his arm painfully far behind his back. With the grip the instructor had, he would discover the reason for the bulkiness of Takeo’s arms. Instead of wrapping his hand directly around the boy’s wrist, it would be wrapped around steel; and, with his arm raised painfully up in the air behind him, his loose hoodie sleeve would fall down and reveal his secret.
Manica%20Fe.jpg

His arm was equipped with a manica; an arm guard made up of multiple overlapping lames of steel that covered him from shoulder to wrist. His other arm was similarly equipped, but was still hidden beneath his hoodie. ”I don't take kindly to tardiness. If it happens again, you'll be leaving with a slightly more permanent warning than this. Regardless of what you think, these classes are the single most important thing in your life right now. I expect you to treat them as such. See me after class. Next.”<i></i>

The man released Takeo’s arm, which fell to the ground with an audible clatter. ’Damn…’ He silently berated himself. Now he had to meet the teacher after class. That was never good. He pushed himself to his knees, rotating his sore shoulder a couple of times while Sashine gave her answer and received a similar physical and verbal admonition in reply. Just then, the little girl that had been ogling the other boy’s knives was kneeling there in front of him, wiping his face with a damp bit of cloth. As he was about to protest, he noticed that the patch of cloth had come from the hem of her shirt. Takeo’s confusion stunned him to silence. She was helping him; cleaning his face the way he’d seen mothers clean their children when they got smudged up while playing outside. He didn’t understand. Why would she help him?

He had been stunned by the kindness of strangers repeatedly since joining the Academy. First, Mochizuki Sonoko and Tomo had brought him food after orientation; then, he met Shigeru in the forest, sharing a meal and words. Takeo still didn’t comprehend kindness or human decency; he had never received any until now. As he sat there and silently let the strange little girl clean his face, he reached an understanding. The world was full of kind people. It was his job to stop those who would do them harm, like his uncle. It was okay to accept the help of others if you helped other people in return.

As she cleaned his face, Komora gave the instructor her answer. Takeo was stunned by her savant-like knowledge of blades; even if it was a little (or a lot) off topic. The instructor answered her with the same gruffness he’d given to Takeo and Sashine, kicking the kunai out of Komora’s hand and putting his own knife to her throat. When the instructor moved on to Kyo, Takeo rose to his feet and walked over to Sashine, offering her a hand up off the floor. Then, he pulled the kunai from the wood of the stall it had flown into and returned to Komora, offering it back to her. Kyo had been in receipt of similar instruction, and found himself on the floor as well. Takeo walked over and offered him a hand up as well, though he wouldn’t be surprised if it was rejected. Kyo seemed to be the type that wanted to stand firmly on their own two feet without anyone else’s assistance. Takeo understood, because he felt the same. However, he felt like offering to help his classmates, the way Komora had selflessly helped him, was the right thing to do.

Regardless of the acceptance or declination of the help offered, Takeo turned and answered the instructors new question. ”Well, sir; you yanked me off balance, then redirected my momentum to knock me down before using your body weight as leverage to pull my arm into a position that would cause me pain and hold me in place. What you did to the rest of the students was similar, in that you used our own weight and momentum against us. Overall, I think that your techniques achieved their maximum results through use of minimal effort.”

[MFT: 780 wc]
 
Sashine watched as Takeo was smacked down by the momentum of the pull and the smack on the back that sent him crashing to the ground. Sashine's head turned to the side like a confused puppy. She wasn't sure why that was necessary but didn't protest as it wasn't completely unexpected based on the Taekwondo being tardy. She could see why he was to be seen after class for something like that. She gave her peppy response as the instructor just stared at her and Sashine was welcoming to the attention, the eyes only fueling her need to gather attention. As he approached, his large finger waving in disapproval, Sashine's guts twisted. She could feel something was about to go wrong but her brain hadn't had time to process what would happen next as she took in the large man's words.

She fell backwards, unable to react to the situation and landing on her back. The movement didn't hurt as much as it surprised her but once she was expecting the hurt of the floor on her back, another pain could be felt on her sides as the air was pushed out of her. Her hands quickly moved to touch where the backhand had been to soothe the pain as she slowly sat up, waiting for the pain to subside. Damn it. Wasn't the point of the class to learn? How was she supposed to know something that she hadn't learned of yet? Wasn't it his duty to teach her the answer to that question? Now she too would have to stay after class. As the man switched his gaze toward Komora, it was easy to guess what would happen next. The poor dumb girl was cleaning off Takeo but soon enough, she's get thrown to the ground. Instead, she was only stepped on which was a kind of relief to Sashine in a weird way. Seeing someone so... frail be pummeled on was not a pretty sight, especially when they seemed so completely unaware of what was going on.

It seemed this was the lesson, get beat on and hopefully learn something from it. It was certainly one way of applying studies. Sashine felt the need to talk back to the instructor but decided it'd be best to hold it in based on how little the man seemed to care about the morality of beating on kids. She reached for Takeo's hand and got up on her feet though the pain didn't seem to go away completely, she could ignore it for the sake of putting up a tough act. She bowed her head slightly at Takeo's action, mumbling a whispered "Thank you.". Usually, she would have not acknowledged the action or even thanked the boy but she had held a conversation with him before and it wasn't usual for someone lacking manners to make such a display so he needed some recognition.

The pastel princess nodded at Takeo's comment. She thought of the movements that the teacher had done and how someone like her with little combat experience could pull off a similar technique. "Feinted actions also play a part in a few of the techniques. To assure that you catch your opponent off guard and easily read where their body by causing reactive movements.", she wasn't sure what the technical fighting words were and she paused to better give examples of what she meant.

"For example, distracting Komora with your blade to use her curiosity against her or Takeo-san's handshake to use a common, formal greeting against him.", she further went on about how this tactic could be used during a combat to similar effects. "Uhmm. The same thing can also be used during combat by shifting attention to one spot and aiming for another. Like when you caused pain on Hotaka's shin, it causes the nerves on his body to react on that spot and so it's easy to hit another part of his body because his focus is elsewhere."

She wanted to answer the question fully to hopefully not end up on the floor again. "Differences? Well they're all very specific to certain scenarios. I don't think stepping on someone's foot has the same intention that holding someone in an arm lock does."

-------------------------------------------
WC: 708
 
Kyo watched as Hidetsugu slammed Takeo by snatching his arm pulling him forward, stepping around him and striking him in the back. It was all over quickly and in the end left Takeo on the ground with his arm pinned making a loud clatter due to his disguised armor. He then threatened the boy with a more permanent punishment if it happened again. He had only said that the answer was part of it and instead focused mostly on punishing him for his tardiness, or at least that was what Kyo had thought until he moved on to Sashine, the pink and white dressed girl. The man had moved to her with narrowed eyes and then proceeded to tell her not to agree with an answer already given, and to come up with something else regardless if it was wrong or not, he then proceeded to sweep her off her feet and then knock her to the ground with a backhand to her stomach before telling her to see him after class. Kyo understood where this was going now, it didn't matter what their answers had been, he would have reacted the same way, striking them to demonstrate the techniques in action, and to show that they were effective. What the man did next to Komora, the girl that had slobbered over his kunai. He had nodded to her, said that her answer was a good one, before distracting her with his knife before disarming her with a kick before putting his knife to her throat as he held her head still while holding her to keep her from dropping as he had stepped into her.

It was now his turn as there was no one else, the man was frowning at him and then began attempting to belittle him, and then expressed ignorance of any taijutsu or other martial technique that was usable outside of a few paces. Kyo could think of two off the top of his head that were capable of striking at a foe from a distance, one of which he know and neither of which even required a weapon of any kind. Regardless if the man simply thought of them as a Ninjutsu or Genjutsu because he was unable to utilize chakra, or if he was simply ignorant of them, Kyo had lost a good deal of respect for the man in that instance. There was a dull pain that emitted from his leg, as pain and feeling always was any more, he didn’t know when it had happened, but everything to do with his sense of touch and feeling had dulled and become less. The feeling of pain was a welcome thing, as it was something sharper and more noticeable than he was used to in the last few months, still it achieved its goal by throwing his balance off and causing him to lose the use of his leg as it was thrown from beneath him. While normally this wouldn’t be a problem, the fact that it was followed up by a strike on his shoulder that caused him to tilt dangerously before another strike knocked him to the ground caused a grunt to escape his lips, before the man’s boot was placed on his back pressing what little air he still had from his lungs as he leaned into it.

When the man got up and walked away Kyo quickly leapt to his feet after spinning so that he could properly do so on his hands. He stood and stared at the others a moment before turning back to the man. “I understand. I shall abstain from learning prior to any further instruction from you in the future.” He answered the man’s jab before turning his attention to the rest of what he had said, “You obviously did not wish a repeat from your reaction to Sashine-san, so I simply provided what else I knew about CQC rather than add another voice of agreement with Takeo.”

Kyo hadn’t bothered to clean off, from his experience with instructors like this, such as his father, it was simply going to happen over and over again as they continued on with the lesson. Instead he watched as Takeo helped both Sashine and Komora, the latter of which he returned the cloned Kunai too. It was then that the instructor explained, bragging as he did so about a kill count that none of them would likely know anything about and couldn’t dispute if they wanted to because of that. He then went on to explain that neither was superior, and that they simply had different uses in different situations, which he could see would be true, though he didn’t see why anyone would consider any type of fighting that was effective as unworthy.

The man’s next question was about his demonstrated techniques, and was similar and different between them. Kyo listened to the answers given by Takeo and Sashine and nodded in agreement with them, both were correct, he had achieved what he did with minimal effort if one considered movements, as well as utilizing momentum and leverage points on the body such as the arms and legs, he had also utilized distraction as demonstrated on Komora and on Takeo via the knife and handshake. “You ensured that all of your attacks were disabling in some manner, disarming Komora for instance, the way you struck was each calculated to disrupt the enemy’s ability to react, such as Takeo’s arm and kicking out my leg and standing on my back. They all utilized aggression and speed to quickly disable the opponent.” Kyo paused and looked over the others once more, deciding that what he had said was enough.

------------------------------------------------------------------

[WC: 951]
 
Komora of course was interested in the knife that the gruff looking sensei presented to her. However, he seemed to think that the shifting of his weight would go unrecognized by a girl who lived and breathes the use of bladed weapons, for it was not the blades alone that interested her, but the combat styles as well. It was all over so quickly though. The kunai she had was kicked out of her grasp. She was used to people trying to take her weapons away - so she really didn’t care about his swift movements, that is, until the knife was at her own neck. She knew very well what those things did, and she didn’t a new slit in her neck. How would she keep the water she drank from spilling out of the hole? Or the food? yuck. She decided that she wasn’t going to let people play tricks like this on her anymore. How do you suppose you'll stab me now? Next.

Next indeed. The Teacher went from her to the other students, leaving an extremely frustrated Komora. He fists balled up and her teeth clenched. She could feel that exploding type feeling that she had felt before. It actually scared her when that happened, because she knew she wouldn’t be able to control herself. Fortunately the feeling died down and could feel some sense of control return to her as her fists unrolled. She stalked over to the stall where the kunai landed and plucked it from the stall. Komora didn’t know what this person was about but she decided that she hated him. She didn’t have any sense of social embarrassment, instead it all stemmed from pure frustration that he had kicked her knife away and then taunted her with a knife at her throat. She didn’t say anything.

She wandered over to Sashine and leaned against the nearby stall. She took her kunai and began to carve out her frustration onto the side of the stall. She began to scratch various lines that were both perpendicular and parallel to one another.
 
Hidetsugu raised an eyebrow, not at Kyo's quip, but at the boy's unexpected lack of challenge to the veteran's blatantly false statement. Ah, he's going to be one of those then. Thinks speaking up for yourself around authority is some kind of sin. Only wonder is if dear ol' dad beat it into him or if he decided on it himself. He noted how Kyo hadn't bothered to clean himself off. Probably the former, if that's any indication. Always is.

He sighed inwardly and put it out of mind for the moment, turning his attention back the the class as a whole. Based on their answers the students were picking up on the message he was trying to convey. Komora included.

"Good, good, those're the basics of it. Economy of motion," Hidetsugu nodded towards Takeo. "Utilizing unpredictability and adaptability to bypass the opponent's defense," a nod towards Sashine this time. "And a swift, decisive assault that not only disables your opponent, but also leaves you in control of the situation." And finally a nod towards Kyo as he finished.

"At this point you may be asking 'But Hidetsugu, sir, what about the individual techniques that CQC uses? You haven't mentioned those!' And you would be right. I haven't, which brings me back to my earlier point."

Hidetsugu began evenly pacing back and forth as he expanded upon his statement. "As I said, CQC is neither inferior, nor superior, to the various forms of Taijutsu. This is because while they are different in function, it is important to bear in mind that they are not necessarily different in form. While CQC typically focuses on throws, hand-to-hand strikes, and small weapons, you can easily find these techniques both in Taijutsu and basic martial arts. In fact, it's not uncommon for shinobi to incorporate Taijutsu into their CQC."

Suddenly he stopped and faced the class, cutting off anybody who may have been trying to speak. "'But Hidetsugu, sir!' You may be thinking. 'Didn't you say earlier that CQC doesn't use chakra? How can it use Taijutsu then?' Again, you'd be right. I did in fact say that, but unlike my 'three-step' comment to Mr. Congeniality over there," he nodded pointedly towards Kyo. "I was not lying about this one."

"A shinobi friend of mine gave me this analogy, and in practice I have found it to be pretty damn accurate," the veteran continued as he began pacing once more, making eye contact with each student as he did so. "'A true shinobi battle is like chess,' he said. 'Each fighter spends their pieces, or jutsu, strategically to feel out, analyze, and wear down their opponent until they can either win by attrition or checkmate with a single powerful attack.' Speaking from experience, fighting with CQC is the opposite. If a typical shinobi battle is a chess match, then using CQC properly is like sitting down to the table with all your pieces poised to checkmate with the first move."

"Now, rather than tell you kiddies outright what I'm getting at here, I want you to tell me what that means. Bearing in mind what I've told you about CQC so far, why is it that CQC doesn't use chakra yet incorporates techniques and jutsu that do?" He finished by staring meaningfully at Komora, ignoring the carving she was doing to the stall. "And I do expect a response from each of you numbskulls, even it is just agreeing with something with something already said."
 
Sashine noted Komora moving closer to her and gave her a slight smile. This ugly old man had gotten her out of her usual mood with his aggression and seriousnessity. She was aware this wasn't the time and place to speak out of turn or behave as a child behaved but it frustrated her that the man felt the need to be cautious outside of battle, where they could relax and de-stress. There was a reason the man was alive though, as he had stated and with her lack of experience, Sashine wasn't about to question him when it could end in another physical example of techniques. She crossed her arms and looked up at the man's arms. She didn't want to look him in the eyes, out of fear but also out of disgust. She knew it was a tough world but being expressionless and nothing other than a human weapon like most ninjas aimed to be seemed vacant and empty to her.

"It seems like the phrase means that close quarter combat is best used when you want to hinder or end the fight from happening completely. Using the tools you showed us to restrain the opponent or catch them off guard, things can easily be ended without the opponent being able to start up a strategy like one would in a normal battle where distance is kept thanks to the capabilities of jutsu.", she sighed. This talk was interesting and in her line of interest because of her ambitions to learn to fight and also be a shinobi but it bored her in another way. It was like putting theory into something that was so diverse and ever-changing. No battle would be like another and adding theory onto it was like, trying to make it so. A precaution, but one that seemed unnecessary. Potential death wasn't something to be taken lightly, sure but also, killing felt like something that could only be felt in the moment. It was a fleeting, quick thought and theory would not help in that second. If anything, brains would be a drawback.

"...And with the distance and advantage taken in one swoop, without the need of hand seals or prep work, you've ended it.", she paused and moved on to the next question to answer. She didn't need to think too hard about this, in fact, her brain was her best fighting weapon and she picked up on things quickly thanks to an innate talent of understanding. It was the practice where things she was a wildcard. "As for the other question, techniques and jutsu were something that probably came after close quarter combat so our current Taijutsu probably developed without chakra and was only amplified afterwards as with any jutsu creation, it stems from something already present in nature and humans.", she paused for a few seconds to think about her own words as if she had just realized what she said and hadn't actually thought her words through, and true to her nature, she hadn't given them much thought before they came out of her mouth. "That's probably why they can be used together. They're one and the same in a way."

-------------------------------------
WC: 531
 
Komora completely ignored everything that the teacher said. To put it bluntly, it was boring and she didn’t care. The pink thing also began to talk, and give a long winded speech as well. Komora got distracted for a moment as she looked over at Sashine and was mesmerized by the bright and happy colors in her hair. It really made her feel all giggly inside. Except, beyond Sashine was that jerk, the teacher. He had taken Komora’s Sword away! Then! He held one up to her neck! Komora drew one last long final scratch. She examined the edges of the knife. Her carelessness had allowed the edge to wear away just a little bit, but it could still cut. The point too. It was still sharp. She looked back at the teacher and then back at her kunai. She began to twirl it as Sashine.

Then as she droned on, Komora was on her feet. She seemed to be hopping in place. Her feet began shuffling. "That's probably why they can be used together. They're one and the same in a way." Sashine finished. A playful smile crossed her lips. Looking at Sashine made her feel so playful. The bright happy pink colors really did a lot to sooth her frustration. With a happy giggle she threw her kunai into the floor between her self and her teacher. The blade wad an at an angle opening towards Komora. She rushed forward, and kicked the kunai up at the Teacher’s chest. Then as though to demonstrate the technique that was being discussed, she planned to use her teacher’s motion against him. Dodging or catching, Komora didn’t care. He wouldn’t be able to ignore the kunai heading for his chest. His balance would change even if slightly. He would find a scrawny Komora leg behind his own, as she pressed forward against his body. She was trying to force his knee to buckle under his own weight.

Although, maybe Komora was just a bit too small to actually be able to put this type of technique into practical use. If she was full grown and a hundred pounds heavier maybe things could have turned out differently. But as it was Komora did not have the body strength or size to overpower the teacher.


WC: 383
 
[OOC: As it's been five days since the last post I'm going to have to fail Takeo and skip Kyo, and begin to wrap up the class. I'll be ending the class in my next post, and if Kyo doesn't post in this next round he fails.]​

Hidetsugu nodded encouragingly as Sashine gave her take on the question. She started off strong, almost hitting the nail straight on the head, but changed the subject before she got exactly what he was looking for. Her second point wasn't a bad one either, but it was somewhat off-track.

"You may have something in the sense that Taijutsu is based on early forms of CQC, but that's more for the historians to decide. If it's even possible to find out which came first. Back to your first point: that was exactly, and you were thinking on the right track. Since you were so close, I'll go ahead and finish for you." The ex-mercenary took notice of Komora tensing up as she prepared to assault him but feigned ignorance, instead continuing to address Sashine.

"Correct CQC is to use whatever tools are at your disposal to essentially end the fight before it begins, preventing your opponent from forming a strategy to counterattack. Thus, while CQC makes heavy use of martial techniques to accomplish its goal, real CQC is executed in the mind. For example-"

As if on cue Komora chose that moment to stage her assault, sending a knife his way while charging at his lower half in an attempt to topple him. Rather than dodge or lash out at his tiny attacker however he drew a knife and deflected hers in one smooth motion while stepping into her charge. Then, with Komora stopped short against his midsection, he brought the handle of his knife down to strike a point on her back with just enough force to induce temporary paralysis.

"Now let's examine why that turned out the way it did and the reasons why. First off, you'll notice I didn't try to catch the knife." he said, letting Komora's limp body slide to the floor. "I deflected it because doing so allowed me to both defend myself and go on the offensive. Catching it would have placed me entirely in a defensive role, and CQC is offensive in nature. Next you'll notice I stepped into the attack instead of dodging or counterattacking before she closed the distance. Here is where we get into the core of CQC."

Hidetsugu pulled a cigar from a chest pocket and lit it with a match. "If I dodge the attack I'm not attacking, I'm defending, and I give her a chance to recover if she's quick enough. If I attack her before she closes she stays away from me, which lets her recover and try again if she's quick enough. If I step into the attack I cut it short before it can do damage and I'm in the position to end the fight right then and there."

"Other styles of combat teach you one of two ways: they drill theory after theory into your brain so that you have a set response for every situation, or they hone your body so that it acts without thought. There's a problem with this though." He puffed heavily, filling the air with smoke. "Textbook shinobi theory would have you avoid the attack and disengage in order to buy time so you can study your opponent. Training yourself for reflexive responses teaches you to respond to all situations the same, having you respond with too much force or letting the enemy bait you. You hear a lot of stories about long-time veterans breaking bones or killing people completely on accident on account of that."

He reached over and flicked his ashes into the wastebin. "Problem is, what if you need to end the fight fast, or react to somebody jumping you without killing them? Theory only works when your opponent does what you want, and raw ability might not get the job done at all, so you have to train your mind to make the right decision in a split second using whatever you have at your disposal. That is the core of CQC. Training your mind to think in the moment without getting bogged down in set routines or jumping the gun with an itchy trigger finger. CQC takes full advantage of this by fighting up close and personal where you control the fight: Theorycrafters need time to think up a strategy, you already have yours. Raw ability is predictable, you aren't. It isn't about what tools you use, see, it's about using them in the right way."

The ex-mercenary took a last puff of his cigar and put it out, stuffing back in its pocket. "I realize I may be talking an awful lot for a class on combat, but if you feel the need to sleep you can DO IT AT HOME!"

With that sudden exclamation Hidetsugu rushed forward, grabbed hold of Takeo (who had dozed off), and threw him bodily through the door, the hallway, and out the window with a running start.

"Don't know if I mentioned it before, but sleeping in class is a pet peeve of mine." He added, dusting off his hands as he returned to the front of the classroom. "If I ever catch you snoring it's out the window like your buddy there. Now, questions? Comments? I'll give our resident robo-nin a pass on answering that last question since I went ahead and did it for you."
 
Komora’s attack was handidly blocked, and she was hit on with the back of a knife. She felt her body tingle. She for a moment lost her strength and found herself sliding off of Solid Snake’s body to the floor. She gritted her teeth and caught her breath though. Her fingers clenched into a fist as she fought off the paralysis and returned to her feet. She moved away from Solid Snake just in time to see him toss one of the students out the door. Komora was quite shocked. To her this had all been a game, but it seemed this guy was serious about this stuff. Shinobi were soldier, so you’d think they’d be used to this sort of stuff. Komora wasn’t a soldier though. It was debatable that she was even an academy student. The deflected kunai had skittered across the classroom and rested next to one of the empty stalls on the floor. Komora snatched it up and spun it around in her finger before catching the weapon in her hand in the upright position. This position, after all, was the most versatile when compared to the reverse grip. The reverse grip had its uses too, but that seemed mostly for stabbing things. Komora would know. She’s had lots of experience in that regards.

She took a new stance ready to fight somemore, althought it seemed the class may be coming to an end if students were being hurled outside. Komora briefly wished she'd have punched Solid Snake in the balls because she thought it would have been funny... but... it wasn't in the realm of possibility for the moment. Maybe next post.
 

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