Evasive Manoeuvres [Class]

[Kujo Kazuya]

Nitish sees that the other course was more awesome than the first one but it was also more easier that the first one so Nitish says to Shinzo “I’m sorry Shinzo sensei but I think these courses are so easy and its hard to find them a real training. So I have decided to take my leave now and head by to the forest to train myself.” And then after Nitish says this he waits a little for Shinzo’s response and then starts heading out of the park so he can go back to his house once again without even thinking about other kids will think but he knew that he will die soon enough that’s why he was ready to fight anyone in his way even if it means to kill them. And then after a little walk he was at his house and getting ready with some equipment’s to train himself to fight anyone he can fight.​

[3rd post]
[159 WC]
[TOTAL WC:- 979 WC]
[TOPIC LEFT]
[reason: I will be dead soonish, so sorry about it.]

 

[Imaya Kuza]

The obstacle this time was more primitive than the last. Difficult, but not complex. Again, damaging the course was off limits, making things a bit more annoying, but everything was still fairly straightforward.

Katsu stepped up to the entrance, studying the course. Normally, one would be expected to balance on the beam while maneuvering around the logs. Let’s see… Katsu ran in head, balancing well on the beam. As promised, the logs began to swing on their own, and Katsu shifted weight to avoid them, so much so that he seemed to be falling off the beam. However, this was planned. He locked his legs and arms around the beam such that he would be tightly wound around the cylinder and inches away from muddy dismay. From this awkward position which Katsu had confidence would be safe from the obstacles, the hanging student studied the movements of the logs. He considered shimmying across, of course, however the strain on his arms would be… he did not trust his stamina to get him the full way across like this. Instead, he simply used this time to know where he had to go.

Finishing his analysis, Katsu swung himself hard to get rightside up once more, taking a moment to get over the dizziness and then he began his run, stopping where he had to and starting early when he could. Half-way through, he waited for much longer than it seemed he should have, and the log came flying at him… but he was ready. Turning and with a backward leap, Katsu caught the log while putting minimum stress on the strings by moving with its momentum. While he didn’t know the exact strength of the wires, Katsu could surmise that they could carry at least his and the other academy students’ weights individually given that they could withstand the impact of their payload, the log, hitting each of them at such a speed. Minimizing this impact and merely adding this weight, Katsu held onto the swinging piece of wood, and as they came near a wall, Katsu ran along the vertical surface so to minimize the strain of his weight once again on the shifting direction. As the log and him passed the beam once more, Katsu let go and, from the moment he touched the beam, kicked forward… landing himself through the exit.

With a raised fist and drenched brow, Katsu let out a cry: “First try, punks!”

[WC = 408]
[Total = 1113]

 

[Himura Kumonosuke]

Kira watched the first kid pass by with much effort seeing him watch his weight carefully and planning so meticulously just to get to the finish line,Kira smirked....I'm feeling a bit lazy with this one maybe i should do some tricky Body Switch to pass this course...but who should i borrow from?..He asked himself silently,then staring at the kids fortunatley,Riku was there after seeing Riku he then walks up to him and asks.

"Yo..Riku can i borrow some of your cards for the meantime?...imma do something cool".

Kira smiled at him,what was the thing he will do anyway?..Well the initial plan is that Kira uses a sealed card Riku has and throw it across the course but that wasn't just a simple throw,as when the card flies far enough with Kira's strength he would then cast a wind jutsu so send the card further and when the card is out of reach by his jutsu,he would then follow it just to get in range.After his plan was now laid out,he then places his fingers on Riku's deck and slips out a single card with a seal inscribed upon it.

When the key to the plan was now at Kira's grasp.Kira looks at Katsu(his dog) and advised.

"Katsu when the card is in the air,start howling for me".

After his alarm was now set,He then threw the card in a way before he threw it his thumb and middle finger was holding a corner which was facing the palm and after that,the card was on the air spinning,when the card was far enough from Kira and in the air,his dog howled,which made Kira swing his hand where in which an intentionally weakened Wind Sychte traveled to the direction if the card,pushing it further,seeing that the card's distance is far from Kira and halfway from the finish line,Kira ran into the course to get closer to the card,after feeling uneasy due to the fact the log was moving because of the weight,Kira gritted his teeth and jumped off of the log,now near from the card Kira yet again flinged a weakened wind jutsu just to push the card even further and to the exit.

When the distance between him and the card was adequate,Kira swinged his arm again and this time,a yet again weakened Wind Sychte appeared to push the card further,then as the jutsu was casted all Kira needed is to wait for it to reach the finish line which was not very far,Kira then fell but Kira didn't bother,as if the card reaches the end,all the hard work is paid off,Kira grinned while looking up at the card travelling to the end,then as he noticed the card was about to land,he quickly reacted by doing a handseal and then in almost a split second,Him and the card switched places,him at the finish line and the card falling onto the mud meeting it's demise.

"And that's how this course is beaten folks!..".

Kira then looked at Kahora after speaking then planning to perform a little taunt by winking and sticking out his tounge,just to reply to Kahora's taunt from last time.

 

[Mihoki Kahora]

Unsure of how to approach the next obstacle, Kahora watched on as her fellow classmates plunged straight in. She was a little apprehensive about this one purely because she had terrible balance so it was only a matter of time before she ended up in the pit covered in mud. Her dazzling green eyes showed signs of distress as she observed the way her classmates breezed straight through the course, seemingly without any difficulties. How on earth was she gonna go about this?

Anxiety filled the small girls body as she still had no plan when it came to crossing the wooden bridge. She only stared on at her classmates that were all on the other side of the course looking confused at her apprehension, except Riku who was still yet to go also. What made it even worse was that her enemy Kiramaru beat her to it first and she felt defeated. Trying to distract herself from Kiramaru, she searched for her friend Reicheru for moral support. Focus on the fact that you have a friend and you belong here, just like you wanted. Taking a deep breath she closed her eyes and tried to remember the instructions Shinzo gave. Technically we only had to reach the platform on the other side of the log. And we can use our powers to help us, as long as we don’t damage the course or fall into the pit… Hmmm. What if I could channel my jutsu and give myself tall wooden stilts so that I could walk through the pit onto the platform on the other side… But would that be cheating? I have no other options. Guess I have to find out.

Kahora took a few deeper breaths as her body began flowing with Chakra. It was almost as if her fears melted away as she became overwhelmed in the Chakra energy, that enveloped her like a warm hug with a loved one. Concentrating on channelling it towards her feet, she felt herself slowly elevate from the ground beneath her and surely enough planks of wood extended both legs so that she was now a few meters from the ground. Feeling a bit wobbly on them at first, she tested her creation by walking and stomping around for a few seconds before deciding that they would support her enough. [i[ This better work. [/i]

The Senju girl took her first step in the pit, and then another, and another until she was at the other side. She made sure to focus on not losing her balance and humiliating herself in front of everyone. However, the step up to the platform was quite high up so in order to get up there to complete the obstacle, she had to either try to climb up onto it or… What if I just extended the stilts again so that I was taller and could step onto the platform easier? It was worth a shot! Kahora found it easier this time to channel her inner Chakra and further extend her legs another meter up. Opening her eyes, she found herself almost level with the platform this time, making it far easier to step onto the platform at the end. Once she reached the end and got rid of the stilts she ran over to Reicheru immediately squealing “DID YOU SEE THAT!! I DID IT! Oh my gosh, wait.. did I cheat?!” Kahora anxiously looked towards Shinzo waiting for his approval… or disapproval.

[WC = 587]
[TWC = 1,813]
[MFT]

 

[Kuru Naohiro]

Riku had decided to wait until last … again.

It was working out so far, even though Kiramaru had decided to use one of his own cards to get over the course. Watching the card drift into the mud made Riku give a sigh, he didn’t actually remember to check what type of card that was, its going to bother him all day till he figures out what’s missing in the deck.

“Well, guess its my turn now,” Riku said with a grin, “Hold all applause till the end of the performance.”

With that, the white haired boy reached into his deck of cards and pulled a small card. The king of spades. He examined it for a moment before peeling away the top of it, revealing the seal he’d wrote on it. Who the hell uses a toolbelt when you got such convenient storage that also works for blackjack?

“Watch as the great magician, Hideki Riku makes this card …” Riku said, readying the card.

The white-haired rogue, just imitated Kiramaru’s own approach. Use a seal, body switch with it. Unlike Kiramaru though, Riku actually knew how to throw the cards properly, without needing the jutsu to help out. He simply tossed it across the chasm, a well timed toss having it sail past the moving hazards.

“Disappear!” He said, handseals coming in place for the bodyswitch.
On the other side, Riku appeared in a small puff of smoke, lowering his head to bow as the card lightly fell on the otherside of the course. It wasn’t exactly the best performance, but this one was mostly just a joke.

“I do autographs and sometimes photos after these performances are over.” Riku said with a grin, pointing to the other students as he stood up properly.

[WC: 296]
(OOC: I want to note, that I had to write this thing 4 times before I remembered to wait for it to upload properly. So sorry for the wait.]

 

[Minamoto Daisuke]

Shinzo watched on as each of his students gradually made their way across the muddy pit that extended out below them. It was definitely interesting to observe the different methods employed by his students in order to transition from one safe point to another. His emerald eyes drifted over toward Kahora as she voiced her concerns of cheating, “there is no cheating here, only jutsu application.” A warm smile appeared as the Head Jounin aimed to calm the young girl. As much as he hated to admit it, Shinzo was rather impressed with the ingenuity of the younger generation, it was inspiring in a sense. However the confidence displayed by a few of the academy students brought a playful smile to the Head Jounin’s face. His white teeth momentarily caught a singular bright beam of sunlight and reflected it back towards the youngsters.

“Well done everyone, that second of the course is very interesting isn’t it? In a sense it gives you an opportunity to apply your kit and unique abilities in a non-combat setting, and as such I hope this insight will assist you all in the future.” The Seikon paused for a moment before continuing on while gesturing to the next section of the course. To the inevitable shock of some, the only part of the assault course that remained was a ramp that descended down back to the grassy ground.

Two shin-height walls of wood extended about one hundred metres in a straight line with roughly five metres separating either one. The figure of Shinzo vanished and swiftly reappeared in the entry way to the gauntlet. “Now, this section may look simple but in fact this one is the most challenging of all the obstacles. I have been observing you all individually, from your use of equipment to your use of jutsu and special techniques.” His playful smile grew exponentially as his plan continued to unfold to the students. From his belt pouch, Shinzo withdrew a small scroll and began to swiftly pour chakra into its form. A moment later a small cloud of smoke filled the air to reveal several wooden kunai knives, clearly this supply was almost never ending. “Now, as you run through the course, I will throw these practice kunai at you rapidly. Your task is to pass through the gauntlet while receiving as few hits from these weapons as possible. You will proceed one at a time and you may only begin running once the person before you has reached the end of the course.”

With this said, Shinzo took a breath and allowed his physical form to flicker in the daylight. Within seconds afterimages began to appear frequently along either side of the gauntlet, all indistinguishable from Shinzo himself. In a flash the Head Jounin disappeared amongst his afterimages. In unison, once the Seikon was ready, his voice rang out from all the afterimages. “First student. Go!”

In truth, Shinzo hoped that the students would show him something new as he had already implied that he was well aware of the techniques they had used already and ultimately he was ready to counter them. But one thing he didn’t disclose was that in the final twenty-five metres of the course he would use the famous ‘shadow shuriken replication’ technique to make the lives of his students even harder. After all, this was the final section.

[OOC: Used Seikon’s Synchronised multipresence]
[WC: 564]
[TWC: 2,179]
[Post count: 4/5]

[Again, you have 48 hours to post, if you cannot meet this requirement then just pm me on the site or discord. Because there are so many of you, there shall be no posting order just make sure to post as soon as possible.]

 

[Imaya Kuza]

Katsu considered this new problem, as if a riddle to be solved, with patience. First, there was the fact that he would be progressing roughly in a straight line, with some minor variation. Overall, his path was dictated. Second, Shinzo would be attacking with ranged weapons, seemingly to require blocking or evasion to get through. Third, the Shinzo clones made it quite difficult to grasp where the thrown weapons would come from and where Katsu should counterattack should it be necessary to eliminate the source of the attacks.

Katsu had not really used any of his techniques nor any sort of special abilities, so Shinzo should know next to nothing about that, and he saw no reason to reveal anything either. He looked at Riku, who was making those puppy-dog-eyes, pleading for help. Katsu punched Riku in the face, and then headed to the gauntlet.

“...Let’s go normal with this,” Katsu muttered with a smile, appreciating the challenge. Unlike previous challenges, where destroying the obstacle wasn’t allowed, Katsu unsheathed his sword, a fairly standard brand with nothing special about it. And, with a kick, he dashed into the arena. Almost immediately, Katsu noticed that there were way more shuriken than he’d expected one man to throw, and he was right. As he hit some directly, they would disperse as if nothing. Not quite an illusion, but more like a clone. Troublesome, the teacher was cheating.

Katsu decided quickly on a plan of action. First, he would feel the wind, figuring out which way it was blowing. By positioning himself to a single side and leaning forward, he reduced his size as a target in Shinzo’s view and made it harder to hit him from one of his sides, narrowing where he had to protect himself to in front of him. Then, after stopping a few projectiles, Katsu would pick them up and throw them at Shinzo’s supposed clones, which had seemingly no physical body. Just decoys, then. Progressing was steady at a decent pace, though the hail of wooden weapons acted like wind drag he had to break through. A number of shurikens would graze his legs and arms, though he protecting what could be considered his vitals for the most part. At the half-way mark, Katsu pretty much figured out which Shinzo’s were clones and which one was real. The way Katsu was going, he’d rack up at least fifty or sixty hits trying to complete the latter half. At a distance, Katsu had time to react to the shuriken, but once the time to observe became shorter he’s lose out in speed. Instead, once again, a slight trick.

Katsu parried the weapons, waiting for the moment, that single moment, when there was a gap between the waves of wooden tools. It was the moment when Shinzo took another handful to throw, the moment when he didn’t throw anything. In that moment, as Shinzo prepared his next volley, Katsu twisted his blade, using the mirrored surface to reflect the sun’s blinding rays into Shinzo’s eyes, causing a squint however brief. In that moment, Katsu would dash along the blindspot created by his teacher’s own throwing arms, with the break from the attacks, however brief, being enough for Katsu to blitz around his teacher and be home free for the finish.

“Twenty-three hits,” Katsu said between gasps for air, having exerted himself for that effort. It wasn’t a clean win, but all the same he avoided getting ‘killed’ by anything directly.

[WC = 581]
[Total = 1694]

 

[Saitou Rei]

With the others pouring on to the next platform with her, Reicheru giggled as Kahora beamed and squealed over her success. She put her hand up to give her new friend a high-five while commenting, "Great job, that was pretty slick! Same for the rest of you, too." Rubbing her arm where she could feel bruises forming, Rei watched as Shinzo moved to present the next - and apparently last - part of the course. Tilting her head to the side, the young girl scanned the ramp looking for the tricks and traps that were sure to lie in wait for them. A mixture of dread and excitement set in as she watched Shinzo himself walk to the entryway and it hit her that he would be the obstacle for this part of the course. 'Less theory, more simulation. This could be fun.'

Watching as Katsu dashed onto the ramp at Shinzo's invitation, she took note of how the kunai and what she thought were clones interacted with the boy. Her classmate certainly showed skill with a blade, and for a moment she was distracted watching his technique before she remembered to watch the clones. Noticing how the forms flickered in the daylight, she wondered if they were more illusion than physical clone. As Katsu finished, Reicheru stepped forward, calling out to those behind her while gathering chakra in her palms, "You might wanna look away for a sec…" A moment later, she released the energy she had gathered all at once and a blinding flash of light exploded onto the field [Flashbang]. Assessing the kunai and the clones, her scanning eyes became frantic as the light faded. They had all reflected the light the same. With the way they had flickered in the sun, she thought for sure amplifying that would allow her to identify which were fake and which were real, but they all reacted the same way. Did that mean… they were all real?

'Well, great,' she thought, feeling embarrassed as she quickly ran through her options. She had already stepped up, she would have to think of something fast. As she thought, her hands flew to create the signs to summon three wind clones [Elemental Clone]. The first she sent in ahead; taking two hits simultaneously, one from the left and another from the right, the clone served to confirm her suspicions before disappearing with a puff. Chewing on her lip, she began to realize that there wasn't much to think through on this one, no patterns to watch or obvious work-arounds to exploit. Taking a deep breath, she charged in with one clone on each side of her, serving as body shields from the onslaught of wooden tools. Knowing this would only buy her a few moments before the clones reached their damage capacity, she began preparing her next steps.

As the clones from either side of her were struck with kunai and disappeared, Reicheru launched herself spinning into the air, taking hits on her legs as she did so. As she came down, she extended her hand out, taking another hit as she brought it down in a decisive slicing motion, causing a wind current to spiral around her that caught up and redirected all of the kunai around her [Wind Scythe].

Grinning at the success she'd had as she landed, Reicheru dashed forward and continued focusing wind chakra into her palms before the onslaught began again. As it did, she would continue running forward while bring the wind tendril down on one side, then the next. Performing the technique while running proved less effective while running straight forward than it in the air; she hadn't perfected the technique yet, and could only get blasts large enough to cover her on one side at a time, taking hits on the other as she did. Suddenly remembering a technique her cousin had taught her, she pulled a kunai of her own from her pouch which would in a moment become a small, spike-covered shield of sorts [Spiked Shield]. And likewise she ran to the end, pushing kunai on one side away with torrents of wind and blocking them with her shield on the other. Granted, with the shield being as small as it was, she found herself taking hits to her legs and a few grazing her cheeks as she pushed her way down the ramp.

Exhausted from the amount of chakra she had exerted on this obstacle on top of the physical challenge of the last two, it was all she could do not to collapse as she finally made it to the other side. Though she felt pretty good about her performance, as she squatted and focused on her breathing the realization hit her that she had stopped keeping track half-way through the course of how many hits she had taken. Multitasking was not one of her strengths. "Uhh… I took twelve hits by the half way point… so probably double that?" Reicheru offered Shinzo, twisting her grimace into an apologetic smile before allowing herself to fall on her bottom and sit while she watched the others make their attempts.

[MFT]
[WC: 857]
[TWC: 3,536]

 

[Himura Kumonosuke]

Since Kira was a lazy sack of potatoes at the moment,he let the other kid go his way,while the kid was running,Kira thought of a stupid idea one that's so unnecessary that it is
pretty funny,the idea being Kira commentating like one of those guys in sports programs after the idea was thought out,Kira then starts with his shenanigans as the kid ran.

"The runner takes his mark,the starting gun is fired and it's off to the races folks! He swings to the left! He swings to the right! He's right in the thick of it ladies and gentlemen and what's this? He is leaning forward? For what?! We may or may not know ladies and gentlemen but it doesn't matter! As our contestant,Katsu is now trading back shots to the thrower!"

Then after a short pause,he then watches the painful situation that got literally thrown at Katsu,the "contestant".

"Ow! That's gotta hurt folks! a barrage of sharp,woodem trouble right at his sides!That's gottta hurt badly!...will our contestant prevail or will he have to face the music?".

Then,as Katsu twisted his blade and focused the rays of the sun to Shinzo's eyes,Kira cannot waste time,he has to commentate this.

"Woah woah woah!....would you look at this folks!...he is blinding his enemy,the thrower!....what a smart chimp!".

Then after Katsu finally reached the finish line,Kira then does his part of commentating.

"Here he is folks!...our smart lil' contestant"

This boy is crazy,his canine kin said,since he can't perform human speech and he thought it's better to keep it to himself to not destroy Kira's thing.

Then as the kid was done,Kira then walks into the starting line,he pauses for a moment and molds his chakra into lava,and after the molding process was done,he then sweats the lava out,yes sweat it out,unlike spitting it out which was pretty common,he felt like he wasn't doing anything cool,meanwhile as he peraspirated the lava out of his body,it then invaded every inch of his skin to quickly become his armor,his second set of protection,it might seem like a painful feeling but it isn't on the inside,but on the outside though,might be better of not touching it or one would be in for a world of burns,which is painful and all that.

With his molten suit of armour now on him,he then ran onto the said course,while he ran he left deep smoking holes at the shape of his foot,then in the middle of running,he spied a single shuriken spinning it's way towards him,this won't do...you have to burn,Kira said in his mind,commenting about the raging shuriken travelling towards him as he did so,he waits for the right moment,after that he claps his molten hands altogether with the shuriken between,after that the shuriken was now sandwiched with two molten objects,it then bursts into flames,then receding to ashes onto the floor,Kira smiled but it wouldn't be noticable as his face is covered with molten rock,but as he did so he realized there was not one but multilple shuriken,sticked onto him and slowly turning to ash as they burned to flames,after realizing he didn't have to necessarily catch them,which is a great perk for his laziness,which he used passively as he ran with no worry of the wooden shurikens constantly sticking onto him and also bursting into flames as they stuck onto his armor of molten rocks,then as he did so,he passes through halfway,unscathed by any wooden shuriken as they were more damaged then him when they touched his armour of molten rock,then after he was there,his armour's duration has reached it's end and at almost the same time,a far,great barrage of shuriken would surround his sides.

"Yeah.....I'm sooo fuuuuuuuuuuuuuu-....wait"

Kira pupils quickly dilated,as he remmembered a jutsu,a jutsu that would be very useful for this situation,Kira quickly casts the said jutsu by wrapping himself in explosive chakra in a few seconds,then after he was finnally wrapped with the said chakra,he waits for the barrage to foolishly come closer,and it did,which made Kira shout.

"Y'ALL BETTER TAKE COVER!....IT'S BOUT TO GET NASTY".

Then as he set his warning and as the shurikens were near,he then detonates in a grand explosion which would have killed someone,but it didn't as after the explosion,Kira walks out of the smoke,tired and burned-out literally and figuratively.

"I don't know how many times have i been hit but at least i passed through?....that's the rule right?!".

Kira smiled but then quickly sat down and took a breather,he never thought this course would push him this far.Meanwhile his dog is sitting behind him,just chilling and all that good stuff.

WC:752

 

[Mihoki Kahora]

Eyes wide and body paralysed in fear, Kahora watched the next obstacle unfold right in front of her. As Shinzo finished explaining what they all had to face, the small girl watched him conjure up copies of himself and within seconds, his physical true form disappeared amongst them. That was so cool!!! Before Kahora could let the amazement wash over her too much, the afterimages of Shinzo… and probably the real Shinzo… Kahora wasn’t quite sure who’s who at his point, began throwing kunai faster than humanely possible back and forth across the gauntlet. The only thing the Senju girl was capable of doing at the time was gulping and trying not to let her shaky legs give way. I’m definitely going to die to this. That’s the only logical way I’m getting through this… or not getting through it.

Trying to keep her panic attack at bay, Kahora tried so desperately to put her brain to use. Okay so the way I did the last obstacle wasn’t cheating. So maybe my thing is running away from my problems? Reasoning with herself like this calmed Kahora’s nerves hugely. Only she had to think of a plan. And quickly or else she’ll end up like sliced ham and as much as she loves ham, she would much prefer getting through the course in one piece. The small girl decided to channel her chakra into making a mud clone so that she could see whereabouts the kunai knives were coming from. Clearing her mind momentarily of all other thoughts, she focused on forming a mud clone similar to the same height and size of her. Opening her eyes, she noted its oddly cute appearance and sent it on it way to do her dirty work. She didn’t really know what to expect but it getting destroyed in less time than it took her to make it certainly wasn’t what she planned. Might as well accept death now. However, if she dies, her parents would drag her body out of the afterlife just so they could ground her and make her quit the academy. There was no hope really.

Shoving down her disappointment and fear, she decided to stick to her original plan of running away from her problems. Times like this she wished she could just burrow her head in the sand and ignore everything. Shinzo wasn’t exactly making this easy for her. But he did say that there was no cheating… huh so she really could do whatever she wanted to. Wracking her brain trying to think of the jutsu she’s already learnt at the academy, a couple stood out to her. Her first precautious measure was activating Earthen Coating jutsu to give her some sort of protection in case things get ugly. Immediately she felt a wave of strength take over her as her body became hard as nails. She felt indestructible.

Next, she considered a jutsu that she had always wanted to try out in action. Inner Earth Reflection Lure jutsu was probably her favourite thing that she’s learnt so far because it meant that not only could she run away from her problems, she could become one with nature and that sounded perfect to the Senju girl. Determined to make this work, she put all of her effort into channelling her chakra and making something ideal for her. Almost immediately after concentrating, the ground below her gave way as she descended into the ground. This was so cool! Mum and Dad would be so mad if I did this at home.

Happy with how far down in the ground she was, she began pushing forwards in the direction of the other side of the gauntlet. Kahora was glad she used Earthen Coating beforehand, so she didn’t get cut by the mass of debris in the soil. So this is what it’s like to be a bug. I kind of like it. Quite peaceful. Just as the small girl thought that, her anxiety hit her like a brick. Oh god. I don’t know if I’m going in the right direction. And I’m claustrophobic. This was so dumb. I don’t want to be a bug!! Not being able to handle it anymore, she dug up as fast as she humanely could and was faced with the underside of the platform. This better be the one on the other side. I don’t want to be a bug or sliced ham! Digging a few meters further she finally broke out and sprung out of the ground in a flash. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she was indeed on the right side. She done it. And she didn’t die… this time.

[WC=797]
[TWC=2,610]
[Total posts = 4/5]
[MFT]

 

[Kuru Naohiro]

Riku waited…. again

The white-haired scoundrel had decided to take up a seated position, simply watching the others as they ran through the course. The pain on his cheek sat there momentarily as everyone did their own methods of getting across the course. Riku always thought it was weird, using so much jutsu to solve problems. It was like showing your hand to everyone at the table, what do you do now that they’ve seen everything.

“Well,” Riku declared with a sleepy grin on his face, “Time for my turn to play dodgeball.”

As the scoundrel glanced at the course for his own ideas, he remembered what he saw already. Those kunai are mostly fakes, but that very end had a fair few more solid kunai. His position is apparently switching between the fakes, the hell is he moving so fast? Riku stopped pondering it as he gave a sly grin.

He didn’t need to figure out his secret.

He looked towards Katsu as the pain on his cheek caught his notice. With a wave towards him, Riku flicked out a card, giving a small nod to him. He’d blindsided him with that punch, that was the message to help out. The rogue then glanced to his own platform, where Kiramaru had left behind his dog. With a smile, Riku walked over and picked up the dog, patting it on the head.

“Fair trade for the card,” Riku muttered with a wink towards Kiramaru on the otherside.

With that, Riku flicked out one of the cards from his deck, teasingly tossing it across the course. As the paper card sailed through the air, one of the kunai sailing out to knock it to the floor. The boys smile fading for a moment as he looked at the facedown card halfway across the course, he realised with an internal sigh.

“Didn’t check what card that was ...” Riku whispered, “I’m gonna have to recount the whole deck at this rate.”

With no more time left to mourn, the boy placed the deck of cards in his pocket before pulling out a small bundle of wire string. It was always handy to have some for a trap. After unwrapping it and letting most it fall to the platform floor, Riku took one chance to glance towards the apparent clones.

“Lets play.” Riku said with a smirk.

With a throw up of his hands, the metallic string began to hang in the air, glimmering in the sunlight (in a manner like his grin). Riku helped Kiramaru’s dog onto his back, before sprinting across the course.

Riku wasn’t the fastest or the most skilled. Hell, he barely knew any jutsu, especially in comparison to this class. For all those problems however, he always did have an upside, he was always a conman at heart. As the small dome of floating string was suddenly barraged by kunai, only one in each dozen pushed past the strings … the real one. The rogue jumped and bound as he ran across the course, avoiding the kunai that pushed past his wires. Then as he reached halfway across the course, Riku gave a wink to the crowd on the otherside. The white-haired boy dropped in what appeared to be a trip, before sliding across the floor, his hands releasing the strings as he peered towards the clones. He remembered the end of this, the volley of kunai, Riku wasn’t gonna be able to dodge them, they were all real from the seems of it. This would’ve required Riku to use more tricks if he wanted to win, and he didn’t want to reveal to anyone here much of anything. Lucky for him, Shinzo had made a fatal mistake, he’d spoken to Riku before.

“Stupid mutt!” Riku shouted as he stabilized himself from his slide, attempting to cause confusion.

He grabbed the dog from his back, and as his hand moved to lift him up, he grabbed hold of the card that he’d watched get hit by the kunai. With a yell, the boy then tossed the dog into the air, a dangerous height. Shinzo had cared when he spoke before, his eyes flashing with a grin as the dog sailed up. Shinzo wouldn’t risk the dog to keep throwing, a wicked smile going on his face as he watched one of the clones leap up to catch the dog. As the dog got caught, Riku quickly threw his hands together.

“I got you!” Riku declared loudly, from the dogs collar the paper card coming loose.

The card from the ground finally revealed itself, floating in the air for a moment before the seal hidden behind the surface activated, a smokebomb appearing and detonating in the saviour’s face. With the smoke in place, Riku bolted down the course. The distraction didn’t last as long as he’d of liked, as four-fifths of the way across, the kunai volleys started up anew. Not wanting to risk revealing his hand, Riku had to accept a few hits at the end, several wooden kunai hitting his sides as Riku mistimed his dodges.

The scoundrel giving a small bow as he jogged off the course, winking to the crowd before walking over to hang nearby his friends, Kiramaru and Katsu.

“I was counting seven. Anyone else counting seven?” Riku asked with a playful grunt, rubbing his sides where the final volley landed.

WC: 879

 

[Minamoto Daisuke]

Shinzo readied himself amongst his afterimages, each of them copying every move he made instantly. This allowed for little other than guesses as to where his location was, however he wouldn’t randomly switch places with the afterimages like he would in a regular situation. No, this time he would remain relatively stationary and allow for the students to attempt to track the origin of the kunai knives.

The Head Jounin observed as the students faced the gauntlet one after another, the first of which being Katsu. The analysis of the sword wielding boy was extremely well calculated, Shinzo watched on as over time the boy was able to locate his point of attack. Yet that was not the most impressive part. Subtlety, being an important area for a shinobi, shone through quite literally as all it took was a simple manipulation of the blade to redirect the light of the sun into Shinzo’s eyes. A small smile flashed across the Seikon’s face while his left forearm moved upwards to protect his source of sight. Bladework was definitely a strength for the young shinobi in training, something that would have to be built upon in later trainings. In all though Shinzo was impressed. By the time the senior ninja was able to recover properly Katsu had already almost completed the course, a few kunai later he had finished.

Next was Saitou, her positivity and encouragement shone through even before the last section began – something Shinzo was happy to see. Yet soon enough he had to shield his eyes once again from a larger explosion of light. Good use of jutsu. He thought to himself as he contemplated Saito’s reason for such an action. From the light came multiple copies of the girl, clearly sheltering her from the rain of projectiles. Another jutsu was to follow in the form of a wind based technique, an elemental transformation that resonated close to home for the Head Jounin. A final well thought out taijutsu was to follow, guiding the academy student safely past the finishing line. In all a fine display of tool and technique, refining it would definitely be a point of interest for Shinzo in the next stages of Saitou’s training.

Inuzuka Kiramaru was soon to follow. Without his kanine companion this next stage of the course would be interesting. Shinzo could tell that there was much at work within the boy judging by the slight shift in chakra that he could feel, yet he couldn’t quite in point exactly what was going to happen. It came as quite the surprise when lava itself began to leak from the Inuzuka’s pores. Quite a sight to see and in truth one that Shinzo hadn’t witnessed before. Another smile sprouted up on the Head Jounin’s face as the kunai immediately became ineffective, but only time would tell as to how long Kiramaru could keep this up for. Shinzo’s question was soon answered when the jutsu in use switched from one of extreme defence to one of explosive repulsion. Definitely an interesting choice, but it worked and as such Shinzo was happy to see it.

Kahora stepped up to the entryway of the gauntlet next. It was clear that the situation at hand brought forward anxiety within her small frame, that was to be expected but given enough time she would be able to handle the pressures of shinobi life. Her strategy was similar to Saitou’s via the use of a clone, however this clone was used differently. It was a method of determining the best approach to the run ahead. Very clever indeed, such a tactic would serve her well in future missions as intel gained this way could prove vital in a life or death situation. Once the clone had been utterly decimated she pressed forwards, her use of earth style ninjutsu was similar in application to Kiramaru’s, very efficient and very useful for protecting the body. However soon Kahora disappeared completely underground, catching Shinzo slightly off guard. He couldn’t help but chuckle at how she almost completely skipped the rest of the course. But it was clever and it worked which was all that it needed to do.

Finally, after what seemed like eons, Riku made his way forwards. The boy had shown himself to be resourceful yet unpredictable in the application of said resourcefulness. Secretly Shinzo looked forward to what was to come but his facial expressions only served to hide that fact. Despite not being of Inuzuka heritage, the white haired boy decided now would be a good time to have a kanine as a companion. Riku lived up to his unpredictable reputation as the wire barrier intercepted several kunai, yet that was not the highlight of the run. In truth the highlight was the flight of Kiramaru’s dog, and as Riku had predicted Shinzo would not allow for the creature to come to any harm in his lesson. A split second later the Head Jounin wove a quick set of seals before a clone appeared under the dog in order to save it from certain injury. The slight break in consistency of kunai attacks gave enough time for the boy to deploy his next tactic, a smokebomb. Shinzo couldn’t help but feel such a choice may have been inspired but where from was a mystery.

A few more kunai were able to find their mark on the boy as he crossed the line. With the final student in the clear Shinzo came to a stop. His afterimages began gradually fading one by one until only the original shinobi remained. With Kiramaru’s dog safely on the ground, the Head Jounin spoke up.

“I am very impressed with all of you. Your ability to improvise, adapt and overcome is truly inspiring and as such I am sure you will all have great careers as ninja.” A small bow of the head was to follow. “I have no doubts that you are all able to deal with a variety of environmental hazards and I am happy with the demonstration of ability that you have all displayed today. And as such I shall consider this class over and a success. Congratulations to all of you.” With hands on hips Shinzo spoke once more. “Katsu, your blade work and analysis in the heat of the moment was second to none today. Saitou, your use of clones as well as both nin and taijutsu served you well and from what I have seen those skills always will serve you well. Kiramaru, your nature transformation was astounding on this final leg of the course, be mindful of your destructive power but if you continue to use it as you did today then I see no reason why you won’t be an asset to this village. Kahora, your ability to gain intelligence via the use of your mud clone was an extremely well thought out tactic; giving yourself earthen armour before becoming one with the ground itself surprised me but in the best way. And you, ‘joker’, well read.”

Shinzo gave one final nod towards his students. A smile flashed across his face, white teeth caught the sun with a slight glint. The Seikon’s form flicked for a split second and then he was gone.

[WC: 1,211]
[TWC: 3,390]
[Post count: 5/5]
[Topic left]

[Well done everyone, you have all passed this class! I will be making a class reward post in the yen request thread, once you have made your final post and the rewards are approved, make sure to link to link it in your training.]

 

[Mihoki Kahora]

Nervously waiting for Shinzo’s approval or… disapproval of her tactics, Kahora hoped graciously that she passed the class. Even though her methods were a little avoidant, she still technically completed each obstacle. She liked to think that he would have appreciated her methods because she put a lot of the jutsu she learned at the academy to good use and it was her first time properly using a lot of it. If Kahora could choose her favourite jutsu, it would be Inner Earth Reflection Lure because it was so cool to the Senju girl. Running away from her problems is definitely her thing.

As Shinzo’s afterimages dissipated and his true form only remained, Kahora focused her attention on him. Twiddling her fingers, trying not to make eye contact with him, she listened to the words that followed.

Wait? So, I passed?? How on earth?! That’s awesome! Kahora jumped up with her fist in the air upon hearing his decision. She couldn’t believe it! And now she’s one step closer to graduating the academy and becoming the Shinobi she always dreamed of becoming. And Shinzo appreciated the use of her mud clone and she surprised him in the good way. That was the biggest compliment she’s received at the academy so far. Hang on a minute ... but how did Kiramaru pass? Or Riku? It wasn’t like they deserved it. Even if they complete it. It still wasn’t fair. She immediately deflated a little bit upon realising that they too were one step closer to becoming a shinobi, because that was something the world definitely didn’t need. Regardless, she was so excited for what’s yet to come and hopefully her parents would be proud of her for making it this far. She was proud of herself and that’s all that mattered.

As the Senju girl watched Shinzo leave in a flash, she decided what to do next. Food!

[WC= 324]
[TWC = 2,934]
[Post count = 5/5]
[MFT]
[Topic left]

 

[Saitou Rei]

The young Saitou stood up from her crouch as Riku finally, eventually, made it to the last platform with the rest of them. Reflecting on the course as a whole and how each of her classmates had approached it, she was surprised to see how diverse a group they were at this stage in their training. She had kind of assumed that even by the time they graduated, they would each have become proficient in a lot of the same basic shinobi techniques, but that was certainly not the case. On the one hand, she was glad to see how she and her peers were able to hone and develop their skills. On the other, it served as a reminder that if their small class had so many variables in their skill set, how many more unknowns would await them in the dangerous and beautiful wide world beyond the village gates. But that was a thought for another time.

As Shinzo brought the class to a close, Reicheru appreciated how their sensei took the time to individually address each student's tactics and abilities. She'd had teachers who had done less with smaller classes. "Thank you, Shinzo-sensei!" she said with a broad smile and polite bow only moments before the one she addressed vanished into thin air. Impressed but no longer shocked by much, Reicheru shook her head and turned to her classmates. She noticed Kahora beginning to head off on her own, so quickly she caught up to her new friend. "Hey, want to grab some food? There's a bunch of places in Oak District I know!" As the two walked on, Reicheru turned to wave to the boys. They were an interesting group for sure; she'd have to try to get to know them some next time, when there wasn't one person leaving alone.

[WC: 305]
[TWC: 3,841]
[Topic Left]

 

[Imaya Kuza]

Katsu heard Shinzo’s little end lecture a bit, but for the most part was just trying to figure out how to tag along with Kahora and Reicheru’s lunch, namely for the latter. At first, he had a few ideas which mostly involved erasing their memories slightly and convincing them he’d been invited… and yet, that seemed wrong somehow. To this, Katsu asked himself what he always does in these moral quandaries: ‘What would Riku do?’ He’d erase their memories without a second thought. Alright, best to not do that then. Instead, Katsu just ran after them with a quick “Wait up, can I come?”

[Exit Thread]