Foreign Exchange №1 [Class/Open]

[Okada Kaji]

Foreign Exchange №1: Shinobi Survival Essentials

The sun was still climbing through the trees in the early morning hours. It was an opportune time for shinobi to stir; a time to awaken the mind, he knew. The time was right for a little adventure, and Kaji Okada was there first, thermos in hand as he poured a cup of coffee for himself. The veteran shinobi loved the stuff and took slow sips as steam ran off the top in the brisk breezes. He was in top form, donned in his typical assortment of earth-toned apparel; from his aviator jacket to his riding boots. The elegantly powerful blade Eelspine was sheathed by his hip, with the emerald in its pommel reflecting a soft glow under the sunlight it reflected. His obsidian tresses were well-combed for a change, and he seemed as if he was taking better care of himself since moving to this village. Perhaps that was just what being in love did to a man. He was seated on a tall log near the entrance to the forest, which was the designated place for the class he was teaching today.

There wasn't any forewarning for the students, instead, Kaji simply left a note on the classroom door, telling them to meet him at this place and time, with little more than fifteen minutes added on to the scheduled start time for class. The added traveling would be sure to rile up the students, especially any slackers who thought they’d show up last minute. Now the old fox sat in waiting, sipping his brew and considering what the wilderness had in store for him and his fated pupils.

When it came to teaching, Kaji had a special way about it— he often favored real environments over the classroom, just as he favored hands on experience over textbooks. Of course, there is value in all these places and methods, but he did not come all the way to Kumogakure just to be cramped up indoors.

Welcome to Shinobi Survival Essentials
- This is a class on a shinobi's place in nature, and survival
- We can focus on hunting and tracking
- how to learn the lay of the land
- how to survive off of the land during long missions
- Most importantly, how to escape pursuit
- I am looking to make this a fast-paced thread, concluding in about a week's time.
- If you wish to join as a spectator or for fun, please state that you are outside of post order.

<i></i>

 

[Hirateuchi]

It was early in the morning when Hira woke up to the sun peeking through his window. Subtle rays lit up Hira's dark black hair with a shine that almost made it seem blue. Yawning and stretching his arms out, Hira lifted himself up groggily, putting on one his many kimonos to relax in while trying not to sleep through another lecture. This one was black with a large blue wave crest on the back, one he had gotten from his father as a gift for joining the academy. Time for another boring class he thought to himself. As tempted as he was to just ditch again, his recent interactions with others students as well as his training with Raku was beginning to give a slight hint of motivation to get stronger.

It was slightly earlier in the morning than Hira was typically used to getting up, so instead of heading straight to class, which would get him there just as class started. he opted to take the long way to the academy to work some more on his endurance training. Jogging through the cool morning air, Hira could now clearly see the rising sun and the beautiful spectrum it painted the village. Something about scenes like this always made Hira want to just stop what he was soing, lay down, and enjoy what nature had decided to show off. Today was his day to shine though, his day to finally listen to a lecture, and he didn't have the luxury of stopping in order to take in the view. Picking up his pace slightly, Hira eventually found himself rounding the corner to his class, only to find a note on the door.

Strange. The note was from someone whom he did not recognize the name, saying that class would instead be held near the entrance to the forest. Good thing he knew the area well with all the time he had spent training there with his tutor. And he still had...

"FIFTEEN MINUTES!?" Hira shouted out loud without regard to who he might be disturbing. Jumping up and turning with reckless abandon he began to race down the academy halls, exiting the building and racing his way towards the forest. He took every alley way, every shortcut he knew of attempting to arrive at the meeting point in a less than fair time frame. Just as time was about to run out for the unprepared child, he found himself at the edge of the forest. A few students had already arrived, getting ready for something it seemed. He also saw a strange old man sitting on a log sipping on a drink from a thermos. He approached the man to make sure he was in the correct place. "Is this.... where class is.... being held today? I'm... Hirateuchi," he stuttered between large gasps for air, a hand on the back of his neck and an awkward glance betraying his attempt to conceal his nerves.

[WC 495]

 

[Shinrya Riko]

Ai had walked into class right behind Hira. She sat in her seat briefly before Hira shouted something about 15 minutes and bolting out of the classroom. Curious she stood and made her way down to the desk and saw the notice. Oh. It seemed like they had a guest teacher today. Their normal teacher must have been out sick or something like that. Hm. It seemed he had given them some extra time to get there. Well, Hira decided to run through the school, but Ai decided to take a short cut. The giant girl opened up a window and lept to the ground. She winced as she felt the force of her weight upon her knees, but fortunately the grass was soft and helped absorb the impact. She walked at a casual pace and managed to arrive at roughly the same time as Hira.

He was out of breath from his brief run. She laughed at him and punched his shoulder. ”Yer a spaz Hira.” She wiped her nose with her thumb. She looked around at the grass about them for a bit before commenting ”Ah don’t see the substitute teach-” She halted her sentence when her eyes caught sight of the fellow wearing the earthen colors on the log. That had to be him. ”Nevermind, found ‘im.” She pulled out a protein bar from her backpack and pulled out the wrapper.

She took a bite of the bar as she examined the man on the log a bit closer. Wow. He was a gorgeous man. He was oddly stylish and handsome. He was waaaay to pretty to be shinobi, yet there he was dressed like one and had the gear to prove it. ”Wow...What a cute sensei, doncha’ think?” She raised her hand to her mouth and whispered to Hira. She put the rest of her snack away as she didn’t want a teacher that good looking to hate her. She was also slightly embarrassed because even sitting on the log she knew that she stood almost an entire foot taller than him and she was still only 8.

 

[Kaede]

A rumbling moan emanated from a small corner within the small, one-room home. A quiet shuffling as a solitary figure turned over, creating a small tumble of stones as the makeshift bed of rock slowly fell apart every morning when the young faux-elemental moved. Bright teal shined as he sat up and opened his eyes, their unnaturally bright color combining with the lines on his cheek and neck to craft an effective light.

The body of an actual human grunted and quaked slightly under his blankets. He said nothing as the child quietly moved about the home, grabbing his apparel and quickly getting dressed. As the brightly lit creature finished what seemed like a daily routine, the sun emerged from the treeline, as if the boy's internal clock aligned perfectly with the Earth's. This 'class' was going to be his first in his journey to become a shinobi, and he was quite excited for it.... Even if his peacefully lax facial expression showed no hint of such an emotion.

Leaving the front door without disturbing his creator from his slumber, he made his way towards the school, footsteps heavier than they should be for a boy his size. These moments were his favorite within the village, where everything was as still and silent as an owl. The metal bands decorating his sleeveless shirt clinked softly against each other with every movement, creating the uncoordinated music he'd grown accustomed to.

Moving quickly within the silent halls, he used his memory to find the door to the correct classroom, though stopped once he saw the note attached to the door. Taking a moment to read through it and making sure he did so correctly, he stared at a certain phrase with a slight unease shifting across his face. Fifteen minutes..... He knew the number fifteen, but he struggled with human's time, overall. He stared at it, unmoving, for a full ten minutes, before giving up and walking towards the forest. Hopefully, he'd get there on time.

Nearing the designated forest, Kaede's form seem to relax more the further he got into the forest, the slight unease entirely removed from his face. His every movement was smooth and calmed, as elegant as a dancer's. His head cocked marginally to the side as he saw Kaji's figure in the distance, as if he were curious as to who he was and why he was here. Which he was, though he didn't outright ask, even as he came within a few yards of the man.

Merely staring, Kaede allowed more than a minute of appraisal before easily slipping into a cross-legged sit, his long fingers finding dirt and rock past the grass and idly messing with it. He was in the correct place and hopefully the correct time, so all that was left was to sit and wait for something to happen.

 

[Okada Kaji]

Not long would pass before the privacy of nature whispering to Kaji was intruded upon by the sounds of three students pacing through the shallow woods. Three of them came was proper haste, moving at such identical strides that all three arrived at about the same time. Kaji saw this to be a good sign, as the children would have good reason to see each other as equals as they arrived to face their new sensei together. A little camaraderie or at least familiarity was shared between the first two to arrive. One after another, a trio of three fresh faces gathered in Kaji’s presence, causing their sensei to smirk satisfactorily upon recognizing the diversity among his students.

The first was a boy who was quick to announce his name of Hirateuchi, so eagerly that he didn’t recover his breath yet from his travels. The second student was a girl who spoke with a charming local accent, who received an early growth spurt compared to her present company. Kaji would soon know her to be Ai, and she was just as puzzled as Hirateuchi when it came to their commute. But then Ai became distracted and flustered once she laid eyes on her handsome instructor: the tinge of pink in her cheeks was a tale-tale sign, and while Kaji neglected to read into it— an animated, nervous drop of cold sweat ran down his temple. And last but not least, the third pupil to arrive was of the stoic variety and gave off quite a different vibe than his peers.

Kaji gulped down what remained in his cup, and screwed it back onto the thermos as it’s cap. The drink then vanished into a large compartment within the pouch underneath his cloak. He then arose from the log, fully standing, and introduced himself to the three pupils; “Now this is what I like to see... you all made good timing. ‘A proper shinobi is always prepared for a change of plans— to adapt and overcome.” No quick intro from their sensei, just knowledge. “The move to the forest was just a warm up for you and serves a purpose for the lesson today. ‘Come.” With the word and a wave of the hand, Kaji bade the three students to follow him on a trek onto a winding wooded path, there the conversation would continue and prosper.

“By now, you’re probably wondering just who the hell I am,” he explained, getting to the first curiosity on the student trio’s minds. “Well, the powers that be have seen fit to ask me to come here and share a bit of my expertise with you, since I have a unique perspective to offer: I’m Foreign Exchange Instructor Okada Kaji— but you three can call me Kaji-sensei.”

Even while he delivered his monologue of an introduction, Kaji kept his head on a swivel, indulging in the environment around him. The sights and sounds of the ancient forest painted the portrait of nature that was brimming with life. He then held up a hand signaling the group to stop, and found a strange print in the soil; it certainly wasn’t made by a humanoid foot. “Take a look at this print and perhaps you’ll understand why we came out here for today’s lesson. A lot of being a shinobi comes down to understanding the environment around you: identifying threats before they can identify you. The ability to navigate terrain plays an important part in any role you will ever play in the field when operating as a Cloud shinobi.” Kaji took a step back from the print, giving his students room to crowd around it, look closely, as well as check for a path or other signs. “I want you three to work together to analyze the print; theorize what kind of creature it could be, why the print is on this trail, and where it may have gone… Determine if we should expect a threat from our mysterious friend during our little hike.”

[spoilername="The Print"]

Fairly large marks, big enough that you'd have to take a big step if you attempted to step over the tracks.
The tracks match the visual below but possesses more direct path of movement crossing the trail.

[/spoilername]<i></i>

 

[Hirateuchi]

Kaji-sensai, huh? Well at the very least this was a change of scenery from the classroom. Perhaps this would be intriguing enough to stay and learn a little bit, Hira thought.

As the group ventured into the forest, the guest instructor told them what their class would involve today. He would soon learn that as a group, the students would have to determine what kind of thing made the tracks before them, and if it might pose any threat to them. He wasn't used to any kind of hunting or tracking, nor was he all too familiar with the native animals of the forest. Perhaps this class would be harder than he originally thought.

Looking down at the print, a few features immediately popped out at him. “Well, there's one continuous track, not several smaller ones, meaning that whatever made this track had to be sliding across the ground.” That much, he was fairly sure of. However, past that all he could offer was speculation. “I'm not too familiar with all the animals in the forest, and all I can think of that might slink across the ground is a snake but...” Hira paused looking at the size of the print. “I've never heard of a snake that large before.”

Looking over to his fellow classmates to see what input they could provide, he realized that he still did not know whom the third student was. It was a boy of unusual looks and demeanor to be certain, but he had a sense of calm around him that made him seem approachable. Hira looked over with a smile. “I'm Hirateuchi, by the way, but most people just call me Hira.”

[WC 280]

 

[Shinrya Riko]

Their sensei seemed to be quite proud of his shinobi ways in Ai’s eyes. He certainly had a lot of enthusiasm for a substitute teacher. Why else would he be trying so hard to act as cool as possible? In a mysterious manner he bid them to enter the forest. As everyone else began to trudge after the man she shrugged her shoulders and followed after him. Even though this path they were following seemed well walked that didn’t stop the branches and brush from swatting Ai in the face as she passed. Where everyone else was too short to be bothered by it, she found she was just the right height to get a face full of leaves every so often.

She wasn’t digging this whole forest thing. She’d take the flat lands of her home town any day. There was nothing better than walking through a golden field of barley. Heh. She used to think she’d be eating barley her entire life. She sometimes wished she was back on the farm eating barley instead of following a teacher she didn’t know into a forest she had never heard of before. Soon the group was signaled to stop and they all stooped over a set of tracks. Well the teacher said it belonged to some kind of creature so she expected it to be so.

She thought she had known alot about animals but looking down at these tracks… she had no idea. Rodents and critters of similar size liked to hide in the fields and of course that attracted snakes. She knew what snake tracks looked like, but while similar this was not a snake track of the likes to which she had ever seen before. Maybe it was something native to Kumo? It seemed Hira didn’t know much about animals based on what he had to say about this.

Hira got distracted from the snake prints and decided to introduce himself to Kaede. Ai wasn’t sure what to say, and she didn’t want to say a wrong answer, so she decided to say nothing. She tried to avoid meeting her teacher’s wondering gaze.

 

[Okada Kaji]

Kaji watched closely as his new pupils made their observations, hoping they would reveal the beginnings of natural proficiencies with insight and perception. However, of the three students, only Hira spoke up with an attempt at an assessment. Kaji made curious glares at all three pupils though, especially the Ai and Kaede, who chose to remain silent over potentially being wrong. In truth, there was no such thing as being wrong; this was merely practicing in honing their instincts.

Kaji took Hirateuchi’s answer into consideration first, as if it represented the feedback of all three students, as they’d most likely be in approval of his finding if anything. “Any situation where you don’t have the facts, you follow your instincts to determine the best course of action. Our first observation is the pattern of the creature’s movements: it's definitely something with a long body… a snake is a fair first guess, but contracting muscles aren’t going to make these kinds of indentations. So we conclude that whatever it is must still be a mystery to us, but one thing we know for a fact— this thing is huge.” As he went on with the bit of knowledge, Kaji began following a few paces behind the slithering tracks, onward, into the woods. “The bigger a creature is, the more it needs to consume to get full and feel satisfied” he was speaking in layman's terms, hoping to make the knowledge digestible for the mere fledglings. “When you are on a mission in the wilderness, you become a part of the ecosystem whether you want to or not. You enter the food chain. And if any creature you encounter in the wild is bigger than you, consider it Kaji-sensei’s rule of thumb that the creature will probably want to kill you if you’re lucky, or eat you if it's feeling hungry. Assume this is the case until you know otherwise.”

And then, without so much as a pointed warning, Kaji coiled chakra into his feet, bent at his knees and sprung into the air like pouncing hunting cat. His jump delivered him onto the branch of an incredibly tall forest tree, more akin to the ones in the Land of Fire. “Follow me, and we’ll have no lagging behind,” he instructed before resuming their forest walk with a bit of walking, climbing, and leaping through the trees in a slow and even pace. “That big critter was a dire centipede… an over-abundance of natural chakra tends to cause creatures to grow larger than normal here; consider it part of the magic of the ancient forest. This also means that we can end up on the menu out here, so it's important that you keep up with me.”

Kaji then improved his pace, revealing a knack for agility and precision akin to a parkour runner, with a knack for a style all his own. He challenged the pupils to keep up and intended to use the threat of a dire centipede to push them into performing their best. But then, Kaji came to a sudden halt once he found a unique carving, set into the flesh of a tree along their path through the many high branches. “And take note of this,” he said excitedly while clinging to the side of the thick oak tree. He ran his fingers across the symbol, showcasing it to his pupils: it was the crudely drawn symbol of an elk. “When you cross through unknown terrain, it may be marked by those who’ve come before you, who have left identifiers to help you along your way. Where nature has shinobi beat, we use collective knowledge to overcome our disadvantages. The same goes for battle, and for a number of other matters. This mark, in particular, most likely dictates a route through the forest where hunters can find the elk grazing spots, without risking encountering pesky predators.”

For the sake of trying to work through this thread in a timely fashion, I would like to request posts for rounds within about 48 hours of a new round being posted. Don't worry about the post order, just try to post on time. If your schedule is making posting difficult I totally understand, just let me know and we can work something out.

<i></i>

 

[Hirateuchi]

Hira was slightly disappointed in himself that he could not figure out what animal left the tracks but he didn't want to beat himself up too much over it. With how little knowledge of the area he had, at least he figured part of the equation out. Surprisingly, he didn't feel defeated by this tricky assignment at all; in fact if anything, it made Hira more interested in learning. Maybe it was the new eccentric teacher, or the outdoor nature of the class, but Hira found himself starting to enjoy his time.

As he was thinking to himself, Kaji-sensei jumped up into the air with incredible ease and landed atop the tree branches, insisting that the lot continue their trek in the canopy. Hira still hadn't mastered how to climb trees using chakra. It was only a few short weeks ago that his mentor Raku had introduced the idea, but if there was ever a time to prove himself it would be now. Closing his eyes and taking a deep bnreath in, Hira focused on gathering chakra into his feet. Once he felt comfortable, he slowly walked up to a nearby tree as not to lose focus, and began running up it in a somewhat slow but careful manner. He knew his core strength was still lacking, as it took quite significant effort to remain upright, but with only a slight misstep in the middle of the task, Hira managed to snake his way to the top. He panted to catch his breath but soon realized that he would not have much time for a break. The last thing he wanted was to end up centipede food because he felt like being his usual lazy self.

With some difficulty, Hira attempted to keep up with Kaji-sensei, leaping across the tops of the trees. Every few branches, Hira would slip and almost fall off. His balance wasn't incredibly refined yet, and it definately showed. However, after a troublesome voyage, the class arrived at a marking on a tree. Kaji-sensei explained that other might make markings to inform travelers what to expect in that area. One thing immediately popped up in Hira's mind, and he thought it best to questions sooner rather than later. This teacher seemed to be rather perceptive, and saying something unimportant may still reap some valuable information.

"Kaji-sensei, as ninja we have to be prepared for anything, right?" Hira started off, trying to piece together his thought on the spot. "How can we trust marks like this on the trees? Isn't there a chance an enemy could be using it as a trap? They don't seem like they would be terribly difficult to replicate, after all." Hira knew the primary objective was to keep an eye out for the centipede, but he was much more fascinated with the current class than any other he had been a part of so far.

[WC 483]

 

[Shinrya Riko]

Ai quietly smiled to herself. She knew that those tracks couldn’t have belonged to a snake. Then she remembered that they belonged to a giant centipede was sort of creeped out. Then she also realized what else he had said. An over-abundance of chakra made creatures grow larger than normal. She awkwardly looked down at how she stood two heads above even the tallest among them. Maybe that would explain her abnormal height and stockiness? She was actually starting to feel not only self conscious but scared that she would suddenly sprout another foot or two from being in this place. She gave a pained groan when their teacher began to leap through the trees.

She had been curious before, but now all she wanted was for this lesson to end. It was tough keeping up with the smaller and nimbler people. She arrived at their next destination huffing and rubbing her knees and elbows as the exercise had began to irritate her joints. She peeked over at the mark on the bark of this tree. She couldn’t help but wonder how big the elk in this place were if the centipede’s were as big as snakes. Wait… How big were snakes then?

She felt a shiver go down her spine. She returned to reality as Hira questioned the validity of such a mark. The giantess crossed her arms as she leaned forward to inspect the symbol better. She didn’t like this whole beneath the underneath stuff that they were teaching in the academy, but Hira was right she thought. In a world of ninja they were teaching her to be nothing but paranoid. Is this what it takes to fight bandits? She hummed to herself as she dismissed the thought.

”Hunters follow the prey. Not just people..” Ai commented simply, thinking about how the presence of field mice always attracted snakes, owls and others. She ran her hands through her hair as she stepped back from the tree.

 

[Okada Kaji]

The assessments of the two students were on par on Kaji’s expectations yet again, as they both took important matters of traversing the wilderness into consideration. It was all instinct coming into play, and firstly, Hira considered the chance that others might use Kaji’s teachings against them. “Mhmm. There is always a chance that the signs are meant to deceive you,” Kaji replied, acknowledging the assertion that the marks might be used against them and lead towards a trap. “It takes a keen eye to find these glyphs, real smarts to decypher their meaning, and your best judgement to determine the path of least resistance.”

Kaji then swung away from the carved mark, and landed on a teetering branch before crouching, balancing all the meanwhile. Ai recognized the sense of the lesson and confirmed her belief in the legitimacy of the stag’s head marker, to which Kaji nodded approvingly. “That is right. ‘The largest business humans might have in this forest is studying the stags which live here. Our shinobi patrol the forest routinely to monitor the safety and population of the animals… to discourage excessive-hunting. Warden shinobi have a duty to help nature run its course.” If his words did not make it clear, his aura did; this was Kaji Okada’s domain, and he was sure of himself as he explained these matters.

Once he was sure the students seemed to have a comprehension of his teachings, Kaji continued moving ahead with their foray into the deep forest. He was taking them on the path of the stag’s head, not diverting in the slightest as he trusted the familiar path: the end result of their travel was the promised breeding ground. Kaji took on stealthier movement then and urged his students to follow closely with their best efforts.

As expected, the students would spot a white reindeer doe with a calf grazing on the forest floor. The docile creatures were bathing in a narrow spot of sunlight which broke through the thick tree canopy. It would take the student’s greatest efforts to not drive the creatures away, but Kaji possessed practiced whispering, good enough to teach his pupils despite the pressure. “It is an essential part of survival for a shinobi to take in their environment, and learn natural do’s and don’ts provided by the wildlife.” Kaji then pointed to the deer, and to points in the forest that could’ve made good points for an ambush by predators, and hunters alike: though there would be little difference if the master and his pupils were out on a week-long journey through this forest. “There will be times where you may be the stag, and times where you will be the panther, prowling in the underbrush. Learn from this.”

Please Roll 1d20 in for your stealth chance.
Rolling 10 or less will result in failed stealth, and startle the reindeers, causing them to flee during your turn.

Please Roll 1d20 for your perception chance.
Rolling 11 or greater will allow you to perceive a panther taking cover on the forest floor during your turn, stalking the reindeers.

<i></i>

 

[Hirateuchi]

Hira was fascinated with the white reindeer grazing before them. A mixture of sleeping through the academy classes and not reading anything at home had made him a big ignorant to all of the different creatures that inhabited the land around them. Kaji-sensei seemed to know the lay of the land extremely well for a foreign exchange instructor, having brought them to this point as if by natural instinct. Was there something special about his connection with nature or was he finally seeing the powerful tracking abilities of a fully fledged shinobi? Either way, he was impressed. Wanting to get a better view of the reindeer, Hira jumped one branch closer, then two, trying to be silent as possibly, keeping his body as low as his academy grades to keep from being seen. When he made his second leap however, he misjudged his footing and slipped on the branch, having to quickly reach out with his arms to catch himself, shaking the leaves and making the wood creak ever so quietly.

As quickly as the group had found the reindeer, the animals scurried away, startled by the sudden noise. Looking back with a frown, Hira spoke out to his classmates, "Sorry for scaring them away... I just wanted to get a better look." His voice was defeated. How could he have messed up such a simple jump? Perhaps that would be something for him to take away for himself from today's lesson. He couldn't let new things take him by surprise and distract him so entirely. Looking back forward, Hira looked to the spots where Kaji-sensei pointed out an ambush could come from, wondering, maybe optimistically so, if he wasn't the reason the reindeer ran away. Alas, after half a minute of solid scanning, he still spotted no sign of any other wildlife. Of course with the noise he made, even if there was something there it would more than likely have escaped too by now.

"Kaji-sensei," Hira suddenly thought out loud, directing his face towards his teacher but pointing in the direction of the stags. "If it is a shinobi's job to patrol and watch the forest for hunting, would it also be our job to stop the panthers from attacking the deer? Or maybe even a dire-centipede?"

[WC 379]

 

[Shinrya Riko]

“That is right. ‘The largest business humans might have in this forest is studying the stags which live here. Our shinobi patrol the forest routinely to monitor the safety and population of the animals… to discourage excessive-hunting. Warden shinobi have a duty to help nature run its course.”

Ai staggered a little. ”Huh - wait that’s not what I...” She shook her head. ”Nevermind...” She easily gave up not wanting to correct her teacher’s inference to what she had meant. Kaji0sensei continued the path into the forest. He began to move stealthier and seemed to indicate that they should be mimicking him. Ai frowned. Stealth? Well there was different kinds of being sneaking. She was learning all about striking from the unseen, but with her massive frame in a terrain that she barely knew she didn’t expect this to end very well. She crouched low as she could. Her knees were screaming at her as she moved at a snail’s pace.

Hira and Kaji-sensei were quickly leaving her behind. She heard a crash in the leaves ahead, and she quickly gave up all pretense of stealth rushing to the side of Hira and Kaji, finding Hira cleaning himself from the ground and the beasts bolting away from their location. Hira blubbered an apology. Ai just chuckled to herself and ran her hands through her hair as she repeated the same thing that she had earlier. ”haha yer a spaz Hira.” Hira moved on and asked a question about protecting the animals of the forest.

”Ah hope yer kiddin’.” she rubbed her eyes in disbelief. ”Cloud ninja don’t do that right, Kaji-sensei?” She looked to their teacher hoping to find somekind of support in his eyes. She looked back at Hira. ”I’d rather kick a thorn-bush barefoot than stop a starvin’ beast from his dinner, I’ll tell you what.” She hook her head and let her eyes fall to ground. ”Don’t that just beat all...” Ai looked back to their teacher hoping that he would fill her in. She wasn't from this area so maybe that was something that cloud ninja did, but she thought it was a stupid idea and had half a mind to learn the kage some good old fashioned farm wisddom.

 

[Okada Kaji]

It took nothing more than a bit of rustling from the branches and a few falling leaves to catch the attention of the mother deer. Here ears were already perked and sensing danger, yet it was Hirateuchi who triggered the deer and her calf’s sudden sprinting escape. Both deer vanished in the wild woods, gone in a whirlwind sprint of hopping actions. The boy simply had an interest in the wildlife, but let that interest get the better of him, though that wasn’t much of a problem. However, it was that little bit of interference that made the difference between the deer and her calf’s survival versus the Panther having a meal. Kaji waved off the notion of Hira making an error when the boy apologized: none of the three students performed on par with a full fledged shinobi, but it was still early in their training for them to be expected to perform without flaw. Ai deflected a bit of her own disappointment onto Hira, who took his misstep a bit personally. “Don’t even sweat it, kiddo” Kaji answered kindly, lifting the pressure both pupils were feeling. “The only way to master stealth is through practice with your motion and concealment. With enough practice, you will both master the craft; I’m sure.”

And then Kaji pointed, revealing the stalking panther which was also disappointed as it paced out from its hiding place, and went to sniff the spot where the deer were grazing before. With any luck, the hunting cat might’ve been able to follow the trail and try again somewhere that menacing humans wouldn’t interfere.

“The white reindeer are considered an endangered species, exclusive to this region” Kaji explained, looking between both Ai and Hira. “But their struggle to survive isn’t due to being hunted by panthers— that is solely nature at work, in a philosophy called survival of the fittest.” As he dispensed his wisdom, the sensei watched as the panther continued onward down the forest path. “The Panther deserves to live all the same. Our concern is mostly fellow humans with ill intent, and invasive creatures, which tend to come in extremes much worse than overgrown bugs.” Kaji’s mind trailed as he recalled his recent adventure, facing a horde of giant spiders commanded by a Banshee hidden within Momento Deo. “There will be occasions where threats will come from nature, as well… and when they do, you’ll know.”

Foreboding words aside, there was much to be told and taught to the trio of pupils who journeyed with Kaji that morning. And they’d continue to do so through to the afternoon, examining more wildlife, flora, and fauna within the wild woods of the Ancient Forest. Kaji saw a lot of promise within the students and hoped to share plenty of useful things that might serve them well in their careers as shinobi.


/// Class complete.
Hira and Ai have passed. Please post exits to fulfill requirements for class credit.
Kaede has not fulfilled requirements and will not receive class rewards for this class.
Topic Left. ///

 

[Shinrya Riko]

Ai didn’t have much to add about the survival of the fittest in the wild. All of these things had been apart of what she had come to expect of life. Thats just how things were in the country side. She glanced over at Hira with his lazy attitude. He of course was someone who had an attitude like her brothers had, but at the same time he seemed like he couldn’t understand the things that were natural outside of the walls. Kaji of course had seen them himself and had done his best to teach them in this journey through the woods. The class continued without Ai commenting much for fear of being wrong, but typically her experience seemed to be right on the mark for most of the things that the teacher had pointed out. Finally it was time for them to dismiss and she returned to the homeroom to clean up the unused class room, grab her books and leave for home for the day.

 

[Hirateuchi]

As the group continued on for a little while longer in the forest, listening to all the interesting information Kaji-sensei had to share, Hira couldn't help but think that this was exactly the kind of class he needed. The hardest part of the academy was sitting down in a classroom all day trying to find a reason to care enough to apply oneself. There was no connection to the outside world of any relevance, just old men's stories and warnings of the greed of humans. This class though, this exploration into the wilderness, into the hearts of men and beasts alike, gave new light to an otherwise foreign concept. It provided a true reason to get strong, and although it could be viewed as hardly significant to the shinobi world, it gave Hira a new perspective through which to filter other inspirations.

Reaching a conclusion to the class, everyone went their separate ways, leaving Hira alone near the edge of the forest wondering what he wanted to do with the rest of his day. Well, not like me to waste a perfectly good day doing things. Resting his back and head on a nearby tree, Hira gazed into the sky, closing his eyes and quickly falling into the soft embrace of his dreams with an errant thought of possibly staying awake during his next class.

[Class complete/left]