I want to be strong! [Tutor]

[Tatsuo]

A few mornings had passed since the last time Kaji and Tatsuo had trained. Tatsuo understood that Kaji wasn’t exactly happy with him, but they were both shinobi, perhaps if he proved he was motivated to become a strong ninja, Kaji would more receptive of accepting him as his student. Getting himself ready in his normal ninja gear, a dark gray shirt with a matching dark gray pants, he had a kunai loader on his right leg and bandages wrapped around the same leg. He went to tie on his headband as he looked himself in the mirror, checking to see if his hair looked good this morning. He had never spent time in such an exquisite place, but the Raikage truly was generous in his lodgings for his Leaf visitors. While all of the rooms were fitted with a wide variety of drinks, Tatsuo’s were mostly kid snacks which was perfectly fine to him. Taking out a small bag of pretzels he went to eat it before making his way outside of his room.

He tossed the empty back in a trashcan near the corner of the room. Making his way over to Kaji’s door the strong smell of alcohol nearly made him gag. Tatsuo wasn’t really used to the smell as neither of his parents drank too often and he himself never had. But it didn’t stop him from knocking on the door. If Kaji were to open it, Tatsuo would instantly begin his monologue. “Mr. Kaji, you should please continue to train me, I want to become a strong shinobi and I promise if you say you’ll train me i’ll behave and i’ll work hard, I won’t do anything bad i’ll change my underwear, i’ll be quiet when you’re talking, i’ll do anything you say without back talking, I won’t say anything like I did with that blue haired lady again. Just train me so I can be as strong as you!” Tatsuo then took a chance to catch his breath as he awaited Kaji’s response eagerly.

WC: 355

 

[Okada Kaji]

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<FONTFACE fontface="georgia">There was always time for a little upkeep. And after a few days living the luxury life at the rather upscale hotel in Kumogakure, Kaji was done nursing the light wounds he acquired in his previous fight, and was finished taking it easy. He was dressed in most of the standard Leaf shinobi attire today; the jersey and slacks— his boots were on the floor by the entrance, and his flak jacket was folded over the back of a chair.

When he heard the rabble at his chamber door Kaji was in the middle of tending to his equipment; patching up the clothing and armor he damaged in his fearsome contest against Kaen. Eelspine was laid across the table, shimmering softly in the bright morning light, along with an assortment of kunai and shuriken. There was a small bottle of pungent cleaning solution on the table, which created that odor of strong alcohol Tatsuo noticed. The room itself was kept in peak condition by the housekeeping staff.

Kaji was in much better sorts today, and made an eager approach to the door, not quite sure who came knocking. However, once he opened those double doors, he had to look down in order to spot Tatsuo, who instantly bombarded him with an apologetic spree of words. Kaji’s standard grimace curved upwards into a smile as he opened the doors wide, and motioned for Tatsuo to come in. “Relax kid,” he said comfortingly, “last I checked we were still square… I have just been nursing a few knicks the last couple days.”

Once the boy entered the suite, Kaji simply left his doors open and walked back to the table where he was cleaning his weapons before. “Have you had breakfast yet? Have a muffin, or a boiled egg or something.” He gestured a pointing finger to a generous offering of food fit for training he requested earlier. There was a platter full of food rich in energizing carbs, and muscle building proteins.

WC331​

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[Tatsuo]

When Kaji offered his grin, Tatsuo was instantly flushed with relief. He didn't think Kaji hated him, but he had been acting like a bit of a brat lately. To see that his favorite Sensei wasn't angry with him was a very relieving moment for the otherwise stressed boy. Being so far from home really was starting to affect him. He happily entered the room, after Kaji's request. He listened to him carefully as he explained the reasons he'd been quite absent as of late. It made sense, Kaji was doing a lot of work here. He wasn't stuck running around doing random missions like Tatsuo was, at the least, they kept him busy. Which for a boy as.. creative as Tatsuo that would prove useful for the sanity of all involved.

When offered food, Tatsuo rubbed the back of his neck gingerly, letting out a chuckle. In an attempt to be humble, "Oh, no it's fine, it's your food.. but if you really insist.. I could eat an egg or too.. I kinda skipped breakfest, I was too focused on getting trained, ya' know." he said before adding a quick interjecting "Sensei.. sorry, I just forgot." he said nodded before going to take a large boiled egg and biting half of it in one bite. In between bites he would say, "Ya' know, the one good thing about this trip is the food. Seems there's always lots of it and always cooked. Not like I didn't have any at home or anything, but these are like.. a Kages food or somethin', I expect some rich old man with jewelry hanging to his feet living in a room like this."

As he finished his egg he looked to Kaji and asked. "So what do you wanna do today? Maybe some ninjutsu training?" he said extending a palm then making a 'Pow!' noise. "Maybe some taijutsu?" he said as he threw out a few air punches and a following kick, nearly falling off balance but catching himself on the table. To which then he offered Kaji a goofy smile as a would be apology.

WC: 353
Total WC: 708
Post: 2/5

 

[Okada Kaji]

Now that Tatsuo had come, Kaji figured that he’d done enough upkeep for the day and began returning his inventory back to where it all belonged. As he returned items to his toolkit, he listened closely to the thoughts of his student, which appeared to have a similar, though a bit more youthful reaction to the opulence that was the Hidden Cloud’s Upper Class. By the time he was pairing the surroundings to their rightful owner, Kaji was about finished putting his toys away, and clasped Eelspine on his waist, indicating the intention to head out for the day. Almost sarcastically, he’d say “Welcome to the power of Capitalism,” regarding the disparity between the wealthy and the poor. He had seen many bottom feeding scoundrels and beggars while roaming the streets. The hotel was nice, yes, but if Kaji or the boy were locals, they’d have never seen this kind of lifestyle or service.

“I suppose I’m up for a little training session today, sure” he answered, accepting an invitation that was more-or-less forced onto him. “Well, there isn’t room for much practical training around here… the last thing we want to do is wreck anything in this place. I haven’t seen anything that isn’t either a hundred years old or worth a month’s pay.” Kaji then went to slide on his flak jacket, zipped it up about half way, and returned a special dagger to a holster mounted on one shoulder. “Don’t ask me how I know, but there’s an easy access point that’ll take us up to the roof. Maybe we can practice some close quarter combat up there since you’re so interested.” And as the final step of preparing for the day, Kaji slipped on his boots and strapped them up firmly. “Alrighty then, let’s be off. Won’t be long before I have something else to handle later today.”

Leading the way, the sensei of the duo went to the doorway, but rather than passing through there he closed the doors and looked them from within. Tatsuo was surely following, but before he could voice his confusion Kaji would explain, “we’re taking the balcony… the roof access point is locked.” He then walked back through the room again, and opened the double doors, only to be blasted by a cool morning breeze. The entirety of the hidden cloud met Kaji at those doors; a scenic expanse as glorious as it was vast.

WC403​

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[Tatsuo]

Tatsuo was ecstatic when Kaji finally offered to train him. Normally he had been carefree in nearly everything, letting the wind take him where it'd go but for now at least, he had some ambition. He couldn't tell you why if you asked him, but he really felt a newfound desire to become a stronger shinobi. And fewer were more powerful than Kaji, to Tatsuo. The moment Kaji mentioned a changing of scenery, Tatsuo nodded and smiled happily the energy flowing through him even stronger now. Kaji was right, though, everything here was expensive enough to buy Kaji and him a thousand times over. "Ya' you're right, wouldn't want to break anything, sensei." he'd say trying his hardest to at least seem respectful. "Lead the way!" he would say swiftly following behind Kaji as he went, when they were found with locked doors, he was more than happy to jump out of the window. Jumping out of windows seemed like the real shinobi stuff he should be learning.

Even Tatsuo was able to appreciate the unlikely beauty they were provided with this sceneic view. Tatsuo hesitated merely for a moment, not from fear but from wonder. He felt as if the Cloud Village was never ending which was a trait Konoha shared. While Konoha may have shared similar sights they were not foreign to Tatsuo. He had never been one to fear a quick climb and the roof tops of Konoha were all but memorized. After a few moments of silence, Tatsuo broke it with an audible gasp. "Whoa.. it just goes on forever and ever." He took a final moment to take it all in, before looking back to Kaji. "Do you want to keep going?" he said, turning to face the wall and finding a nearby ledge as a hand grip. "I'll race you to the top!" he would say before stopping himself short. "I mean, if you want to race to the top, sensei." he would say awaiting his response, eager to get on with their training.

WC: 340
Total WC: 1048
Posts: 3/5

 

[Okada Kaji]

The balcony was only on the second floor of the building, but the high-rise design of the village made the balcony edge resemble the last stop before an endless plummet. A gust of highland wind shot past Kaji, whisking his hair into the wind as he scanned upwards, visualizing their path to the rooftop. The design of the hotel was complex, with plenty of windows and more balconies on higher levels. Scaling buildings was simply a core requirement for shinobi, and while some did the task better than others, a skilled shinobi had to have the ability within their repertoire.

Though, fortunately for both Kaji and Tatsuo, Kaji knew that the boy was already a natural climber. “Try not to look down so much,” he said above echo of an unending high-wind. “It’s just like climbing at the academy if you forget the altitude. Just follow my lead and focus on surfaces you can grasp.”

With a sudden burst of agility, Kaji began scaling the hotel’s side, bounding from window sills to mere gaps in the stone, onward and upward. While Kaji did utilize his chakra for the climb, his style of moment relied more on timely athletic actions, and the physics of his body in motion. With a final burst of speed, Kaji flipped himself over the roof’s edge and planted his feet firmly on solid ground. Kaji could be heard offering a refreshed laugh, elated as he began stretching from the neck down. There was a certain lightness to him today, a sensation that was new to Kaji since they had come to the Hidden Cloud. There was no scowling to be found, and the symptoms of his perpetual grumpiness were much harder to find. He turned to watch as Tatsuo followed, and was eager to offer him training. “Alright kid, get ready for some C.Q.C… Close quarters combat!”

WC318​

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[Tatsuo]

Kaji's happiness was certainty rubbing off on Tatsuo he seemed even happier than usual. He felt very satisfied that his good behvior was being well received by Kaji. When Kaji mentioned the fact that they were going to do close quarter combat, he nodded getting into a stance with his knees slightly bent, his arms guarding in front of him and his feet separated at a shoulder's length. However something didn't feel right. "I mean.. not to insult you, Kaji Sensei but unarmed isn't really as good as kenjutsu.." he said loosening his stance. "I mean if you think unarmed is better than kenjutsu then fine i'll do it, but I wanna be strong like you sensei." he said rubbing the back of his neck as he looked around for anything that might have sufficed as a practice sword. When he found nothing of the sort he turned back to Kaji expecting a response, whether they would continue with the unarmed training or go into his specialty, Kenjutsu.

Tatsuo had seen Kaji's potential with a sword and honestly, it seemed appealing to him. While it may not fit this particular skill set perfectly, the intentions of this student was to become stronger and Kaji was the strongest ninja he knew. And Kaji's particular skillset lied in his swordsmanship, something Tatsuo wished to inherit.

WC: 223
Total WC: 1271
Post: 4/5

 

[Okada Kaji]

There was only about a second dividing the master and apprentice as they both had arrived on the rooftop with ease. From here, they were surrounded by a high-rising world where the rest of the scenic village peeking up from the roof’s edges on each side, like skyscrapers in a true metropolis. The roof itself was mostly flat and boring, save for some wire poles that ran across it, light construction materials under blue tarps, and a few drums with random contents. There was an access hatch that led back inside, but it was locked, just like Kaji said it would be.

Once Tatsuo recovered from their parkour excursion, he jumped to the chase and seemed a bit unimpressed with the idea of learning hand to hand combat. Kaji replied a slight laugh, and pressed the knuckle of an index finger below his lip, feigning contemplation. “Actually, close quarters combat can mean a lot of things; though hand to hand striking and grappling will play a major role in most CQC scenario.” As he explained, he began unfastening Eelspine from his waist, still sheathed. “There will be moments where you’ll need to protect someone, or preserve the environment around you, and attacking with ninjutsu will be more of a hindrance than a help. Genjutsu is typically a risky gamble, making taijutsu your best bet for countering an opponent at close range.” It then seemed as if the student’s wishes and more would be answered as Kaji approached Tatsuo with Eelspine held between both hands. “Every shinobi should understand essential hand to hand combat because your body is the only weapon you are promised to have at your disposal at all times. However,” Kaji paused as he raised the mithril crafted blade for his apprentice to take, “wiser shinobi know to place a better weapon between themselves and the opponent, for the sake of self-defense and pragmatism.”

Once the boy took the sword by hand, he’d have a firm sense of the weight behind it. It only weighed a few pounds, just enough to put a strong swing behind each strike, and designed sturdily to parry blows without bending or outright breaking. And upon further inspection, there was something else, a presence emanating from within the blessed bladed as if it had a life force of its own. “Here, take hold of Eelspine. Examine the size, weight, and design of the blade… You can try a few swings with it, just be carefully…” Kaji seemed a bit nervous during his last instruction. “Once you think you have a good idea of the design, let’s see if you can try using mokuton to craft two wooden swords. One for you, and another for me.”

WC459​

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[Tatsuo]

Tatsuo nodded along as Kaji began to explain the uses of Taijutsu. While Tatsuo had a natural knack for Ninjutsu stemming from his rare bloodline, he was not the most fluid man his movements were rough and he usually resorted in brute force and willpower to get through. A little bit of mastery would do him some good and few in the Leaf were as careful and skilled as Kaji. Tatsuo had little interest in Genjutsu himself, other than getting out of it of course. When he was offered to hold Eelspine he grabbed it, taking note of all of the things Kaji mentioned before. He would give it a few light slashes to really understand the weight distribution of the sword. After weight it to what he thought was enough to understand he would go to hand the sword back to Kaji. He then began to focus the chakra in his arms before making a few handseals. After a moment of gathering his chakra, two wooden swords began to grow out of his palms, the shape Eelspine had was too complex for Tatsuo to simulate on his first try because of this, the swords were two simple Katanas with very slight curves. Tatsuo rubbed he back of his neck, offering another smile in apology. "Sorry, Sensei, that's a pretty tough sword to replicate i'd say." he would say as the swords finally came from his palms he would grip both by the handles offering one to Kaji. "I can try again, but are these fine?"

WC: 256
Total WC: 1527
Post: 5/5

Resuming next week
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[Okada Kaji]

As intended, Tatsuo began a bit of practice in gaining an understanding of a sword’s design, strongest points, and weaknesses. Kaji resembled a nervous father as he watched his pupil attempt a few wild hacks across the air, but his anxiety was towards the sword more-so than the boy. The bond between Kaji and Eelspine was nothing of small measure, and the sword was more than an ordinary weapon when wielded in his hands. Simply holding it for the first time, Tatsuo was not attuned to the weapon, which was essential to drawing the innate power from within it. Such a task took days, if not weeks of serious practice and meditation with the blade. Once Tatsuo had a firm understanding of Eelspine’s qualities, he handed the sword back to Kaji, and from there the sensei clasped his weapon of choice back onto his belt loop.

And then, following Kaji’s second instruction, Tatsuo made his best attempt at forging two wooden swords, not perfect, but more than substantial for their training exercise. Kaji provided an approving nod and said “Eelspine was smithed by a master craftsman in the fires of Arcadia… I’d be incredibly impressed if you were capable of duplicating the weapon so soon. No, I just wanted you to comprehend the weapon so you could create practice swords that suit our needs.” The second exchange came then, and the pair was set to begin Tatsuo’s kenjutsu training.

To be continued.

/ WC242
Total WC1753
Resuming next week.
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