Lock Picking The Gates [Private w/ Bugendai + Ting Pao]

[Yamanaka Utano]

[Continued from "A Simple Request"]

It had been three weeks since Haji had approached Ketsu with his request, and he had barely been able to sleep since. He wasn’t sure if it was the excitement, guilt, or the sheer terror of disintegrating into the void, or possibly a combination of all three, but he had gotten rarely a wink. He had been eating like Ketsu had suggested, in order to build up some stores of fat other than the lean muscle that Haji was accustomed to.
He had done his best in the short time he had allotted for himself, eating five meals a day and cutting back on his cardio during his training and focusing more on lifting and his martial techniques. He had also spent an excessive amount of his sleepless time focusing on his chakra network, getting a feel for it more than he normally did, beginning to feel around with his body in order to prepare for the real test that was today.

Haji sat cross legged and irritated on the hill he had chosen as the meeting place for him and his friends. Ketsu had been sending notes and musings on the book to him throughout the past three weeks, but had said little else to him, which made Haji even more infuriated and impatient, especially in his sleep deprived state. When Haji had shown up to the hospital to see his friend he was body blocked by the weird overly sexual nurse and Haji decided that trying to push past her groping hands and clothing-piercing stare wasn’t worth the trouble. Haji was into crazy girls, but he wasn’t into that kind of sadistic insanity of a woman. He did manage to get a note through to him about the meeting time and place to which Ketsu had replied “ok” on a scrap of paper.

Haji punched a lot of stuff that day during his training.

Haji had gotten to the site of their meeting two hours early but it was now around the time that his friends were meant to show up. This time around Haji and Ketsu had decided to include their other very close friend Ting Pao into the mix. Haji trusted Ting Pao with his life, similarly to Ketsu, but they also tended to get into trouble when the third party of their trio was missing.
A lot of trouble.

Haji grinned at the thought of Ting Pao and him getting thrown out of a bathhouse for peeping which Ting Pao had led him into, only it turned out to be a men’s bathhouse. Last time Haji let his blind friend lead on that stuff, although he was positive that Ting had done it on purpose to tease him.

“Blind motherfucker can see more than he lets on” Haji chuckled, giving himself a moments reprieve from his grumpy impatience.

But they weren’t just bringing Ting Pao because he was their friend, they were also bringing him because he was tough as hell and they needed someone to be able to take on Haji after he had opened the gates, and possibly stop him if it got out of control. Not that Ketsu couldn’t do that himself, but if for some reason Ketsu were to be hurt, who would take care of both of them?

Haji jumped up as he saw two figures headed toward him in the distance. It was nearly time to begin, and he was aching to kick down those gates and run headlong through.

[Wc 577]
[MFT]

 

[Matsuno Hama]

Approaching beside or at least somewhat near Ketsu, the flamboyantly colored Ting Pao seemed focused on tuning what appeared to be a new instrument. Smaller than a shamisen, though designed with a peculiarly similar style, he was busy twisting little nobs near the top and flicking a few chords, tuning it by ear while paying no attention to the ground before him. Of course, being what he was, it wasn't really an issue for him, what with his eyes as usual bandaged up and sealed, though today he had no sunglasses layered atop that as if he could tell that they wouldn't be needed with such an overcast sky. As if to raise a middle finger to that sky, or at least to the eyes of others who could see that sky, the colors he wore were bright; light green accented with a solid yellow. From afar he looked something like a crayon, at first, the yellow becoming more visible the closer he got. True to form, the clothes he wore were designed with images, and as they came into view it became apparent that the bright green coloration was held by granny smith apples interspersed with yellow bananas as if, to create these clothes someone had simply dumped a basket of the assorted fruit and then sealed it away into cloth. The wicker farming hat he wore could.. actually.. be the upturned basket if one thought that way. Did it help that thought that every so often he took a bite from an aforementioned granny smith in between tunings?

Probably not.

"Haji! Buddy!" He called out when he was about ten to fifteen yards away, and slowed his pace a little as he tossed the eaten core of the apple. "Hey, man. I wrote a song for today, to commemorate what will hopefully be a successful meeting of the Ting Pao Pow Pals!" His grin widened as he rolled his shoulders, tossing back the long ponytail of his hair and clearing his throat. He took a few moments to strum through ascending and descending notes to test the veracity of his tuning before clearing his throat again. His expression was serious, the set of his shoulders straight and his back upright and firm despite the fact that he was still walking foward.

At least, that's what they were before he started to sing.

His expression broke, the serious giving way to yet another, wider grin that, to be fair most likely increased the awkwardness of the pitch of his voice and lent a certain air of insanity to his expression when everything was taken in at once. Most would probably worry about what they looked like during something like this, but not he. The benefits of being blind; you can't hear your own reflection and you never learn what ugly is.

 

[Santaru Arisu]

It had been a very busy three weeks for Ketsu…or at least it went by quickly. He felt as if the last week or just slipped past him, so much so that he went to a Genjutsu specialist just to make sure he was not going crazy or under the effects. He was carrying a back pack and two duffel bags all were filled with things that he would most likely need for the events that today would entail. Ketsu thought that he did not have nearly enough of what he needed for proper testing but coming out here was where Haji had wanted it to happen so here is where it would happen.

On his way out of the village he met up with Ting, whom he had requested to come on the ground that Ketsu getting knocked out would lead to a very dangerous situation. That and there was some sick sense of enjoyment watching Ting take a few blows.

Speaking of someone who needed a few blows. Ting had been messing around with his musical instrument which, when the time suited him, he could play music better than any man, and even some deities. Of course this time was rare and far between. In actuality it often meant he found a new avenue of music and testing it out to see where it goes. In this case it was him getting ready to play something that would make their ears bleed.

Ketsu was pulled out of thoughts and attempted ignoring when Ting found Haji…which once again as a blind man really made them wonder how much he really did see. It was at this point that he wanted to sing to Haji and it was this moment that Ketsu began to set up some equipment and pull out his notes. He figured if he kept busy he could make it through the song…oh how he had been wrong.

His mind felt instant annoyance at hearing the pitch…he mentioned insanity and Ketsukei was already starting to feel it. As the song went on Ketsu scratched at his hands and picked a bit at his nails. This song was verbal cancer. Every time he thought the song was over it would pick back up again.

As he finished setting up, the music stopped and there was a small silence. “That is one for your record books Ting Pao, it almost stirred me to action.” The action of punching him in the face.

Shifting himself and rubbing his head to get rid of the all new headache he so desperately needed right now he said, “Haji you ready to attempt to break the first gate?” Of course he was but he wanted to see where he stood at this point in his training and ability. Ketsu was unsure if he had done what he asked so now was the time to figure out where everything was and if it was possible. “Ting if you would be so kind as to be the best punching bag possible without actually getting injured I would appreciate it.”

There might have been a little venom in that last remark. Just maybe…

 

[Yamanaka Utano]

Ting Pao Pals? Haji grimaced. Both of his friends had arrived and of course in Ting Pao spectacular fashion. Ting began singing while Ketsu stood in visible pain. Felt like old times!
“Marvelous!” Haji clapped with all six of his hands and laughed. He shot Ketsu a sideways glance and mimed hanging himself.

"Alright, well, I’m glad you guys are here. I know it is a bit rural, and it would probably be helpful if we were nearer to the village in case something catastrophic happens, but I don’t exactly want to broadcast what we’re doing here” Haji squatted and sat on his heels. “I’m still gonna register with the village, I’m not tryin’ to get myself killed or nothin’” Haji waved a hand “at least not by the village” he cracked a smile.

Standing up, Haji moved over to Ketsu and took his hand. “This might get ugly buddy, hopefully I won’t pop like a balloon” Haji gave his friend a kind smile “and how bout that wonder gate eh? Can’t wait to open that gate am I right?”

“Alright!” Haji rubbed his hands together and walked over to his original spot atop the hill, leaving his friends slightly down the hill and away from him. "I’m gonna say stay about fifteen feet from you. The book said that if things go wrong I can really hurt people close by me” Haji said with a slight shaking in his voice. He couldn’t tell if he was scared or excited, it was all the same to him at this point.

He could feel his chakra burning inside, waiting to break the threshold that his body created to protect itself. He whistled low “What are you doing Haji?” he said under his breath while shaking his hands out. He spread his legs in a wide stance, touching each of his hands together knuckle to knuckle.

Haji began to focus himself, his attunement with his chakra system was actually quite potent because of his Hachiashi blood, he had become well versed in manipulating his chakra with his own stores of mucus. But this was much different. It turns out Ketsu’s metaphor of Dams for the chakra gates was apt, in terms of his chakra he would have to build it up within his body to a point where it became strong enough to force open the gate.

“Ok… Be gentle… This is your first time” Haji murmured. Breaking each gate open initially was the hardest part, it would grow easier to open the gates once he had opened them initially. One gate at a time however. Haji could feel his chakra building, but he was doing it very carefully. The first gate, the gate of opening, is located behind the left eye. Chakra builds and flows out from the stomach, so in order for Haji to properly open the first gate, he had to make sure that he didn’t build his chakra up to much in his stomach o the point where he skips straight to the sixth gate of view. While that may have been the first gate to be discovered since its location is so close to the manifestation of a shinobi’s chakra, it is far from safe to open that one first. Haji had read that if he accidently gathered too much chakra in his stomach he would open the gate of view and he would end up losing his control on his chakra and end up blowing himself apart from the sudden release. Like too much hot air into a balloon.

Haji was slowly moving up the chakra to build up just under his chin, but still above the life gate. “Wow” Haji sputtered “I can feel the chakra building up, god it’s like holding my breath for too long” Haji managed to choke out. His face was beginning to turn red.

He began letting out a low rumble from his chest, and veins popped out of his arms and his head. The chakra felt like a great ball of hot lead in his chest. Haji had gotten to just this point before on his own, and then releasing the chakra slowly in order not to crash through the gate. But this time he kept building further and further. It felt like his eyes might pop out of his head, but there was no turning back now, Haji was going to release all of his chakra and the only way he was going to come out of this was through channeling it with enough precision to break down the gate and sustain it.

Haji hadn’t realized he was yelling until it broke over the loud humming he felt in his ears, his whole body felt hot, like he could melt ice from ten feet away with his body heat alone. The air around him began to shimmer with heat and he couldn’t hold onto the chakra any longer.

oh god this is where my head explodes

Haji released the buildup of chakra like a tidal wave against the dam that was the initial gate. At first it felt as though it wasn’t going to be enough, but then the rush of built up chakra surged through the initial gate and he yelled out as he felt it give away.

He felt like his heart was going to explode out of his body, the amount of chakra flowing through the gate was incredible. When he was finally able to stop yelling he held a hand up to his left eye.

“You guys… Have no idea how much this hurts…” Haji removed his hand from his eye “But holy shit does it feel good too” He threw a few jabs in front of him at a speed that didn’t seem real to him. Everything around him seemed to move in slow motion, like the air had been transformed into syrup.

“Alright Ting” He said his chest heaving as he kept trying to get larger and larger gulps of air.

“I’m gonna come at you… I hope you’re ready!” Haji felt all of his muscles tighten, just before launching like a rocket down the hill as a blur.

[MFT]
[WC 1026]

 

[Matsuno Hama]

While he was grinning the entire time he played, his grin only widened when he caught the miming motion. When you were so soundly aware of such a wide area at once, pun intended, sleight of hand was somewhat difficult, though to be fair it was easier to get away with things when Ting wasn't playing on an instrument to assist with his vision.

"Nah, man, the show's gonna be just fine." Was he referring to the comment about broadcasting? Or the idea that Haji might kill himself? Did Ting know that Haji could blow himself up? Was this easy going chill-and-let-chill because the Pao abides nin cracking something of a sardonic joke? Nah, I mean. Probably, dressed the way he was, was something of a sardonic joke itself.

As Haji lapsed into silence, Pao assumed it was because he was doing some of that freaky-deaky-Hachimonster-mayhem-machining, and not without mercy he began to hum one of the soothing melodies of his clan, to help ease the strain on Haji's body by both healing and assisting in his chakra's generation. Hopefully this would release the strain of the buildup, so as to prevent him from bringing on the expected, unexpected end. He looked at Ketsu knowingly, then waggled his eyebrows and grinned as he heard a change in Haji's stance.

“I’m gonna come at you… I hope you’re ready!”

With a grin, he stepped a bit away from Ketsu and swapped the grip he had on his instrument, holding it by the neck and dropping himself into the position of a batter on base, though as Haji charged he didn't have enough time to be fancy and point, as if signalling a home run. It's the thought that counts, right?

 

[Yamanaka Utano]

((This topic has been closed due to inactivity and shall be resolved in a separate topic))