Practice Makes Perfect [Open RP]

[Kogami Ayumu]

"Okay... so just like I showed you. You want to make sure when it leaves your hand it's got that forward momentum and doesn't veer off to the side or you'll miss," Ayumu explained as he crouched next to his son Susumu. He was beginning to teach Susumu, who was very eager, how do properly throw a kunai. He slowly mimed the arm motion of throwing the knife one last time to show Susumu who watched with wide eyed fascination and then with a quick flick he tossed the kunai nailing the center of the target set up on the nearby tree. Of course, from this distance any properly trained shinobi could hit the target with their eyes closed, but Susumu naturally needed to start small while he learned the technique.

"Wow! Awesome, dad!" Susumu shouted having turned his gaze to the target. He ran up to it and removed the kunai, marveling at the precision of the mark in the target. Ayumu chuckled sheepishly. Even though he knew it was no great feat, it felt good when your child thought you were cool. This was the fleeting phase of Susumu's life when he was easily impressed by his dad. Ayumu would enjoy it while it lasted.

"Just like that, okay? It'll take a while before you get there, but you will. Don't get discouraged, just keep practicing. Practice makes perfect," Ayumu said as Susumu returned to his father's side. Ayumu clapped him on the shoulder reassuringly with a grin. Susumu beamed back at him and nodded enthusiastically.

"Okay! I'll get it no no time! Watch!" Susumu said, rearing back his arm over his head in a way completely contrary to the way Ayumu had taught him. Before Ayumu could correct him he threw the kunai. His arm had dropped too far down so the kunai went a few feet and then collided with the ground. After staring for a moment, Susumu let out his own sheepish awkward chuckle as he scratched his cheek and looked to his dad.

"So you see, the technique is important kiddo. Listen to your dad," Ayumu said with a half grin, ruffling Susumu's hair. Susumu nodded quietly and went to retrieve his kunai. Meanwhile, Ayumu stood up and stretched his arms above his head. While he was teaching Susumu, that was not the only reason he had taken time from his busy schedule as Raikage to come to the forest today. He had some training of his own to get in. He watched Susumu practicing the proper arm technique for a few moments and then started to walk a short distance away.

"I'll be right over here. Call if you need me," Ayumu said, waiting for an affirmative response before stepping into an adjacent clear. Ayumu was dressed in less formal attire than usual today having left his uniform at the Torre Celeste. He wore a black tank top shirt and shorts. While the weather outside could not be considered warm by any standards, Ayumu was a Kumogakure native and naturally quite used to the cold. This weather was nothing to him and beside that he would be working up a sweat in no time. Though his uniform was missing, the two swords he always carried were still at his hip in sheathes attached to his belt. Ayumu drew one of them and looked it over for a moment.

He took a few swings with the sword just to limber up a bit and then stopped. Today was not about training in swordplay... Ayumu didn't need that. For most of his life he had focused almost entirely on Taijutsu. He excelled at it enough that it wasn't really necessary that he delve into other areas of combat too extensively. As the Raikage, however, he felt a need to broaden his horizons and his arsenal. It wasn't as though he was bad at Ninjutsu, it had just never been his focus. He had been learning many techniques lately. Today he was practicing with his most recent field of Ninjutsu... a more advanced group of techniques than others he had already mastered.

After a moment of mental preparation, he brought the sword low at his side and then swung it upwards, releasing it from his hand and tossing it several feet over his head. With his hands free, he sped through the handseals for his technique as the sword reached its apex and began to drop back towards him. After completing the handseals he reached his hand up towards the sword. This wasn't strictly necessary, but it helped him visualize the control he needed. A few feet above his head the sword suddenly stopped in mid air, hovering. Ayumu smiled with a mild feeling of self-satisfaction. He brought his hand down and with it the sword moved down and settled itself a couple of feet in front of him.

Nearby, he heard the sound of a kunai connecting with wood. Not a target, mind you, but it sounded as though it had at least hit the tree the target was affixed to. Susumu was getting there. Ayumu's smile widened a bit as he allowed himself to feel some pride. He began to move his hand around in front of himself, prompting the sword to follow the motions. He turned his hand to the side and the sword also turned. With a quick swipe of his hand the sword slashed through the air with impressive force. "Hmm, not bad... not bad at all," Ayumu commented, nodding his head. Perhaps there was more to this Ninjutsu thing than he thought. He began testing the technique further with a few follow up slashes as he increased the distance between himself and the blade more and more to test its range.

[MFT 961]

 

[Ginyama Senshiro]

Tears began trickling down another boy's face as he watched on from the safety of the forest canopy. To any other shinobi, the scene between the older shinobi and his son would have brought back joyous memories of their own youth, causing them to smile warmly, perhaps even verbally admire the two bonding over something so simple.

But Hinote didn't feel that same happiness: instead, he felt a bitter jealously tugging at the void left by his father's untimely death.

He never had someone to teach him how to throw a kunai.

He never had someone to ruffle his hair and reassure him when he failed.

He never had someone he could call 'dad'.

Hinote, closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath: he remembered the incident with the multi-armed boy and his friends. Envy would do him no good here, or anywhere else for that matter. Opening his eyes, he saw the two had separated for now, with the more experienced of the father-son duo wielding a sword without the use of his hands.

"Wow . . . " he whispered, still not used to the fact that any shinobi worth their salt would have seen and heard him by now. As he leaned out to get a closer look, his wooden legs got caught in a tangle of branches.

"Shit!" he thought to himself as he tugged himself in vain, rustling his hiding spot. "I'm going to get caught!"

With one last pull he freed himself from the clutch of the branches. But the commotion he was making caused his perch to weaken, and as the tendons of the wood began to snap and bend, the boy found himself hurtling towards the forest floor.

"Dammit!" he cursed out loud as he landed on his back, his legs detached from his knees down. As he rolled about in an attempt to sit up straight, he realized that not only was he out in the open, but he had just swore in the presence of a Kumogakure youth.

"Um . . . you didn't hear that, did you?"

[MFT: 344]

 

[Shinrya Riko]

Komora was 12 years old. She hadn’t been to the academy or any of its classes in a long time.
She was wild. Twigs stuck out of her long uncut hair, and the color of rust dyed part of her blonde hair. She was beginning to grow into a young woman with a budding bosom and prepubescent curves. She was dressed in the skins of wild beasts that hung like loose oversized bags off of her body. Her feet were bare as were her hands.


Today she was alone. The Pride of cats that had come to follow her around the forest had found something else to attract their interest. She had wondered around the forest in search of something to eat. There was a bush. Vibrant green leaves. She began to dig into the dirt and pulled up a piece of the root which she began to chew on. Then suddenly! SNAP! Komora’s body tensed. Every muscle in her body was ready for a fight as she searched her surroundings with her senses. Everything she knew about the forest told her that the animals were all hiding from her. Whatever had made that sound was nearby, but it was not here.


She wandered around a little bit before she caught the tracks of people. Two people. Students probably. Komora didn’t know what it was with Students getting lost in this place, but she had learned that people that small didn’t survive well in the woods. It was bad for the habitat of children wandered around. It would mess up the fine balance that was here.


She peaked out into the part of the woods that Sususmu had been practicing. There was another young boy whom had fallen on his back and whose legs had fallen off. Komora was extremely curious about this, as his legs didn’t seem like regular legs to her. She deemed them both young enough for the academy, and thus not really a threat to her. She wandered out into the open and picked up the detached leg part and began to examine it.

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

The training had only just begun for Ayumu when he heard the curse and the solid thud of a body hitting the ground nearby. For a moment he wondered if he was going to have to scold Susumu for cursing but he quickly realized that the voice hadn't belonged to Susumu. Slightly concerned, Ayumu passed back through the few trees separating the clearing he was in from where Susumu was practicing, the sword following him in midair a few feet behind him. Meanwhile, Susumu had stopped mid toss of a kunai to look at the boy who had fallen from a tree. He had certainly heard the cursing, how could he not have?

"Um, no..." Susumu lied, partially concerned that he would get in trouble just for hearing the bad word. A moment later Ayumu appeared next to Susumu's side. He looked first at Susumu to ensure he was okay, then at the target where he observed a few kunai strewn on the ground and a couple in the tree itself though none yet in the target. Finally his eyes came to rest upon Hinote, the boy who was on the ground and currently legless. Ayumu raised an eyebrow at the uncommon sight before him. His eyes drifted over to the boy's wooden legs which had come detached.

"Are you alright?" Ayumu asked as he allowed himself to relax now that he realized there was no threat. A movement in the brush nearby put him on guard again for a moment until Komora stepped into the clearing. Ayumu was surprised to see her, but he relaxed once more. Now he observed her appearance, she looked as though she had been out in the forest for a while. A very long time, in fact.

"Komora?" Ayumu asked, surprised to see her here. He had met her during her field trip to the Torre Celeste back when he was still the Sennin. It had been a while since then but he recognized her still despite how ragged her appearance had become. He watched as she walked over to the boy's legs and picked one of them up.

"Komora! Put that down, it doesn't belong to you!" Ayumu called to her. He knew better than to think she would listen that easily, however. Susumu, being young and somewhat shy around others had taken up residence hiding behind his father and peeking out at the two older children. In all truth he wanted to look at the legs too, but he had some awareness that it would be rude so he abstained.

"What are you two doing in the forest?" Ayumu asked.

 

[Ginyama Senshiro]

"Yeah . . . I'm alright, sir," Hinote reassured Ayumu as he scratched the back of his head and chuckled. "Just need to put my legs back on . . . now where did they . . . "

As his gaze wandered and his voice trailed off, he witnessed the feral Komora examining one of his prosthetics. He contemplated demanding it back from her was worth incurring her potential wrath: after all the girl seemed to have bested beasts he himself would not challenge.

But when the eldest of the four insisted that the lone female put the leg down, the boy's attention returned to why he had been in the forest in the first place.

"I'm still getting used to my legs," he admitted as he pointed to where he had fallen from--a good ten feet or more above the ground. "You and your son came along not long after I had climbed up there. I didn't want to disrupt you, so I tried to stay hidden, but I fell trying to get a better view of your technique, sir."

He tilted his head to look at the youngest one hiding behind his father. Somehow, that same bitterness from before lingered, forcing Hinote to close his eyes and sigh.

"Funny, isn't it? Seems the three of us are here practicing to better ourselves."

 

[Shinrya Riko]

Komora busied herself with the leg while Ayumu and Susumu were distracted with the other young man who was present. She was busy sniffing it when Ayumu suddenly addressed her. ”Komora?” The surprise was plain on his face, although to Komora that was something she could not understand. She turned to look at the man who had addressed her. ”Kogami-sama” She answered in a flat tone. A flash of recognition seemed to cross Ayumu’s eyes as his vision weighed heavily on the object in her hands. ”Komora!” He called ”Put that down, it doesn’t belong to you!” The Kage declared.


Komora’s face was one of indifference. She looked at the leg held in her hands before looking back up at Ayumu again. His facial expression was like a slippery hill for her. It was simply something she would never be able to grasped as her eyes seemed to slide off of her face no matter how hard she tried to look at him. His tone was completely lost on her, but the meaning of his words were not. She opened both hands and the leg fell to the ground without a protect from the feral girl. Perhaps in another time she would have made a fuss, but her obedience was a result of Chou’s training and Yuii explaining how the Kage’s orders are supposed to be followed.


”What are you two doing in the forest?” Ayumu declared. Komora gazed at Hinote as he explained his reasoning for being in the forest. She didn’t really care what he had to say as his words held no meaning to her. She squinted her eyes at him as though she were trying to look at something that was far away. She looked back to Ayumu. ”This is Komora’s house.” She explained. She decided that there was nothing more interesting here and that she was still quite hungry. Without any further explanation she leapt up into the canopy and leapt from branch to branch, leaving the scene.


[exit]

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Ayumu was surprised to find that Komora actually listened to him for once. She dropped the leg, albeit very unceremoniously, to the forest floor upon request. Ayumu blinked a few times staring in disbelief that he had actually managed to communicate with her successfully. Hinote was quick to answer Ayumu's question as to the kids' purpose in the forest. He explained that he was getting used to his legs, apparently meaning that this was something that had occurred recently. When he was younger, a revelation like this might have shocked Ayumu but the shinobi world was full of "uncommon" things like this. It wasn't the first time Ayumu had seen somebody with prosthetic limbs... though perhaps Hinote was the youngest he had seen.

He continued on to explain that he had been hiding as to not interrupt Ayumu and Susumu when he lost his footing (literally) and fell from the tree. Ayumu nodded as he came to understand what had happened. Komora had been silent and disinterested while Hinote had spoke, but she now took the moment to answer Ayumu herself and threw Ayumu for another loop. 'Her home?' Ayumu thought, taken aback as she quickly climbed back into the canopy and disappeared. Susumu, who had been quiet until now, tugged at Ayumu's shirt looking up at him.

"Does that mean she lives here, dad?" Susumu questioned. Ayumu looked down, not really sure of the answer to that question himself. If that were the case it would explain her disheveled appearance. There was no reason that she would be forced to live in the forest, however. He didn't know much about the girl, but if she was an orphan there was a dormitory for students like her where she could easily be living.

"I don't know, but I intend to find out," Ayumu replied after thinking for a moment. He gave Susumu a pat on the head and then began to walk over to where Komora had been a moment ago. Susumu was stranded without someone to hide behind for the moment so he stood awkwardly as he looked around. Meanwhile, Ayumu knelt down to pick up the wooden leg that Komora had so carelessly dropped on the ground. Once Susumu realized what his father was doing he looked around and located the other leg which he ran over to pick up. Ayumu brought one and offered it to Hinote quietly. Shortly after that, Susumu brought the other, holding it out to Hinote while beaming a smile. "Here you go!"

Ayumu sighed, scratching his head as he looked up at the canopy where Komora had disappeared. He thought about how much it would explain if he assumed that all of his interactions with her thus far were as a result of the fact that she was raised by wolves in the forest. However, he was fairly certain when he had first met her she hadn't looked like that and had mentioned someone that was taking care of her. Ayumu turned his attention to Hinote, who was also a student if his apparent age was any indication.

"Do you know that girl? Komora? Have you seen here out here before?" Ayumu asked curiously. Listening to the response, he took the sheath from his belt and held it up, summoning the sword to levitate over and then sheath itself before slipping the sheath back into his belt.

 

[Ginyama Senshiro]

"Her home!?" Hinote repeated silently, stunned by the possibility that someone as young as Komora could find the forest itself hospitable. His gaze lingered in the direction she left, his mouth agape with awe until a good moment after Ayumu and Susumu retrieved his legs and returned them to him.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he apologized before returning to reality and accepting his appendages back with a nod. "Thank you."

After he assembled himself back together and stood up on his wooden feet, the man asked him if he knew more about the girl they had just seen.

"I'm afraid I don't recall seeing her at the academy or elsewhere until now, sir," he admitted while dusting himself off. "I'm just as surprised as you are that she could be telling the truth about living here. I mean . . . my father used to meditate out here during the colder months to strengthen his physical and mental fortitude, but to actually call this place home . . . I don't quite understand how one can do that."

Hinote stood still for a few seconds pensive thought, before shaking his head.

"No, I don't have the slightest clue," he admitted before bowing towards to both the father and the son. "Anyhow, I apologize for the intrusion, sir. I best be on my way then."

And with that, he began walking at a casual pace towards civilization, slow enough for either of the father-son duo to catch up to should they wish, provided they didn't delay for too long.

[Topic Left Unless Stopped]

[MFT: 251]

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

"Hmm," Ayumu hummed to himself as Hinote informed him he had no idea who Komora was. Ayumu was going to have to try to find out more through other sources. He remembered from their encounter in the Legation that she was a special kid, but perhaps even then he didn't realize just how much attention she had really needed. He looked back to Hinote to find that he had successfully reassembled his legs and was standing now. He gave an apology for his perceived intrusion and said his farewell.

"Oh, it wasn't any intrusion. I've come to expect to find others out and about in this forest. I usually do, anyway. But if you must go, maybe I'll see you around some other time," Ayumu said, giving a wave. Susumu also waved briefly with a quiet "Bye bye," as Hinote turned to walk away. With the brief visitors having departed, Susumu ran back over to pick up his kunai and resume his training. Meanwhile, Ayumu stayed put as he pondered the curious case of Komora. Once he had returned to his office he would have to inquire in to what was going on with her. If she was indeed living in the forest, that would have to be rectified.

"Dad, watch!" Susumu called, bringing Ayumu's attention to him. Ayumu glanced over and watched as Susumu tossed a kunai, managing to land it on the outer ring of the target on the tree.

"Nice going," Ayumu responded, giving Susumu a thumbs-up. "Keep it up," he said, leaning against a tree to watch his son for a bit. The next kunai didn't quite find its mark, but a couple of the attempts after that did. Ayumu wondered if they'd see any more visitors.

[Topic Left]