"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]
"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]