Sink or Stand! [Open]

[Yamamoto Airi]

Airi was doing something different today. She was going to the hot springs. Not for pleasure like she should, but she really was going for some unique training. See something she heard about was the ability to float on water...it was a continuation of what she had been learning in the academy about staying on the obstacle course. She figured the hot water would add an additional incentive to not mess up. While the extra punishment worried her she figured she would need a push to do her best. Hopefully, she would end with a satisfied smile and her first real chance to even try out these hot springs.

As she made her way in she smelled the soft sweets that were offered, but more than that she felt the humidity go up as well. She had decided to come in the middle of the day during a weekday in a vain attempt to train with as little people as possible to bother. As she entered she stared at the walls for a moment to notice that this place also offered both conference rooms, and a banquet hall…”Wow…” Was all Airi could really say. At first Airi had considered rent it out just to make sure no one accidentally got in the way of her training but low and behold…”Oh my Raiden...these prices…” She felt like she was spending too much just to be allowed to go in…

As Airi hoped and prayed to Raiden that not many people would be here she made her way to the co-ed hot spring. “Hopefully no one will be there and stay in their gender…” As she made it to the women’s changing room she got into her swimsuit. Airi...never liked swimsuits. Rinko got her measured and she ranged as a thirty-two, twenty-four, thirty-two. She felt extremely embarrassed knowing this information but now that she knew she had little hope of ever forgetting it. She also needed it for this one piece black swimsuit. Rinko wanted her to show a bit more but Airi refused.

Getting into the one piece she also tied her hair back into a small ponytail. This way she could focus and if she got wet her hair would not be everywhere. As she poked her head out into the co-ed baths she thought maybe she was alone...unless someone was hiding in the water. As she made her way over she also brought her Parasol, also marked with black but with some gold trim around it giving it an eloquent and simple design. This was her holy weapon though she was embarrassed to admit it. Airi noticed that at least the tops of it were more metal sheet than a thin so if she did happen to drop it in, it would not permanently damage it.

As she made her way to the water she could already feel herself starting to sweat. She focused herself trying very hard to remove all outside distractions. She felt the chakra pouring around her feet...she read books but without a proper master she was always learning on her own...a dark thought tried to pry into her mind but she ignored it. She took a glorious first step into her training and…”Eiihap!” felt the sudden whooshing sensation of hot failure cover her whole body. She panicked and the surface.

As she surfaced she felt stupid...she did not put nearly as much chakra. She had only put a slight more than her sticking to trees training...she hadn’t even nestled on the surface. As she swam over she made several more attempts two of which she tripped before entering and had no chance and five additional the showed she was kind of making process but would not consider it, “Standing on water”

As she sat with her sat with well over ten attempts failed and not too much progress made she sat with the parasol over her and her legs in the bath. She was wet and tired and she needed her chakra to recover before she wanted to try again. As she twirled the parasol she thought the water actually did feel nice...her feet were more tired than she though. Her hands had large calluses from her...parasol..? Work?

As she kicked her feet back and forth she wondered if maybe she had been rushing it? She started trying to let out chakra and then attempted to cause her legs to rise. She was so focused she would probably not see or hear anyone come in unless they were quite loud.

 

[Maikeru]

Rest and relaxation was not something that was usually something that was in the lexicon of a shinobi's vocabulary, so when the chance came for either one of those things a ninja would have to take every opportunity to seize that moment. Which, coincidentally, was why Maikeru found himself at the hot springs of Kumo. He had just returned from a rather harrowing hunt, his ripped clothes and dirt stained face obvious signs of a job well done, or at the very least, a job completed. Stepping through the wooden doors of the main building he raised a curious brow at the sign reading 'mixed bathing'.

This wasn't something he had experienced in leaf, the bathhouses and hot springs being gender-exclusive to allow customers, mostly women, more comfort and privacy during their moments of relaxation. Kumo really was vastly different from Konoha, something he had come to realize more and more each day. Shrugging his shoulders, he paid the kind old lady behind the counter, before heading to the men's changing rooms. After a quick bath to clean the caked dirt, grime, and blood, he found himself in a pair of red swimming trunks that the establishment had provided for him. Closing his rented locked, he stretched his tired arms over his head as he walked towards the hot springs proper.

As his foot touched the warm stone, and the humid air hit his face, he saw a very strange sight, at least for the hot springs. There appeared to be a girl a bit younger than him practicing the water walking technique on the surface of the scoldingly hot water. Interesting, and not a thought Maikeru had when he was attempting to learn that very same technique, was this girl perhaps an academy student? She certainly seemed the proper age for it, though it was possible she was a genin or one of its equivalents.

For a moment the Uchiha simply watched, giving the girl ample space to practice her technique as his trained Sharingan studied her chakra flow. She wasn't doing it entirely wrong, and it seemed she had the basics from the wall walking technique down pat, she seemed to just be making the same mistakes that every rookie shinobi made. When the girl finally decided to take a rest, Maikeru approached her and took a quiet seat next to her, soaking his own feet in the hot waters.

"You're close." He said softly, running a hand through his mess of white hair. "You're really just missing the fundamentals, but, those are easy enough to learn with practice."

As he looked to Airi, he would give her a small smile, before returning his attention back to the water. If Airi was perceptive enough, she would be able to note the two most interesting things about the young Genin's body. Namely, a bright, colorful, tattoo over his right pectoral, as well as a large scar that spread across his chest over where his heart resided. He placed his strange, red and stone-like, hand into the water, feeling the temperature of it, before lowering his entire body into it up to chest level.

"Apologies. My name is Otani Akira, I'm a Genin in the main branch. It's a pleasure to meet you Ms..?"

 

[Yamamoto Airi]

Hearing a smooth voice Airi let out a small “Eip!” The man went on to say that she was just needing the fundamentals which she would learn with practice. As she looked she saw snow white hair and a softly muscled arm brush the hair back. Her eyes quickly taking in the sight before her. “Oooohhhh…” She clasped her hand over her mouth. Please…kill me now…smite me…the only saving grace was the oh could be taken as her accepting the knowledge…the blushing for the heat. If he was observant though…well…her heartbeat hopefully could not be heard but she felt like it was slamming into her chest. She had to make sure to just look at his face…she needed to retort intelligently. Get a hold of yourself.

“Thank you for the advice…I am sorry if I disturbed you. I know this is not a swimming pool.” Nothing was worse when someone was trying to relax at a pool and some kid came and splashed everywhere. She took her parasol and closed it. Putting the holy weapon down and behind her she sighed. She glanced at him while speaking and her eyes…well she tried to keep them focused on his face…tried…

He had a necklace with some…symbol on it. She could not place it. He had a powerfully strong jaw…strong but eloquent muscle structure. Looked like he had a strong back…and he had dark eyes. Airi shivered slightly…she pulled her mind away and tried to bring herself back. She felt the water ripple near her as he got into the water. She paused for a moment seeing some type of scar over his chest…she felt worried about him and wondered what might have happened. She also knew it would be incredibly rude to pry into his personal life. He was here to relax he needed to be given the ability to do that. Airi took a breath in and then let it out…her inner self was pissed she was getting so weak kneed.

She placed a hand over her chest and decided to slide down in with him. One because she was embarrassed about her outfit. Two because she was nowhere near as good looking as he was, and three it would be vastly easier to hide emotions under water. As she got in though she felt herself let out a small, “Kuuuuhhh” like a bird as she settled into the water. She hadn’t realized it herself but with all her Taijutsu training was she tense?

The man introduced himself as Otani Akira…and he was a Genin. Huh…Genin!? She thought he was a Jounin…he looked so powerful and mature…Raiden I am the lowest standard of shinobi…

As she glanced over she could not keep her eyes off the figure he cut. She imagined he would be scary to face and could instill confidence in anyone he was teamed up with. Like a wolf…yes a great Okami! She smiled to herself letting a small giggle escape. Otani Okami…She put her hand over her mouth again. Right my name!

“Irie Airi I have been a Genin now for two months.” Alright, she thought to herself. Making it through one complete sentence she decided to continue. “I felt like I needed better control at this point moving onto more advanced jutsu. I did not really know how to do it and then I read about it in a book. I really just ended up here because I had no idea where another body of water was…” She thought about how she might be annoying but at the same time he came up and started talking to her. Maybe this was how he relaxed. Talking to others…

“I just got back from my first solo C-rank mission. Did you come back to relax after a tough mission?” She really had no idea how to strike up casual conversation. She did not want to ask anything personal…she also needed to avoid asking how he got so good looking so this was her best bet.

 

[Maikeru]

"Don't worry, you're not bothering me at all. We're both equals, right? Both Genin. As cloud shinobi we should strive to help each other at every opportunity, shouldn't we?" He asked of her, raising an eyebrow in curiosity to see how she would respond to such simple concepts. "Besides, I only partially came here to relax, I was also looking for my sensei. He's kind of... a giant pervert, so I thought he might be in the mixed bath to look at chicks. Knowing him, however, he probably turned into Kawaii and went to the all-female baths. But, maybe you've seen him? What name did he go by again.. Ya- Yamamto Yamaru?"

With a laugh, Maikeru raised himself from the hot water before stepping onto the warm stone that surrounded it. Stretching his arms high above his head, his skin growing tight against every muscle in his trained body, he finally noticed the young girl's blush and reaction to him. He had always known himself to be a rather handsome man but had never been vain about it, at least in the sense of using his looks to his advantage, or really taking note of how he looked on a day to day basis. If the girl had been paying attention, she would still a small brand on his left forearm. It appeared to be a snake coiling around a broken triangle, a different take on the ouroboros, the serpent eating its own tail.

Still, it brought a small chuckle to his lips as the girl's reactions sent him back to his own days at the academy, and how he had long ago fallen for the one girl who had never reacted like that around him. Lowering his arms for the girl's sake, he took a small leap towards the water before landing gracefully on top of it. The water rippled beneath his feet as chakra ripped out from him, creating an invisible layer overtop of the water for him to stand on. Ushering with his hand for the girl to join him, he took another small leap backward to give her plenty of space.

"I did come back from a mission now that you mention it. I'm in the Monster Hunter division, and the hunt this time was rather dangerous. But, I made it back safe and sound with just a few scrapes so I'll call it a success!" He gave her a thumbs up, before returning his attention back to the water he was standing on. "Right, the water walking technique. My girlfriend is the teacher between us, but, I suppose I can give it a shot. So, Ms. Airi, what have you noticed so far from your trials? There's a difference between this and the water walking technique, isn't there?"

Rubbing his chin with his hand, he thought for a moment before snapping his fingers. Taking a few steps towards the edge, he would lean down and pick up a pebble, before tossing it underhanded to the girl with him.

"The Pebble is the only hint and tool I'll give you to solving this issue. So, let's see how good my equals are, eh?"

 

[Yamamoto Airi]

Both equals…both Genin…strive to help each other…right. "And since we've established that you're clearly not fit to be a Genin”…Airi felt herself look a little glum. Her face lowered into the water but then she glared and said, “Yes! You are absolutely right! Everyone should help each other for the betterment of Kumo!” She felt herself moving too quickly in the water and then slouched back into it. She had been getting so emotional…she needed to calm down. She also needed to stop putting so much stock into what that guy said. He was one person in a small pond of those who thought she was good enough. She took a breath in and another out to calm herself.

Otani-san mentioned that he not only came here to relax but to also look for his sensei. Airi saw a few people about so she placed a hand on her chin and nodded as he described his sensei. The first comment was a giant pervert and she wondered how great a shinobi this guy must be if giant pervert was written into an obvious description of him but still had an aamazing apprentice like Otani-san. Turned into Kawaii…? Wait does he mean…suddenly when he mentioned the name she felt herself go and pinch her nose… “Yamamoto…san…” She felt like he had been such a nice and caring person…was he really that big of a…maybe it was just an exaggeration. Her mind now filled with too many awkward feelings. “I-I ahh have met him before…in the forest…very late at night.” If he was a huge pervert in his pupils eyes Airi quickly waved her hands and said, “N-N-Nothing happened I swear!” Her face was completely flush at this point in combination with the water. Oh…gezz…

Otani seemed to laugh as he got out of the water. Was it a joke…? Or was her situation just funny? She felt herself twiddling her thumbs in the water nervously. Her eyes could not help but look at him as he stretched. Pouting and turning her head away. He did not seem super concerned about finding his sensei…it really was more of an optional thing wasn’t it? Airi’s eyes wandered back again though…after all why not and she noticed a scar…or maybe a brand of a broken triangle with a snake. She had no idea what that could mean but this guy seemed decked out in a bunch of weird and interesting things. He seemed like a nice guy who had this bad-boy look to him. She wondered if he did that purpose or what in his life made him get those…though she supposed she did have her own tattoo now…or well would soon.

Airi watched as the man leapt out onto the water and stood on it like it was nothing. She looked in amazement…something he completed so easily that she struggled with…he motioned for her to join him and she quickly got out of the water and…well as nervously as she could she did leap out. Why did she trust him? She was constantly told not to trust without reason yet she always did. As she felt her feet land down on something…well not hard she panicked and stumbled forward planting herself face first onto whatever this was. She got on all fours and looked at the water under still feeling the heat but not understanding why…she rubbed her nose and on shaky knees stood up.

He mentioned that he was in the monster hunter division and she felt herself get excited. “Awesome job! That is where I originally wanted to go!” It was true she had a grandiose dream of saving people from big scary things…though it seemed like now her life was moving in a very different direction. She smiled though…he now seemed even cooler than before.

She was listening intently when she heard…a harsh word…girlfriend. Airi’s heart felt the pang of defeat…he asked her what the difference was and she could only help but look at him and say, “its competency and experience isn’t it?” She suddenly looked concerned…Airi could not help for a moment and think did…she really just say that? She held out her hand and then focused…despite the solidity of it she felt like it was not completely stable. She focused and made a hand seal so she could use her own chakra to stick better to this surface. She let a breath out and then she went on to say, “Pebble…?” As she caught the small rock she looked at it as if it had a head…

She grumbled and muttered under her breath… “See how my equals are huh…?”

Well for starters… “This is more you making a floor than me standing with my own chakra…” As she looked at the rock there must be some reason in what he did. She was terrible with riddles…he leapt then he stood and made this then leapt again and then made his way back to stone to give her a rock…this gave her what a solid foundation…it had enough space for more than one person…she started to toss the rock up and down as she thought…

She wiped her brow of water and sweat…hot springs were really warm…

She thought that she was missing something and that if he really wanted to teach her he would show her directly…what…he…she thought he looked amused and said, “Maybe a tool to throw at…” She glanced down at the pebble…then looked back at him. She had never done it herself…but she thought he brothers did…

“Am I…doing this in the wrong order…?” When she had first been learning to climb the tree she tried running up it…she was not just standing upside down on it first. He tossed her a rock…skipping rocks…the problem with water was it was not solid so the constantly changing chakra output needed to be adjusted…as she looked at the flooring she wondered if a solid output like the tree climbing could be used and then smaller shots of chakra could be used to keep balance…it would be hard to judge without testing…then was that why…the pebble…could skip? Should she just start by making a break for it and so she could ensure where she needed to pump out the extra chakra…then once she got that…she would understand the amounts and the change based on well her weight and speed…it would get easier as she attend to it. She tossed the rock in his general direction, “Why didn’t I think of that!?”

She felt stupid…it was really obvious once you took your time. Running up a wall made her think duh run up it…but walking on water made her think…well walk…she thought she needed to take it slow but it was the same training really. “Okay…Okay remove your stuff I’ll try something!” She hopped off of it back to the stone and once she thought it was safe to go she made a hand seal and focused. Okay pretend I am trying to stick to something but make it a little tougher…now when she ran she needed to move it like a claw…a swipe…so move the chakra with my foot.

She looked confident and she rushed out to the water. As she took her first step she swiped as hard as she could. She felt herself push off and not sink…wait did I!? However the amount of chakra she used caused her to propel in a spin almost like a cartwheel. Too much power…her next step was off but she did manage a second step…her balance was so off the spun into a swan dive and…”Eiiap!”…splashed into the water. As she felt herself sink and tumble a bit in the water she bumped against the bottom and then scrambled to get back up. As she got up she started to coughing and hacking.

She coughed some more and then pulled herself out. Sitting on the side she took in as much air as she could but shifted in a laying down position. She lifted her hand up for a thumbs up not able to speak properly…her back hurt and she felt like she cricked her neck…did she also scrap her knee…ugg…she was annoyed but so happy she made two whole steps. She coughed even more…feeling she still had some water when she breathed in while underwater.

 

[Maikeru]

"Yamaru stood with a cute girl late at night and didn't try anything? How curious." Maikeru said, resting his hands on the back of his head as he watched the girl attempt the jutsu again. "This is the same man who I had to seduce several kitsune in order to get him to focus teaching me the summoning technique. Rei was not happy about that one..."

He paused for a second, before realizing how that made him sound. Laughing nervously, he gave her a weak smile before continuing.

"Ah, not that I did anything with them. I just convinced them to put on winter jackets. He was spying on a swimsuit photo shoot and I needed him to focus on actually teaching me so I uh.. got the models to put on more clothes. No big deal at all!" He failed to mention, however, that he also had gotten the contact info of the girls to use as blackmail. Oh well, such a tiny detail to forget. "But anyway, the pebble. My father used this same metaphor when he taught me how to walk on water, and I didn't really get it either at first so don't feel too bad if it takes you some time."

He would watch the girl with a curious eye as she stepped onto the water with his training wheels laying over the top of it. Once again his eyes morphed into his clan's kekkei genkei, the tomoe of his sharingan spinning as he watched the chakra network of the girl. At her request he tapped his toe against the water, causing the layer of chakra he had established over it to crack and shatter before evaporating into nothing. As she stepped onto the water, he observed as she attempted what seemed to be burst of chakra meant to propel her forward. It was... a good thought in theory, but in practice it would do exactly what she had intended. Propel her forward into a crashing nose dive.

Shaking his head with a small laugh as the girl crawled back towards land he followed behind her, before crouching over the girl's laying form. With one hand he moved his long white hair out of his eyes, looking down at her with his Sharingan still active.

"Not quite." He said, looking down at the girl. "It was a good thought, but, you're going at it with the wrong train of thought. Perhaps a demonstration?"

Once again he stepped onto the water, motioning for the girl to watch as he did so. For a moment he appeared to be walking on the surface of the water, tossing a pebble up and down in his hand as he did so. When he reached the center, he held the pebble flat in his hand for the girl to witness.

"Now, the water walking and wall walking technique are very similar. You use chakra to create a surface to walk on to give the illusion you are actually walking on a tree, or a river, a wall, etc. Now, when I place the pebble on my hand you'll notice that it doesn't move. It's a completely flat structure that doesn't really move. However, if we were to float the pebble in the water, what would happen? It would move and sway with the flow of the water. All water is moving and shifting, even the hotspring. Getting it?"

 

[Hirateuchi]

If the others had been paying attention, they might have noticed a small mop of black hair rising from the water, almost as though created from the springs itself. Soon enough, a head would follow, pale skin and violet eyes halfway developed, though still dripping as though they were part of the body of water. A small amount of bubbling would indicate the mouth rising up from the depths to speak Hira's mind.

"I was trying to ignore you guys and relax but you're making too much damn noise..."

He looked from one side to the other, taking in the forms of the shinobi before him. He recognized the white-haired individual from their time spent in the forest... what was his name? Something about the Uchiha house he had remembered, though more than that he was having trouble recalling. It was a hazy night that seemed to drag on forever, with each person talking so infrequently it was as though it had happened simultaneous to this event. He then turned to the younger girl whom it seemed was attempting to learn how to use her chakra to walk on water. Something about her seemed familiar though. He sped through the water until he was near enough to see her face in great detail, rising some more out of the water to show his full tall stature. Scratching his head he posed a question to her.

"Err... you were that girl at the coliseum that one day. I almost didn't recognize your face but you kind of gave it away with that clumsiness of yours. What was your name... Eerie? Eyeree? Sorry I'm bad with names. And it's good to see you and you're funky eye too!" He proclaimed looking at Maikeru.

He tapped his finger on his chin, thinking before posing a thought. "You know, with that much energy of course you're gonna fall over... if you aren't using it properly that is. See, water? That's kinda my specialty."{/b] Hira pointed to his lower half still melted into the water as though some form of proof. Leaning back, he allowed himself to float on the water, pushing a few of the pebbles aside in the process.

"See, if the water were still, it would be much easier to balance, but with each small ripple you need to adjust yourself to make sure you don't fall under. When you're floating like this you don't think twice about letting the water move you around a bit without worry... walking on it should not be any different. Don't try to anticipate where the pressure will change and move your chakra, let the water move the chakra for you and just relax." He would sink back into the water, form melting into liquid before moving back to the corner of the spring to make the most of his newfound entertainment.

 

[Yamamoto Airi]

Yamamoto…must really like women…

She actually really did not pick up any bad points, he really only spoke about his one love. She had actually felt pretty bad for him and his situation and still did. Even if he went after girls was that really so wrong? Maybe it was for a deep meaning like filling that void in his heart? After all there was only so long he could pine after someone he could not have? She nodded thinking that without certain context it could look like he was being inappropriate. She also heard him talking about how he had to seduce people to get Yamamoto to teach him a technique.

As he continued he seemed to get embarrassed about it and went onto to defend himself. Airi personally did not judge him mainly due to the simple fact, “It’s training right? The art of seduction is one of many tools a shinobi uses.” Airi personally ignored this fact finding it far too embarrassing to flirt. Then again even those she trained with mentioned it was learned a bit later when men would start to be interested her. Airi figured she still had a few years before anyone would consider her beautiful. Cute…just as Otani-san said. She had been trying really hard to look cute recently so she really enjoyed at least getting this praise.

Otani-san had this weird older brother concept where he would not only be a little competitive…but then really not be and help her out. It was almost like he was really spurring her on. When he mentioned the pebble was how his father taught him she remembered how he said he was not the teacher type. She appreciated that it was not something that should just click. She found it so interesting how everyone’s teaching styles were different.

As Airi looked up to Otani-san as he was standing over her she noticed that one of his eyes looked very different…wait no both of them looked different. The pattern seemed…familiar to her? She felt like she was really missing something obvious…he decided to give it another go…showing her via example. As she leaned forward she watched him with as much intention as she could.

As he went on to explain she felt still a little lost. He talked about how it was constantly flowing and moving…but what did that have to do with a pebble? If he put the pebble on the water it would sink straight down to the bottom…Airi could not deny she was clearly missing it.

Suddenly the water splashed nearby and another guy seemed to climb literally out of water! “Ahh!” She stumbled backwards…her attention was far too focused on Otani-san that she was oblivious to anything else. The man asked her if she was the girl for the coliseum. She thought and thought and when he mentioned she was the clumsy girl and she remembered the time she almost skewered someone. She remembered the nice cute teasing guy and looked at this man… “H-Hira-san? Y-yes My name was Airi…” While he was not trying to be imposing the speed and stature threw her off. She stood up and glancing between the two men had to rub her sweat away. The heat was starting to bother her a bit but she felt like she was not done yet. She needed to at least make a bit of progress.

Hira mentioned that water was his specialty and that her way of thinking was too forceful. Too much energy and you’ll just launch yourself around. He mentioned that when you float in the water you do not think about you just do it, the sway and moving is all natural. He then mentioned that she should allow the water to move the chakra within her. She held her chin and nodded as he spoke. She was still a little lost and said, “Okay…I’ll float around a bit then and see if I can grasp what the two of you mean…” She felt stupid…either way she slipped into the water and did her best to just float. She had some panic at first trying to get her body above water but eventually she felt like she was stable enough.

“Otani-san…I noticed Hira mentioned it. Are your eyes okay? I was worried about them since they seemed to have gotten red. Also Hira-san sorry for interrupting your relaxation…did you just get off a big mission?” She was trying to make conversation it seemed unlikely but she wanted to get on good terms with two higher ranking shinobi. “Thank you both of giving me lessons…I know it always gets rejected but if I can ever do anything to make it up to you I would appreciate it.”

Airi closed her eyes and really started to feel the movement of the water…now that everyone was not splashing around she did feel even a small amount of swirling…As she listened to the two started to get a sense of losing herself…was this why most older shinonbi did it without thinking…she could feel her pale yellow chakra start to swirl with her. She had no idea if it was outside her body but it was different than her normal blue chakra. She chuckled a bit wonder if this would make Holy Water…

 

[Maikeru]

"Eh, my eyes?" Maikeru asked, raising a curious eye brow at the girl. It took him a moment to realize that Cloud wasn't as use to the Sharingan as leaf had been. After all, they didn't have an Uchiha kage, or really an Uchiha clan, so it made sense. Still, it took him for a beat every time it came up. "Oh, my eyes. Yea, don't even fret, my eyes are perfectly okay. This is my kekkei genkei, the Sharingan. I was using them to monitor your chakra network and see how you were attempting the technique. I can turn them off, or evolve them in the Mangekyo Sharingan at will so don't even worry."

He gave her a soft smile, before turning his attention to Hira. It seemed that he was going to be running into this boy a lot, or at least he had been recently. First the forest and now here in the hot springs of all places. Was this perhaps some sort of stalker like behavior to show that the other male liked him? It wasn't that Hira wasn't attractive, but, he wasn't sure how Reicheru would feel about that. Then again, it's not like she had been home in weeks. Maybe he could... no, no. That would be wrong.

"Ah, Hira, it's good to see you and your funky body again." He said, gesturing to his half liquid-like state. "But, he is giving good advice in this case, especially if water is his specialty."

Although as an Uchiha Maikeru had the ability to copy and replicate any jutsu, which gave him at least a minor affinity with all of the elemental affinities, he couldn't say he knew a single water jutsu off the top of his head. No, his skills mainly lied in the Lightning and Fire style ninjutsu, and their respective advanced elements. All things considered, Hira would certainly be the better teacher here. Moving to step back into the water, and sink to chest level, he motioned with his head to Airi.

"Try what he suggested, if you fall again I promise to try and catch you. Or let you fall, that way is probably funnier for me."

 

[Hirateuchi]

“Eh?” Hira made his confusion apparent as Airi continued on. It seemed she really was still the same worry-filled girl she was at the coliseum. “You make it sound as if I'm any better than you are! You're looking at an honest to goodness Genin, Airi! I'll tell you what, though: if you're really that worried about returning the favor, you can help help me wash my back after you're done training. It's always a pain in the ass trying to do it myself, ya know?”

He turned his back to girl and looked over his shoulder coyly, but it didn’t last more than a moment before he broke out into laughter, splashing the water in front of him as he found humor is his teasing.

“I have an idea, though.” Hira would continue whether or not the others found laughter in his comedic genius or not. “You know, in the real world, things will hardly be this simple, and if you have to adapt to something new you won’t always have the convenience of having a teacher or optimal conditions to learn a new skill when the enemy has their sights on you.”

He placed his hand gently on the surface of the water, funneling his chakra into it’s surface until it began to bubble and wave, as though they were in the middle of the ocean.

“Try it now, friend. Don’t worry, Akira was gonna catch you, right?” He finished with a playful smile, though his serious intentions were made very clear.

 

[Yamamoto Airi]

Fell the water…feel the water…she was trying very hard to focus on the flow of it. At first it was very…swirly. She could almost feel herself slightly spinning as she attempted to just float into the water. Otani mentioned that he had a special ability in his eyes, known as the Sharingan, she thought she maybe had read about it somewhere but none of the knowledge stuck. He mentioned it allowed him to see her chakra and how it was flowing. As such Otani began to go back into the water and sh felt how it lapped against her…as she felt that could she feel the chakra inside her move with it? She took in a deep breath and then moved back into the water normally.

As she twisted her hair to get some of the water out she listened to Hira who out of every single person in the world she had been helped by finally asked for something in return. She smiled happily and said, “Sure that sounds easy enough!” As such with new found appreciation to do something in return she made her way out of the water again.

Otani-san he seemed to be speaking to Hira about something and she tilted her head to make sure she got the water out. Otani followed up as he relaxed again tell her that he would catch her if she fell. She nodded to this and as she made it to be at least somewhat away if she fell she started to make a hand seal. As she focused for a moment she made sure she had firm feelings as she tried to make her chakra flow…well wigglier, loose, not set in stone like when she walked along the wall. It was weird for her to be doing it on ground but then she took a tentative step forward. He first step went well as did her second…then it moved to a fourth and fifth and final step till things started to go south…maybe it started at the third but slowly her legs started to slip like quicksand. As her balance was getting worse and worse so did her chakra control…

Just as the panic was setting in she slowly thought she started to hear things from behind her. She thought Hira was speaking. Suddenly the water started to bubble and when the first wave hit she felt herself tumble over. As she waited for the inevitable splash she felt herself sprawled upside down like a horror movie person doing the spider walk. The only difference is she was also using her head and she was standing on the water…total…control was kept moving chakra out of her in anticipation of each small wave…her look of concern and panic as she felt completely helpless. If even one of her five pillars were removed she was certain to lose balance and fall.

Her panicked face spoke volumes of the; you better stop right now before I ring you towards Hira…not that she could actually move. It was taking all of her concentration to just stay on top of it…funny enough when he did stop she would also just follow through the water no longer having the waves to predict the movements. It was sadly only a matter of time before she flopped in once again unsuccessful and yet not without a little progression in the right direction.

 

[Maikeru]

Maikeru let out a small sigh as he saw the girl once again fall into the water. Well, she wasn't a prodigy that much was for sure, but at least she was making some sort of progress. If nothing else, the girl clearly had a work ethic behind her, which was something he could respect. Walking back towards the water, he stepped onto it's disturbed surface with little effort, after all, Airi was the one here to learn not him. As he approached the girl he shook his head dismissively a bit before crouching down beside her.

"Well, you are getting it at least..." He said to the girl, poking her on the forehead. "You shouldn't feel too bad. It took me about this long to get the hang of it too. It's a bit distressing feeling the water flow underneath you, yea?"

Holding out a hand to Airi he would offer to help her up. He wasn't going to lift her, but, the least he could do is offer a helping hand. If she accepted he would stand to his full height before beginning to help pull the girl to her feet. She was soaked, and probably a bit annoyed, but at least she didn't seem to want to give up quite yet.

"Try it again, but maybe this time we don't mess with the water, eh water boy?" He said, casting a glance to Hira. "What's the saying? You must learn to walk before you can run?"

 

[Hirateuchi]

"Yeah sorry about that..." Hira sulked a bit and moved back towards a corner of the spring, careful to return the water to its once tranquil state. "I just want to make sure everyone is ready for whatever might happen, but maybe that was a bit much for something fun in the springs..."

Memories flooded back into his head of all the times he was in danger and needed to learn quickly, but perhaps that wasn't the best way to go about teaching everyone. He had to exert some amount of effort to make sure he didn't show any signs of nervousness or anything else negative; the shinobi in front of him had nothing to do with those incidents and he should really try his best to do what worked best for them. Steeling his resolve, he put on a bright smile and looked back to the pair.

This time he was more determined to be helpful, though he still didn't think giving her free reign to practice without a single wave would help. Wondering if there might be a good middle-ground, he suddenly lit up and went back to work at adjusting the parameters of the exercise.

"Tell ya what Airi, our pal here is probably right. Let's give this another try." Putting his hands once more in the water, he calmed all of the waves, using his chakra to smooth out the surface just enough to where any of them moving around wouldn't cause too much of a disturbance. "Let's go back to the basics. You did really well when I made it harder so you can totally do this one. Let's see what you got!"

 

[Yamamoto Airi]

Airi watched as Otani-san came over to her and poked her in the forehead...she flinched slightly but dared not move for fear of collapsing into the water...she was holding it together...just awkwardly and not correct in the slightest. Airi in full focus shook her head which was technically a no even though she meant yes, Her face slightly turning red at the effort she was putting out combined with the gymnastic pose she struck.

Otani-san after the light teasing offered her a hand and she felt herself fall as she tried to life up her hand. Otani thankfully helped her back up. Airi shifted a bit and finally got into an upright position. She felt the blood leaving her head as she looked around. She was trying to think about what went right...really it was when…

Hira started to apologize saying that he overdid for where they were but Airi could not disagree more. “Hira-san! No I disagree!” She noticed that he seemed to get down. She did not want him to feel worse for helping her out. He put on a smile and both of them encouraged her to try again. Airi had made her way out of the water again, Otani was standing on it like it was nothing. “I have made much more progress with the two of you. I wanted to make sure you guys know how thankful I am.”

She actually really wanted to thank Hira for what he did. “H-Hira-san. I think what you did was really good!” She focused a lot on Hira, probably a little creep with her staring. “If it was not for what you did…” Airi took a step forward. “I think I might have missed out on what I was missing.” She took another step forward. “I’m not really that smart...or strong...or great at any particular type of jutsu.” Airi really stamped her foot down. “I make up for my lack of talent with hard work!”

She took a for more steps holding out her hand to Hira still a few feet away from him. “So I think...when i am by myself...I get into my head too much.” Just keep focusing on him…”Otani-san...Hira-san...thank you for making me realize something!” She bowed deeply...keep her eyes closed.

“I work much better under pressure when I do not think about what I am doing!”

As Airi opened her eyes she looked down into the water. She flinched as they opened but her ankles were not covered in water. Hira-san was right...Airi really was a sink or stand kind of girl.

A low humming squeak would slowly gain momentum in her throat until she looked up at the sky and held her hands up. “MMMMHHHHHHHMMMMMHGHHHHGMMM!!!!”

She had a bright smile as she awkwardly stood on the water. “I just...need to not pay attention...or think about it…” Of course this made her think about it and as such she shifted a little bit losing her balance slightly before waving her arms like a bird to steady herself. She figured she would be able to jump at this point but another step she was certain she would fall unless she focused on something else.

…”umm...how do I forget something I realized…?” She felt stuck a bit...but then she just smiled brighter and a small chuckle slow evolved into Airi outright laughing. It was so funny to her how she worked...she also could not remember the last time she found something so funny. It would take her a minute to get herself under control but once that finished she would laugh herself into slowly sinking into the water.

It did not matter anymore to her anyway...she kind of did it. Eventually it would become second nature but for today this was amazing progress.

 

[Hirateuchi]

[Leaving thread and site indefinitely]