Private spare me a breaking point

[Akane Kiseki]

It was a bashful type of motion that Kiseki made with every slow step of his feet; shuffling across the dirt with an embarrassed tinge of red to ears framed by the softest white, eyes not much harder in their blue pale. He sniffed the air, hugging a strap across his chest closer - tighter - firmer between shaking fingers, pulling the katana that hung off his back further up. His arms were already covered in bright welts, as easy as it was to break or bruise his fragile skin: but even in his sorry state, even with his atrophic movement, there was a determination that shown clear on dimpled cheeks. His bones, like a bird's, seemed to hollow decisively in their flex. He wasn't allowing himself any quarter with this - and that's why he sought out someone he knew definitely wouldn't. The only Shinobi nearer his age than an adult's that seemed to understand what they were meant to do. How they were meant to be.

"H-Hideaki-san," and he whispered as he found her, his voice rarely stronger than a chime. He sighed, straightening his shoulders, and resolved to look her in the eyes: atlantis meeting intent. "I was hoping you could ... you could help me. Train. If you could teach me how to ... use this." And he indicated his sword, Serenity, acquired only weeks ago as a mission reward. It was an artifactal weapon, but it held an unbending quality - one he was now trying to emulate. "I'm not really picking it up on my own. You seem like, uhm, like you'd know something about ... fighting? I've never been very good at it, and I've never used a weapon more complex than a Kunai. All I have as a Ninja is -", a wince, "my chakra control."

He shifted, thumbing a loose strand of snowy down from his cheek. "Do you think you could help me?"

 

[Nanami]

"Fine," she offers a flat single-word response and then stands up on the branch which housed her butt moments prior. Wind rushes past her as she lands easily beside and stares into his eyes. Short as she may be she's started to gain some height in her later years and she's several years his age to boot. "S'pretty sword" she offers, not bothering to look at it when she says so. She nods slowly. "I'm shit with chakra. So. I'll show you how to use that knife, and you can show me some new tricks with control, if you've figured any out," she says. She doesn't seem to wait for confirmation, maybe she's just decided that's how it is? She walks away, waving for him to follow if he doesn't immediately begin following. "Tell me about yourself Kiseki. Why not focus on your strengths?"

She thinks about him momentarily as she walks, possibly not even listening to his answer. Thinks about their class together. Thinks about her own role in it. She stares down at a slowly clenching and unclenching left hand as she walks

 

[Akane Kiseki]

He blinked - and the action would repeat, the pale blue of his eyes trying to refocus on a passing gale. He didn't expect ... -- he wasn't ungrateful for her consideration and acceptance, just he didn't expect the immediate of it. The questions she leveled threw him off as well; but not so much that he, like a good little soldier, couldn't find his feet in the turned dirt and dig his heels until he'd answer right. He held Sincerity in thin, stark hands, hugging the sword's sheathe close to his chest in response to her compliment and nodding - dazed - before he remembered his manners enough to give a little hop. "Th-thank you, Hideaki-sama!" Necessary formality - but was sama correct? Senpai? Dono? He'd defer to her with the bow of his head, sending strands of snow scattered to hide the rabbit beneath.

"It was a mission reward ... I don't have enough practical experience to wield it, and I'm f-facing a - I'm stuck on a wall. You were really natural during leadership training." He fought himself not to cringe at the mention, biting down the inside of his lips before releasing it in a wisp - thinning his sigh until it dissipates not to burden her. "Thank you. I'm grateful for your time." Another bow, short but punctual. "I don't know if I can offer you a lot in trade -- I." Mashing his lips in a turn of thought, fingers tightening around the grip. "I'll do my best to help, too, if you think I can."

And he walks with her into whichever position she dictates on this makeshift training field, the calls of wildlife muted in flora that blooms out from them. "My strengths are ... sorry. I have them. I have them! My strengths are just very ... specific." A splinter. "I specialize in Genjutsu, I th- believe. My Ninjutsu isn't as bad as my Taijutsu. My chakra control is really ...," and he seems shy, continuing, eager to not sell himself down the river when asking for help from his better, "my chakra control is really good, but my body isn't. I can struggle applying it outside of Genjutsu because my circuitry can't always keep up with ... externalizing? it. And there have been a lot of recent ... situations ... where I couldn't put my opponent under normal Genjutsu." He fought a frown. He won, but it was pyrhhic. Bites his lip. "I want to be able to fight things I can't control."

"I want to control more than my chakra. A-a blade, even?" Did she care? His thoughts were formed more for himself, anyway. She had already agreed to help him.