Stealth 101

[Yukata Yuki]

A young looking instructor stood in the middle of the field, her skirt blowing in the morning breeze. The sun was barely peaking over the horizon as if lazily resisting the urge to rise, as if not wanting to wake up like most academy students at this time of day. The hood on Yuki's shirt was pulled up to guard against the morning chill. None of her two students had arrived yet. Kimi would undoubtedly be here all too soon. She knew Kimi pretty well now that they had a spar, as well as a shopping trip together. Her second student she was unaware of.

The woods around the training area were nice and dark, which was useful for this particular class, and why she chose morning to host it. She straightened her red hooded shirt and waited patiently, just enjoying the peace and quiet of the nature around her, before it would be interrupted. Not that she would mind the interruption, she loved teaching after all.

 

[Itami Junko]

Junko was sitting in one of the trees, she had been up from late that night to the dawn watching the moon and enjoying the view. Once the Sun rose up she let loose as good of a howl as she could. This was a common thing for her, it caused most creatures around her to move and thus she could tell what was near her, also it caused most predators to avoid her due to it being a sound of power to them. She began to jump from limb to limb on all fours, making her way to the grounds that she was told to meet her teacher. As she jumped from limb to limb, she could feel the cold of night that remained for a few hours after the sun rises blowing through her hair. As she got closer to the spot she began to jump from tree to tree quieter and more careful, choosing the branches so that they were strong enough to carry her weight without much rebounding. She stopped on a branch that was in a nearby tree close to Yuki's spot, her light blue eyes watching Yuki. She was trying to hide and watch for the other student, she was being careful, not because she was keeping with the spirit of the class, but she never met this Kimi and even though Yuki was a Yukata clan, she didn't have much contact with Yuki, at least none that Yuki could remember. She tended to watch people that come and go the Yukata house from her window. She was still struggling with her fear of other humans after all.

As she watched she felt as if she were already known to be there, this creeping sensation went up her spine as she breathed deep and slow, keeping her breathing as silent as possible. She wasn't too happy with the fact that now, without the scent masking she used to do while hunting was no longer an option due to souji's rules of cleanliness in the house, thus making it harder to hide from creatures that she used to be able to sneak up on all the time and have them for a nice dinner. She felt like the weak little creature she actually was, and this made her quite unhappy. She reached down and grabbed a hold of her small stone dagger and gripped it hard in her hand as she held it close to her chest. It was something that usually helped to calm her mind, after all that small stone dagger was the first thing she ever owned and made on her own. It was the only thing that made her feel like she was her own person, she remembered feeling like her own body wasn't her own back then. Her face showed no emotion despite her own internal issues that ran through her mind.​

 

[Kimi]

Stealth. The one tool Kimi felt would be most useful to her was the ability to move around a battlefield unnoticed. She had certainly seen the benefits of it while she was struggling to make her name known in the student tournament. In all reality, it was probably the only reason she managed to do as well as she had. If it wasn't for her stealthy tactics, she wouldn't have done near as well. So when Yuki mentioned a class focused entirely around stealth, Kimi simply couldn't say no. It was that thought that had led her to once again make her way towards an early morning class. Those Yukata and their early classes. Typically there would be nothing that could drag Kimi out of bed so early, with her tendency to stay up far later than was suggested or recommended, but for some reason these classes were enough motivation. She blamed Souji.

The early morning sun wasn't enough to warm her as she made her way through the still sleeping city. Her violin was strapped in it's place on her back, the familiar weight a comfort as she moved through the streets. She hummed quietly to herself, the sound giving the world an eerie glow. Very befitting of the early morning haze. She made her way to the class, noticing two figures already present. Judging by size, body structure, and general look, she figured one to be Yuki. Knowing full well that she noticed Yuki well before either of them would have noticed her, she decided to have a little fun. Suddenly ceasing her humming, she pulled out her violin in silence. She placed the bow to the strings, and began to play a haunting tune, her motions fluid and silent as the music filled the dark. The sound seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere, filling the space with it's melody. Unnoticed by everyone, she would be fully free to play to her heart's content, slinking through the shadows on the outskirts of the training area. She was determined to sneak up on Yuki.

Footsteps blending naturally with the tune, she paused in her step to eye the other student. She was small, and unfamiliar. Kimi had absolutely no idea who that was. Shrugging it off, she continued. Surely the small child would also be distracted by her tune. Grateful that she chose to wear her stealth-clothes that day, Kimi's straight black pants, and equally black shirt made such little noise that nobody outside another hashigaki could hear it's friction. Her hair, tied back in her iconic training braid, moved through the world as a breath of wind. She played on, moving ever closer towards Yuki, before pausing directly behind her. "HIYA YUKI-SENSEI!" she called in an unusually loud voice, mere inches from the teacher's ear.

Stealth = Success

[OOC: giving up OOC rewards, since I'm already in another class; so this is just for the class credit]

 

[Okada Kaji]

It was an eerie, shady dawn that morning in the hidden stone village. Jomei found himself running, sprinting-late down the forested paths of his village. Shades of gray lined the sky, dimming the way as Jomei moved swiftly- sandwich in mouth. The young boy Jomei was quite an explorer around the village, and took a hidden path to reach the training field faster, or so he thought. He came upon a den of giant spiders, or so he'd explain if badgered about his tardiness. Jomei was a liar of the most lying kind, or so you may have heard elsewhere by now. Marching up a path winded and heaving, Jomei arrived at their field only moments after Kimi. He'd appear before his classmates as a clever runt wearing hip-yet proper attire.

Nervous to greet them, Jomei took a roundabout path to hide himself until emerging among the group in their clearing. He squirmed from behind a tree like a Caterpillar crawling on a branch, and presented himself, red-faced and hyperventilating. As he feared, both his classmates, Junko and Kimi towered over him, making him feel small and ready for a growth spurt. It was so nerve wracking, he was in shambles.

"Good morning Sensei" he beckoned to the tallest of the three ladies, sharply bending to a ninety-degree angle as he did so. Jomei looked to his company, grinning and anxious. His attention turned to his fellow teammates, along with blinks, winks, and ten thousand first impressions.

"I am" he said, "Matsui Jomei " with a glimpse of fear in his voice.

 

[Yukata Yuki]

Yuki counted all three students, only expecting the two who signed up. The third was a last second entry, but that worked. Her senses had picked up the tiny little presence hiding out. "Come to the center everyone." she said so the little one would appear from the trees. Kimi would notice that her scare tactics had failed. She was sensed before hand as well. And in her attempt, she triggered the disappearance of the clone that had been laid out during stunt double. Yuki was now in stealth herself.

Out of the trees came shadowy wisps. They covered the area like a fog. The whole scene was darkening and the light from the rising sun was hidden. Not all light was blocked, but the majority was displaced. However the shadows kept to the edges of the scene, not at all threatening to shroud the students, not yet anyways.

Out of the trees came three Yuki's. One for each of them. "I am Yukata Yuki, its a pleasure to meet you all. Kimi, of course I already know. Its a pleasure to make yours Keno san. And I assume you are Itami san?" They all seemed to take turns doing the talking. Slowly all three would walk into each other and merge into one as she approached the kids. Then she bowed in greeting as she stopped in the dead center. A small moment for return replies she would continue her speaking. "I assume you all know what you signed up for, but I will go over it all again. This is a class on stealth, both the easy and the hard things about stealth. You will learn different ways of engaging stealth, what to do while in stealth, and of course when and how to end stealth.

Her red shirt flapped in a gentle breeze as her green eyes pierced each of theirs with a open and friendly gaze. Shaking her long auburn hair out of her eyes, she would pull her hands up and make a few seals. The shadows around them thickened and converged upon her. She was darkened and almost blended in with the background. "When you all are ready, we will begin. I hope no one is afraid of the dark." she teased playfully.

 

[Keigo Oen]

Souji would be walking to the school when he noticed Junko's essence in the area. As he did to Kimi, and he sent Kimi a notification about his class... Hm, maybe she didnt wanna be apart of it though but... why was Junko here? He'd teach her chakra and such from home on his free time but there was never enough time during the day that. Though, he knew that he would have to, take her from thsi for a bit. Taking his hand and stretching it outwards towards towards Junko he'd appear in her shadow holding his hand to her mouth and whispering in her ear, 'Its Souji. I'm taking you to my class.' And with that if she allowed herself to freely follow him Souji'd shift her into the shadows of the tree and head back to the house before explaining to her about his class and giving her the instructions on where to meet him.

[Topic Enter/Left - S Rank - 30 Minutes.]

 

[Itami Junko]

Junko watched as the others seemed to act like she was there with them. She blinked slightly in confusion. She stayed RIGHT in the tree that she had been in. She was not gonna leave that tree unless forced to, afterall, it was three people she didn't really know and she did indeed still fear other humans. She was then surprised by the sudden grab from her shadow. She had never been grabbed or attacked in such a way. She reached up to try and grab at it thinking it was some sort of monster. She stopped after she touched the hand covering her mouth because she heard her guardian's voice whisper into her ear. She trusted souji completely, in fact if he were to ask her to attack someone, to be blunt, she'd do it. She let go of the hand and let herself be pulled back into the shadows of the tree. Where she would end up was known to her but souji wouldn't be creepy? Would he?​

[Topic left if Souji manages to leave within the 30 minutes.]

 

[Kimi]

Kimi sighed. She figured Yuki would be expecting her to do something similar to what she did, but it was fun anyway. She softened her playing as the third and final student arrived, and Yuki proceeded to introduce herself to the class. Kimi turned to take in the two students she had yet to met, curious as to what they were like. She hadn't met either of them, and as such, was interested to get to know them. Her interest would have to wait a moment, it seemed, for no sooner than Yuki began introductions, a familiar presence made itself known. Kimi's music ceased abruptly, her attention turning towards where she anticipated Souji to appear. She caught whispered movements in a nearby tree, and as such realized there was something going on there. The small student, Junko, was wandering off, the familiar presence of Kimi's mentor leaving in much the same direction. She quirked a brow, but said nothing. She could always ask Souji about it later. Of course, he was probably wondering why she hadn't made her own way to his new class. Then again, she had agreed to take Yuki's class. And with graduation soon approaching, she simply wanted the somewhat more -easy- class. Not that she'd tell either of the Yukata's that.

Sure, she'd probably have a lot more to gain from Souji's class. Then again, Yuki was a formidible shinobi. She could always learn better, more effective uses for stealth. Not to mention they were sure to have quite the fun time. She brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear before retaking her violin in her hand. Violin and bow resting against her legs, held firmly in her hands, Kimi turned back towards Yuki. "Dark?" she tilted her head in mock question. "It's not dark at all." she teased, her foot keeping a now-habitual rhythm on the ground.

[mft]

 

[Okada Kaji]

The darkness came like a storm rolling across the atmosphere. Jomei kept to himself among the small group, listening intently and watching closely as company continued to swap in and out from the class. An unacquainted classmate played a tune with a rare shinobi instrument- the violin, and her talent warped Jomei's perception of how the day would be conducted. He'd only heard of their names once or twice. The musician was named Kimi, and the other child didn't stay long enough for Jomei to even remember her face. So far, the shinobi academy was nothing like what his father's stories told him of.

Souji's sudden appearance sparked curiosity in Jomei; the gentleman's actions undermined Yuki and left her attention split between two pupils opposed to three. Would she simply let them go? Confused, Jomei looked to the other remaining student, Kimi, and wondered if she'd run off as well. He would've been happy if she simply continued to play a tune for the duration of class, but Kimi was not there solely to fuel his taste and imagination. The music died down once their instructor beckoned for their attention...

It wasn't until Yuki mentioned the darkness that Jomei suddenly felt disadvantaged and challenged by his impaired eye-sight. He wasn't skilled enough to dilate his pupils with the speed and precision of his company. A pressure built in his chest and fear made itself known as the truth of his inadequacies surfaced. What if he could not adapt in time and Yuki figured out that he couldn't comprehend the lesson? What if they agitated a bat swarm during their training and got attacked by vampire bats? What if shinobi from the hidden sand launched an attack? The art of stealth was essential to espionage, which was a fundamental service expected from all shinobi. Not all shinobi managed to be so talented when it came to the sneakiness of a cat, but they must've managed to fake the funk in order to beat the genin exam. Jomei was used to keeping out of sight and mind as a child, as that was the way to escape his master's attention. Surely, Jomei was meant to be exceptional when it came to the art of stealth.

"Darkness?" With a jovial tone Jomei had to make himself known and offered an outburst. "I wish someone would turn down the lights a little more."

WC399

 

[Yukata Yuki]

Kimi let Souji go, taking the student whose presence she only senses and now would not get to meet. It was annoying htat he would come in her class without asking her if he could excuse her student. She had never been too upset with Souji's antics, but this one annoyed her particularly. She took pride in her work, and it was cross of him to do such a thing on her first day back in a while.

She stuffed the annoyance down deep in her tiny little body and began the class. "With these shadows you are going to employ your stealth entrance techniques. As a shadow user I could simply vanish into my shadows, but that wouldn't give you a good example. So for now, a common skill known by most shinobi would be stunt double. One replaces themselves with a clone they summon upon disappearing into stealth. Its simple but highly effective. Simple smoke bombs are great ways to make an attempt to stealth. And of course genjutsu is always an option for those capable of lowering their opponents perception." As Yuki spoke her body disappeared and she stepped out of the shadows. "So your first task is to enter stealth in your own unique way. What abilities do you know that would help you disappear? Who volunteers first?" of course she expected Kimi, but she wouldn't pick on the girl just because she was her new best friend behind the scenes.

 

[Kimi]

Kimi nodded. "Lights? What are those?" she laughed, turning so the other student would know she was talking to him. She said it in such a way that the student would hopefully know that she was being slightly facetious, while at the same time hinting at the fact that there was something more to her than meets the eye. "I apologize in advance. I fear I have a slight advantage..." and with that, she would cease conversation, instead turning to show she was paying attention to their instructor. She was expecting something similar to come around first. She lifted her violin into the standard ready position, though anyone skilled with the violin would notice her somewhat more lax take on the stance. A smirk rose to her face, as she turned to the other student. "I hope you don't mind if I go first?" she didn't want to show off, that wasn't the purpose. She simply was eager to get to the actual point of the class. That, and her fingers were already tapping the violin strings, barely able to contain the music she felt. She began playing a song incredibly similar to the one she had been playing, and took a deep breath. As she swayed with the music, she began singing a song, the illusionary jutsu filling the air as she did. She targeted them both, though she sung in such a way that no physical harm would be done. Instead the secondary effect would be all that triggered. And that was all that mattered. As she sang, the other two would hopefully find their awareness of her drop by a significant amount, her motion causing her to almost blur into the background. She then layered a secondary jutsu into her voice, singing in such a way only those of her blood could do, her song immediately boosting her ability to hide herself, fading into stealth as she sang. Her form would seem to shimmer into nothing as she disappeared from their awareness. Her song filling the space as if it had no source, because for all purposes, it didn't.

She was one with everything.

[Used Deaf (C-rank Audial Genjutsu), followed by False Surroundings (E-rank Visual Genjutsu)]

 

[Okada Kaji]

In response to Kimi he declared "ladies first" and awaited her best display of prowess, she he'd end up clobbered in comparison. Jomei withdrew into silence after his brief interaction with Kimi, listening intently as Yuki commenced their lesson. He was overcome with excitement and hints of neurotic nervousness that made him him twitch and perspire. Upon his sensei's cue, Kimi obliged and performed first. She began to resume her alluring melody, adding a soft hymn that completed her delightful tune. Her tune was enthralling, diminishing Jomei's alertness as he fell victim to synesthesia. The shade of the tree line spread and danced in the wind, waving specks of light of Kimi until she faded from sight and perception.

Jolly as he was, Jomei issued an applause to Kimi, thoroughly impressed by her jutsu. He'd never witnessed a genjutsu before, and was even more impressed to witness her vanish in plain sight. He'd hardly realized that a genjutsu had been used on him, and simply thought she knew an invisibility jutsu. He was so impressed that he had to ask shout "that was awesome", and began to pace about in search for the source of the music that was everywhere yet nowhere. The display was like a magic show, filled with a wonderment that inspired Jomei. Knowing zero ninjutsu was going to create a challenge for Jomei this day, but he still had the talent survive Yuki's lesson.

Though he hadn't learned any valuable ninpou yet, Jomei came prepared to employ the stealth techniques he did know. Clutching a handful of smoke bombs from his equipment pouch, Jomei was quickly hatching a plan of sorts. Unwisely, he revealed a bomb within his hand by pitching it at Yuki like a major league fast ball. Rather than foolishly aiming for his instructor only to have it slapped away, the bomb smashed against the tree she stood upon, blanketing her position in a plume of gray smoke smelling of sulfur. Rather than blanketing himself as expected, he sought to blanket the opponent's vision and make his escape that way. Though evading his bomb wouldn't challenge Yuki too much, that second of reaction would offer Jomei the opportunity to escape her field of view and scurry into the many trees for cover. Tucked within the foliage above, Jomei settled in place and hid from view, nervously watching one or two leaves fall due to his disturbance.
---------------------------
- Used Smoke Bomb x1 | Reduces Yuki's accuracy rating -0.5 for two rounds
- Entered Stealth Mode: Moderate Cover & Dim Visibility | Jomei's Stealth Value = 74.5

WC403

 

[Yukata Yuki]

Fully prepared for a genjutsu styled escape, Yuki already had her chakra ready to surge her system and cancel the effects. However she observed them first and found them quite well done. Especially the second genjutsu harmonizing with the first. She did not expect the second one which through her for a loop.

Canceling the genjutsu she would give a small golf clap."Well done" she said as she apparently perched on a tree (messiing with ya Jomei, don't remember being on a tree XD). Her applause was interrupted by a smoke bomb smacking next to her head, which she moved to avoid getting hit. A sneak attack smoke bomb was a clever maneuver, and she coughed a bit from the smoke before jumping up into the air. Her own shadows gave her awareness of her surroundings but the boy almost escaped nonetheless. However the leaves gave him away. It was a good attempt. "Good one" She complimented.

"Alright. Next, staying in stealth, what do you do in stealth? I personally stay in the shadows and assist an ally from afar. I can cast genjutsu in a way that does not reveal myself, as well as launch jutsu without being detected through the use of the shadows." She gave them some ideas to work with. "At the end of the class I want a paragraph on things you can do while in stealth. Now while your up there, devise and prepare for your next move. Entering stealth takes your opponent a minute to adjust too. (aka they will not realize and be able to do anything about it the round you go in stealth). "So get ready and show me an emergence. I want to see how you plan to use the dark cover provided for you, and how you take advantage of your hiding spot to attack me" she instructed.

As Yuki talked, the sun rose and gave her dark realm of shadows a hard time. Soon the kids would not have the added cover boosting their success. She flipped her brown hair out of her eyes, performed a one handed sign, and increased the jutsu's strength.

(wc 350 MFT)


( Everyones doing great, keep it up )
( The shadows are slowly fading due to the rising sun. Be quick to take advantage of them! )

 

[Kimi]

Kimi smirked. So now they were to show off their emergence from stealth? That could be quite the fun time. Especially with her abilities. Yuki most likely didn't know the full extent of what she could do, which definately gave her an advantage. Then again, she was probably expecting the unexpected. Of course, Kimi had no real idea what it was that the other student did, being virtually unaffected by such things as smoke bombs, even if they were thrown right on top of her, so she had no real context for why Yuki had moved. Either way, it would have to do. She sped up the song slightly, the tune becoming more of a battle song than a simple melody. Now the real fun began.

Another song would be the first step. Kimi knew she couldn't do much with it, but a single song wouldn't reveal her position. So she sang. As she sang, a copy of herself would appear before Yuki, it's illusionary violin poised in the same playing as she was doing. It wasn't much, but it would hopefully be enough to distract her. She would use that distraction to her advantage, moving behind Yuki, and sending a bullet of sound directly at her. She moved quickly after that, her nimble figure allowing her to all but disappear before she was seen. She spun on her toes, finishing off her dramatic exit from stealth with a slash of sound directly at her teacher. A Genjutsu and two sneak attacks. That's gotta count for something, right? As the slash flew towards Yuki, Kimi ceased her movement, appearing still before Yuki, beside her clone. "Your turn, Jomei!" she called, choosing not to turn towards the direction of the falling leaves.

[aannndd now for what I did and how I managed it: Basic Clone (R1) utilizing the Illusionist ability to not be taken out of stealth. Then sneak attack Air Bullet (Mastered) converted to sound through bloodline utilizing the Stalker ability to not be taken out of stealth. Finally, sneak attack Wind Slash (Mastered) converted to sound through bloodline to bring me out of stealth.]

 

[Okada Kaji]

Yuki's command to show her an attack pierced his eardrum, snapping Jomei out of a panic attack of sorts. His classmate had an exciting combat style with flair and grace. Jomei was slow on the uptake and hesitant to engage his instructor: scatter-brained. He didn't have many tricks up his sleeve to put on display, only the motivation to make it count once he reached striking range. Once Kimi revealed her attack, Jomei circled around through a network of crossing branches, pressing the flexible wood until the leaves fell like snow flurries.

His body was light and nimble as he continuously stalked Yuki's position from above, revealing an agile trait in Jomei and his plan to flank Yuki, no matter her advantage. With Kimi taking the point, Jomei stood a chance to combine efforts and pounce in the wake of Kimi's emergence from stealth. Jomei swallowed the doubt and took action like a daredevil, launching himself from a low-hanging branch with a spool of wire unraveling in his grasp. The feeling of weightlessness took a backseat to the rush of the ground seemingly rising to the occasion as Jomei dropped over Yuki. If only for the time of a single fleeting breath, Jomei could feel the perfection of strategy being realized and placed a hand upon the hilt the short sword upon his back. Jomei knew to give his all against Yuki if he wanted to be impressive like Kimi, and he unleashed his blade with the intent of a downward cutting drop. Yes, it was destined to work if not for a slight bump in his planning- the spool of wire grew taught and the chain reaction that occurred was similar to a fish dangling at the end of the fishing line.

Jomei gave out gritty, struggling yelp and snagged backwards right before he could sling his weapon at the instructor. Not a single hair on her head felt the sting of his blade, and Jomei swung upwards, further away from his goal. The ninja wire was knotted tightly around Jomei's left leg and he began to spin him slowly once the bouncing stopped. He turned from a deadly assassin to a rouge christmas ornament in a matter of seconds. The saw-bladed weapon he wielded so wildly was swung in a circle like a ceiling fan as he tried to free himself from his own trap. Enough squirming happened before he lost grip and the ninjato fell, landing point down in the dirt somewhere between his instructor and classmate. He dangled above them, red-faced and enraged with himself to the brink of tears. He was supposed to initiate his first attack, not dangle like a spider from a web. There were countless stories of ninja who excelled from their academy days, but Jomei wouldn't have that kind of luxury. Were it a real combat scenario, his teammate might have relied on his follow-up combination attack, but there he was, dangling like an idiot again.

"Ugh" he cried out desperately, cherry-cheeked and squirming.

---------------------
WC503

 

[Yukata Yuki]

Yuki was decently caught off guard by Kimi's three in one stealth tactics. She was not aware; even after their spar up the mountain side, that kimi was able to do such awesome maneuvers. The illusionary clone playing music caught her attention, but not long enough to keep her attention. She realized it was a trick, but a split second of her attention being caught was all that was needed. She searched hte area for an oncoming attack, and barely dodged the bullet of sound rushing towards her. "Nice try Kim..." she was cut off as a third attack confronted her and could not dodge.

At the last second a bunch of senbon floated out of her pouch and encircled her like a shield. The slash of sound knocked them in all directions.

Meanwhile the kid in the tree was making his attempt off of Kimi's successful attack. He might have succeeded considering Kimi left him a great opening, but when he ended up caught in his own ninja wire hanging hopelessly above Yuki, it was all she could do to keep from falling over backwards and face palming. Before she could frown and go help the boy down, one of the senbon flown off by Kimi's sound wave had shot straight up in the air. As it came down, it rushed through the ninja wire. The boy would fall from his trap. He obviously needed to practice that maneuver better.

all the senbon floated back into the position designated for them in her pouch. "You both had an excellent time entering stealth, however Jomei I'm afraid you will need to work on your exit. One last test remains to prove your understanding of stealth. Back to the classroom and you need to write a paragraph on the uses of stealth other than combat. I don't want to hear about its capabilities in fleeing a battle either. she instructed them, and then led the way to the classroom.



Used Sinister steel
( -1 point for Jomei! Will he pass? depends on this paper! )

 

[Kimi]

Kimi held back a laugh as she heard Jomei tumble to the ground. It shouldn't be funny. His attack being successful could have been the difference between them beating an opponent, and coming to an unexpected end of their life. It was an important lesson to learn. She was just glad he learned it now rather than on the field. Knowing full well that he was probably feeling terrible about the whole thing, she walked over to him and held out a hand. "You did well." she smiled, offering to help him up. If he accepted, she'd do so, before continuing. "That last trick would have worked great!" she tried to be encouraging. It wasn't her strongest characteristic, but then again, she was trying to better herself after all. She packed her violin in it's case, and nodded, signaling to Yuki that she heard the instructions. A paper on stealth and it's uses outside battle. That would be a fun one. Kimi figured Yuki wasn't looking for something as obvious as sneaking around without being seen. She'd have to work on making it perfect.

Then again...what other uses were there to stealth besides the obvious ones...

Kimi followed her instructor back to the classroom, her head busy with trying to figure out what to write about. She found herself a seat, and pulled out some paper, beginning to write. She erased her work a few times, trying to figure out the best way to go about the paragraph. It didn't have to be long, she knew that, but it had to be good. She wanted to pass the class, and be impressive. She had to show she was more than just capable at combat, but clever as well. And this was the perfect way to show it.
[spoilername="Stealth and its Uses"]Stealth is a useful tool for any Shinobi, both for combat, and otherwise. While admittedly, the majority of uses for stealth are combat-related, it's also a skill that can be utilized outside of combat. In addition to the obvious use of making yourself more difficult to find, it gives you a distinct advantage in other ways. You can more easily survey the surroundings without having to constantly watch your back for potential enemies. You can easily avoid fights all-together, if that was what the situation called for. Following a target is a lot easier from stealth, especially if you are specifically told not to engage with them in any way. [/spoilername]

It wasn't Kimi's prized work, but then again, she was still a little tired. She stood, placing the page on Yuki's desk. She gave the Yukata a smile, giving the other student one as well, before heading out, and on to the rest of her day.

[mft]

 

[Okada Kaji]

His fall to earth was like a single moment of clarity. Though it didn't take long, the fall from branch to soil was an eye-opening experience of the metaphorical kind. Succeeding as a shinobi wasn't going to be an easy task. The impact of hitting the ground snapped some sense into him, and he laid there for a moment to get some wind in his chest. He laid there, coughing and sputtering while the instructor commenced her closing comments and started sauntering back to class. It was trendy for instructors to be callous at the Academy, but Jomei felt somewhat discarded as Yuki left. What was her rush?

Unexpectedly, Kimi remained to see him to his feet and offered him a hand. Jomei seemed broken and depressed as he lay their; almost a flattened version of himself until he reached up and felt his new friend's grasp. It was as if Jomei were reinflated and good as new. It was Kimi's trouble to notice that Jomei's hands were mildly moist and adhesive to touch. Once he stood Jomei nervously wiped both hands on his thighs, acting as if he simply had sweaty palms. They were always sticky; sticky enough to let him scale walls without the use of chakra.

"Thank you... Kimi" he replied with a nervous kind of appreciation; the embarrassed and exhausted kind.
She was a nice girl and offered him a little comfort, as making it through the academy was hard and no one knew it better than Kimi. Jomei watched her with appreciation as she carefully put her instrument away, acting with pride and care. Her attention turned back to Yuki as the instructor was nearly out of sight, and she walked off before Jomei could find the right words to say. "Way to blow it" he whispered to himself.

Moments later, Jomei crept into the classroom last, already prepared to jot down his interpretation of the art of stealth:
[spoilername="What is Stealth"] I believe that stealth is the key to the shinobi way of war. Stealth movement and reconnaissance allows us to gain intelligence on our opponents without alerting them to our presence. Stealth is the shinobi's way of maintaining control and order on the battlefield. It plants a seed of fear in our foes, and makes the shinobi legend bigger than one being could ever manage. Our enemies know us as their shadow, and expect us to arrive at any moment. Stealth allows us to reassess our threats and coordinate counterattacks when overpowered or overwhelmed. Stealth provides room for tactics, and with the right tactics every battle can be won. With deception on his side, one shinobi can make himself seem like one-hundred and scare off an entire invading force. I may have gotten tripped up today sensei, but I understand the values of stealth arts.[/spoilername]

Jomei placed his letter onto Yuki's desk and packed his things for the day.
He knew he'd pass the class, but one day he'd seek the chance to really prove himself to Yuki; all he needed was a little more time.

WC 514

 

[Yukata Yuki]

Kimi had done exactly as Yuki had hoped. She provided the boy with a sesne of comfort and comradity. Now she had connected herself to him in a small way. It was good for a teacher to bond with their students, but even better for them to come together and feel like a family. The village relied on one another, and the younger generation becoming a unit from the get go was precisely something she was looking for. Way to go Kimi.

Yuki used the time that they were writing their papers to prepare a little take home bit of information for them to reflect on. Though she was sure their papers would be adequate to pass, she often felt like most students forgot the essentials of stealth. Most focused on the enemy aspect and how stealth is used against them. But most forgot how to use it for their own needs. As Yuki wrote on the board, a Projector screen blocked their view.

Once their papers were done she would review them. Jomei seemed concentrated on spying and preparing tactics. He was in the right direction, and he did seem to have some understanding, however he was still caught up on his trip up. Yuki gave him a B+ and handed it back to him. On the top left was a note.

Spoiler

"See me after class if you want some help with your manuever"

She left him an offer that was not mandatory. It would benefit him solely and he wouldn't have to worry about a grade.

Kimi's paper was less of what she was expecting it to be. Maybe because she knew that Kimi was an honorary part of her clan, but she was going to be tougher on Kimi in class. Not that she meant to be, but she expected the best of her. Focusing on following the enemy and avoiding fights were okay concepts, but neither of them nailed it on the head. Surprisingly Jomei had come closest to what she was expecting. Kimi's paper sported a B and she handed it back to her.

"Good news is you both pass, and this class will count towards your graduation. However I will leave you with additional information that may one day save your lives. You both understand the concept of stealth in battle, but neither of you touched the most important parts of stealth." She pulled down the projector screen and let it go. It flew up and flapped in place loudly. The board was covered in diagrams and sentences. "Stealth has many uses, and you did well to highlight some. But here are some more you may not have considered. Resting and healing are important factors in a battle. You could be like many shinobi and fight until you drop, or you could sneak away to take care of your wounds and return at your convenience. Another course of action that you touched on, but did not elaborate on was preparing tactics. This could go as far as sealing jutsu in stealth for quicker use in battle, preparing your equipment for use, coordinating attacks, and even laying traps. " She hoped they started to realize stealth's capabilities better now.

The board covered
.Reconnaissance
.Resting and healing
.Tactical preparation
.Flight from battle
.Team assistance such as genjutsu buffing
. Laying traps
. And sneak attacks.

"Class is dismissed, you both did very well. Any questions, I will be sticking around for a bit. Don't hesitate to ask, this is your future and your life. Take it into your own hands" She smiled brightly at the two. They did do good today.

 

[Okada Kaji]

Once the class ended, Jomei remained for a moment and continued duplicating Yuki's post-lesson notes. They reviewed plenty of facets to the art of stealth during the brief lesson, and they had done enough for a single session. The +B on his paper was enough of a success to tide him over to the next class. Jomei couldn't help but feel a lingering sense of failure since he missed his mark during the last exercise. Kimi packed and made an exit, and Jomei stayed, approaching Yuki to ask for a little more help. Her offer to help him improve was a welcoming gesture, and he developed faith. Yuki cared.

It took an awkward silence filling the room to push Jomei into snagging Yuki's attention. He approached the desk space, and sought her attention with a kind gesture. "Thank you for today's lesson, Yuki-sensei."
Standing so close to her, Jomei began to notice things about his instructor; like how she was only a few years senior to him. But she seemed so mature; was it her shinobi experience shining through?

Jomei came to her with a warm glow about him, but it was presumably due to his passing grade. "Today you taught me a big lesson about how to make my decisions count during a fight. If the situation was real, I would have missed my only window to attack. I don't want to make a habit of screwing up."

There were things that needed to develop and change for Jomei, and he just needed a little push in the right direction. For starters, the ninjato weapon is an out-dated and obsolete weapon to shinobi. Jomei toted it because of tradition but he had no training. He received it as a gift from his father for joining the academy, but the weapon was a bit too large for him at thirteen. Yuki's guidance could find a new tactic for Jomei, one he could show promise with some development. "Can you teach me how to do something cool like you, or even Kimi maybe?"

It didn't take a veteran to tell that Jomei wasn't the type of student to excel in genjutsu. He wasn't prepared for advanced abilities so soon, but he had potential with some creative guidance. It was the teacher's difficult task to find the latent talent in her pupil. Jomei looked to her with a glimmer of hope in his eyes, hope that she'd share one of her secret techniques with him.