The Bare Basics [Tutor]

[Shouyu Hoshi]

Hoshi was squandering about in the library for some reading tools. The basics, the bare minimum, the introductory stuff. He recalled a good friend of his that he met when he first returned home. Ikko, yes, the young Shinobi reminded Hoshi of himself so long ago. He was talented in his physics abilities though, lacked the literate side of things such as, reading and writing. Hoshi picked up a few books on, grammar, alphabets, picture books, and blank sheets of paper with writing utensils. After Hoshi checked out with a smile at the receptionist desk, he tossed all the materials into a napsack and slung it over his shoulder.

He began to head out over to Ikko's known residence as stated on the academy roster. He was thumbing through a picture book, filled with colors, large lettering and pictures, he was stumped though. How was he going to teach him how to read? He could repeat the process his parents taught him, but that was so long ago with school, it was buried deep in the back of his mind. The process became second nature that he just forgot how he learned, just know that he did. He soon arrived at the front step with a sudden stop and a slight gasp almost passing the residence.

It then dawned on him, this was going to be a slow grind so, taking it step by step with patience was the only route. Hoshi was more than pleased to be helping someone else, so with a smirk and final deep breath, Hoshi knocked.

*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*

He could only hope Ikko was home at the time and had the chance to study for a bit. Hoshi would stand with his arms crossed looking around, almost lost. He exhaled deeply, the cool air soothing his lungs. He had for sure missed home, and was glad to be back.

315

 

[Funai Ikko]

Ikko was a boy who, above all else, was remarkably and ridiculously stubborn. It was somewhat by happenstance that the boy discovered his second elemental preference, but unlike with Fuuton he was enjoying a little bit more of a block when it came to fully grasping the use of it however. Unlike Fuuton, where the very thing he would make a weapon was, quite literally, everywhere around him, Suiton did not have that advantage. He would need to physically create water to be able to effectively use a water technique or he would, somehow, need to be lucky enough to have one nearby, which did not seem especially practical a requirement since he had no way to control where or when he was fighting. But still, he was trying to completely self teach himself this time, he did not have Bosu Sama here this time to guide him. It made it much more challenging, but at the very least he could adapt some of the lessons she taught him.

So there Ikko sat, in his room, in solitude, with a bucket of water. The boy sat on his bed before the bucket set upon the floor and formed a seal trying to manipulate the water before him. He wasn't having all that much luck with it but after some time, he had managed to make the water shift and sway in the bucket and then, suddenly, he managed to make the water shoot up and writhe in the air, as if it were a snake and a soft little laugh of joy escaped him at his accomplishment.

Then...something ill advised happened. Ikko was strong for his age, but control was something he still had not quite "mastered." A knock on the door surprised him, he never really had visitors, so the sudden noise caught him completely off guard and without willfully being able to control it, the mass of water he had slowly been pulling in to the air was flung toward the door on instinct, a torrent of water blowing through the door and intending to crash in to and through whatever was on the opposite side of it. Ikko, catching his wits, shot out after the torrent of water to see who was at his door...hoping he hadn't hurt them on accident.

[384]

 

[Shouyu Hoshi]

Hoshi waited only a few moments before a stirring round began to rumble. It made inquisitive toward the sound, so much he leaned into the door and placed an ear on it. It definitely sounded as if someone was inside, that was clear. Although with that fact, there was a delayed answer which was quickly made. Water burst through the door, as if destroying a barrier and hit Hoshi smack dab in the chest. The pressure from the water blast catching him off guard sent the young shinobi flying into the wall with a sick thud. During the process of collision, some of his books fell out the bag.

Hoshi recollected himself quickly, shaking his head and the excess water from himself. He looked up to find Ikko, and was he the cause of this jutsu? Hoshi looked around, left to right, peeked inside, furrowed his brows and fell back to the wall with a sigh. He shrugged it off, gathered his books and slung the sack of his shoulder once more. He looked up to Ikko.

"So, I see you've got water jutsu down just a bit huh? That's good. I came here to help you on something critical Ikko... reading and writing."

Hoshi pulled out a large book, it was one with pictures, and large words broken down for pronunciation purposes. It was basic stuff, to help Ikko put together small things and discover another thing entirely.

"Mind if we go in? It won't be a one day, one week thing. We will have to work on it some more, but this will be a good start for you! This one is easy to read, and comes with corresponding pictures."

Hoshi began to point out colors, and their matching image, as well as words and their particular group such as, nouns, pronouns, verbs, etc. It even had animals, the large print words easy to see and define. Hoshi held the book up in plain sight.

 

[Funai Ikko]

Ikko had made his way to the doorway when he saw Shouyu squished against the wall by the very thing that once guarded that very arch. Adopting a rather sheepish look and scratching the back of his head, Ikko moved to try and help his senior up to his feet. It was not thaaat much of an accomplishment since he wasn't exactly expecting to be attacked by his junior's door and it was even something more of a detriment because he in now way meant to send the water at Shouyu...but he couldn't help being a little proud that he was able to bowl over a more accomplished shinobi than himself. That did beg the question though, why was Hoshi here? Was it to teach him some new cool technique? To teach him how to throw a Kunai through a man's head or to pulverize a boulder with his forehead? Maybe he would finally get to fight that damn bear that Bosu-sama promised him, that'd be amazing! Of course, it'd also not be what Hoshi was here for and Ikko was not quite sure his spirits had ever plummeted quite that hard.

Ikko grumbled an acceptance of his entry before following him inside, not even bothering to hide his disappointment at the sincerely non-ninja thing they were doing. It was difficult to get excited for the mundane when you were constantly immersed in the extraordinary. Ikko was learning how to fling both water and wind around as if he were an especially petulant hurricane and Shouyu wanted him to learn words...there were very few things in this world that would be less enjoyable that he could think of. What's worse, Shouyu made it quite clear that this was not going to be a short term venture, they were going to be at this for quite a bit of time. So, with a soft grunt of discontent, Ikko sat himself down opposite the Hyuuga and tried his best to pay attention to the lessons he had for him. It wasn't as difficult as it could be, there were pictures after all, and despite the boy's normal disposition and personality, he was rather bright, grasping the written version of the language he already spoke was not especially difficult. However, his boredom was getting more and more evident as they went and finally, it boiled over.

"Shou, how is this going to help me fight a bear? Can we go fight a bear?"

[410]

 

[Shouyu Hoshi]

Ikko seemed less than pleased about the study lesson. Hoshi chuckled at the sight, he would only expect so much. Even though it seemed like a burden, Ikko didn't allow himself to be encumbered by the task. A couple flips through the book and he seemed on task, picking up on things quickly. Hoshi ran through about half of the first book before he noticed Ikko's boredom. Hoshi sighed, he had no plan of action against this and thought quickly. Just at that moment Ikko spoke about fighting a bear. Hoshi chuckled at the young Shinobi and have a quick a definitive answer.

"Reading and writing will help you to communicate more efficiently. Comprehension of such things will help you to work well with teams, and decipher scrolls to further you abilities. Later on, you'll be placed in situations where this is needed. There may be something you cannot read, and that hindrance could prevent a mission's success, or a comrade's safety. You might even find yourself in a sticky situation, far from home and outside of radio communication. Sending a letter about your whereabouts and situation could be the balance between life and death. It's not hard once you get the hang of it all."

Hoshi then brought a basic scroll with pictures and large words. The scroll contained a jutsu of no particular element. It was a move called "Cancel", which was used to combat genjutsu users. It would have words saying.

"Stop... Chakra..."

With a big hand for the sign stop. The pictures would differentiate a normal chakra system and its flow, compared to a chakra system disrupted by genjutsu. It would be color coded, the genjutsu being a bright red, clearly obstructing the system. The last chakra system was one without flow, and it would reveal the red chakra fleeing. It would explain that to cancel a disruption is to cancel your chakra for a moment, and continue.

322 wc

 

[Funai Ikko]

"So what you're saying is that this won't help me fight a bear at all?"

Still, he stayed focused, or at least as focused as he could reasonably be. As they continued though and as Ikko started to put together more and more of what the subject matter of the scroll was, his attention sharpened and his bored expression shifted to one of intense focus and determination so quickly a blink would cause it to be missed. A lot of things made a lot of sense to Ikko because they, ultimately, followed rules he was familiar with. Things can go forward, back, up, down, left, right and they could stab, shock, slice, burn, cut, etc. Even with the fantastic powers people were capable of, these facts were more or less immutable. A world full of people who could breathe fire, cut something across the room with fire, or blow a hole through a wall with a mass of water were all...still contained within the physical laws of the universe. He could understand what he was seeing and dealing with.

The form of technique that terrified him most however, did not need to adhere to those laws. This branch of technique could rob the target of their understanding of those rules, to manipulate and toy with them and rip away their concept of reality. Ikko was never one for following rules, but he liked knowing where the rules were, where the lines we drawn...a world where those lines were anything but definite terrified him. Genjutsu terrified him. He created his reality, he named himself, he drew the lines...someone or something being able to take that from him was the scariest thing he had ever heard. Ikko couldn't read the page, not fully at least, but he did intuitively understand what he was looking at, and the mingling of fear and harsh focus became rather present. Ikko pointed at the picture highlighting how to disrupt your internal sense of chakra.

"Shouyu, how do I do this?"

[334]

 

[Shouyu Hoshi]

"Unfortunately No, Ikko, this won't help you defeat a bear. Sharpening your use of that water you did earlier will. But in order for you to do that, reading will be the ultimate guide to do so. Here this scrolls explains.."

Shouyu pointed to a paragraph. Skillfully written and worded. These words would be difficult for Ikko to read, so Shouyu would articulate them slowly.

"Under the effects of a genjutsu, if one is aware of the disruption of their chakra, canceling the flow of your personal network but stopping the cycle of chakra temporarily, could dispel weaker genjutsus."

Hoshi then pointed to the picture of disrupted chakra. And then the picture of still chakra, attempting to dispel the genjutsu.

"I cannot perform genjutsu well, nor do I know any genjutsu. Although, I've been under several. There also genjutsu which affect different senses. For instance, kinetic and visual. They are dangerous because, if one isn't adept in genjutsu, you most likely won't pick up on the effect, although you will feel it."

Hoshi leaned back and scratched his head, trying to explain the phenomenon. He looked up to the ceiling and snapped at a thought.

"It's almost like, pulling a muscle, under adrenaline rush. You know it's there, but don't fully comprehend what is going in because you're too in the moment. Jutsu like this are helpful in those situations."

Hoshi pointed out the canceling chakra once again. He traced through the chakra network with his finger to Ikko.

"Here, the Shinobi has paused all flow of chakra. This could cause the disruptive chakra to do the same, and expunge itself from your body. Or if the genjutsu is too strong, it could still overpower you. Luckily, bears don't do this. So you'll have to use wits and your own strength."

301

 

[Funai Ikko]

The fact that Ikko did not immediately turn off to go back to practicing his water techniques after Shouyu admitted that it was more useful than that whole reading business for tackling bears was all the verification that was needed that Genjutsu absolutely terrified the boy. Ikko watched him as he spoke with a rapt sense of attention that Shouyu had never seen from the boy before. His eyes narrowed in agitation as Shouyu explained what being under a genjutsu felt like, it wasn't quite as terrifying as Ikko had trumped up in his mind, but at the same time he wasn't sure how good at genjutsu the people Shouyu fought were, maybe they just all sucked and that was why it seemed much more timid than the horror stories he heard. A soft hum escaped him as he processed his words.

"Can you teach me how to break them?"

Ikko's look of determination was almost awe inspiring, he looked almost mad at the very concept of genjutsu, like it was a long lost grudge he needed to collect on. He wanted to be able to protect himself from what he considered a rather vile practice and the idea that he didn't understand how was completely and utterly despairing to him. The boy was mad at the situation, intensely, but he was definitely the kind of person who fought to push through obstacles instead of rolling over and letting them pass him by. But still, Ikko was still Ikko, and the next words were clearly going to come out regardless of what the actual conversation entailed.

"Then can we go fight a bear?"

[273]

 

[Shouyu Hoshi]

Ikko seemed to be agitated about the talk of genjutsu. Hoshi couldn't pinpoint wether or not the child was bored or frustrated. But Hoshi continued until he asked if he could teach him. Hoshi paused and looked at him with a blank face.

"Oh? Well, yeah sure."

Hoshi formed a tiger seal and began to manipulate the chakra inside. He felt the flow and zoned in on it completely.

"Feel your chakra... feel it's coursing motion. Meditate on that feeling, and atop it, temporarily. Not for too long, it'll cause some uneasy feelings for you."

Hoshi canceled his chakra, only for a few seconds, and allowed it to run its natural course. He then spoke.

"It's almost like, stopping the flow of your blood. Pausing your heartbeat, and shocking your physical back to its normal state. The only way to beat genjutsu is to make yourself, more self aware. In order to do that, you must meditate on your body. That will strengthen your mind, and fortify the relationship between mind and body."

Ikko inquired about fighting a bear once again. Hoshi shook his head and wondered why he would be so interested in a brawl. Then again, he recalled himself being the same way. A chuckle escaped his lips softly as he waved it off.

"First, stop the flow of your chakra. And read to me the c word which gives the name of this jutsu."

Hoshi pointed to the word, it read "Cancel." He waited for Ikko to perform the jutsu of which, Hoshi believed he could do. Maybe the next tutor he would plan to find a bear. If Ikko could prove to read a map, then they could hunt a bear. Hoshi leaned back and crossed his legs, rubbing his chin.

Wc 295

 

[Funai Ikko]

Ikko tried to visualize what he was saying, the same way he had done last time they had had a one on one encounter, and tried to imagine his chakra coursing through him the same way his blood coursed through him, or the same way water coursed through a tree. How would one stop something like that? Well the way it worked last time was like putting a dam in the flow of water, did it work the same way here? Possibly. A good way to disrupt a hose is to pinch off the water and it might follow the same principal here. So he closed his eyes and explored how he himself "felt," which in and of itself was rather strange for him. He never really dedicated that much thought to how he "felt' by just existing and sitting still in general was something of a struggle for him. A soft sigh left him as he crossed his legs and focused, forming the tiger seal before him as he focused on pinching the hose.

Ikko opened an eye and looked down at the page that Hoshi directed him to. It seemed he wasn't going to let him neglect his literary education despite his attention being rather more focused on something else. He grumbled a bit and pointed his tiger seal down at the word, bouncing to each syllable as he mouthed the word before actually vocalizing it.

"Kan...seal."

He closed his eyes again, and visualized the pinching off his chakra hoses once more, his seal raised in front of his body once more. He felt the sensation through his body, as if something was clamping down hard on his very veins, squeezing them, hard. He gritted his teeth as he uttered the word once more, struggling to maintain his composure as he did so.

"Kanseal!"

He had pinched them off completely quickly before releasing it once more. His whole body was sore as the boy fell back, tilting his chair over enough to completely knock it over if the boy's bed did not break both his and his chair's fall. A small groan of pain followed as he picked his head up to look at Shouyu. He knew normally people couldn't see chakra, but he also knew Shouyu was most definitely not normal. If anyone would be able to see if Ikko had managed to mess himself up enough to dispel a genjutsu, it'd be Shouyu.

"Did I do it?"

[411]

 

[Shouyu Hoshi]

"YES! You did it!"

Hoshi cheered and jeered with claps and hollers. Ikko almost looked like he passed out, a good sign of his success. And he almost had the word right. Hoshi chuckled and pronounced it for him.

"Can-cull. The C makes a soft sound like an s, after a consonant, but it sounds hard like a K, when in at the beginning of a word. Your tutor is complete. You're almost ready to fight that bear. I'll see you around Ikko."

Hoshi stood up and collected his books, and bowed at Ikko. He then made his way out where the door used to be.

"You should get this fixed. Haha."

Hoshi laughed and then walked off.

[exit]

 

[Funai Ikko]

Ikko watched as Hoshi made his way from the room and fell back on to his bed, exhausted from both his earlier and current practice session, but still somewhat proud of his accomplishments. Besides, now he was all the more prepared for that damn bear. Well, door first, then bear. Well, no, sleep, then door then bear. And with that, Ikko's eyes closed and he drifted off to sleep, he'd worry about the whole door situation later.

[exit]