Tutor Here, Tutor There [Tutoring Zenaru]

[Tanuki Rinko]

Tomo puckered his lips as he sat upon a wooden bench looking out over the obstacle course. Why did Sonoko have this obsession with forcing him on students? While he was now decently knowledgeable in the ways of the shinobi, and a high enough rank that the children wouldn't pick on him anymore, he still didn't see himself as much of a teacher. His patience was thin for rambunctious kids, he couldn't use water jutsu, and he had two people in his head gabbing away about incest and breasts. If those weren't considered bad enough traits to convince people not to put their children in his care, he didn't want to know what was.

But in the end, it didn't matter. One does not simply say no to Sonoko, especially among the Mochizuki siblings. "The least she could have done was give me more direction. 'Teach the basics'? How much do 'the basics' encompass?" Giving a quick rundown of Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, and Taijutsu was a no-brainer, but should he continue past that? Should I go into the elements? Weapons? Bloodlines? At the last thought, a loud voice boomed in his mind. TRAP! Teach the kid about sparky sparky boom art! Or exploooooosions! Ahahahhaha! A flamboyant voice interrupted her. That does sound like fun Tomo-boy, but I believe displaying your ethereal expertise would be far more enthralling. A screech sounded in response. Noooooooo! Fancy Voice, no one cares about ghosts! Unless those ghosts explode... TRAP! Make exploding ghosts!!! Do iiiiiiiit!!! Tomo placed his fingers in his ears, trying in vain to lessen the yelling in his mind. "Stop shouting. How many times have I told you that it gives me a headache? And if I get a headache, you get a headache." Tomo's face scrunched in pain as he continued to deal with his obnoxious mind companion.

 

[Soratensyu Zenaru]

Soratensyu Zenaru calmly walked toward the obstacle course near the splendid Aurora Eruditio pagoda. The black haired boy had cautiously chosen to bring his clan's heirloom sword, the Zephyr Whisper, since he hadn't yet been assigned any ninja tools. He wasn't sure if he'd need it, but he'd heard some pretty unnerving stories about the life-threatening training sessions that often took place for ninja academy students. The elaborate weapon remained sheathed in its ornate obsidian scabbard, tied to the left side of his tight leather belt that rested on his slender hips. This was his first official training day with an instructor as well, so he made sure to present himself with well-groomed hygiene.

The cool-headed adolescent tried not to look confused as he held an unraveled parchment in both hands several inches from his face, which he'd obtained in the mail the night before from an individual who signed it as Sonoko. He squinted, turned the paper, and examined the message from different distances and angles as he tried to make out the few words that had been scratched out. 'What is this... Something about... A mouth on a hand?' He lowered the paper in his left hand, and scratched his head with his right as he continued to walk toward the given destination. 'My mouth on his hand, maybe? What is this... some kind of chivalrous intent? Like when a highly honorable figure greets a maiden with charm?'

Zenaru sighed, stashed the paper in his left coat pocket, and slumped his shoulders as he continued to contemplate the part of the message that had been inked out. 'Is this is a test? To see through the deception of the marked out words? To show my new instructor that I could decipher a hidden message for a deeper meaning? A simple error? Something that wasn't meant to be seen?' His eyes narrowed on the path as his thoughts continued to race in curiosity for the impartially revoked phrase, completely unaware of this tutor's physical condition. 'Maybe this - Sonoko - wrote it without realizing what she was writing before it was too late? Or perhaps she is hinting at something I need to be aware of, so as not to be surprised? Perhaps just one sibling ranting on about the other without concern for...'

The thought of a sibling tore a sharp memory of his older brother through his uneasy mind. He could vividly recall his mother and brother as they intentionally ended their own lives. A despondent demeanor crossed his facade as he could feel the handle of Zephyr Whisper when he'd yanked the cold hard blade from the gut of his former sibling. A brief sweep of grave grief washed over him like a tense wave. 'Why did you fools think that was the only way? Why was that your only option in the end?' He closed his eyes to stop unwanted tears short in their tracks, and then breathed deeply to take control of the unwelcome emotions that tortured his willpower.

Zenaru's hands rested in his long coat's pockets as he turned the last few corners to where a lone and conflicted figure waited at the obstacle course. The new academy student managed to regain focus and control from his earlier negative nostalgia as he approached from a distance with a gloomy brood. 'That hair... this must be Sonoko's brother, Tomo.' The man seemed to have experienced either some kind of internal dilemma, or he could communicate with someone that the teen was unable to sense. 'One of those who had a traumatic experience, she'd noted... Possibly a split personality? Talking to himself? Schizophrenic? Hmm... Best take this Sonoko's advice, and avoid mentioning it. Surely she must trust him enough not to snap if she's paired us together.'

The boy recalled the two struck out words he could read from the mail he'd received: mouth, hand. 'Or maybe it was hands? Still, I won't make the first move. I'll show my patience, and be prepared for the courteous kiss on the back of the hand, IF - he presents a down-turned palm to greet with. Then again, maybe there's more to those hands of his... in which case, we might not even shake hands.' Zenaru stopped several feet from the femininely handsome man who was to be his tutor, but kept his hands in his pockets for the moment. With a deep and pleasant tone -- he simply asked, "Tomo?"

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

Tomo heard an unfamiliar voice call his name, though it sounded rather distance. It took him a moment to realize that it was due to the index fingers lodged in his ears. He popped them out and looked to see a young teen, or so he assumed, standing a short distance away. Tomo rose from the bench and gave an apologetic smile. "Ah. My apologies. I hope you weren't standing there long." The Mochizuki eyed the boy, gauging his skill level as best he could. The boy had a sword, that was good, though he didn't appear to have any of the generic gear, such as kunai or shuriken. Tomo would need to investigate whether this was by choice or not.

However, first were introductions. Tomo gave a bow of his head. "I am Mochizuki Tomo, as I'm sure you were informed. And you are Soratensyu Zenaru I take it." Remembering names was one of Tomo's strong points. He placed a hand on his hip. "I was asked to cover the basics with you, but before I begin I would like to know what knowledge you already possess. It would be rather wasteful to go over information you previously learned. So tell me what you know about shinobi. What we do, how we do it, et cetera." Tomo gave a small smile. "Don't be afraid to say you don't know. Admitting your lack of data now will only strengthen you later."

 

[Soratensyu Zenaru]

Zenaru respectfully bowed in response to Tomo's bow. "Yes, I am Soratensyu Zenaru. It is a pleasure to meet you." He paused, pondered his knowledge on the subject of what he knew about ninjas, and considered the few things he knew about their ways. "Well, I haven't exactly had a real class yet, and I was raised in a family of samurai that no longer exist..." He hesitated, uncomfortable with the memories of his clan's demise, and his eyes fell to his feet.

'No... there's no reason to dwell on that here. This is my chance to turn all that around, and make a better future for myself.' The teen nodded, and returned his attention to his new instructor. "But I did spend some time studying what materials I could before I was accepted. I know a little bit about chakra control, though not enough to really do much with it. I know that many shinobi are capable of using their chakra to manifest elemental abilities and non-elemental utility, such as running on water or body switching." His former expression of slight depression began to shift with the pensive distraction.

"I've seen around the academy that kunai and shuriken are common tools used by ninja, though I have yet to obtain my own set." He took his right hand from his coat pocket, placed it on his chin, and looked to the clouds above. "Let's see... there's also ninjutsu, which I don't know much about. Genjutsu, I think? Something about illusions?" The boy shook his head, shrugged, and placed his hand back in his coat pocket. "But I'm more interested in ninjutsu than genjutsu. And then there's taijutsu."

The adolescent's golden eyes trailed to the elaborate heirloom sword sheathed at his side, then returned his gaze back to his tutor's eyes. "Though, I'm already familiar with taijutsu. Of the three, I'd prefer to learn more about the hand signs I studied, balancing chakra control properly, and channeling the two to create ninjutsu." He nodded with a confident shut of the eyes with his choice of interest between the three different jutsu types, then opened his expression once more to reveal a less interested demeanor. "And then of course there's all the political stuff, different ranks, mission assignments... I know enough about that stuff for now, though I'm sure I could use some more study time with those topics at a later time."

The semi-uninterested facade became serious as Zenaru steeled his resolve, calmly eager to learn whatever his sensei had in mind. "I don't really know much, but I figured it'd be best to familiarize myself with at least an idea of what ninjas are about when I chose to apply for the academy. Whatever you wish to teach me, I am prepared to follow your instructions." The boy was mostly sure of himself, but still uncertain of the kinds of tasks he'd be given this early in his training. Still, he was only an academy student, and trusted that Sonoko had the best of intentions for the pair that she'd decided would benefit most from a one on one tutor session.

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

Tomo listened patiently to Zenaru's answer. He already liked the boy, finding his calm demeanor a breath of fresh air compared to the rash, hyperactive, and disrespectful children that he had interacted with before. Once the young teen was finished, Tomo closed his eyes in contemplation. "Hmm...that is definitely a good start and saves me explaining things you are already aware of." Tomo's eyelids lifted, and he held Zenaru's gaze. "I don't have a standard set of weaponry on me at the moment, but after our lesson I will set you up with some temporary gear. Before that, Ninjutsu. It is one of the more unique abilities shinobi have, and is something many of us rely on heavily. It will be a fine thing to start with." Tomo rubbed his chin, pondering how best to handle this lesson. It was a very broad topic after all.

Deciding on a course of action, the Mochizuki motioned through a set of handseals, and black liquid gushed from one of his pouches. It swirled over the ground in a tornado before taking the form of a jet black Tomo. "Let's learn the most basic ninjutsu. It is an essential jutsu that will save you a lot of pain if you can master it." Tomo stood still for a moment before instantly switching with the black Tomo. It was impossible to follow the motion. "That was known as a Body Switch. Shinobi utilize this jutsu to switch places with their clones, a Kawarimi Target, or even the enemy's clones if fighting against another shinobi. I'm sure you can already see its valuable. Ideally we want to get you good enough with the jutsu to use it without handseals. But to start, let's make use of them to boost your strength of the jutsu, making it easier to perform it. Not to mention it will get you accustomed to the gestures."

Tomo very meticulously showed Zenaru the handseals required for the Body Switch. Luckily it was a short set. Next Tomo went into a small lecture on chakra control. "To be honest, there are many different ways to view chakra. I like to think of it as a pure energy within me, radiating from my core. When I want to use a jutsu, I push that energy outward, wherever I need it to go." Tomo motioned for his ink body-double to take a spot beside Zenaru. "I would suggest imagining your energy pushing towards the ink clone. See the body switch in your mind. That image should eventually help you conjure this jutsu without handseals. A mere thought will trigger it." Tomo took a seat on the bench. "When you feel comfortable, give it a try. There's no need to rush. Pushing yourself too hard will just tire you out or cause you harm." Memories stirred of the last tutor session he'd participated in. He subconsciously rubbed the side of his head where a chakra blast had rattled his brain. He lightly mumbled under his breath. "Or cause me harm."

For this thread, don't worry about owning the jutsu to use it. Think of this as a way of learning it, so you get a freebie use.

 

[Soratensyu Zenaru]

'Good thing I practiced my form with the different hand seals when I had the chance...' The youthful ex-samurai silently and diligently followed along with his mentor as the pair rehearsed the necessary signs to execute the Body Switch jutsu. He felt pretty confident with his cadences as they finished the first part of the exercise, and nodded with a sound of affirmation as the tutor made his way to sit. 'Alright... no need to rush... And...' He looked back up to Tomo as the young man rubbed his head with a seemingly subtle expression of... 'Concern? What kind of students has he had to work with anyway? Surely I'm not his first?'

Zenaru took in a deep breath as he turned to face the clone that he'd been instructed to switch with. 'Clones... I read about them as well, but I didn't see much about ink in there... this guy is definitely -- interesting.' The black-haired boy closed his eyes, held the first hand seal in concentration before his chest, and lowered his head as he turned his senses inward. The internal void of his mind cleared as he pushed away the unnecessary background noise of haunted memories and worrisome thoughts.

'Okay, time to focus on my chakra. Pure energy...' A short series of moments passed as he searched the darkness of his emptied conscious to articulate an imaginary silhouette of himself. The faded outline of his physique slowly crept through the abyss of his visualization to show him a thin outline that represented his centered concentration. He could feel a sensation of energetic pulses that churned and bubbled wildly at his core with unbridled restraint, and attempted to pinpoint the vivacious essence into a less excited intensity. A gentle calm washed over him as he visualized the blue ethereal flames of chakra into a diminished sphere.

The restless pit of eager anxiety smoothed into a controlled motion that rotated comfortably within him, and then he moved on to the next phase of his tutor's advice. With his internal energy purified, the teen then pushed the strands of the invisible substance toward the stationary clone of Tomo. Zenaru struggled momentarily as the intangible tendrils escaped forcefully from him, and then extended to reach toward his instructor's clone. It wasn't long before he managed to manipulate the strands far enough to wrap the copy of Tomo with the focused chakra, and then his patience paid off as the opportunity he sought finally presented itself.

Zenaru's eyes beamed open with steadfast determination, and his hands flashed near flawlessly as he initiated the Body Switch. The youth could feel his chakra once more as it poured from him completely, and joined his material form in time to catch up to his switched body. He heaved heavily as every molecule in his body seemed to hesitate in the wake of his first successful matter swap. He held the final hand seal with a faint shake, and kept his attention on the clone as he attempted to recenter his riled core of turbulent chakra.

The wind felt as though it had been essentially knocked out of him, but the immaterial essence began to balance out once more as the teen dropped the hand seals in order to plant both hands on his thighs for support. "That..." A deep inhale was followed by a quick and shallow exhale. "Was my first time..." Zenaru steadied his breaths, and gradually aspired to resume his original posture as his golden eyes trailed back to the first Tomo. "But it was a satisfactory experience... even if it did leave me a bit winded..."

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

Tomo nodded his head in approval. "Good for your first time. Some kids pass out after their first jutsu, so you're already one step ahead of them." Tomo failed to mention he happened to be one of those kids long ago. He scooted over on the bench. "If possible you should remain standing, since you can't sit down in the middle of battle. But this isn't battle, and I won't judge. Admitting your limits is important in the beginning. You can't get stronger if you die at the starting gates." Tomo looked up at the cloudy sky as he wondered where next to take this lesson. Zenaru needed a moment of rest, so learning another Ninjutsu would have to wait. Teach him about explooooosions! Tomo frowned at this interruption of his thoughts, but Aitouka did have a point. One of the big staples of Ninjutsu was its connection to the elements, so Tomo decided to pursue that portion next.

"While you catch your breath, why don't we talk about the different Ninjutsu elements? All people, even those with the tiniest bit of chakra, have a natural affinity towards an element or two. The five base elements include Earth, Fire, Lightning, Water, and Wind. You just performed a Non-Elemental Ninjutsu, which is just pure energy. Combining those elements, and lack of elements, will lead to Advanced Elements." Tomo motioned towards his ink clone, and it melted into a liquid before returning to his pouch. "I have a strong affinity in Lightning and Wind, giving me control over Ink." Tomo shrugged. "I don't completely understand, but there you have it." Tomo looked to Zenaru. "It is also possible to push yourself towards an affinity as well through diligent training. So tell me, is there an element you are interested in? Or perhaps you would like to learn more of the Advanced Elements? They won't be useable until farther in your training, but learning of them now at least wouldn't hurt." He better want to hear about explosions!

 

[Soratensyu Zenaru]

Zenaru continued to steady his breaths as his hands rested on the sides of his hips to help alleviate some of the pressure that still lingered after the Body Switch. A slight smile and nod followed the compliment from his instructor, but he felt he could endure the stress on his body and chakra; well, as long as he kept his hands on his hips, and continued to slouch his upper frame with their support for a few more minutes. He returned to a serious expression, and nodded along with Tomo's lesson on the different chakra elements in such a way as to show that he was familiar with the base elements, but he arched a brow and tilted his head to the side at the mention of the advanced elements. "So then... That ink is...one of the advanced elements?"

The steadfast teen placed his hands on the top of his head, and leaned back slightly as he glanced up to the clouds above. He forced himself to take in a long breath, held it for a similar amount of time, and then exhaled with an equal length to better ease himself back into a somewhat regular pace of respiration. 'What element am I interested in? Well... what could've saved my clan? Probably nothing... But... what would've enhanced their effectiveness in combat? What would've caused them to turn their enemies away to prevent further bloodshed? Something calm and peaceful? Something crude and fearful?'

An explosive war erupted across his vivid imagination. He could envision armies that charged at each other with no intention of retreat. A wide grass field under clear skies that shook under the numbers from both sides. The black haired boy then saw himself atop a vast hill in the distance, displeased yet calm. Jet black clouds began to form in the imagined firmament above, and the field began to darken. 'Is this what I see myself doing in the future?'

A lash of gold lightning struck out from the coalesced clouds that continued to roll together in his imagination, and the blade of light burst into the enemy formation below with an explosion that sent men flying away in every direction. He could hear screams and cries from the foes as more streaks of gold lit up the battlefield. The opposition's numbers were decimated as the storm raged with a ruthless reluctance to cease. 'Is this... really what I would do? Could I ever bring myself to do this?'

His self-image looked on with no emotion across his face as both sides began to pull away from the spontaneous thunderstorm in the conjuration of his imagination. 'Is that my destiny? Fantasy? So much for no bloodshed...' The image faded to black, and then shifted into a series of more explosive scenes in his mind. Bandits and thugs turned away in fear from their heinous deeds against helpless peasants as lighting struck the wooden surfaces around them, which scattered debris into the unworthy men that fled in confused terror. An assassin writhed under a concentrated shock from an older Zenaru, who controlled the element of lightning fluently enough to effectively keep the target alive, if he wished.

The images continued to fade in and out, but only one main element filled his mind. 'Lightning...' A smooth wave of oxygen brushed through his nose as Zenaru slowly opened his golden eyes to clear skies. He steadily lowered his head to Tomo, and placed his hands back into his coat pockets as his shoulders and breaths became stable once again. "Lightning... and storms -- filled with the power to cause spectacular explosions."

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

Tomo remained silent, letting the boy think through his answer. It reminded the man of his own childhood, when these questions were asked to him. Things were easier before puberty, both in shinobi life and everyday life. Finally Zenaru came up with answer, Lightning. Tomo gave a faint smile as he nodded. "Good. That is one of my most trained elements. I should be able to give you some help with that." Aitouka screamed in the Mochizuki's mind. Don't forget explosions! He said explosions! Show him our sparky sparky boom art! He will be amaaaaazed! Tomo closed his eyes to concentrate on ignoring his mind buddy. "Explosions have a strong connection to Fire and Earth, which means if you wish to follow down the path of Lightning, it will take extra training to reach that goal as well. As for storms..." Tomo furrowed his brow. "I'm afraid that would require Water...the only base element I am incapable of using. But there are many shinobi that could help you in that regard. Sonoko herself has skills in Water, and I know a few in the medical branch that lean towards that affinity."

Tomo's face shifted to neutral as he opened his eyes. "But Lightning. Since you wield a weapon, why don't we perform a jutsu that will incorporate it?" Tomo rose from the bench and positioned himself before a practice dummy. He motioned for Zenaru to take a spot to the side so he could watch. Tomo's hands were a blur as he quickly performed a small set of hand seals before holding up his now electrified hand. Miniature sparks leapt from Tomo's palm as he pulled back, then slammed it against the dummy. The sparks transferred from teacher to the dummy, and a faint zap could be heard. Tomo turned to Zenaru to explain. "That was Thunderfist. It is a simple jutsu that allows you to electrify your hands to make your attacks more potent. You can take it a step further and shift that energy to your weapon, making your sword stronger for a single swing." Tomo demonstrated the hand seals required before stepping back so the boy could take his old spot in front of the dummy. "The base elements are an easy concept to grasp. Just watching them in action gives you a concrete image to use while attempting an elemental jutsu of your own. Feel the sparks travel to your hands. Draw your sword and watch the energy relocate to your blade. Then swing." Tomo placed a hand on his hip. "Again, no rush. This will be our last jutsu for the day. It may seem miniscule only knowing two jutsu, but you have many days ahead to learn more. It is best to be a master of some than a master at none."

[WC: 468]
[MFT]

 

[Soratensyu Zenaru]

Soratensyu Zenaru followed along once more with his mentor as they practiced the required hand seals for the next jutsu. The technique that had been displayed seemed familiar to a slash he thought he once saw from some point in his childhood. 'This is... the same as that one day?' The boy stood somewhat stupefied as his past fused with present, and he saw one of his clan's expert swordsmen standing before a similar practice target. The man waited in preparation as he channeled his chakra into his sheathed blade, and then struck out against the target with an incredibly quick draw cut that seemed to be imbued with lightning that faded from the blade before the man swiftly swept the sword back into its scabbard. The vision blurred back to reality as Tomo stepped aside for the teen to take to the task, and Zenaru shook his distracted demeanor back to attention.

"I believe I've seen this before. It seems very familiar to a strike I've seen some of my clansmen use, that is, before they - I mean -" Zenaru shut his eyes, and let out a sentimental sigh. He remained in silence as he stepped in front of the target, though just a few feet further from it than his mentor previously did, in order to adjust for the distance in range between the unarmed strike of his teacher, and what he planned to be a glancing blow with the edge of his heirloom sword. He stood straight, with his shoulders slightly hunched as he formed and held the first hand seal. 'Alright, I'll combine what I learned about swordplay from -- them... With what I learned about the Thunderfist jutsu just now.'

He could feel his chakra bubble and churn once more as he concentrated on the conjuration of his imagination. 'Purify the chakra first...' He calmed his mind, taking in the serene surroundings with his senses to put his eager yet edgy emotions to rest. The flame of light that he visualized at his core began to settle, and it slowly shifted into a bright blue sphere. Next, Zenaru began to shape and shift the chakra with his own natural electrical discharges in an attempt to form the orb into a minimized manifestation of the lightning element. It became difficult for him to hold his focus with every second spent to sustain the concentration of chakra control, so he decided to use the diminishing opportunity to put the Thunderfist jutsu to the test before he lost his chance.

'Alright. First, the hand signs...' Zenaru swiftly executed the proper series of seals with his hands without error, holding the last one to further focus his chakra. 'Next, the lightning...' His arms shook as he sent the prepared chakra from his core to his hands, which trembled through his frame as tiny arcs of sparks trailed internally and externally to their destination. He could feel miniature muscle movements throughout his hands and arms as he held the shakily channeled Thunderfist jutsu in his clasped palms. 'This seems like too much chakra... I can hardly sustain this for much longer...' The boy's demeanor changed to reflect the struggle he was going through to control his chakra, almost as if he were in pain, but he bit down with his steadfast stamina, and pushed through the excess exertion to focus on his next goal.

'Sword... transfer this energy to the Zephyr Whisper...' His hand seal slowly parted with more evidence of stress as he concentrated on the charge that arced back and forth between fingers and palms on their way to the handle of his sword. Right hand gripped the handle, left hand stationed on the top of the scabbard, both still stimulated with tiny trails of lightning. 'Focus...' He imagined the chakra moving from his hands to the blade of his weapon, and controlled the lightning as it jumped in short bounds to infuse Zephyr Whisper. The strain remained as he extended his chakra from his hands to envelop the length of the sheathed blade. Within seconds, the silver steel began to spark with a successful - though over focused - transference of the Thunderfist jutsu.

'Alright, now -- slash!' Golden eyes flashed open as Zenaru tightly gripped the sheath with his left hand, and unintentionally threw too much muscle into drawing the blade into a proper slash. The endeavor had caused his body to become too stressed to form a precise and swift strike like he knew he was capable of, but he still managed to crudely unsheathe the sword with the jutsu intact. The result was an overpowered swing that crashed and stuck into the side of the target; an overcharged dispersal of lightning elemental chakra discharged across the surface of the blade and target before both quickly dissipated with crackles and zaps. Stamina faded from the teen, sapped with the ejection of his concentration. His right knee collapsed to the ground, his left bent and supported the weight of his left arm as he leaned on it heavily. He still clung to the handle of his clan's heirloom weapon, his right hand and arm remained raised above to hold onto the sword that was embedded into the target's side, and his head hung low with exhaustion.

"It seems..." The boy heaved and huffed for breath as his chakra faded away. "...like I still have plenty of progress left..." He found it difficult to speak with the lack of energy that barely fizzled within him, and with the lack of vitality that remained from the over stressed attempt of his Thunderblade variation of the Thunderfist jutsu. "...with basic lightning... before I should even try... any of those other elements..." 'Don't faint, don't faint...' His vision and consciousness rocked in and out with each sway of his body, and he barely managed to keep himself from total collapse. "I think I... might have... overdone that one..."



{ MFT: Week 3 }
{ Words: 1,000 }

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

Zaneru's melancholy was lost on Tomo as the boy mentioned seeing a similar technique from his clansman. Unlike his more nosy siblings, Tomo wasn't one to look through someone's personnel files. For better or worse, the feeling was fleeting, and the boy began to focus on the task at hand. It was well done. Slow, but the fact he could do it at all said volumes about his potential. The man gave a small nod. "Just keep at it. It might be difficult, but get into a habit of practicing these two jutsu at least once a day. With enough time and patience, performing them will become as natural as taking a breath." Tomo lifted two fingers and shot a small bolt of lightning at a dummy, showing no signs of exhaustion. The Mochizuki motioned behind Zaneru. "But that is the end of our class for today. There's a water fountain over there. Get a drink while I prepare those tools you require."

Tomo returned to the bench and removed the leather pouch from his hip. He emptied the contents into his pockets before placed it beside him. He held his hand over his lap, his gaze focused on his open palm. His face narrowed in concentration and the slit on his hand parted, revealing a mouth. He placed some white clay into the opening and the mouth began to chew in response. After a minute, a burst of fire erupted from his palm. After the fire dispersed, Tomo moved his hand over the pouch and flipped it, causing a scorched clay kunai to fall from his hand mouth into the leather carrier. Luckily Tomo had practice with this technique after his training in the Susukino District. The next item he made was a white shuriken. He repeated this process multiple times until the pouch was fit to burst with the two kinds of projectiles.

Spoiler

Tomo's focus now returned to the world around him, and he motioned for Zaneru to stand close. "This should work for now. They should be as durable as any other weapon. Since you are an academy student, you can get normal replacements at the academy for free. But once you graduate, they'll make you pay for them...at a discount at least." Tomo scratched his cheek. "Or I suppose if you really want to, you can come to me and I can make replacements. Who knows? Maybe with enough practice I could give them a special ability or something." Tomo shrugged. "But that is completely up to you. Either way, today was a good day and you should feel proud. If you keep this up, you'll be able to take on any challenge that is presented to you." Tomo held two fingers up, and a purple business card seemed to materialize out of nowhere between them. He handed it to Zaneru. "If you would like more training from me, more weaponry, or want to see a Mochizuki Troupe performance, follow these directions to the Mochizuki Base Camp. It should be easy to find, we're right within the gates." Tomo rose from his seat and gave a smile. "Have a good day Zaneru. And whatever you do, don't let go of that calm demeanor." Tomo furrowed his brows. "We have enough reckless, impulsive kids in this village as it is." Tomo gave a small nod before heading back home.

[WC: 562]
[MFT]
[Topic Left]

Tutoring completed and passed! Congratulations! Go ahead and leave the topic and post ->here<- saying where you would like your 5 stat points to go.

For your weapon, feel free to either make them just regular kunai/shuriken, or you can make them the clay ones Tomo made. If you choose the latter, here is the coding for the image I made:

Spoiler

[img]http://i956.photobucket.com/albums/ae46/ejtheotaku101/Ninpocho/Images%20for%20Others/Clay%20Kunai%20and%20Shurikan%20resize%20and%20border_zpsjlfvt1kb.jpg[/img]

I hope you had fun!

 

[Soratensyu Zenaru]

"Thank you for this gift, and for tutoring me, Tomo." Zenaru gave an appreciative bow as his instructor left for the day. 'So those were the mouths on his hands that Sonoko meant...' The raven haired boy thought back to the message he received before training, and to the hands of his mentor that molded the scorched clay kunai and white shurikens. 'Good thing I didn't try to greet him with a kiss to the hand afterall.'

Soratensyu Zenaru attached the leather pouch to his black leather belt, concealed within his long white coat. He reached into the pouch, testing the efficiency of its placement at the back of his hips, between himself and his coat. Satisfied with the position of the pouch, he then fingered the different tools within the pouch. 'It's a good thing I learned how to throw these when I was younger.' He thought back to a courtyard that he'd practiced in many times when he was a child; the same place he learned to wield blades with skilled proficiency. There were multiple lessons that he learned at that time, though most of them applied to the way of the samurai.

Zenaru shook away the memory before he was overcome with nostalgia. 'Alright, let's see if I can still throw these things.' He swiftly gripped a shuriken, and beamed it through the air with a powerful toss that planted the shuriken next to the scar he'd left in the earlier training dummy. 'Well, not quite a bullseye...' He then reached back into the pouch to pull out one of the scorched kunai projectiles. 'Let's see if I can put this in the middle of the shuriken...' He took aim, and then lashed out with his arm to throw the kunai at the target. With a solid thud, the kunai landed just next to the shuriken. 'Looks like I'll have to work on that, but at least I was close.'

He spent several more hours throwing kunai and shuriken to practice his aim with the projectiles. Satisfied with his training for the day, and after having worked up a good sweat, Zenaru then finally decided to head home for the day after he collected the thrown items. He walked away, examining the purple business card he'd been given by his mentor. 'Don't let go of that calm demeanor...' He dwelled on his tutor's advice, pocketed the card, and looked into the sunset as he made his way home. 'Understood, sensei.'

{ MFT: Week 4 }
{ Words: 423 }
{ Topic: Exit }