Abilities
A-Rank Genin
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1. Mind Overflow
When he came back on solid land, Tetsu's every cell felt like it was vibrating, emanating warmth and imparting clarity for the road that lay ahead. He felt freed, but he didn't know from what. He stood for a moment, on the shore of the ocean that had swallowed up his small boat. He didn't know what to do. His mother was still missing, but he felt some understandable aversion to setting sail once more. The realization that his newfound feeling of invulnerability didn't quite extend to making him any less of a coward when there was anything real at stake made his stomach turn a little.
He decided to go back home. The decision was simple, practical; a day had passed since he first embarked on this journey, and it was possible she had returned in the interim. Unlikely, but possible. More likely, he'd find his father, and, although he hated to admit it, he would appreciate someone on the boat with him in the even that another storm descended on him to send him, this time, permanently to the bottom of that drink.
He ran through the forest at an even pace, stopping occasionally to take small rests as the thought of his underwater vision rolled easily around the dark recesses of his mind. Something was nagging him, tugging at his brain stem, forcing him to sit with the uncomfortable feeling that there was something he had to acknowledge, to understand or recall, but he didn't know what it was. Watching the white sky peer in through the branches, the thought slowly emerged from the underbrush, gaining clarity and form; 'Things are not the same as they were. You're not the same.' He stopped for a moment, only half-understanding what it meant, and trying to burrow deeper into himself to discover the rest of the meaning, when the voice that was simultaneously himself and not himself spoke again. 'Feel fear.'
As soon as he heard the words, he understood what they meant; something indescribable in words, because the instructions imparted were done so instinctively, physically, at the moment of his death. He knew though, what it meant, even if he couldn't describe it. He let the fear pass through him, as if he was becoming one with it. Let it course through every vein in his body. This wasn't the same as overcoming fear, but rather, more like letting fear overcome him, and simply accepting it. As with all genjutsu, this was the substitute for practice. It wasn't as if you'd just flail your arms around and adjust until you got something right. Genjutsu was different from ninjutsu and taijutsu in that regard, in that the technique, the genjutsu, is always sort of performed on the self for practice, and that's how you know when you've discovered or created something new too. This wasn't a new technique though, it was more like a flavour to his technique, a sharpened edge; his death-self imparting it's ability to become awash with horror through all of Tetsu's genjutsu.
Word Count: 509
He decided to go back home. The decision was simple, practical; a day had passed since he first embarked on this journey, and it was possible she had returned in the interim. Unlikely, but possible. More likely, he'd find his father, and, although he hated to admit it, he would appreciate someone on the boat with him in the even that another storm descended on him to send him, this time, permanently to the bottom of that drink.
He ran through the forest at an even pace, stopping occasionally to take small rests as the thought of his underwater vision rolled easily around the dark recesses of his mind. Something was nagging him, tugging at his brain stem, forcing him to sit with the uncomfortable feeling that there was something he had to acknowledge, to understand or recall, but he didn't know what it was. Watching the white sky peer in through the branches, the thought slowly emerged from the underbrush, gaining clarity and form; 'Things are not the same as they were. You're not the same.' He stopped for a moment, only half-understanding what it meant, and trying to burrow deeper into himself to discover the rest of the meaning, when the voice that was simultaneously himself and not himself spoke again. 'Feel fear.'
As soon as he heard the words, he understood what they meant; something indescribable in words, because the instructions imparted were done so instinctively, physically, at the moment of his death. He knew though, what it meant, even if he couldn't describe it. He let the fear pass through him, as if he was becoming one with it. Let it course through every vein in his body. This wasn't the same as overcoming fear, but rather, more like letting fear overcome him, and simply accepting it. As with all genjutsu, this was the substitute for practice. It wasn't as if you'd just flail your arms around and adjust until you got something right. Genjutsu was different from ninjutsu and taijutsu in that regard, in that the technique, the genjutsu, is always sort of performed on the self for practice, and that's how you know when you've discovered or created something new too. This wasn't a new technique though, it was more like a flavour to his technique, a sharpened edge; his death-self imparting it's ability to become awash with horror through all of Tetsu's genjutsu.
Word Count: 509
2. Duelist
When he arrived in the yard, his father was waiting outside for him, uncharacteristically calm, all things considered. 'Your mother's back.' He said, while hammering a half molten piece of metal. Tetsu sped walk to meet her inside, without really knowing what it was he was going to say to her. A strong hand pressed gently against his chest to stop him. 'Not yet', the man said, his tone calculatedly even. 'I want you to fight me.' Tetsu unconsciously stepped back when he heard the words, unable to quite understand their meaning. It wasn't just that the request seemed so shockingly out of place, given his current circumstances, but he couldn't actually find any anger in his father's tone of voice. Although, all things considered, his father's anger may have elevated to a point where Tetsu was simply unfamiliar with it's public face. The thought freightened him, not for the consequences that he might have to endure (he had lost his fear of his father when he drowned, his mind now just catching up to that fact), but he worried about whether or not somthing new might be fueling it. 'Is mom okay?' Tetsu heard himself ask as he tried pressing past his father again to look or go inside, but again, that same bear-like paw pressed down on his chest. 'I'm serious', and his father shot him a glance to prove the point. 'Why/' Tetsu asked, and, an answerless moment later, 'I thought you were a pacifist?'
What he meant by that was, of course, 'I thought you were a coward.' Which is what everyone meant when they referred to Goro as a pacifist. Of course, this was the first time Tetsu had dared said anything so bold, and he wasn't quite sure what brought it out in him either. 'Not today.' Was all his father said before picking up his large hammer and squaring up with the boy. Tetsu had not known his father to be a fighter. Quite frankly, he thought the man had no history at all with violence, but this proved very quickly not to be the case. His father's movements were fluid, his whole body working together to deliver speed and power and coordination from each tendon. He wasn't the most powerful fighter you might ever come across, but he was talented enough to pose a nuissance even for the most veteran of combatants, and Tetsu could see that even in his own amateurish wisdom.
Three quick horizontal swings broke through the air right next to Tetsu's ribs as he quickly retreated, only barely evading them. Without thinking, Tetsu strung together a quick string of handseals to call forth some of his sound monsters, but was interrupted by a hard slam against his fingers by the older man's hammer. 'Try not to blow your load too early' Goro mocked, seeming to read Tetsu's intention to bring out his strongest attack as early as possible. Having been momentarily disheartened, Tetsu stuck to battling it out with fisticuffs with his father, looking for any opportunity he could to take the man's hammer off of him.
Word Count: 529
What he meant by that was, of course, 'I thought you were a coward.' Which is what everyone meant when they referred to Goro as a pacifist. Of course, this was the first time Tetsu had dared said anything so bold, and he wasn't quite sure what brought it out in him either. 'Not today.' Was all his father said before picking up his large hammer and squaring up with the boy. Tetsu had not known his father to be a fighter. Quite frankly, he thought the man had no history at all with violence, but this proved very quickly not to be the case. His father's movements were fluid, his whole body working together to deliver speed and power and coordination from each tendon. He wasn't the most powerful fighter you might ever come across, but he was talented enough to pose a nuissance even for the most veteran of combatants, and Tetsu could see that even in his own amateurish wisdom.
Three quick horizontal swings broke through the air right next to Tetsu's ribs as he quickly retreated, only barely evading them. Without thinking, Tetsu strung together a quick string of handseals to call forth some of his sound monsters, but was interrupted by a hard slam against his fingers by the older man's hammer. 'Try not to blow your load too early' Goro mocked, seeming to read Tetsu's intention to bring out his strongest attack as early as possible. Having been momentarily disheartened, Tetsu stuck to battling it out with fisticuffs with his father, looking for any opportunity he could to take the man's hammer off of him.
Word Count: 529
3. Combat Instinct
By the time they both took their first wind, starting with Tetsu, they had already taken a few serious blows. They were bloodied and bruised, but there was still a non-serious tone to the fight, like the whole thing, despite it's enigma, was a mere exercise in machismo. 'Seems like you've got some training in' his father said between gasps, 'but you're still a simpleton. What good does it do to you to withhold your most powerful techniques until you're tired? Do you think this is a game?' The man tilted the hammer over to rest on it for a moment, continuing, 'Do you know what the most advanced genjutsu technique that exists is?' And, after a pregnant pause, he would go on, revealing his clever little secret. 'It's talking. You can summon whatever you want out of the depths of your mind, but it's only talking that tricks men into marching off to war, and to their deaths.
Word Count: 163
Word Count: 163
4. Summoner
The words rolled around in Tetsu's mind, conferring on him not only the wisdom that his old man had intended, but also some insight into Goro himself. He was enjoying this; the fight. He could resist the pull towards violence as much as he wanted to, and even succesfully retire from whatever it was he did before he came to the forest to smith metal, but it was clear now that he could never quite extinguish that passion for it that he had so clearly tried to do. Goro loved violence, Tetsu could see it in his eyes. Without speaking, the boy responded by throwing an onslaught of handseals together, and again his father swung at his hands.
It had the effect of not only rushing the boy to finish, but also, in so doing, pushed him to the limits of what his next technique was capable of. He summoned a large Ghost Dancer to the field between them, and then ran at his father to throw a decoy kick as he planned how he was going to grab the man's hammer. Instead though, Goro dropped his hammer, a look coming down on his blackened face that Tetsu couldn't quite place. When Tetsu went for a kick, now unsteady from the impression of something strange and powerful coming from his father, his father ignored the kick. Instead, Goro would handily grab the boy by his shirt and punch him in the face.
It was different. The tone of the strike was different, it had the effect of breaking through the illusion of this little game the two were playing, and brought Tetsu back to the present moment. His ghost dancer disappeared.
Word Count: 281
It had the effect of not only rushing the boy to finish, but also, in so doing, pushed him to the limits of what his next technique was capable of. He summoned a large Ghost Dancer to the field between them, and then ran at his father to throw a decoy kick as he planned how he was going to grab the man's hammer. Instead though, Goro dropped his hammer, a look coming down on his blackened face that Tetsu couldn't quite place. When Tetsu went for a kick, now unsteady from the impression of something strange and powerful coming from his father, his father ignored the kick. Instead, Goro would handily grab the boy by his shirt and punch him in the face.
It was different. The tone of the strike was different, it had the effect of breaking through the illusion of this little game the two were playing, and brought Tetsu back to the present moment. His ghost dancer disappeared.
Word Count: 281
5. Shattered Reality
His father turned to leave, right in the middle of the fight. 'What was he doing?' Tetsu thought to himself. He really couldn't reason through Goro's behaviour; a dark cloud seemed to have very abruptly fallen over him, to the point where even something like violence seemed to be dull and unimportant to him. Tetsu reached out to grab his father by the shoulder, but the man instinctively shuddered away from the boy. 'What's...' Before he could finish the though, Goro interrupted, unable, it seemed, to keep the words from spilling out. 'Do you even know what that technique is?' And Tetsu took those words and thought about them for a minute before realizing he didn't even know what the question meant. 'No, I...' And here, the boy was interrupted again, although his words were trailing off from the very beginning.
'Your mother described those monsters outside of her room the other day. That was why she left.'
He paused for a moment here, letting the words he knew his son didn't understand sink in. It didn't matter. 'She didn't know what they were either. She didn't know where they came from.' The man shot Tetsu a knowing glance, as if he was supposed to be able to understand the deeper meaning of that sentence, hidden below the surface. 'Not everyone can perform a technique like that. I can't. Tetsu was staring at him in a confused stupor, unsure of what to do next, and the two of them just stood there, awkwardly trying to avoid eye contact for what seemed like an eternity. When his father spoke again, it would be the last. 'You're an adult now, right? You went to school on your own. Don't come back to this house.' And with that, the man disappeared below the darkness of the house's interior.
Word Count: 313
'Your mother described those monsters outside of her room the other day. That was why she left.'
He paused for a moment here, letting the words he knew his son didn't understand sink in. It didn't matter. 'She didn't know what they were either. She didn't know where they came from.' The man shot Tetsu a knowing glance, as if he was supposed to be able to understand the deeper meaning of that sentence, hidden below the surface. 'Not everyone can perform a technique like that. I can't. Tetsu was staring at him in a confused stupor, unsure of what to do next, and the two of them just stood there, awkwardly trying to avoid eye contact for what seemed like an eternity. When his father spoke again, it would be the last. 'You're an adult now, right? You went to school on your own. Don't come back to this house.' And with that, the man disappeared below the darkness of the house's interior.
Word Count: 313
6. Barrier Mastery
He could feel something welling up inside of him. Not sadness, he expected it to be sadness (if expectation can even be described for something that was only just happening), but his heart was racing a little bit too fast. He could feel himself pulling in a slowly increasing amount of air with each breath. Was this panic? He felt a mixture of confusion and betrayal mixed in with that unknown substance. He thought of his brother, Ryuichi, and knew that whatever happened next, the relationship between the two of them was about to begin along a dark path, where his older brother would be kept from him, where he would be slandered within his own home, unable to defend himself.
Slowly, but certainly, from this point that stood like a fatalistic anchor upon which part of his life would turn, Tetsu knew that what stood behind him was immediately archived as a kind of section of his life, for this was the power that parents had over their childrens' fates. The rug had been tugged out from under him, and he felt himself dangerously close to the abyss. He could feel a shell start to form around his heart as he thought of all of the ways that there was nothing he could do about his current predicament. Something from deep inside, as if from another buried part of himself that was not quite himself, spoke to him. 'I will not allow myself to be hurt like this again. The voice was quiet, but persistent, as if he had no say at all in the outcome of this particular part of his fate.
Word Count: 276
Slowly, but certainly, from this point that stood like a fatalistic anchor upon which part of his life would turn, Tetsu knew that what stood behind him was immediately archived as a kind of section of his life, for this was the power that parents had over their childrens' fates. The rug had been tugged out from under him, and he felt himself dangerously close to the abyss. He could feel a shell start to form around his heart as he thought of all of the ways that there was nothing he could do about his current predicament. Something from deep inside, as if from another buried part of himself that was not quite himself, spoke to him. 'I will not allow myself to be hurt like this again. The voice was quiet, but persistent, as if he had no say at all in the outcome of this particular part of his fate.
Word Count: 276
7. Hidden Power
He could stand out there all day, but the fact was that he had practical matters to attend to. The world was different when you were poor. It meant that, as a matter of necessity, there was no one that would help you, because if they would, they would have helped your parents, and you wouldn't be in that situation to begin with. He didn't have money, he didn't have friends, and now, he didn't have a home. This meant that his options were either to begin living in an outdoors shelter, or live outdoors without shelter, but either way, the world was about to become quite a bit more real. He took a deep breath.
Setting off into the forest, he began hacking down small trees and branches, building the structure for a small burrow that would keep him warm. This was day one, and it was important to keep things in that kind of perspective. Hist first priority would be survival, then hygiene and the cleanliness of his clothes, and then finding work that would bring him into a more comfortable world. As this train of thought started departing though, he stopped and really considered where it was going. Maybe he didn't want something more comfortable, maybe he should look to this as an opportunity to sharpen his senses and dull his sense of discomfort. He could make himself tougher, more willing to endure.
Word Count: 236
Setting off into the forest, he began hacking down small trees and branches, building the structure for a small burrow that would keep him warm. This was day one, and it was important to keep things in that kind of perspective. Hist first priority would be survival, then hygiene and the cleanliness of his clothes, and then finding work that would bring him into a more comfortable world. As this train of thought started departing though, he stopped and really considered where it was going. Maybe he didn't want something more comfortable, maybe he should look to this as an opportunity to sharpen his senses and dull his sense of discomfort. He could make himself tougher, more willing to endure.
Word Count: 236
8. Jutsu Expansion
He woke up in the cold morning light, shielded by a small fortress of wood and leaves surrounding him. He burrowed out into the open forest, surprised at how warm and comfortable the shelter had kept him. He was truly alone. No one would know or care if he died out in this wilderness, but reather feel sad about this fact, he felt exhilerated and free. The first thing he did was set to work stripping tree bark and gathering other materials to make traps. Traps meant dead animals, and animals meant both food and fat, and the fat could be turned into a kind of detergent. He was homeless, but he didn't want to smell like it.
The entire morning was spent gathering food and preparing a mental list for all of the improvements he needed to make to his current circumstance, and how he might go about accomplishing all of it. In between, he gathered wood for a fire, and after that, put some time aside for his training. This would be how he conducted his training from now on; he would work to perfect his relationship with survival, and entwine this toughness into the techniques he already knew, and the ones he would develop in the future.
Word Count: 210
The entire morning was spent gathering food and preparing a mental list for all of the improvements he needed to make to his current circumstance, and how he might go about accomplishing all of it. In between, he gathered wood for a fire, and after that, put some time aside for his training. This would be how he conducted his training from now on; he would work to perfect his relationship with survival, and entwine this toughness into the techniques he already knew, and the ones he would develop in the future.
Word Count: 210
