Research, reform, repeat.
I don't know how many times I had said those words in my head over the course of the last couple years. It had started when I had just become an academy student and hadn't stopped to this day a year or so later when I was already getting put up for the second half of the Chuunin exams. I already knew fairly well that I was a shoe-in if my meteoric rise was to be a sign, but it never hurt to stay sharp and maybe make some small breakthrough during this interlude. It'd be a lie to say that I wasn't proud of myself and what I had accomplished in such a short time, but I had been humbled enough times by other comparable fighters to believe I was invincible or anything other than a squishy glass cannon of a fighter if my bruising was any indication. I was strong, capable, but I was unbalanced. I didn't mean unbalanced by the lack of a right arm or anything. That had corrected itself fairly quickly from continuous use of my off hand and a refinement to my control over metal. It was more a sense of my 'style' that seemed to be fundamentally lacking. I was too aggressive, too reckless, and still growing into my own skin. It was something that would probably take a long time to fix. At least, much longer than it was taking me to reach my peak in physical ability.
The changes from month to month were beginning to wane from my earlier explosive growth. I doubted It was going to take me another year to start hitting my plateau, and I was both excited and disappointed in that realization. The upper limit for shinobi was there for everyone, there was only so much power a human could utilize and while some could push it further, there was always a price to be paid. I didn't want to think about some examples of that insanity that I had seen before, but my mind kept going back to it as I didn't have much else to think about as I stared down the targets in front of me, casually throwing kunai at a moving target at the end of this shooting range in the outskirts of the city limits. Most didn't bother coming this far out when there were other competing ranges well within the city proper. On the other hand, I loved this place. It was quiet, mostly free of people, and those that came had enough sense to keep to themselves.
Most of my shots were hitting the target, but very few of them were hitting center mass, always veering left or right by a couple inches. It was a big improvement from my aim a couple months ago, I had to admit, but still unacceptable for an inspiring chuunin. It was a lucky break that my magnetism made the point mute as I could refocus the blades to go just about anywhere I wanted as long as it wasn't too sharp of an angle. The blade would just lose most of the momentum doing it that way, though, and I always found the expenditure a waste of both chakra and energy for minimal gain. It was just easier to practice and not need my affinity to act as a crutch for me as it were.
Regardless, I was pretty shit when it came to my hand-eye coordination as it was. It hadn't always been like that, I had been a pretty decent throw when I had used my right arm, but relearning the release and nuances from my left had still caused me issues. Before long another hour had passed, sweat dripping from my brows and I was thinking of finishing up when I heard something approaching. At first, I ignored it, thinking it was somewhat distant. As it grew closer, however, I started feeling the slight vibrations in the ground. Whatever was coming this way was big. Not thinking much more about it, I drew my spear and held my breath, waiting to see what was sending a chill up my spine.
I don't know how many times I had said those words in my head over the course of the last couple years. It had started when I had just become an academy student and hadn't stopped to this day a year or so later when I was already getting put up for the second half of the Chuunin exams. I already knew fairly well that I was a shoe-in if my meteoric rise was to be a sign, but it never hurt to stay sharp and maybe make some small breakthrough during this interlude. It'd be a lie to say that I wasn't proud of myself and what I had accomplished in such a short time, but I had been humbled enough times by other comparable fighters to believe I was invincible or anything other than a squishy glass cannon of a fighter if my bruising was any indication. I was strong, capable, but I was unbalanced. I didn't mean unbalanced by the lack of a right arm or anything. That had corrected itself fairly quickly from continuous use of my off hand and a refinement to my control over metal. It was more a sense of my 'style' that seemed to be fundamentally lacking. I was too aggressive, too reckless, and still growing into my own skin. It was something that would probably take a long time to fix. At least, much longer than it was taking me to reach my peak in physical ability.
The changes from month to month were beginning to wane from my earlier explosive growth. I doubted It was going to take me another year to start hitting my plateau, and I was both excited and disappointed in that realization. The upper limit for shinobi was there for everyone, there was only so much power a human could utilize and while some could push it further, there was always a price to be paid. I didn't want to think about some examples of that insanity that I had seen before, but my mind kept going back to it as I didn't have much else to think about as I stared down the targets in front of me, casually throwing kunai at a moving target at the end of this shooting range in the outskirts of the city limits. Most didn't bother coming this far out when there were other competing ranges well within the city proper. On the other hand, I loved this place. It was quiet, mostly free of people, and those that came had enough sense to keep to themselves.
Most of my shots were hitting the target, but very few of them were hitting center mass, always veering left or right by a couple inches. It was a big improvement from my aim a couple months ago, I had to admit, but still unacceptable for an inspiring chuunin. It was a lucky break that my magnetism made the point mute as I could refocus the blades to go just about anywhere I wanted as long as it wasn't too sharp of an angle. The blade would just lose most of the momentum doing it that way, though, and I always found the expenditure a waste of both chakra and energy for minimal gain. It was just easier to practice and not need my affinity to act as a crutch for me as it were.
Regardless, I was pretty shit when it came to my hand-eye coordination as it was. It hadn't always been like that, I had been a pretty decent throw when I had used my right arm, but relearning the release and nuances from my left had still caused me issues. Before long another hour had passed, sweat dripping from my brows and I was thinking of finishing up when I heard something approaching. At first, I ignored it, thinking it was somewhat distant. As it grew closer, however, I started feeling the slight vibrations in the ground. Whatever was coming this way was big. Not thinking much more about it, I drew my spear and held my breath, waiting to see what was sending a chill up my spine.
Whenever the situation arose where Tatsuo was able to freely travel outside of the village with little trouble he always did. He did not mind travelling with his students but they were beginning to grow to an age where they did not need someone around to watch them constantly, but it let him truly relax. While he was never an anxious man, when in the company of his students he was always on guard, if something were to happen to them he would feel absolutely terrible. Luckily he had been able to avoid much trouble when they were around, but when he was alone there was plenty of trouble to make and fights to find.
quite the reaction out of Tatsuo as his face curled into a worried frown. The last spiders he fought were of little issue, a technique like that would've torn the rest of them apart however this one seemed to be a cut above the rest. He glanced over to Eishi, the one handed spear.. boy? He was young that was for sure, how he carried himself he couldn't be any older than a Chuunin. While Tatsuo didn't seem much older than the boy, being only sixteen, he was worried that he might just get in the way but considering that attack left little more than a bruise to the beast maybe he'd need all the help he could get.