Yer Gonna Put An Eye Out! [ Tai Class ]

[Haruka]

A woman on the run teaching a class for students? Well, things could be stranger if they wanted, right? Hanging between the lines of wanted criminal and Tsuchikage was seriously beginning to drive her crazy. After all, it made no sense that she needed to be a criminal. Was she not saving her village from even more chaos and bloodshed by killing Endo? She thought she was doing the right thing, but at this point, why did it seem like every pulling force in the world and beyond the world wanted to mess that up for her? So thus, she would act in a normal manner by which she did not hear any announcement that she was to be arrested on sight. In her hands, she carried a folder through the halls of the Academy. Stopping in front of a cork board, she would pull out a flyer for the class that she would be holding and she would pin it there against the board.

Weapons and Other Fun things to Poke your Eyes Out With!

A Taijutsu Course:
- Please bring with you any weapon that you wish to learn to fight with to the gym area of the Academy.
- Do not wear your Sunday best ( I don't need shinobi parents coming after me. )
- Prepare to cram your heads full of knowledge and get a little bit dirty.
- First come, first serve.

Class starts at 10:30 sharp in the Gym. If you're late, you'll be locked out. Anyone who attempts to break and enter the class will have their nails ripped off. Don't push your teacher's limits.

**If you do not have a weapon, one will be provided for you.**

Looking up at the poster, she would give an unamused look. That was what she got for letting Sumi write up a class idea for her. The girl had no tact, but sheesh, she loved that kid. Now, Haruka would pace away to wait in the gym. Whoop! Time to watch kids nearly rip their faces off with swords. Or other assorted weapons, too.<i></i>

 

[Takayama]

Sharp eyes slid silently across their frames as the blue haired boy stepped idly down the empty hallway, a gentle turn of his head acknowledging a new addition to the adverts and ninja pride posters he had passed nearly eight times today in his shameless attempt to learn something new through the echoes in the hallway. It was better than going home after all, but nothing compared to something like a...

"Taijutsu course..."

He whispered it to himself, barely skimming over the paper before he felt his legs move underneath him. If the poster was to be believed, he still had time to make the class easily. He could even go so far as to pick up a bite to eat, or even a weapon since he didn't have one.

Since he didn't have one...

Didn't have one...



BakaTaka...

Takayama closed his eyes, his legs still moving him through the halls of the academy as he attempted to focus. Where, in a building filled with killers, tacticians and people learning the art of war, was he going to find something he could call a weapon? He might be able to sneak into one of the empty classrooms... But who in their right mind would leave weapons unattended for any untrained child to pilfer? The school testing equipment was probably locked away and guarded, no chance there. It was likely the teacher was just going to have a loaner available, but they could just as easily tell him to leave for being unprepared.

He was going to have to run home...

And hope his father was busy for the next couple hours...



Takayama stepped into the gym, sweat beading on his brow as he attempted to breathe through the ragged cloak that covered the lower half of his face and swayed in the stale academic air. There was a woman waiting, long dark hair, he couldn't make out much else through his own blurred vision. Hopefully he would have a moment to rest before anything legitimate started. He wondered briefly if anyone else would be showing up before mindlessly gripping the hilt hidden under his cloak and gritting his teeth.

Wondering was an incorrect choice. He knew better than that...

 

[Haruka]

Hmmm, time was growing shorter. She knew that much by the way that the sun moved above the gym and shifted the shadows on the floor. From her pocket, Haruka had pulled on a pair of gloves that were a faux leather that would allow her to move her hands in a far better method. Lifting her hands up, she would extend and retract her fingers, the strain of the material against her soft flesh sounding only to her. Pursing her lips just a bit, she would look around. No one had shown up yet. No skin off of her bones, really. She would just go out and do different things if no one showed up here. The gloves that she had pulled on had been finger-less, allowing the tips of her fingers to craft and form ice before them. The ice would soon crystallize, taking on properties of the particularly scary brand of Haku ice and also properties of her affinity towards the earthen element of crystal. Purple and blue, it was a bow that had been crafted by the woman's fingers. Holding onto the forefront of the bow, she would run her fingers over the icy 'string' that she had crafted, teasing it out of it's stupor so that it would have all of the elasticity that it needed. Drawing in a small breath, she could feel the cold stretching out through her hands, making her want to grit and grind her teeth together. Less resilience to cold... Just more of a marker that she was losing the prowess that she had towards ice. It was a weakening feeling. What exactly would she do without that? Perhaps casting her inner demon away was something that was not the best idea she had ever made. Then again, it also seemed like killing Endo was not the most bright idea she had made at the same point. Bah, whatever. Holding the bow down by her side, she would drop her other hand and a sharp arrow of ice would be formed there. Fitting it against the bow, she would pull back the icy string and aim it towards the door. Evening out her breathing, she would watch through narrowed eyes.

The arrow would be dragged back slower and slower, holding all of the potential force behind it. As the door opened, she would let the arrow go. The arrow would soon plant itself directly into the door beside the young man whom entered the class. Tilting her head to the side a bit, she would offer a hum. "And who might you be? Are you here for the class?" She would offer a small smirk now.<i></i>

 

[Takayama]

A single splinter managed to skip across Takayama's cheek, his mind barely registering the dark haired woman's actions as he passed through the portal. All the same, the subconscious attitudes associated with violence began to alter themselves accordingly. The arrow wasn't noticed, the facts of the matter instead occurring to him only a few moments after he realized how many different ways he could have prepared for them before hand.

Takayama's eyes broke the silence followed by her question, his mind bursting with improbable inferences about what he was about to encounter next.


"Bakanyoni Takayama... And I am..."


Long dark hair, stern eyes, a suspicious bow. She was actually kind of...

And yet, he could only dare to wonder at how many men had allowed the same thought to echo in their heads a moment too long and ended up dead for it. Whatever her appearances at a glance, her eyes denied everything. She was first and foremost a killer. Takayama resisted the urge to blink, his forearm tightening reflexively beneath his sun soaked cloak while his thoughts dryly turned to a disturbing possibility. He had never been in a class before, not officially, but he had heard plenty from the hallways as he passed through on his daily chores. Still, he had never once encountered an introduction quite so punctual as this one. As a matter of fact, he couldn't actually guarantee this was the teacher, or that there was going to be a teacher at all for that matter. He searched his memory desperately as his dull and determined voice echoed through the empty gym, his tightened forearm lurching out from beneath his cloak and returning to the mysterious abyss beneath with the prize his supposed teacher had planted in the door next to him.

Remove point of reference...

"And I suppose you're the teacher for the Taijutsu class posted in the 'B' wing?"

Distract...

He could barely remember much about the poster at all, just at how eager he had been to finally start learning something. His voice no doubt betrayed him, but he would hold onto facade as long as he could. She could probably kill him five or six times over before he had the chance to draw his stolen weapon, which against a trained killer would be worth squat anyway. All these concerns and more were made worse by the slow realization that the arrow he was now gripping less and less tightly was slowly starting to vanish... No, melt... She could probably pelt him with a dozen of them and the only evidence left over would be the bloody puddle beneath his corpse.

The 13 year old with the dark blue hair stepped forward, barely of his own accord. Despite his reservations, there were still questions to be answered.

Lessons to be learned.


"It's funny, now that I think about it, I don't recall seeing your name on that poster..."

 

[Haruka]

Huh, it seemed this kid was dripping with sweat. It looked like he took the long route to get here. After all, she had posted the ad for this class about an hour ago. Sometimes, though, it was simply just better to be early. Ten minutes, fifteen minutes. When it came to Haruka, if she weren't at least fifteen minutes early to the party, then she felt as though she was doing it absolutely wrong. Now then, her eyes would peer over towards whatever clock was here in the gym and she would nod her head briskly. Stepping forward, her heels would make a clicking against the hard wood floor. Impractical for a woman to wear stilettos to the most physical of the jutsu's classes, but the woman never faltered from her devotion to ruining those arches of hers. After all, she had the most defining fight of her life in heels and she wouldn't toss it away now. As she walked, she would pull the bow over her body to hold it in place. "Bakanyoni-san," She would murmur, her head lowering in a small moment of acknowledgement. "Wonderful to meet you. I am your teacher today, and probably for the rest of your shinobi career." Lifting up her fingers, she would snap them and the arrow made of ice would soon dissipate in a snowfall that would melt as it hit the ground. "My name is Minamoto-Kono Haruka. Daughter of the first Mizukage and the Twenty-second Daimyo, if you're wondering about the surname." After all, her mother was the kind of woman that would not be forgotten... "You've probably heard of me in recent news articles." She would brush past the Student now as she moved to shut the door. Her hands would soon freeze the doors solidly shut and she would turn to look at him. "Or not. That doesn't matter. Yes, I killed the Kage and yes, I am taking up his mantle because he was not fit for the job. Now, you won't have to ask any questions on where I stand right now. The reason I did not place my name on that poster is because it would lead my so called enemies right to you. And I don't think you want to fight those men and women just as of yet." She would pace to stand in front of him and she would cross her arms over her chest as she watched him.

"Now, all pleasantries aside: I wish to see the weapon that you brought to my class. I want to know if it can really protect you in a struggle." Straight to the point, but that was how she had to be. There was no time to waste, right?<i></i>

 

[Takayama]

Against better judgement he bowed to her nod, and deeply so. Daughter of the Mizukage. Bad. He had, in fact, heard of her in news articles. Bad. She just froze the door. Bad Bad. Takayama lifted himself slowly as she passed, his eyes being the only part of his body to move openly as his most esteemed teacher-to-be drifted past him. She was gauging him no doubt, but why she had gone and taken such a risk considering her present situation was beyond him. Maybe she was fearless? Maybe that's the sort of mentality it took to reach her level of discipline.


"Or not. That doesn't matter. Yes, I killed the Kage and yes, I am taking up his mantle because he was not fit for the job. Now, you won't have to ask any questions on where I stand right now. The reason I did not place my name on that poster is because it would lead my so called enemies right to you. And I don't think you want to fight those men and women just as of yet."<i></i>

Or not indeed. Takayama's eyes rested on the door for a moment, frozen solid as the legend ahead of him casually crossed her arms patiently. Fearless? After killing a Kage? No. She simply had nothing to fear. Even so, he couldn't help but wonder if she had frozen the door to keep others from getting in or to stop them from getting out...

"Now, all pleasantries aside: I wish to see the weapon that you brought to my class. I want to know if it can really protect you in a struggle."<i></i>

The blue haired boy tried not to grimace. He wasn't actually sure of the quality of his weapon. It was ceremonial, after all. Either it had been passed down from an older more vigilant generation or created solely to fill an aesthetic value. All the same, he wondered if she was going to chastise him for borrowing it from the temple. Or perhaps she wouldn't notice?

The sound of steel on sheath began to hum from beneath his cloak, the tears in it's ends dangling friskily as it was pushed open inadvertently by the emerging weapon. Beneath the cloak was a pair of tanned arms bearing scarred and calloused hands, evidence suggestive of too much rock climbing in his free time or some similar hobby. He was still adorned in simple black garbs of the monks of the inner void at the temple of five, but beneath the ceremonial haori he was shirtless. As the tip of the weapon emerged, a gentle ring would refract off of some of the nearby corners and dance in foreground.

An Odachi, still garbed in it's ceremonial sheathings.

The blade alone was three feet long and while it was well polished and neatly adorned, it's true value was still a question.


"I am humbled, Minamoto-sama. You must be very dedicated to be teaching even while in your current situation. You will have to forgive me for assuming it would be more likely for me to be struck by lightning than to have such an opportunity handed to me by chance."




The blade wavers...

 

[Haruka]

Well, it was only natural for the woman to find a proper way to lock the doors? No one was getting in and no one was getting out. After all, she was going to rip off toenails if someone tried to interrupt her lesson. They were late in her mind, so thus no one should come knocking. Anyways, she would stand there awaiting his response to her demands for him to pull out his weapon and as soon as he would, her eyes would widen a slight bit. What in the world was this kid thinking? Her eyes had a softer edge to them as he pulled out what appeared to be a ceremonial blade. Where had he obtained it? Why did he even think to bring it along? "Did you pick that up from your parent's mantle above their fireplace? Or perhaps a shrine room?" The young woman would now ask, her tone one of wonder as she knelt down easily to his height. No need to really make the kid shit houses, after all. Her fingers would lift up and she would touch the edge of the blade now. "It looks like it's just for show. I don't want you to break something that may have sentimental value to you and your family." She would comment. Yes, the woman did give at least some sort of a damn. However, she would now push herself up to a stand and she would pull a long blade from behind her back, shrouded by her long hair. It would emanate cold, and she would wait for Takayama to put his own blade away before she would hand it over to him. "This is my weapon. It may be a bit cold to the touch because it embodies my affinity to ice, but you will grow used to it. Perhaps the cold will grow onto you much like it has to me." She would comment before listening to his words directed towards her.

Brushing her white dress down to smooth out any wrinkles, she would furrow her brow. "There is no need to be humbled. You and I, we are shinobi alike. Bretheren in arms and two of the same descent. I am dedicated to the shinobi of this village: Someone has to be. Everyone else? They may go about their daily lives." Nodding her head a bit, she would give a small hum.

"Show me how you would come after an enemy. Attack me. After all, I am half way an enemy and half way your Kage. Let's roleplay a bit." Roleplaying while roleplaying? Good grief.<i></i>

 

[Takayama]

Just for show...

That sounded right, much like everything he found to be commonplace in the temple's more restricted keeps. Being the step-son of a priest seemed to have less and less value as he pushed forward in life. He sheathed the sword, a certain sense of relief and disappointment falling over him as he adjusted himself and took hold of the now offered truth.

It was cold, as she had promised.

He swung the blade quickly, the lick of cold air on the back oh his hand somehow complementing the new found weight on his forearm. He didn't have the strength to manage it workably with one arm, but at least in this sense he wasn't wielding an accident waiting to happen. He could only think to utter a single phrase as she gave him his final instructions.

"Arigato~"

Takayama closed his eyes, the world around him vanishing and, for an instant, being replaced with something beyond words. Something he had been exposed to thanks to his actual father. She was infinitely quicker than him, a thousand times more precise, capable of rendering him inert by the time he could close the gap between them. The only chance he had was to abuse the fact that she was holding back. Perhaps that was "cheap" or "petty", but in the stories he was told by his father it almost always turned out that the man withholding any effort for any reason was the one at the most disadvantage. If she was here to kill him under some ruse, she would do it. If she was here to test him, her guard would be left open just enough for her to see if he was worth something. The possibilities played out in the peculiar void in his mind as measured statistic probability against a visual interpretation of the possible outcomes. He had a chance, assuming all things went his way. All that mattered was that he be able to deceive his opponent just long enough to carry out his plan.


The blink ended.


Takayama darted, his body lurching with all it's might as he acted out what he had already visualized. He followed two-fifths of the radius circling Haruka before the poignant screech of his sandals directed him towards her directly. Within five feet he would launch his cloak at her, ragged and sun-soaked for a reason. Now was the moment he would make his mark, the tip of his new ice founded blade piercing through his pock marked and ragged airborn distraction in as careful an angle as he could manage...

The illusion of course was that he was attacking from ahead through his own distraction.



... Except both the cloak and sword were thrown. He had attempted to the best of his ability to throw the cloak and sword no more than three to four feet above the ground while he launched himself deftly underneath with the simple intention of capturing his imposing new sensei's ankles, or if lucky, her thighs. He had hoped to make it more convincing by the presence of a half-hop as he threw his only tools. If by any chance he managed even that far, he might have the chance at catching his blade or attempting to catch her off guard one more time.


Even with no jutsu, no weapons and no experience, there was always a chance. Even against unspeakable odds.


He hoped...

 

[Haruka]

Thankfully, her new found student did not argue with her in the way of the weapon that he had obtained. After all, angry parents were not her thing at all. If she had to fight some fanatic? She would probably flip out. Ah well, that was life though, right? Watching him with her crystalline blue eyes, she would await his response to her task that she handed over to him. Shoulders back, arms still crossed over her chest, and standing as straight edged as ever, the woman seemed an unwavering beacon. She may have had her moments of kindness, but even those were swashed away when there was business at hand. "You are welcome." She would state in a low tone of voice, fingers tapping against her sleeved upper arm. It seemed longer than she anticipated, but she was not here to rush anyone along. This was Takayama's class and he would make of it whatever he liked. Finally, his eyes would reopen and he would soon push forward in her direction. Even as he moved, she would stand still. Only her eyes would follow his movements, her ears catching onto his skidding screech across the wooden gym floor... And then, wait a minute, what the hell? As the cloak was thrown in her direction, and the blade moving towards her, she would reach out with an eerie preciseness and grab a hold of the blade, soon finding no weight behind it to throw away. Then, she would soon feel the boy grapple onto her legs and make a full bodied crash right into her. The sword would clatter to the ground, and along with the older woman's body: This was not the normal routine that she ran into. A student that actually knew how to use the elements at hand was more advanced than what she anticipated. A grunt would escape her throat as she soon felt her backside connect with the harsh wood, and she would slide just a bit. The sound of an odd shattering from the bow that she crafted would echo throughout the room and the bits and pieces of ice and amethyst would soon dance across the floor.

Now, though, Haruka would soon lift up a hand and attempt to grasp at the boy's throat. Even if she were successful or not, the serious look on her face would soon crumble as her laughter began to ring throughout the gym. "Exceptional, you have potential." She would laugh, very obviously amused by the predicament she would find herself in. She promised herself she wouldn't move, but sometimes, unexpected things happened, no? "You saw an opportunity and you seized it. Impressive."

"But if you throw my sword again, I'm going to have to smack you in the nose. Do you know how hard it was to craft that thing? Especially after all of the explosions I endured because of Endo." She would drop her hand, hoping by this point he would scramble to his feet from his position atop of her. "Tell me more about what you know of weapons. What types are there that you know of? Do you think your possibilities are endless, Bakanyoni-san?"<i></i>

 

[Takayama]

His calves seized rhythmically, each subtle jounce and jostle between his flesh and bones softened by a mind entirely consumed with awareness and execution. All the same, he sailed through the action as though he had been swept up into a high speed dream, the final feigned leap-turned-hop driving a certain fire into his eyes that burned away at his peripheral senses. No twitches, a gentle adjustment of weight to compensate for an anticipated shift in muscle tension, a sudden small spasm at the very close of his plan that indicated exactly what he had hoped for.


He had already plunged.


The volley of senses that followed afterwards were not easy to categorize. Soft, yet firm. Silky? Defined... Cold. He had some time to notice these overall impressions as his chest took most of the blow, leaving his head to bounce off her abdomen rigidly while he locked his arms. Gravity was the next thing to come, the world seemingly blurring at one bizarre angle after another as a new set of sensations took priority. Most of them involved confusion, which he ignored easily enough as they both collided with something worse.

She let out a grunt, the weapon that might have meant his demise earlier shattering from beneath her and scattering a volley of shards into the air that seemed to slow down his perception of time just long enough to let him appreciate the bizarre way they refracted the light around her. In this slowed moment a single neuron fired off to a branch of pathways directly joined to the blue haired boy's dominant hand and set it free. His left hand tightened to compensate, but did not ultimately compensate enough to keep him from sliding further up. His free hand reached out beyond it's means to grasp at the second act of his plan.

Except it wasn't there.

Takayama's head swiveled away from his dazed opponent for a moment, his eyes desperately slipping from one end of the room to the other for the weapon he had supposed would be within reaching distance. Simply put, it was not. He had expected her to move, after all, leaving the blade some three feet further away than he had intended. His only chance was to pin her down before she could fully grasp the situation, to which he turned his head back to the matter at hand. Her hand, actually. It would already be around his neck by the time he had managed the full effort, leaving him with a problematic situation. Luckily, the regal figure below him, despite her compromising situation, seemed to be taking his mischief fairly well. At least he hoped so with the limited explanations available for her laughing. He would try to sigh in relief after she spoke, but her grip was quite impressive in it's own right. "Exceptional, you have potential."

"You saw an opportunity and you seized it. Impressive."

"But if you throw my sword again, I'm going to have to smack you in the nose. Do you know how hard it was to craft that thing? Especially after all of the explosions I endured because of Endo."

Takayama continued to hold his breath, not wanting the intake of breath to hinder the reflexes in the event she or anyone else might want to take advantage of their combined loss of tension. It would be a moment or two before he could give anything else she would say the attention it deserved.

"Tell me more about what you know of weapons. What types are there that you know of? Do you think your possibilities are endless, Bakanyoni-san?"<i></i>

Takayama took the moment to lift himself.



"I can think of only one weapon that truly matters, Minamoto-sama, and with it anything I can imagine is possible..."



[MFT]

 

[Haruka]

Her praise was not something that so easily slipped from her mouth. It took her time and conscious thought to really praise a person. Takayama should've considered himself lucky in that sense. Reaching back behind him, she would ravel her hand in his shirt and use that as a means of leverage to pick him up off of her as she pushed herself up off the ground. The woman was absolutely no stranger to such acts having a toddler at home. With the students she worked with, there was less of a chance of being puked on or peed on. Or god, she hoped that her students were better toilet trained than that. Of course, there was no way that she could put that kind of a clause in her class flyers without looking absolutely crazy. Smoothing her front down once more, she would make sure that the form fitting dress that she wore had not ridden up too far. Thankfully the leggings that she wore beneath of her boots would be more than obscuring. Had to come prepared, right? Lifting her hand up, she would run through a set of one handed seals. The sword would soon lift up in the air, floating up beside her with kinetic energy now. The sword would hover in front of Takayama now and she waited for him to reach out and take it. "Call me Haruka." She would state very bluntly, tilting her head off to the side now.

"...Are you talking about your mind? I don't think that your mind is going to keep you safe if there's a six foot sword sticking out of it. You know? Tell me what you're interested in learning to fight with and I'll be more than happy to get you a proper weapon smithed."<i></i>

 

[Takayama]

She may have had a point...


His sandal slid across the floor as he took a step back, giving the dark haired kage-felon-to-be her space as she adjusted herself. She had left a crimp in his honorary monk's kimono that he would probably need to iron out before he let his step-father see it again. He wore no shirt underneath, just the simple Hakamas that went with the initial outer wear. He was about to open his mouth when a simple movement done in an suspicious way caught his attention. They were quick, bizarre and seemingly intentional. Takayama would not understand their full purpose until the blade below them drifted upwards of it's own accord.

A subtle and stunted noise of surprise choked the boy for a moment as he struggled to make sense of what he had just seen, his eyes very nearly dilated for the sheer effort in focus. The other hand was completely unencumbered, leaving her free to do any number of things. Efficient. What's more, he had never seen anything like it before. He reached out and took the offering, his subconscious prompting him to respond to the question he could almost not even remember hearing. It was a shame it was something he needed to think about.

"I appreciate the offer. I suppose if I had to pick something uncomplicated I would look for a katana, but to be honest I'm not experienced enough with combat to be sure what would work best with me yet. I do know that.... Well..."

Takayama closed his eyes, his hand reaching towards his scalp and minding a small irritation he had suddenly taken notice of. He would smile after a moment, all his thoughts and focus deranged once he realized that the thing he could imagine in his head might not exist and probably never could.

"... Well, it would have to be something unexpected~."

He tried not to laugh at himself, but there was little else he felt like doing considered how lost he felt.


"Everything I've done until now has been with whatever I could find..."

 

[Haruka]

A very simple life was led by her student she believed. Nothing quite like her life of hushed whispers and attempts to make her feel like the proper lady. How unfortunate it was that she never necessarily made it to be the proper lady nor Daimyo that the country thought that they needed. After all, they thought it funny to cast the woman with a warrior's spirit off to the side and spit in her face. They'd learn very shortly, though. A woman who could kill was no woman that a person needed to poke fun at. The young woman would lift up a hand and wave it at the ground, causing the bits of crystal and ice that littered the floor to dissipate in a cloud of chakra. "Listen," she would state, holding a finger up, "Take this." The sword would soon hover in front of him with a wave of her other hand. "You can have it. I can find another, I am sure." Her head would nod a bit now as she watched him with her cold blue eyes. He held a lot of promise, now here was someone that she genuinely hoped would not let her down. After all... It wouldn't have been the first time that someone let her down, nor the second time... Ah, the life of a shinobi was full of some interesting trials, no?

"I just need you to promise me one thing." She would speak very clearly now as she watched him. "Don't disappear on me. I've had too many things disappear or fail on me, and I will not allow you to be one of them. Keep my sword as a promise to you that I will not fail you." Closing her eyes for a moment, she would sigh now. That cut a bit deep to hear out loud, but the students she had did have a tendency to disappear into thin air.

"Now, where were we?"<i></i>

 

[Takayama]

Where were they...


She had given and asked for so much all at once, doing it so casually that at first he felt as though it would be a simple matter to accept it with a smile and never think twice about it. The sheer force of the symbol in his hand, the gesture alone should have left him on his knees. If this was not all an elaborate ruse designed to lower his guard then there was no point in lying to him. She was exactly who she claimed to be and she had just given him something that, by extension, was part of history. All with a request that without question suited an honestly involved leader.

As the Felon Tsuchikage opened her eyes, she might have found the boy with the blue hair with his head down. If she she was observant, she might even detect stress... Shame even.


"I'm sorry, Minam- Haruka-Sama, but I cannot accept this. Not in clear conscience..."

He found his grip on the blade loosen, his mind struggling to find the right words. He didn't need to bother her with the whole story, but he could not allow his actions here to go unexplained. To turn down such an offering from someone of her esteem was tantamount to spitting on one's own family, which unfortunately was the alternative.

"I am a refugee, born in Konohagakure. I was only three when my father, my actual father, snuck us out of the country. I cannot put into words how grateful I am for having been offered this, but many members of my family are still in fire country somewhere. I had friends, though I can barely remember them now... I can't say that they're not still being held in a prison camp somewhere. It was a cold war between the Daimyo and the Kami Corp before everything happened, even with a peace treaty I cannot imagine things being well right now..."


Takayama could not let his eyes meet hers, all the same he would lower his bow and extend the sword back to her in an almost ceremonial fashion.



"I can promise you that I will never forget this. For as long as I am here I will give everything I have to protect the village that was kind enough to take in my mother and I... But in eight years, on the eve of my twenty-first birthday...

Ready or not...

Army or not...

I will be leaving to take back my home."



He lowered himself to one knee and emptied his head, trying not to think about the injustice he had just performed or how she was well within her rights as a military leader to kill him for it. He was in the hands of fate now.



[MFT]

 

[Haruka]

One foot, another step and closer to the boy she would stand now. If allowed, her hand would reach down and she would brush the top of the boy's head soothingly now. Her fingers, permission pending, would carefully brush through his blue strands now, making sure not to snag any tangles if any should arise. If not allowed, she would simply just stand there and speak to him in the most soothing tone that she could muster. Which was surprisingly soothing as she had a young son. "I don't know what you may have been taught, or what the ways of Leaf Village may or may not be, but you can accept this gift. I am confident in your ability to do so." After all, it was not every day that she gave a piece of herself to a person. Kneeling down with care in front of him, she would make sure to sit exactly eye level with him. Her hand would now move from his hair, against the blade of his sword now. Her index finger would now swipe against the sharp blade, causing her blood to stain the sword's edge. Watching him very carefully, she would nod her head in accordance with the story he told.

"You cannot take a country without a proper weapon, or proper companionship." She would state very carefully. "I cannot promise you that in Eight years I will be alive, but this is my blood oath to you that I will be your company, your army, the eve of your twenty-first birthday. I will assist you along the way, supply you with every piece of knowledge that you will need to take back your home and take back your family." The thought of killing him had never crossed her mind. He was no traitor, he was a student fighting and learning for his damn family. And that was what made the morale raise in anyone's throat. Someone who cared this much to let their leader know, to let someone who could reach out and break them know... It was commendable.

"I won't let you fall. This I can promise you, Bakanyoni-san."<i></i>

 

[Takayama]

He was broken.


He found himself looking up at her, his eyes having nowhere to hide after she had reached through his protective veil. Her hands were so much softer than he had expected that it was a nearly a shock in itself, but that combined with the tone of her voice and what proceeded to happen next had left him at the full limit of his capacities. A single drop of blood managed to slip from the blade and touch the floor before Takayama would be able to fully recognize the words echoing in his own head.

Companionship...


His ears rang.

To be so impossibly indebted to someone through the symbol he had been offered before had been almost too much to bear, but the sacrifice that followed her words now had struck something in him in such a way that had managed to make his one support leg buckle. No parts, no symbols, no metaphors. She had cut straight through to the bone and offered him her life. It was all he could do to restrain himself as the rest of his body slowly started to rebel, starting with his vision which began to blur as an unusual hotness in his cheeks brought about a fresh new urge to hide his face.

"H-Haruka-sa... "

He might have stuttered a little, a signal that immediately fired off red flags to a web of all too rusty defense mechanisms and forced him to become just aware enough of his own appearance to halt everything and wait for a more reserved moment to speak again. He would not cry, not in front of someone who had put so much faith in him already. He would also not fully believe his circumstances or the trust that this all too surreal incident had been completely honest just because he wanted to. He had to remain objective, or at best skeptical, to retain his Nindo. His ninja way. Takayama took a deep breath, deftly ignoring the fact that he no longer had the emotional strength of will to take his eyes off hers.


"Haruka-sama... To make make an oath so wide it encompasses all my hearts desires... I can't let it go lightly."

The burning in his cheeks was starting to spread to his eyes, though his expression would waver only slightly.


"You must give me a way to repay you..."




[MFT]

 

[Haruka]

It was odd... Normally, she never offered her life up to anyone. Now, she seemed to be doing it so much more now that she had her son, Akechi, and whomever else existed within her life. It was chilling, down to her very bones. However, as her eyes met the young student's, she would feel herself frozen for a moment. If she had been displaced from her home... if she suffered through some insane consequence... She would want the same support that she was offering to this young man right here and right now. Soon, her lips would curl into a gentle smile as she listened to him stammer through his words. He needed to be at ease with himself. She was no shark. She would not bite his head off or anything like that. Reaching forward, like a mother would a child, she would soon attempt to embrace him just lightly against her body. "Promise to learn, have a full and happy life despite your goals. That's how you can repay me, Bakanyoni-san. I do not need much, that you must know. The only thing that I need for you to do is to survive, thrive, and be the very best that you can, and you can know that you have an ally that will support you every step of the way. You are not alone in this world, and you should never feel as such." She would nod her head just lightly, eyes settling closed. It was eerie how she felt compelled to take these young people into her life to protect them and to help them feel full.

After all, it was what she had done for Reishii as well.

"How about we finish this class? Once it's done, I can treat you to dinner and you can tell me more about your plans and goals. I would love to listen if you can spare the time to tell me more."<i></i>

 

[Takayama]

It all seemed too easy. Too vague.

And yet, as she broke the barrier of his physical defenses, he could tell it wasn't. With everything that had just been offered to him, her request deserved nothing less than thorough and honest investigation. He did not return her embrace immediately, his mind reeling with the full gamut of emotions and stipulations implied by the warmth he was feeling peripherally. Even with his rational mind ablaze, this final movement would be enough to push him over the edge if he did not maintain absolute focus. Even so, he buried his eyes, the heat in his cheeks becoming too much to bear.

Luckily, the lesson wasn't over.


"For you, I can spare as much time as the day can muster."

Takayama looked up, eyes shining bright with some deep seeded unfathomable fury as he felt his body empowered by something he could not at first describe. With it he would gently pull away from his teacher and take a step back, her sword still sending it's cold and lofty echo up and down his left forearm.

"... You have my word, I will hone myself to the finest possible point. I will never let a burden stop my self growth and, for as long as my morals can allow it, I will survive to the best of my ability... "

He would not go into detail on the last note. Though he was not fully acquainted with shinobi life, he understood that it was such that survival was, at best, a luxury. At this he would grip the hilt of his new blade, waiting for his teachers critique and final comments. He would, of course, be anticipating something unexpected as he did so. Whether a counter measure would work in such an event was questionable, but he would consider them all the same. After all, he was apparently destined for improbable situations. He took a deep breath and more breathed his next words than anything.


"Ready when you are, Haruka-sama."




[MFT]

 

[Haruka]

Ease was not something that Haruka had the luxury of... And she almost wished that she did from time to time. With her lineage held over her head, and with her prowess almost eternally hanging within the air and the subject of scrutiny... Damn it was hard. That was what made true shinobi, however. Testing one's mettle and everything that they stood for? Hell yes. Soon, she would place herself in a sitting position and she would look up towards Takayama after he had stepped backwards and away from her. Pursing her lips just for a few moments, she would place her hands against her thighs just lightly. "Hold on, I need a new weapon before I go smearin' you against the gym floor." A smirk would touch her features for just a few moments now... And then she would place her hands down against the ground, focusing upon her chakra. Her fingers would slide against the ground, picking up any dirt and grime, but that was the least of her worries at this point in time. "You know, actually, I like a challenge. Come at me, Bakanyoni-san, while I go ahead and craft some kind of weapon with my imagination." Hurray, doing things with one's mind... Wait what? This woman was strange. As it had always been, no matter what was happening nor what position she held... Tugging forward on a strange energy from within her, she would feel a small bead of sweat dance down the side of her facial features now as the very floor shook. A small grunt would echo from the woman's lips as she continued forcing her chakra to bend to her will and find whatever form of jutsu may come. Soon, from beneath the wood of the floor, a strange metal would break through the surface and splinter at the wood.

If Takayama actually decided to come after her, he would find himself stumbling on the wood that would crackle if he was not careful. The woman would take a hold of the steel that would break through the floor and with her hand now hot enough to pull it free... The weapon would soon shape into that of a sharpened sword with the beck and call of her chakra. Even if her studen had not chosen to come at her, she would come to him and her eerily crafted blade would meet his now. The weapon that she had crafted would attempt to crash into the blade that appeared like ice and she would give a grin.

"...That was kind of harder than I expected, but that's the glory of discovering new things about yourself, huh?"<i></i>

 

[Takayama]

"As you wish..."


Round 2...


Takayama felt his grip tighten without him, his attention quickly funneling onto the seemingly harmless motions of the no doubt hungry death machine sitting in view. She had dissipated the first weapons easily enough, it only made sense that she could bring them back in a similar manner. At this he darted, pressing forward at a rapid pace while keeping his senses on edge for the next cold wind or glint of ice in the air. Just as it seemed like he was going to make contact something stirred in his gut. A realization of sorts which had mostly to do with something he had noticed underfoot that had begun to synchronize with a new and sudden rumble rising from somewhere beneath them.

The wood ahead of him shattered.

Takayama hadn't even flinched before he stumbled, his body tilting desperately away from a split board that had wound it's way just past his hairline. The only other thing he could take notice of while he struggled to keep his footing was the steam rising out of the oddly writhing mass in the floor. A mass that was beginning to take shape in terrifying new ways. His eyes widened as he took his last step, the full breadth of his teacher becoming a little more clear to him. Her control of the elements was not simply limited to ice, but rather she probably had mastery over all five of them. This was the strength of a kage...

And she was coming for him...

Takayama let go of his balance, rolling off of his shoulder with just enough speed to lift his blade and let it crash into the new steaming metallic fancy that had now found it's way over to him. The pure chaos of it was almost enough to steal his breath away, but the words she spoke next managed to keep him in an anxious idle.


"Discovering?"

Takayama hesitated before clarifying, his tone off guard beyond his control.

"Di-Did you not know you could do that?"




[MFT]