The Way of the Woodcutter (Specialty Flashback)

There was something distinctly soothing about training basic Kenjutsu.

It was a fairly straightforward art, with all of the purity and simplicity of haiku. Ashitaka focused on keeping his strikes swift, clean, and in perfect form. With no chakra flowing through the singular blade of that element of the Modular Weapon which he'd separated from the rest of it, the off-white polished titanium glinted in the sunlight shining through the massive window of this particular corner of the Grand Konoha Training Facility. Four staggeringly high floors off the ground (which he'd climbed via the outer wall) there was a grove dedicated to use for survival training and Wood Release users.

As was typical of anything employed for the benefit of the Senju, he used them alone.

Ashitaka had heard rumors that a few of the younger kids in the protection bunker might have had Senju blood in them, but now was an extraordinarily bad time to be revealed as a prime source for involuntary organ donation. In some ways, that beat the total desolation that came with believing that he was the "last of" a kind that he didn't even know he was a member of in the first place, until just recently. In other ways, it was worse. Now, he had to do his best to represent people who he might never meet, and may know little more than his name. And he was off to a bad start.

Training the sword arts, ironically, took the edge off a little bit.

Dash, cut. Dash, cut. Dash-cut. He had to be faster. Faster than thought. Faster than sound. Faster than lightning. Dash-cut. Dash-cut. Dash-cut. It was no use. He had reached a plateau. He had no external source of discipline, so he simply settled into the practice, lazily perfecting his form as he sought the most efficient way to achieve greater speeds by redirecting the control of his chakra. At some point along the way, he decided to try focusing it into the soles of his feet in much the same manner as was used when water-walking.

The world seemed to stretch and tunnel around him as his speed threatened the limits of his awareness, and for the first few tries, the cutting action was all he could do to stop himself. Ashitaka allowed himself an increasingly rare smile. He was doing it! He was learning the technique! Once he was confident that he could perform the jutsu reliably, he began practicing a much easier one. A simple lateral arc of the sword over his head, then a drop and dash forward for a quick strike. If he used a thrust, then it would be harder to block and would sacrifice none of his momentum. Compared to learning the other sword art, this one was a bit anticlimactic. Still, he practiced it a few more times to make sure that he could get it right under pressure.



______________________



WC 496
Trained:
Kenjutsu- Secret Sword: Moonlight
Kenjutsu- Hazy Moon Night

Ashitaka heaved a deep sigh as he walked the grounds of the massive training facility for the first time in months. Given how much had happened in the intervening time, it felt like much more than that. He was alone now. Granted, that was often the case and sometimes he even sought solitude, but this time was different. The war had been going just as catastrophically for Konoha as the preludes to it had indicated they would. Even with his blood donation, Ari's recovery was going to be a long process, something he knew from actually having his own blood and still struggling with rehabilitation regardless. His emotions demanded that he blame Nyg-sensei for the mess the village found itself in, but like he'd told his former teammates before, not fighting the enemy on the open battlefield just meant having to fight them when they attacked Konoha directly. And when that happened, there would be nowhere for them to retreat to.

So he pushed himself. Every time he broke through to a new height of power, he pushed harder. It never seemed to be enough. He'd gotten much more powerful since his failing at the Black Site, but his enemies were rising in power too. They always seemed to be so hopelessly far ahead of him. The last battle proved just that, although the attack from the civilian mob was a surprise. They didn't care about power, only their own feelings and the need they believed they had to drive out the imperialist ambitions of their would-be oppressors. The mob attacked him to protect their homes and families. He probably could have killed them all in droves if he'd been able to fight back, but the powerful Lightning jutsu of the man with Darkness in his hand had rendered him helpless. And in spite of everything, he still doubted that he would have even if he could.

The people who hurt him and his friends, however, were another story entirely. Seeing the pain Ari was in and having a good idea of it from his own experience had filled him with a deep and terrible resolve. Thus it was that he had traveled to the floor of the great training hall that was most ideal for his bloodline's arts and set to work. Standing with his feet on the beach of a respectably-sized artificial lake, he started performing his hand seals.

Ox. Boar. Snake.
Yang Wood chakra surged through his muscles, bulking them up a bit and giving his skin a faint greenish tint as the flesh underneath turned partway into green wood. Not enough to paralyze him, but enough to give many of his cells walls that would vastly enhance his strength and durability. At his current strength, he could probably punch somebody through a stone wall.

Snake.
Earth Chakra raced down to his feet, then back up to his neck, carrying with it a transformation of his skin into hard yet somehow malleable stone, hiding the green tint under its black coating. He knew that just between this technique and its predecessor combined, he could probably mow through countless average shinobi with minimal effort, using only his "bare" hands despite his lack of Taijutsu training. But none of this would be good enough against his real enemies.

Horse. Dog. Bird. Ox. Snake.

A dragon of stone and mud rose from the ground with all of the vast and frightening glory for any onlookers such an event would normally inspire. Its summoner however was eerily calm, having reached a state of rage so extreme that he lacked the capacity to express it.

Ram. Horse. Dragon.
It roared like an avalanche and spat massive mud balls at the tree line, chewing fresh paths through it like a fleet of bulldozers fueled by ethanol. One could be forgiven for thinking that it was the rage of the earth incarnate. But it would not be alone for long.

Monkey. Bird. Yang Water. Rat. Boar. Bird.
Another dragon burst forth as life-giving chakra was fed into it. This one spawned from the lake as the waters themselves were congealed into the form of the awesome creature. Its roar was like a tsunami slamming into the face of a cliff, and at Ashitaka's direction with the Tiger seal, it joined its partner in tearing up the nearby landscape with drill-like jets of water spewing from its mouth.

Snake. Ram. Hare. Dog. Snake.
Between the two mighty beasts, and directly opposite the first two, a third dragon was formed. This one was made of Senju Wood and lashed out at the first two, biting them and draining each one of its chakra until they collapsed back into their native elements. The two of them stared at each other for a moment, and he mentally commanded it to attack him. It did, and he was surprised at how fast it was. He barely had time to draw his sword, flow chakra through it, and intercept it with a lightning-fast strike. The dragon's head was severed in the single blow, and the follow-up dragged the body along its side, accelerating the rate at which it disintegrated.

The problem, however, was that he did have time to strike back, regardless of how much effort it took. Nothing he did mattered in the face of attacks with an elemental advantage and speed that simply couldn't be coped with. Even his powerful instant defenses were simply sliced and burned through with the barest acknowledgement of their presence. He didn't know what to do. His archery training and the quality of the bow he'd bought, never mind the one he was in the process of making, would allow him to take potshots at the targets in the range on the other side of the facility. But that didn't matter unless by some miracle he was able to identify them from that far away. He paced around as he thought of what to do, then a thought occurred to him.

He banished the dragons, then formed the Tiger hand seal again and summoned two Wood Clones. They activated their Suppression, then were sent out to spread over the area of the particular floor he was on. Once in position, they merged with nearby plant life and boosted their Sensory range, while simultaneously tapping into the network of roots that was dispersed throughout the floor. Allowing the roots to grow into his leg, Ashitaka was able to use their senses as his own. With them spaced out about 500m apart, his effective range on his Sensory powers was boosted to around 625m. Still not as good as sight in terms of raw range, but at least it wasn't obstructed by whatever obstacles were in his way.

Unfortunately, using the specialized jutsu after dividing his chakra so many times exhausted him and banished the clones, and even though he got a good view of the area, there wasn't much he could do with it. So he wrote down what data he could remember and decided to take his shots based on that, then went and retrieved his arrows himself and wrote down his results. Though he was prematurely exhausted by the temporary chakra deficiency, he knew that he had more to spare and decided to press on with his training.



_______________________


[WC 1231
Techniques Trained-
Doton: Earth Dragon Bullet (A, Canon 250) -10 CP
Mokuton: Wood Dragon (S, Canon 300) -10 CP (UA)
Mokuton: Clone Network (A, Custom 300) -10 CP (UA)

Other Techs Used
Doton: Earth and Stone Dragon (B) -10 CP
Suiton: Water Dragon Bullet (B) -5 CP (Affinity)
Suiton: Water Fang Bullet (B) -5 CP (Affinity)
Kenjutsu: Kendo (C) -5 CP
Bukijutsu: Chakra Flow (C) -5 CP (UA penalty, Senju Reduction)
Doton: Earth Spear -20 CP
Mokuton: Greenwood -10 CP (UA)

Remaining CP 135/235

Wood Clone x 2 - 45 CP each

Clone Network -10 CP (Affinity)

Clones Banished, remaining CP 125/235

Uchiha Yui knew she needed to get stronger, she was considered so weak she could not even help in the war and was left home in order to protect the village. This did anger her but she understood she was weak right now with so many powerful Uchiha she was the least impressive for sure. She had to get stronger for the next war so she could actually help her village and their cause, right now she felt like nothing more then a glorified babysitter, she prepared a large meal to eat after her training would end, she was sure she would exhaust herself as she was so stubborn.

She would make her way toward the training ground as she would witness a young man training, he appeared quite skillful actually as she continued to watch his actions, the Jutsu he was using was rather impressive especially the combination he was using with it. She watched as he also used his bow making her smile, she also loved to use a bow, however, hers kept breaking as its quality was not enough for the strength she had, she really needed to have one made for her proper strength level. She would wait until he was finished before making herself known unless he noticed her before with sensory.

"I must say that was actually really impressive skills, the way you fight is nothing that I have seen in this village before. The name is Uchiha Yui and it is my pleasure to meet you."

She would give a light bow lifting her maid dress slightly as she did this before lifting her head and smiling at him, this was when she remembered her food, she would pull the rather large basket out and place a blanket down on the ground. She did want to train with him but first, she had to make sure he was at his maximum potential and not exhausted.

"I made a large meal you can have some of this food, trust me it's quite delicious and made by none other than myself. I want to learn more about the way you fight and possibly we can spar each other to learn weaknesses in the way we fight after you eat and get your energy back."

She would wait to see his response if he accepted she would take a seat and eat some of the food herself, she was unsure if he was comfortable with talking to others but she gave off a natural motherly vibe, some would say a nurturing and caring vibe and this was quite true of herself. She may be a wolf in sheep clothing but she also was generally very kind to those that were her allies.

Ashitaka was interrupted in the midst of working out how he was going to get through the rest of his training by a nearby footstep and a voice. He was pretty sure that he'd reserved this floor to prevent any accidental injuries from being caused by his wide-area jutsu. He was also annoyed at himself for neglecting to keep his Sensory field up. At least he didn't need to guess her bloodline, or how she got the authorization to override his reservation. Of course, given that he was only able to reserve the floor to Chunin and higher-ranked nin due to Nyg-sensei's estimation of his abilities, she might have simply ignored the factor that had kept most others away from the area: the rumor that he had tried to apply for a higher-level evacuation out of concern for the well-being of his fellow villagers. Any doubts as to the need for such precautions were drowned out by the roars of his dragons. Not that such petty courtesies as reservations mattered to the Uchiha if they decided they didn't. It was no secret that their clan dominated the village, that their name meant power in Konoha, and if anybody had a problem with what they did, then that person was just going to have to put up with it.

"I'm pleased to meet you too, ma'am. My name is Inuzuka-Senju Ashitaka." he replied with a bow. "But this isn't how I fight. These jutsu are sloppy and cruel, and a lot of our future battles appear to be urban conflicts. I don't think I'd be able to live with myself if I ended up causing the kind of collateral damage such things would be capable of."

He looked down at the offered food and his stomach rumbled as it woke back up. When was the last time he ate again? He didn't want to think about it. But he also didn't want to impose. Offer or no, he doubted she expected to find him here. There could have been any number of ninja nearby that he wasn't aware of because he forgot to turn his stupid- Ashitaka activated his Subharmonic Field. It would annoy any dogs within its range, but most humans wouldn't be able to hear it unless they had sufficiently keen senses as to completely trivialize his ability. It wouldn't surprise him.

"I appreciate the thought," he said politely as he held up a hand, palm out. "But you didn't have me in mind when you made that, did you? I'd hate to take what is rightfully yours."

He didn't respond to her mention of a spar with him, because frankly he didn't think he could raise a hand at her. It was like dealing with Ari after she cooled off from her initial meltdown, or Nyg-sensei when the man still had his respect, but somehow combined. Hurting this woman felt like it'd be a cardinal sin, which was kind of grating because she'd just invited herself to a picnic within the danger zone of his jutsu training.

"I can tell you right now though, that the weakness in the way I fight is me." he explained as he gestured to the environmental devastation he'd caused. "The techniques are sound. They do what they're supposed to. The failing lies in my soul, and my inability to really hurt people even when I should."



________________


Sensing Technique (125m radius) -0.5 CP

Stamina: 123.5/235

She was glad to see he was a polite young man he even expressed concern for causing damage in populated areas, he was a good young man. When he asked if she would be okay she would once again offer him some food, inside was a mix of various suchi along with fried ocotopus balls as well as some chilled noodles. It was a ton of food but she had plenty to share, sure she could easily eat it all but she did notice she was gaining a bit more weight then she liked.

"Do not worry I could afford to eat a bit less, I... well its plenty for two people to eat, so enjoy a meal, I also have some warm redtea we could share as well."

She would begin to pull the food out and split it among the pair, the way she elegantly placed the dishes and the food showed her skill at household things. She was not the normal shinobi for sure. She did have a firece side but toward friends or allies, she was a gentle breeze on a cool spring day. As he continued to express that he was a failure she would walk toward him and offer to pull him in for a gengle hug, if he accepted she would lightly rub his head and show a very motherly sort of affection.

"Sometimes things do not go as expected but never think of yourself as a failure, if you dont have faith in yourself who else could have faith in you. Show some confidence what you were doing is beyond impressive to me and you should be proud of your progress thus far."

If he accepted her hug she would pull away and give a warm smile before taking a seat and preparing to eat, she would not take a bite until he took a bite first. This was out of habit for being a maid in her household for so long.

Ashitaka was unsure how to deal with the matronly young woman and her kind, generous offers of food and affection. She was, frankly, too much everything he needed too badly right now. His instincts didn't warn him that this was some kind of trap, but that was exactly how traps worked, wasn't it? No, he couldn't just go around suspecting every person who showed him any kind of warmth of having an ulterior motive.

"Then... thank you for the meal," He had just worked up the courage to sit down and eat with her when he saw her reaching for him and reflexively moved back, trying to analyze her intentions. It was possible that she was the sort of assassin that specialized in presenting herself as innocuous and harmless until her prey let their guard down, when she would strike like a net spider that had successfully dropped into her victim's blind spot. She could be trying to preemptively attack his resolve to fight her in the spar she challenged him to just a moment ago. Let's just... not admit how effective that's turning out. She might be offering an object lesson on dealing with the kind of people who did those things. Or she may just be offering him a hug. Nobody had hugged him since his mother gave her last goodbye before he went off to the Academy.

The boy had prepared himself to deal with nearly every kind of attack he could potentially suffer. He had to, given that he was unsafe no matter where he was. Whatever the maid was doing, however, didn't make the list. Her words were reassuring, her face was gentle, and her embrace was warm and welcoming. But he just... couldn't... bring himself to trust her that much. He was already pushing himself by making regular eye contact with her in spite of her clan and the proclivity they had for rendering that a mistake ripe for abuse. Even after Nyg-sensei demonstrated that a glance was all it took for one to be rendered completely helpless, he still went out of his way to avoid the inhuman treatment that must surely be inspired by such suspicion. But he'd heard that one of the Hokages had been slain for accepting an offer like hers, and he was no Hokage.

Still, it was unlikely that she poisoned food that she'd originally intended for herself, so he quietly and neatly moved a random assortment of some of it to a personal dish and began eating it.

She could feel his uneasiness as she continued to eat, he began to eat the food as well making her smile, sure it was unusual to be kind as a shinobi but sometimes people needed to understand there was good in the world her clan was the worst about this. It always felt so dark and they always seemed to have some big plans instead of simply enjoying the moment and happiness they had right in front of them.

"I know you think this is some trick but I promise I am actually weaker than you are, I wasn't allowed to become a Shinobi until much later in life. I show kindness for one reason to give hope to my allies, you are part of my village and an ally, if I cant give emotional support to those who need it then I am a failure."

She would go back to eating her food, as always it was delicious as she would continue to watch the young mans every move, not because she suspected he would attack it was more a reaction to her words. She was just the type of person that wanted to see if she was helpful, she wanted to be helpful to her village anyway she could, that's when it struck her his last name. He had to have had a canine but she did not see one nearby, she wondered where his canine was hiding.

"Your last name means you are part of that clan, so... I am wondering where your canine is. You see I have a name among the Uchiha the Sharingan hound, I am to be their loyal dog to crush our enemies. I know its stupid to expect someone to be that way but I am okay with my role, I have been given so much despite being some sort of bastard child with parents that abandoned me at birth."

A lot of what Yui said was drowned out by her mention of the absence of his Inuzuka dog. Which is to say, the unintentional reminder that he never had one. It was the truest and most blindingly painful aspect of the fact that although they took him in and loved him, he never really was a member of their family. He crushed the dish in his hands as he started choking on the food he was eating. Ashitaka had never realized how much it would hurt, because everyone else he met was either too ignorant or reserved to make a point of it. Even Chika hadn't said anything about it, despite his having gone out of his way to mention where Ashitaka had come from as though he was liable to forget. He roughly set the tattered remains of the dish down and with some effort, regained control of himself.

"I have no dog..." he said, and the admission felt like gutting himself. "I am Inuzuka in name only, because the family here saw fit to take me in from the woods they found me in. They are my love and my life, but my blood and power are of the Senju, who I have not seen much of despite my ostensibly being their Prince." He met her eyes as he concluded: "I am alone. I have only my Team for company, and we hardly speak."

He picked up the bowl again, and in his hands, the wooden body re-formed as the fiber net making its underside wove itself back together. Ashitaka scooped its former contents back into it and resumed eating as though the food wasn't previously just in a pile on the ground. It was doubtless that there was little that could clearly illustrate that he was "Prince" in name only more than this single action. As he finished eating, he returned the dish and retrieved a soup cup from which to drink the offered tea. He kept the chopsticks on hand, intending to use them for another purpose. After washing them off with chakra-generated water, he switched over to the ignition chakra used for explosive tags and used it to scorch the small ends of the chopsticks.

"Let me know when you are ready to start, and I'll explain the rules for our matches. And don't worry about any difference in power you believe there might be between us. I still pale by far compared to our enemies, and I am called "The Human Training Dummy" for a reason."

She listened to the boy speak as she heard Senju she seemed shocked he would tell a stranger such secrets. People often targetted them for organs or other nefarious things yet he trusted her enough to tell his secret. She felt she needed to tell her own secret one she had not told anyone and one only Nyg and those that treated her understood. When she failed to protect Nyg daughters and he blamed her it was like a knife into her heart, she felt like she had been killed. That night before he could apologize she tried to take her life by slitting her wrists, but he saved her and yelled at her, not angry she failed but angry she tried to kill herself and remove someone he felt was family from himself. That night had changed everything and now she lived to help others, to make sure they would never go down the dark path she went, and realize someone alive will miss you being gone no matter how bad of a person you are.

"I have my own secret, you told me something you never had to so I will tell you something I never had to tell you."

She would lift her sleeves and expose the giant gashes she had on her wrists, she kept the scars are reminders she had someone to live for. To remind herself people care about her and she would be missed if she ever died.

"I tried to kill myself when I failed a mission to protect our Hokages children, I was tasked to keep them safe and I failed. When he yelled at me it put a knife in my heart and I could not stand the pain so I tried to kill myself. He saved my life and made it clear if I died people would be sad, he can't say certain things about me publically but I know he cares a lot for me and wants me to be happy and alive. Never fall into the deep hole I did if you ever feel that way get in contact with me I know the painful and alone feeling it has and the feeling it was the only choice."

She would finish her food and stand up it was time for some training, she did wonder what idea he had, she had a bow but it would simply break like all the others. It was a flaw of hers and it annoyed her to no end, still, she was sure this could be fun. Maybe they could have a marksmanship contest, that was a good way to test their skills.

"I am ready whenever you are, feel free to tell me the rules of the training, do not worry I follow rules to a T. This also means make sure you give me precise instructions or I wont follow what you think should be obvious."

Why are girls so Sage-forsaken strange? Ashitaka wondered quietly as the maid regaled him with a terrible event of her past wherein she, like another strange woman he'd recently met, had deliberately cut herself with the partial intent to end her own life. Granted, he knew that he'd done the same himself just recently, but there was a point to his doing so. Pun not intended. He was trying to educate his team on how to escape the clutches of a wicked Genjutsu user. Plus there was also the fact that his wounds healed quickly, so even those wounds meant little to him. "Well. It's a good thing you didn't truly mean to die. Otherwise, Nyg-sensei wouldn't have been able to save you from yourself."

Ashitaka was going to have to re-evaluate his opinion of Uchiha Nyguyen. Up until he met this Yui, every week seemed to be a shocking new low, even long after he thought no level of disappointment could surprise him. But talking with her made him stop thinking about the positions that he was endlessly failing to fulfill and start considering the man himself. Just as was the case with Ashi going on the Black Site mission, Nyg had volunteered for those positions, but there were people around him who could have -and should have- foreseen that he was getting in over his head and stopped him. The fact of the matter was that of those who had power, nobody had any sense of responsibility for their lessers or duty towards their country. And that left these huge problems in the hands of idiots like Nyg-sensei. Such as Ashitaka.

While he was thinking, Uchiha Yui got into some kind of position relative to his own and readied herself. As she spoke to him of rules, he remembered his sparring match with Chika and how his self-restraint led to the older boy not taking the looming threat seriously. Then again, he did come back from the war un-marked, a feat which was curious to Ashi but a matter for another time.

"There are two rules. One: cherish your life, because you are loved." he said as he formed hand seals. Snake. Rat. Ox. Ram. Snake. Less than a second passed and buildings erupted all around them: a replica of the Hokage Office and the nearest 100m of Konoha in all directions. "Two: Fight me as though I'm going to take all that away from you."

Bird. Dog. Snake. Snake. Another half-second passed.

A puff of smoke briefly obscured his body. The bracers on his arms grew out to cover his body in faintly glowing wooden plate armor. Incidentally, because his opponent was an Uchiha, the helmet also covered his eyes. He didn't need to see her, though, since he could rely on his Subharmonic Field to tell him where she was as long as her chakra signature was within range. As the smoke disappeared, he drew his wooden sword and coated its blade in translucent chakra with a distinct flowing effect leading from the hilt to its tip. Then, he struck, forming a half-Tiger seal in his left hand and dashing forward with a blinding strike aimed at the left side of her midsection, intent on slamming her into one of the new walls.

Two seconds had passed since he finished talking. It almost looked like he was still standing where he was before he started his attack, not that a Sharingan would be fooled.



________________________



[WC 528
Trained:
Mokuton: Serial Pillar Houses Technique (A-rank, Canon) -10 CP (UA)

Also Used:
Sensory: Sensing Technique -0.5 CP (125m range)
Mokuton: Wood Transformation Technique (Amped) -6 CP (UA, Amp)
Non-Elemental: Amplification Technique (Wood, See Above)
Kenjutsu: Chakra Flow -1 CP (Water Element: +1 Tier Durability and B-Tier Strength knockback)
Non-Elemental: Body Flicker Technique -5 CP
Kenjutsu: Secret Sword: Moonlight -10 CP

Stat Changes:

Str: C -> B (Chakra Flow)
Con: B
Spd: D+ (Lifestyle) -> C+ (Body Flicker) -> B+ (SS: Moonlight)
Stam: B++ (Senju) 202.5/235
Coord: B
Perc: B
Int: C

Effortless Perfection is a Senju Wood Katana and reduces the cost of techs that use it by 1 rank. A/A++ (Chakra Flow)

Wood Release: Transformation is using the Armor option, enhanced by Transformation Bracers and Focused Amplification.
It is currently S/A++

She listened to him talk and smiled, it was good to see he was in high spirits, as he looked to be preparing to fight he would give the conditions, one was to love herself and she knew this already giving a light nod. The second was to fight him like he planned to take it all away, as a clear rage entered her eyes. Suddenly her eyes would begin to swirl with two tomoes showing up and staring at the man. He was beginning to use his hand seals and this was going to spell trouble. His hand seals were super fast and even if she could predict what he was doing her ability to react to his actions was not near fast enough. She would begin to slam her fingers into her body to her pressure points likely making the boy wonder what she was doing. This was a technique she had learned and quite good. She focused on making herself faster, but she could tell she still was not fast enough. He would appear to vanish before her but her eyes could see him and track him, however, she had no chance to block the attack as his blade slammed into her and sent her slamming into the wall. She would cough a little blood as she stood slowly, which certainly hurt as she felt herself having a difficult time breathing even.

It was clear he was not playing around and her judgment of his strength was one-hundred percent correct, he was better than her in every way but she would refuse to give up as she would smile and laugh a bit as her eyes continued to be locked onto him. Her nails would begin to slowly grow out as well as her fangs in her mouth, it appeared like some sort of transformation. She had wanted to learn this technique for a long while but now was clearly the time, as her claws appeared quite sharp she would make a dash for the boy, she knew this was fruitless but she was not going down without fighting even if it was pointless. She would aim several blows toward his body, she knew even if she hit him the wood would not break, she would do no damage all this was doing was showing her fighting spirit. She would prove she was not just a maid, but a powerful warrior and someone that should be respected, she doubted he felt she was no one because he was taking this fight seriously meant he had faith she had possible skills.

Trained Jutsu: Claw Creation Technique

Stats and Jutsu:

Tengoku had been spending some time on patrol around the village due to recent events and battles going on in the world. He was concerned for the nation and his sister of course. She had fallen ill and was kept in bed resting almost constantly lately. Truthfully he didn't want to be home. He could smell the fluids any time he entered the section of the house nearest to her room. He could smell the scents of medical equipment and sanitizer and all it did was increase his anxiety over the whole affair. Perhaps the shock of what Konoha had intended for Masaru had taken it's toll on her. Perhaps there was just a sickness in Konoha. So soon after their promotion too. They had built together as a team and now...now he wondered just what he could do on his own. He had been encouraged by some Uchiha but held doubts about the actions of others. The world was in turmoil so all he could do was continue to train and hope that he could make a difference in Konoha....to protect the village and more importantly his sister. He wasn't sure what he could do but he wouldn't stop trying.

For now Tengoku was moving through the woods in his full shinobi gear. A pair of black shinobi pants with black combat boots. His black turtleneck was actually extended to rise like a face mask to the bridge of his nose. His headband was wrapped around his right arm while a simple katana one might find at a common market with white wrappings was tied to his back with the hilt over his left shoulder. Tightly bound inside of his black Konoha flak jacket. His silver hair hung about his face like a lions mane matching his silver left eye. His right eye was kept closed with a pink scar running down his face through it. In the midst of his wild hair on top of his head was a noticable pair of wolf like ears. Running along side him was a pack of three wolves all with silver fur like his hair and keeping up with his steady pace until they reached the training grounds. He intended to take a break here for a while and let the wolves drink from the fresh, untainted water in the survival grounds. There was a back entrance which he used. An old Iron gate which squeaked loudly when he opened it.

Tengoku was rather surprised however after a few moments of wandering in with his pack to discover buildings much like the village had somehow grown here overnight. His wolf like ears would twitch at the sounds of fighting and he would tilt his head. His wolves looking to him a moment before he held out his hand and motioned downwards with an open palm. They seemed to understand as they moved slow and quiet now. Though not actively hiding their presence. Moving slightly to either side and behind Tengoku like a well trained unit. Tengoku would quietly round a corner to see a young girl fly into a wall hard. Still she picked herself up and he noted the tall tale signs of the Sharingan. He had seen it before. He knew another was around the corner further but that chakra element was unfamiliar to him. So he would step into full view and quietly watch the girl assault someone in wood armor. His silver eye tracking the movements easily. He would hold up his right hand in a fist to indicate to the wolves to stop and all three would sit down where they were. From there he would quietly watch as he crossed his arms.

Ashitaka barely managed to notice that Yui wasn't going to be able to defend himself and flip his sword so the flat side would strike her instead of the edge, knocking her away instead of cutting her in half.

"You're insane, trying to act tough with so little strength." Watching her struggle to her feet, he wondered where she got the idea that she could ever protect anyone else with what little power she had. He had picked up a brief surge of Medical chakra from her, but his strike just swept it away like a child smacking the head of a seeding dandelion. It was gone so fast that he only noticed its presence in retrospect as she formed chakra claws on her hand and lunged at him with them. He could have easily destroyed her makeshift weapon, but he was distracted by the arrival of another chakra signature within the limits of his Subharmonic Field. He side-stepped her attacks, using the hissing sound of her claws slicing through the air to signal to him when he needed to dodge. "Our enemies are powerful..."

He caught her striking arm with one hand and used the other to slam the hilt of his sword into the bruising welt he'd already made on her midsection.

"...and cruel. No amount of innocence or good intentions will spare you from the savagery of battle with them." he finished as he dropped her unceremoniously and raised his visor to get a look at the intruder to the training match. The sight of a wolf-like man made a deep inner part of him happy, as did the sight of his wolves, but he silenced it in acknowledgement of the current situation. "Who are you? What do you want?"

He only took his attention partially off of Yui in case she tried doing something stupid with any openings the other man's arrival might have granted her. The newcomer seemed like a much more viable threat to him, but he was sure that he could take on both of them if it proved necessary. He spent a moment wondering how he'd raced so far ahead of so many other shinobi in terms of his development. After all, he still had his entire life ahead of him. As far as he'd come, he was only just getting started.




___________

Info:

Once again her attacks would do nothing to him, it was so obvious she was outclassed, he was stronger than her in every way and she stood no chance. As he blocked her claws before slamming the sword handle into her gut once again sending her to the ground. This was when she noticed another man, and some friends, she wasn't sure if Ashi had any idea about his friends but the Sharingan could see them clearly. She would begin to have her hand glow green leaping back from Ashi closer toward the other man as she was trying to at least make the pain less.

"I think you don't realize... you are far stronger then you realize, yes I am weak and I know this but you are much stronger than you really understand. Most people would have not faired as well with that claw attack yet you suffered no damage. I have not been a shinobi for long, I was only allowed rather recently to pursue this while I was finished taking care of the children of my masters house."

She could feel the pain fade as she waited to see what the other man would do, she had no idea if he was friend or foe, but at least now maybe she could fight him easier. If he had more opponents to focus on it would mean he had less chance to focus on herself and he had lifted his helmet as well. Doing such a thing against an Uchiha was unwise, though she really did not have much Genjutsu he had no idea if she did or did not.

"So you lifted your mask, that wasn't wise as now you in a Genjutsu, the trigger was simple enough and if you paid attention to my actions you, unfortunately, fell right into it. Why do you think I was letting you hit me so hard, it was all a ploy, to make you drop your guard."

This was a complete bluff of course, but in reality, he wouldn't know if she was or was not telling the truth. He could, of course, tell she was lying he had sensory but she had no idea if he did or did not. It was clear she was at least clever and not just a muscle brain, even if she was lying she sounded very much like she was telling the truth. What was clear is she did suffer an injury even with her talking a few gasps of breaths signaled she possibly had broken ribs, if anything she was rather tough.

Stats and Jutsu:

Tengoku would cross his arms a listen a moment. He was quietly observing for the moment as his silver eye took them both in. The one in wood armor was clearly at the advantage though the Uchiha was ferocious in her attacks despite having little effect. Tengoku couldn't help but consider if perhaps the one in wood armor was too comfortable in his defense. He had superior reflexes but given enough time a weaker enemy could find the advantage and turn the tables. Battle was a constant shifting thing. Still he could admire both of them and choose not to criticize either. However the words the boy spoke about their enemies being both strong and cruel brought a sad frown to Tengoku's face. The young Senju was not wrong in that regard and it would keep him prepared for life and death situations. A valuable lesson to learn that had nearly cost Tengoku his right eye. Still as the girl backed off from him Ashitaka would inquire rather abruptly as to who Tengoku was and what he wanted. Even sliding his face plate up to show a rather tired expression. One which Tengoku wondered if much joy reached him recently.

Before he could answer though the Uchiha girl with cat like claws had gained some distance and based on the chakra he was picking up had begun to heal her ribs. Medical chakra was usually a very warm and soothing chakra to experience. Still the bluff of him being in a genjutsu brought a smile to his face He would reach out and lightly pat her on top of the head before speaking in turn. "That won't work young lady. He is currently pushing out a sensory field. It's useless to bluff a sensory ninja that's actively feeling his surroundings with a thing like genjutsu. A good effort though. Had it not been for my own chakra sensory being active I would have believed it." With that being said his silver eye would settle back on the wood armored man and he would smile in a way where it met his eyes. Though his mouth was covered it was clear he was attempting to be friendly and his own chakra felt pure. Like it was almost connected to the nature around him. He held no chakra influence over the wolves as they simply followed him at will. Still he would call out to the wooden man.

"My name is Tengoku. I am a jounin of Konoha and was passing by when I overheard the sounds of your battle. If I am being intrusive I apologize. However I wish to add something to your previous statement. Our enemies are strong and cruel but cruelty does not create real strength. It only breeds more hate. We grow stronger by having something to fight for. Friends, Family, loved ones. It is when I fight for their wellbeing that I feel at my strongest. I do not wish to be a cruel man and so I will not be one. In a world covered in darkness I strive to be the light. Because even those cloaked in shadows need a light to save them."

"Don't think for a second that I'm happy about your weakness. The people we're up against are as much stronger than me as I am than you. As someone who might end up depending on you, I need you to get your act together and train like you actually value what you intend to fight for." Ashitaka's attention flipped between Yui and Tengoku. He didn't know whether to be more annoyed at her for trying such a stupid move without even bothering to spend the chakra to fake it, or at him for immediately giving away the secret of his resistance to Genjutsu. As far as introductions went, that had to be as rude as they came without openly attacking him on sight. He glowered at the man and, with his free hand, started forming hand signs. His muscles surged with Mokuton chakra, although his armor would hide most of the difference.

"Jounin, huh? Let's see if Nyg-sensei is any better at assigning such a rank than he is at any other decision-making I've seen on his part since I've met him." switching elements, he held the surging Doton chakra in his hand as he placed the wooden sword in his mouth and held it with his teeth so he could pull his bow and fire a trio of arrows at Tengoku. They were only a distraction, however, as he demonstrated by using his now-free right hand to strike the ground and summon a pair of stone walls 30 meters tall, one thick, ten apart, and spanning the entire distance between himself and the newcomer. Without missing a beat, he formed half a Ram seal as he inhaled, then spit out an absolute fountain of rushing water, which was contained by the walls and guided to their target at such an impossible speed that it overtook the arrows mid-flight even though it'd only take them a bit more than a second to reach him. Naturally, he kept his Field up to keep track of any movements on the parts of either of them. "I'm going to be honest with you, though: my hopes on the matter aren't high."

Back when he was at the Academy, words like the ones Tengoku used would have moved his soul. But he'd gone outside since then, and seen how people acted firsthand. Love didn't grant power. Only training and blood did. For the people who lacked the latent potential and the will to develop it, the extent to which they cared about those around them just defined how much they would suffer when confronted with their own weakness. Yui could attest to that and had already done so. The same went for Ari, who was forever haunted by the nightmare that was her past. As for the orphans of the refugees he couldn't save. In the face of the harsh bitterness of reality, speeches like the ones Nyg-sensei and Tengoku were prone to making only amplified the pain with insult, and Ashitaka was going to make them feel it.





__________________________



[WC 503
Techs Trained:
Doton: Multiple Earth-Style Walls (A, Canon) -20CP
Suiton: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave (A, Canon) -10 CP (Affinity)

Also Used:
Mokuton: Greenwood (A, Custom) -10 CP (UA)
Sensory: Sensing Technique (A, Canon) -0.5 CP

Chakra Flow has been Disabled

Stats:

Str: B (Greenwood)
Con: B++ (Greenwood)
Spd: D+ (Lifestyle)
Stam: B++ (Senju, 159.5/235)
Coord: C (One-Handed Seals)
Perc: B (Sensing 125m radius)
Int: C

Ashitaka's bow is a B-Grade Darhk Industries Standard Recurve. The arrows are White Dragon Fangs (B/B++) with a Launch Speed of B+.

Tengoku would sense the surge in chakra and hold up a hand before the hand signs ever finished. His right hand signaled with two fingers back the way they had come from. Without hesitation the wolves would rise and run back the way they had come to leave the training facility. Whoever this guy was he wasn't playing around. So Tengoku would avoid having his wolves caught up in it. The sudden drawing of the bow would launch an attack his way but Tengoku would shift to the right just out of their path. No sooner had he done so though the kid slammed his hand to the ground. Earth walls rising up rapidly to either side of Tengoku but guarding the girl from the high tier attack that followed. Doton followed by suiton? An interesting combination that funneled an attack usually meant to wipe out a large area directly at one target. Like a hose with the end pinched it roared forward with impressive pressure. Still Tengoku was almost just as fast with less space to cover. His feet would plant and he would launch up above the earth walls and over as the water came crashing through the drainway.

Tengoku would land on a building on the other side of the wall as water went crashing through and left a mist of spray in the air. Tengoku would let his other silver eye open as he took a breath to remind himself to be patient. Some people had their own shit to go through. He shouldn't take an attempt on his life so personally..right? Still he was watching now for any more ranged attacks as he moved closer. Building to building as he moved out of the path of each attempt to hit him at a range short of a jutsu being used until he got closer. A lot closer. Still Tengoku would land on the building overlooking Ashitaka and the girl if he was allowed to get within the ten meters. Planting one foot on the edge of the roof as he leaned his left arm on his knee. Both silver eyes watching the young man with his silver hair framing his face. The scar running down his right eye clearly visible now. Still he would let out a sigh as he held up his other hand and made the sign for stop. Hoping the kid wouldn't keep shoving mass jutsu up his ass.

"Hey hey listen, I don't know what happened to you in your past. I can't begin to fathom what you're feeling. And honestly you can't be that bad of a guy. You protected her from your attack knowing she likely wouldn't have been able to defend against it so I doubt murder is on your mind. But cmon my guy. What if you had been right and I was weak? I would of been a drowned puppy back there. If you wanna spar just ask ya know? I'm not in the business of trying to murder my allies or break their spirits."


.5 chakra for sensory

She watched as once again Ashi used crazy power, yeah she wasn't on the same plane of existence as he was, however, the man with the wolves also appeared to be no slouch. He did not even use a Jutsu and yet he managed to be safe. Her eyes watched the jutsu and she certainly knew how to use them but she had no skill in ninjutsu, but no way she stood a chance fighting either one of them. She would simply observe their battle with her leaping out of the area of battle showing she was no longer part of the battle. Those two could duke it out and she could learn some combat lessons watching them with her two tomoe swirling around.

She would not speak but instead show intense focus, watching these two could help her more than anything she could do by herself. Watching the way they fought and their body language as they fought, everything would be witnessed by her eyes. The wolf mans words also struck home to her did he suffer in some way, she wasn't sure. The one thing she was sure is he was a very serious man, he was focused and determined. He had suffered from something, and it appeared Nyg had been likely the reason. She felt he almost had a hatred for this man.

Stats and Jutsu:

Ashitaka briefly glanced to Yui to make sure that she was indeed unharmed, then responded to Tengoku's movements by leaping on top of the wall he'd made so that he was still level with the man. As his feet struck the topside surface, he charged his soles with chakra to stick him in place because as it happened wet stone was pretty damn slick. At the same time, he released his sword into his open hand and pointed it at the newcomer. Anger was taking progressively more control over his normally rational mind, and turned his brilliant intelligence into a fuel source for it.

"Two things: first off, this is a training facility and a fairly isolated region of it that I'd come to in order to avoid potentially harming people by accident with my jutsu. Second, she initiated this sparring match so that I might help her where her own training has fallen short. So if you're not here to contribute to either my training, hers, or yours, I have to wonder whose time you've come to waste."

His wooden katana blackened as it was filled with Earth Chakra and coated in what was tantamount to artificial diamond. It was now so sharp and durable that it could slice through the stone at his feet and the wood at Tengoku's as though they were paper. But this was another ruse. Quickly dropping into another crouch, he snapped one of the kunai at his back free of its clip and hurled it at the man at such an impossible speed that it vanished from his own sight the instant it left his hand. The jounin would never know how much the chunin preferred civility now that his blood was boiling.

A more mature person probably wouldn't attack his own allies and blame them for their weakness. But as it happened, 11-year-olds, no matter how smart, tended to not be very mature as a rule. Ashitaka felt like he was alone in a typhoon of war among nigh-inconceivable powers, and the most stable adult he'd had contact with in the past year was his ephemeral employer, Okane. It was all he could do to stick to his stated goal of helping Yui learn new techniques, and therefore not rely on his bloodline arts that she would never be able to make use of regardless of her own's unique quality.

"It's your fault! If it wasn't for adults like you being so damn useless, then Nyg-sensei wouldn't need me to become this!" he formed a half-Tiger seal and leapt over the gap between them, raising his sword over his head and bringing it down in a blinding strike. Once they were in a much more personal range, Tengoku would be able to see that Ashitaka's irii had turned a brilliant green. The building beneath them shuddered when his feet touched it, but if the other two were perceptive enough, they'd be able to see that it wasn't from the impact. If the wolf-man had his own Sensory ability, he would have the distinct impression of being utterly surrounded by Ashitaka's chakra, due to the fact that the buildings were made of it. After the initial strike through, he would shift into a defensive stance to give Yui time to move into a position where she would be able to see the entire duel.





_______________________________

Technical info:

Tengoku would listen to the young man and sigh before his eyes would shift. This kid was angry. Angry at his sensei. Angry at the world. He felt pity for him honestly. He wanted to help but he wasn't sure how to get his point across to a rampaging kid. Not that this kid wasn't packed full of power. Power that he was pushing out with every moment. Well if it was a battle of attrition Tengoku just had to hold out until the kid ran out of the chakra to attack effectively. However winning a fight in such a way wouldn't help the kid listen to anything Tengoku had to say. Not to mention if Tengoku had met the kid with a fresh start the fight could go in a different way. If he was going to get this kid to talk to him instead of attacking him he was going to have to take him seriously. He took a breath as he readied himself for another battle. He really didn't like the situation but if he could win...maybe he could start helping this kid change his views. He just needed to remain focused and aware. If he could do that he could persevere.

The sudden hand reaching for another weapon was surprising for him. In armor like that he could still have hidden weapons? The surge of chakra before the throw had Tengoku push himself. It was going to be close range and fast. He was already reaching for his sword and controlling his breathing as the kunai was thrown. In a flash of movement Tengoku swung his sword. Both with the kendo style and with chakra flow activated. Causing sparks to fly off the blade of his weapon. The sword would intercept the kunai's path and divert it to the floor. The kunai sticking there. However he was surprised to see that his katana had a new crack in the blade from the interaction. Even with boosting it to B/C?! Incredible. He really should have brought his other sword. However the kid was already on top of him. A strong swing with a black sword downwards at him? He could sense the the earth element in it. He would side step while keeping his footing. Rising his sword to counter the blow and attempt to knock it back. However to his own shock his chakra empowered sword snapped in two as the superior sword slammed through it into the ground.

The kid would back up into a defensive stance as he had disarmed Tengoku. However that electricity likely had shocked him and made his hands numb. Still Tengoku was standing there looking down at his broken sword. Staring at it a moment before he would speak quietly. "That sword was a gift. The first time someone ever gave me anything. I grew in strength with this sword in my hand. It was there virtually every step of the way. ....And you broke it." His hand would grip audibly around the sword as he took an angry breath. He would take a step back and pick up the kunai. Yanking it out of the ground as he tenderly set his katana down. Before rising to his full height and those silver eyes were now filled with anger. "You want to throw a tantrum that's fine kid. But you broke my precious sword. A gift from a Hokage that saved this nation however briefly he was here. I encourage you to prepare yourself. Because what comes next is me taking you seriously."

He would focus on hardening his muscles. Preparing for the cost of using his full strength. His body would surge with chakra as he braced his feet. Holding the kunai in the kendo stance. Though the Kendo wasn't doing him any good with a kunai. The chakra flow still active in his hands rising the blade to a A/B with lightning coating it once more. Electricity began to crackle around his body loudly. Then suddenly he would move at incredible speeds. The top of the building bursting apart The armor looked durable so he was going to focus on breaking it. All that was left behind him was a trail of electricity as he crossed the top of the building in an instant to arrive under Ashitaka's defense and in the same motion use a rising strike. From this position even if his hit didn't shatter the armor the sheer force of it would likely send the boy flying. However the return was the sound of his knuckles popping as blood spurted from them from the sheer force of it. Even with his muscles protecting his bones his skin still tore from the difference between his Constitution and his strength. He could even feel cracks in his bones. That arm was going to need healing before he could use it again. The kunai regardless of if combined with his strength was enough to cave in that armor crumbled away as well. He had mostly just used it to avoid hitting a hard material directly.

Information:

200/200 Library B rank trained Secret Sword: Moonlight

Yui watched in awe, it really did appear Ashi had a hatred for her master, she had no idea what could have been so bad but his heart was full of rage and hatred. The wolfman was very different showing a mostly calm aura, that was until his sword had been shattered by some attack Yui could not track. They both were moving so fast, it was basically impossible until the attacks landed for her to see what was going on, it was like a blur and they basically teleported to their location.

Once the sword was broken however she could feel anger rising up inside of him, he was totally pissed now, that was a gift from a former Kage and he just had it shattered. She had a strong feeling this was not good but what could she do, she had no ability to stop either, she could plead but this likely would fall on deaf ears. They had a score to settle and all she could really do was watch the best she could and copy anything she could learn using her Sharingan.

She could understand anger, she had so much of it and let it well up inside of her and she knew no talking would have made her anger of being abandoned as a child ever fade. Ashi was striking out in anger like an injured animal, he wasn't physically injured, no his spirit was injured and needed to be healed.

Stats and Jutsu:

Ashitaka looked down in shock at the shattered blade at his feet. He wasn't expecting a weapon carried around by someone calling himself a Jounin to break so easily. It seemed that when Nyg-sensei was the subject of his thoughts even only by proxy, he was destined to find some new hitherto unforeseen levels of disappointment. But this, at least, established the fact that this was a pattern on the part of those holding the position of Hokage, rather than a trait that was unique to his nominal instructor. He didn't know what to make of that, especially since he was given no time to think. After a spiel that he barely registered, Tengoku attacked, and he would fast enough that it would have been unbelievable had it not been for the experiences he had with other high-level assailants.

In the infinitesimally brief pause during which his opponent shifted his stance from approaching to striking, the boy simultaneously struck at the wrist of Tengoku's armed hand and pulled his sword's sheathe from his belt loop and struck the opposing leg in one motion. Then two more strikes followed: one to the unarmed hand's shoulder, and one to the previously undamaged leg. Finally, Ashitaka stepped back and brought the sword and sheathe in parallel with one another, then stepped forward and drove both towards the man's chest. All of his blows were restrained to inflict the minimum damage while still being noticeable, and directed so that if they knocked him back, it would be away from the edge of the rooftop so he wouldn't fall and seriously injure himself. This was in spite of the fact that once he processed what the jounin said, he was now angry at him specifically rather than his entire life situation in general.

"You claim to value that weapon, yet you carry it around and wield it where it might be lost, stolen, or-" he gestured to the current sorry state of the blade in question. -broken. Yet you blame me when it meets such a fate, even though I did not attack your sword or go to any particular length to break it. This gross irresponsibility is exactly what I'm pissed off about in the first place. And you should be angry too, if this is the extent to which your Hokage valued you."

Ashitaka sheathed his sword and returned the sheathe to his belt loop, then removed his bush cloak and laid it out, kneeling down to collect the pieces of the shattered blade.

"Don't cry." he said quietly to the splinters of steel as he gingerly picked them up and placed them on top of his cloak. "You did your best. It's not your fault you were brought to bear against an impossible foe. Believe me, I know what that's like. Being destroyed in an instant like that is an awful feeling."

Once he was finished gathering all the pieces he could find, he rolled up the cloak and folded its ends so that none of them would fall out before standing with it in his arms and turning to address the wolf-man.

"If you truly care for this sword as you claim, then bring a pound of gold and two of glass to my shop in the Senju Clan District. It won't be hard to find: it's the only lit forge in the area. I will make it whole again and create a memorial for its service. In the meantime," he pulled the Effortless Perfection free of his belt loop and held it out horizontally with one hand. "My child will keep watch over you. Few things are quite as sad as a swordsman without a sword."




_____________________

Tech Info:

Tengoku would slam forward with impressive speed but he had hesitated to simply follow through in concern for his own body. The moment he stopped to strike his opponent proved highly capable. He saw the shift to counter and quickly dug his heels in. Launching himself back as he avoided the series of strikes that were aimed for both his arms and both his legs. A clear attempt to disable him temporarily by the looks of it. He would slide back harshly as he leaned forward and used the kunai to stick into the roof and use it as an anchor to drag himself to a stop. However it didn't go very deep due to the quality of the building. He would slide to a stop and finally slam back into the wall with just enough force to cause him to grunt out some air. He would let out a breath as he examined the situation more carefully now. His anger was an issue but he was calmer now that he had almost taken some damage for it. He would tilt his head as his opponent wasn't coming after him. Instead the kid looked angry in response. Perhaps it was his teenage youth but this kid seemed constantly angry.

The kid would accuse him of not caring about his sword by bringing it to combat. Wasn't like he had a lot of choice there. It was the only sword he had. At least for the moment. He couldn't get a higher quality from the shops at the market so he was at a loss for what this kid intended him to do. Still the kid would scoop up the remnants of the sword and Tengoku would watch quietly. Kunai still in his hand as he waited. He heard the words the kid had for the weapon and he would visibly relax. His grip on the kunai no longer so tight. He would watch the kid rise to his feet and figured the fight was over. Well neither side had managed to effectively land a blow on the other so both were about the same level in their respective fields. Tengoku could see the potential team forming there. However the kid would show a surprising bit of light by holding out his sword and offering to reforge the katana for Tengoku. With some hesitation Tengoku would take the sword from Ashitaka before feeling the weight of it a moment and nodding his head in approval. Handing the kunai back as well.

"A fine weapon. Better by far than anything the shops offered. You mentioned a shame for a swordsman to be without his sword but scolded me for using that one. Up until this weapon though I had no access to anything more. That sword carried me to where I am now. Despite it's quality it holds sentimental value to me. I will bring the materials of course to your forge as I seek eagerly to hold her again. Tell me though, am I what you expect from a jounin of your village? Did I pass any part of your test? Oh and.." He would turn to glance to the girl watching them. "You can approach now if you wish. I don't intend to attack this guy further and I doubt he has intentions against me so you should be safe."

Yui sighed as they both stopped fighting, but it was clear Tengoku loved that blade and cared for the person that gave it to him, however far more worrying was the damage he caused to his own body with Yui quickly jumping down and rushing over to him giving him a stern look then giving the same look over toward Ashi. They were from the same village and this was going too far for a simple spar, as she began to have her hand glow green with her aiming to at least stop the bleeding of his wounds.

"You both are idiots you know that this was a spar and you both took it way too far, you injured yourself attacking with such force..."

She would glare over at Ashi as she prepared to say something to him, she didn't know what Nyg had done to him, either way, he shouldn't behave in such a savage way and should learn restraint.

"You... I do not care what my master has done to you or put you through, you DO NOT take that out on others, that hatred and anger should NEVER be used on fellow shinobi of your village. I am disappointed in your actions and Tengokus as well, both of you played like idiotic boys and clearly went far beyond what you should have in such a battle."

Stats and Jutsu:

Ashitaka looked down at Yui, watching her heal Tengoku as he traded his Effortless Perfection for the White Dragon Fang the other man had managed to get ahold of. He listened to her complaints as he returned the kunai to its clip on his back, but clearly that was a mistake as she seemed intent on lecturing him.

"Shut up. There isn't enough time in the day to explain to you how wrong you are, so I suppose I'll just have to show you." He snapped the Tiger -> Dog -> Snake seals, summoning a Wood Clone right next to himself. It grew like a time-lapse video of a small tree growing, except it grew into a duplicate of himself. "Neither one of us has injured the other. If that isn't enough to tell you how we've been handling this fight, then you are more desperately in need of training than you let on."

"Follow me." the clone said as it turned to leap off the building. "You're going to be reminded why I was initially training alone."

Meanwhile, the real Ashitaka continued speaking to Tengoku. "You should go, too. Even that sword isn't strong enough to face what I'm about to do. And send your wolves home. This would probably be fairly traumatic for them, and that would just kill me inside."

Regardless of whether or not the adults obeyed his commands, he would turn and also leap off the building's roof, heading north where his clone went west instead. It was only by virtue of the unfathomable size of the Grand Konoha Training Facility that it had the space to safely host the techniques he was about to use and still leave enough room for bystanders to witness them. Not that it was good for the psyche of said spectators to see such things "from the ground". Ashitaka walked about 100m away from the faux district he'd created before turning back to face it, watching to see what the other two ninja had done in response to what he'd said.




_____________________

Tech Info: