Looking for a New Way

This was it. This was the spot where home had once been for a young boy of the Muramatsu clan. Well, not home itself, but the place where his childhood home had been located. Amber orbs roved over the numerous buildings, his memory clearly unable to recall where his childhood home had once stood. A slight gust of wind tousled his brown hair, yet he remained unperturbed, focused upon the sight before him. It was a testament to how much he had truly forgotten about his youth, his parents, and just about everyone else. Shin doubted he’d be able to find a familiar face, for a decade was long gone and those he knew of most were now young adults, just like himself. Being able to recognize someone was something he highly doubted would occur, though he had a slight hope that someone would at least recognize his name, if not his parents.

His feet carried him forward, his mind still hesitant to cross the invisible boundary that would be the housing district for the Muramatsu. Shin’s eyes glanced around again, this time taking in the people milling about the streets. No one he could remember, nor was there anyone who would be able to recognize him upon looks alone. Having spent his first night in an inn was an odd feeling, as the sun had already set by the time he had entered Iwagakure no Sato with the Mitsukira. Now, nearing noon, Shin had decided to take it upon himself to venture back to the Muramatsu housing district rather than putting it off and pushing it further in to the day. The matter for him to settle today was relatively simple, find a more permanent lodging solution for the time being, and what better place than his childhood home – if it still remained unoccupied. A decade had gone by, it was more than likely someone else had taken occupancy in the building, rather than it remaining vacant for the past ten years. With cautious steps, Shin would take unhurried steps, hoping his feet would eventually lead him to where he needed to go.

One might think that wearing all black leather at noon in a hot a fuck country with a dry heat would be a bad idea. One might tell someone who chose to wear such an outfit as crazy or stupid. Mal'Zeth however would tell that individual to kiss his superior ass.  As he left his home in the Muramatsu Clan district, clad in his usual black and gold leather attire he would begin to move toward the training grounds for the clan so that he could begin working on some new jutsu. He had a few in each of his respective elements already but it certainly couldn't hurt to add more to his technique repertoire. After all the more option an incredible shinobi like himself had the better off he would be and the more he could show the world his greatness after all. As he moved down the road however, the sun high in the sky and beating down upon him he would come across an individual that he didn't recognize. He seemed to be looking around for a specific building in the clan district, his steps cautious and not particularly hurried. Mal'Zeth considered this for a few moments before the answer came to him, of course!

"You there!" He would call with a wave in an attempt to get the man's attention as he moved over to him. "You're a member of the cleaning crew right? The one designated for that old house further down the lane? I can show you where it is if you wish, it's on my way to the training grounds anyway and I'm intending to go learn more jutsu. You can watch if you wish, you might learn something." He would say with a confident smile. He wasn't being particularly rude, or at least his manner wouldn't be. His speech and movements would instead speak of a casual confidence. As if he really was as good and talented as he made himself out to be. Of course, in a real fight against a real shinobi he'd get his ass kicked up between his ears, but he didn't really know that yet now did he? "I've never seen you around before, what's your name?" He'd ask idly as he moved, automatically assuming the man would follow him. He wore a brownish outfit with beige trim and a light shade of ground on the forearms of his coat. He even had a...a tie..Mal stopped as that thought occurred to him and looked toward the man. "I believe I may have made a mistake, you're no cleaner, are you?" He would ask, eyebrow raised in curiosity, a small smirk seemingly perpetually upon his features.

With the noon sun still bearing down on him, Shin still remained relatively unbothered. Travelling within a village was incomparable to his adventure to get to Iwagakure no Sato; a journey he had made twice in his lifetime, though the return trip was definitely much faster for it did not include two parents and a child. Regardless of the weather today, the tails of his coat brushing just below his knee, he could survive a few hours outside within the village walls when he had spent day on end on his journey back home. There certainly were more people out than he initially expected, though he still remained lacking in the knowledge about the current political climate of Iwagakure no Sato. His few, less than twenty-four, hours within the village was certainly not enough time to get acquainted with such a thing and his priority for today would provide little to no time for him to sate that void.

Initially upon hearing someone call out the words “You there!”, Shin had thought the words seemed to be directed to someone else. Yet, when his eyes found the source of the voice, a blonde man slightly taller than himself, though looked to roughly be around the same age, and clad in leather seemed to be waving in his direction. Hesitant, for he still wasn’t entirely sure it was himself that was being called, Shin’s head would slowly turn and he’d take a quick glance behind him. Aside from a couple of children chasing each other around, Shin deducted that it was him who was being called by that man.

The cleaning crew? That comment displeased Shin slightly, questioning if the man had eyes and was capable of using them. For the short time he had been Iwagakure no Sato, this decade, he highly doubted there would be any members of a ‘cleaning crew’ dressing as he did. Though Shin’s curiosity piqued and his displeasure was tossed aside almost immediately, when the man had indicated an old house. There was a doubt in his mind that it could be his home, but he couldn’t be entirely sure either. Ignoring the man’s comment on training, for his mind was still focused upon the house, Shin dart his eyes in the direction the man seemed to be heading toward – he had said it was on the way to the training grounds.

Following in step with the unnamed individual, Shin would respond to the question of his name and the cleaner comment, as well. Shin would let out an audible breath of air, turning his head to meet the man’s smirk. “I can assure you I am not a cleaner. My name is Muramatsu Shin…” He would pause, unsure of how he should continue. He doubted this stranger would be interested in his past, so a simple short explanation would likely be sufficient. “It’s been a while since I’ve been back here and I’m not entirely sure if my childhood home still exists, or if it’s occupied by someone else. This… old house you mentioned could be it.” The tone Shin used had some uncertainty laced within it. He knew a lot could change in a decade, and it had, so even finding a place to stay would likely remain a struggle for himself. “As for your offer to watch your training session, I’ll have to decline for the time being.” Shin knew he could brush up on his skills and techniques, yet his current priority lay in finding a solution to where he’d reside. Training would have to be something he’d consider later.

When Shin denied his being a part of a cleaning crew Mal'Zeth would simply nod. However when he introduced himself the blonde man's features would blossom into a welcoming grin. "Oh my apologies. I've simply next seen you before. Most who come in nowadays are members of some cleaning crew or labor crew or another. I simply made an assumption. I am Mal'Zeth Muramatsu, well met clansman." He would say, offering his arm for a clasp. Should it be taken Mal would give a firm grip on Shin's forearm in welcome before nodding his head at the man looking for his old home. "Possible, it hasn't been lived in in about ten years. It's being renovated at the moment because of some disrepair and large dust buildup." He would say as he jerked his head toward the direction to signal they should continue on before doing so.

"None of the work crews are authorized to make any changes like remodel or anything, just restore what it was. However the work began today. If it's your home you have final say and could give them some direction of what you want. Should you intend to move in that is. You can stay with me while they work on it if necessary." He would say, giving Shin a rundown of the status of the building and giving him an offer of a place to crash. They were clansmen after all, they needed to stick together. After a time they would arrive at the house, like all homes in the Muramatsu District it was of comfortable size. Mal would flourish one hand toward the building as if to say 'Behold!' before asking "So, is this your old home? Do you need to walk through it first?" He would ask in curiosity. It wouldn't be surprising if it had been a decade since he had been here. The reminder might be good for him and if it wasn't his home there were a few other places in the district that might fit the bill although they were being lived in now.

"About my training comment earlier." He would say, his tone simply conversational. "Rather than watch, you could join me. I intend to try to learn quite a few jutsu myself today, perhaps we can act as training partner for the other? I'll throw in a lunch, my treat." He would say. To any listening he might seem like an individual who was just trying to give a warm welcome to a returning clan member. However the reality of it was simply that he himself was not used to social situations. Most found him obnoxiously rude for some reason and because of that he didn't have any friends within the village. It was because of that that he didn't want to ostracize and be disliked by a member of his own family, however far removed they might be.

The change in attitude was something Shin was receptive to, as he would at least be knowing one individual who resided in the Muramatsu District. The man, now known to him as Mal’Zeth, informed him of most of the visitors being that of the cleaning or labor crew, a note that Shin would mentally keep for the possible aid that he would need – if the home was his. “A pleasure to meet you as well, Mal’Zeth.” Shin would reciprocate the physical greeting extended by Mal’zeth, taking his arm for the clasp. He listened to his newfound clansmen indicate the empty house has been vacant for the past decade, the timing of which would nearly line up with his time away from home. Seeing Mal’zeth jerk his head in a direction, Shin’s eyes would slowly travel in the direction they would continue towards, his eyes seeking out the building in question.

“I appreciate the offer, Mal’Zeth.” Shin started, his eyes going from the area surrounding them to watching the blonde haired man from the corner of his eye. “I don’t wish to intrude. I planned at staying at the inn I stayed at last night until the repairs are done. I have enough funds to hold me over for a few days and in that time, I should be reacquainted enough with the village to take on some work. Had to travel fairly light on my way from Kumogakure no Sato, though I didn’t own much while I was there either.” Shin continued, knowing that this was likely one of the few people he’d have to see more consistently. It wasn’t that Shin wished to avoid Mal’Zeth, but logically speaking, with both of them living in the Muramatsu Clan District, it was more than likely he’d see the leather clad individual more often than others.

Having approached a house, with Mal’Zeth indicating towards it, Shin’s eyes would analyze the building quickly, absorbing its architecture immediately. “I think it is.” Shin would mutter just loud enough for Mal’Zeth to hear. Wordlessly, Shin would step towards the building, his feet automatically carrying him forward towards the frontdoor. A hesitant hand would reach to open the door, with Shin eventually stepping through. He would take his time walking past the entrance, his eyes searching for one of the many reminders of his parents. Should Mal’Zeth follow him inside, he would find Shin eventually, in what was once the living room, standing a cautious distance away from all the pictures of himself as a child of nine or younger and his parents. A few minutes would pass at most, if Mal’Zeth remained outside before Shin would return to meet his clansmen, his face as stoic as ever. “Thank you, Mal’Zeth.” The words leaving him were sincere and he was already mentally planning on what to do with the house.

“Well, I’ll accept your offer to join you for training, though I’m not sure if I’d be an adequate partner at the current moment. Nor one really dressed for intense training session. As for lunch, seeing as how you’re more familiar with the village than I am, who am I to deny someone who may know where to find some adequate food.” Shin would say, “Though, I think I’ll pay for my own share.” He was unused to accepting charity from others, much less strangers. Having mostly survived on his own, it was a difficult transition to accept these little bits of kindness proposed to him. Figuring Mal’Zeth would take the initiative to lead them to the training grounds, Shin would fall into step with him.

“How is the… clan faring?” Shin would ask after a moment or two, curious as to how things have changed since he was last year. “I figured a lot has changed since I was last here. I assume a new clan leader is in place now.”

His arm clasp was reciprocated and Mal'Zeth would give the man a large grin as it was. This was going to be good, another clansman around his own age. Finally someone he could train with, someone who he could respect immediately. It felt good, and he looked forward to welcoming Shin to the district. As Shin spoke, declining the offer but nothing appreciation of it, he would make it known that he didn't have many possessions as he had to travel light from Kumogakure, where even there he hadn't had much in the way of such things. Mal would nod in understanding. "Well if the house is yours the possessions there are yours by default. I can show you around the village if you want, I don't mind." He would say as they moved down the district toward the previously mentioned house. At his question of if it was indeed his old home the man would quietly say that he thought it might very well be.

Shin would move into the building, Mal'Zeth following not far behind, letting him look around to get a feel for things. Mal himself would simply lean on the door frame, crossing his arms as he watched, giving Shin quiet to get a feel for his surroundings in peace. You didn't bother a man when he was returning home. It was rude, and Mal'Zeth was never rude, hell, he was a paragon of politeness. When eventually Shin turned to him, the man's face not actually showing any emotion, he would thank him. 'Not one to show what he's feeling is he?' He would think to himself as nodded in acceptance. It wasn't anything noteworthy, he just showed the man to his home. At the confirmation of joining him for training the slightly taller blonde would grin. "All we'll do is take turns practicing jutsu, I can demonstrate some and you can show them back. It'll be simple enough, every once in a while I'll practice a higher ranked one just to learn something new but we'll focus on getting you more of jutsu repertoire. If you can't seem to learn the same level of jutsu I can then you'll at least have seen them done before so you can get an idea when it does come time for you to learn them." He would say, nodding his head in acceptance of the man paying for himself.

There wasn't much point in trying to force the offer. If he did Shin would probably just pick the cheapest meal possible but if he was paying for his own share then he might at least eat a decent meal. "The offer to stay at my place is open though, I have a spare room no ones using anyway. You wouldn't be imposing." He would say, not forcing that issue but telling the man that he could save some money in the short term. When asked about the clan Mal'Zeth's eyes with tilt up in thought. "The Clan itself is faring alright, Not many in recent generations have unlocked our fabled Kekkei Genkai but I intend to be the first in a long time to do so. The leaders are just a council, the position of Clan Head hasn't been held in a while since the position will only be held by one who can utilize the bloodline. I aim to take that spot." He would say, a confident smirk on his features. "So then, shall we go to the training ground? Or did you want the give the contractor any specific instructions?" He would ask, his tone curious.

Shin took Mal’Zeth’s offer under consideration, being shown around the village would help familiarize himself with where everything was. It wasn’t something he had time to do thus far, having not been in the village for more than fourteen hours at this point, the majority of which was spent sleeping. He had no doubt the possessions in the house were either once his or his parents – all his by default now. Yet, Shin had no clue of what he would do with the items at the current time. “I wouldn’t mind a tour of the village to refamiliarize myself with it. Better to learn the layout rather than constantly wondering where everything is.” Shin would respond to Mal’Zeth’s suggestion, though it wasn’t an urgent concern of his to deal with at this moment.

Shin listened to Mal’Zeth’s intention to come the Clan Head. Hearing the mention that no one really had unlocked their Kekkai Genkai for the past few years was interesting to Shin. He, himself, hadn’t had the resources to look into or even try and attempt to unlock it. Perhaps, now, with Mal’Zeth and his return to Iwagakure no Sato he’d be better suited to learning more about it and potentially unlocking it. “Well, considering I’m not familiar with anyone else in the clan, I wish you the best of luck in becoming the Clan Head.” There was honesty behind Shin’s words, albeit the awkward phrasing. If this was a different time, if Shin had spent the majority of his life within the walls of Iwa and Muramatsu clan district, perhaps he would even share that ambition with Mal’Zeth. Now, however, with his lifetime experience, he definitely was not suited to the position.

When it came to the proposed training session Mal’Zeth proposed, there wasn’t really a reason for Shin to decline. There was not much else he needed to do today, with the exception of speaking with the contractor detailing what he wanted to be done with the house; Shin already had an idea in mind, though he needed some time to be sure that is what he wanted. “Like I mentioned, I appreciate the offer. I just need some time on my own for a day or two, afterwards, if the offer still stands, I don’t mind using your spare room.” Shin just needed some time to adapt back to living around people; in Kumogakure no Sato he was on his own more often than not, with the occasional encounter with the man who his parent’s left to be his ’guardian’. Those encounters were few and far between – mostly to check if Shin was still alive and physically healthy. “I’ll join you for training however. I don’t have anything else that really needs to be done today. I just need to speak with the contractor briefly. Just want them to halt everything and give me a day or two to think about what needs to be done, then we can continue to the training grounds.” He would wait for the contractor to eventually show up, given that Mal’Zeth had indicated they were expecting the workers soon enough. Once the contractor had arrived, the crew still on their way he would speak with the man shortly. In essence, Shin had delayed the actual restoration to the house for another two days, and simply tasking the crew with identifying any structural damage that had accumulated to the house over the years. When they would return in another two days, that was when Shin planned to begin the restoration process.

“Well, let's be on our way to the training grounds then.” Shin indicated, his eyes roaming the area seeming to search for the direction in where the training grounds were located. His mind could vaguely remember the area, though with Mal’Zeth mentioning the house was on the way to the grounds, his feet automatically began to carry him down the road where they had already been travelling, unless Mal’Zeth indicated another directions for them to head towards. “So, Mal’Zeth, any reason behind your ambition to become Clan Head?” Shin would ask, preferring to have some medium of conversation rather than walking in complete silence.

Mal would nod at Shin's response, it was true that it was better to learn the layout of the village you lived in and ultimately fought for at the end of the day given they were shinobi. However the tour could wait till later though, perhaps while they went to grab lunch after training. It seemed like as good a time as any to do so anyway. As he considered the idea, running through possible routes to certain restaurants in his mind he almost forgot the fact that he was going to be showing his clansman to a local place that was nearby. That left only a few options and he adjusted the idea in his head before shrugging. They could deal with that later. At the good luck wishes on his goal to become the leader of their clan Mal'Zeth would nod toward him with a small smirk. "I appreciate the sentiment Shin. Although I don't need luck." He would say confidently as his grin broadened. Whether or not he would unlock their clans legendary Dust Release capabilities wasn't even a question within Mal'Zeth's eyes, it was merely a matter of time. However now wasn't the time to be working on trying to unlock those capabilities. He had to show he had a mastery of the other three they utilized as well. One who only relied on their bloodline would quickly find themselves outclassed by those who focused on their skills too.

Still it wasn't like the journey to unlock it hadn't influenced him. He was a Ninjutsu specialist through and through, preferring the terrain altering, elements effects of Earth, Wind, and Fire to hand to hand combat or even weapon based warfare. At Shin's confirmation of them going to train, merely needing to speak to the contractor for a moment the blonde haired man would nod before moving from his perch of leaning on the door frame. A few minutes later the man would arrive and Shin would speak to him, asking him to look into any structural damage that had occurred over the past decade or say rather than start any of the actual restoration so that he could consider if he wanted any changed. The contractor simply nodded his head before looking at a clipboard and nodding to himself as he made a plan mentally.

At Shin's words of them getting on their way to the training grounds Mal would nod his head emphatically and when Shin began walking down the road toward, doubtless remembering his own words earlier stating his house was on the way to them, Mal would fall into step beside him. It wouldn't take long to reach the grounds and they were larger than one might expect in a clan compound. They needed the space to practice in case they were practicing their bloodline lest someone got hurt or something structurally got damaged. At Shin's question Mal'Zeth would raise an eyebrow before chuckling to himself. "I feel that the clan has stagnated over the years. The ability to unlock our capabilities is within each and every one of us, and yet none unlock them. I hope to work to facilitate more in our clan to unlocking their true capabilities. I want Muramatsu to be a clan people revere not just because we worked to help found the village with the Tetsudashi, but because of what we can do right now." He would say, his voice brimming his confidence. In truth, he found the fact that so many had given up trying to learn of their bloodlines true powers to be concerning to say the least and very much wanted to turn that mind set around.

The outward confidence that Mal’Zeth had compared to himself was a stark contrast that Shin took note of. It wasn’t to say that Shin lacked the self-assurance that his clansman had, but rather he was more private than it was to be shared with the world. Though it seemed, so far Shin had spoken more with his clansman in a few minutes compared to people who he had once spent far more time with. Perhaps it was the return home or simply not being able to connect with anyone while he had been in another country, regardless it did not matter much to him in the end. Having an acquaintance and clansman that was somewhat friendly towards him was much better than the opposite.

Once they began to make their way to the training grounds, Shin would listen to the response provided to him by Mal’Zeth. His intrigue was still nudged at the mention of the lack of individuals unlocking their clan’s fabled techniques. Even though Shin had spent ages outside the village, had forgotten much about his childhood home and his parents, but the techniques that the Matsumura were famously known for was something Shin never forgot. Hearing tales of it growing up were mostly forgotten, yet the impact of them still remained with him to this day. “Well, let’s hope you’re the first to unlock it then. You wouldn’t be the one to inspire people to unlock it if…. perhaps you unlocked it after someone else.” It was a dry tone that escaped Shin’s mouth, but the hidden challenge beneath his words was evident. It seemed, at least for now, they were on somewhat of an even playing field, so it would come down to who was more dedicated that would unlock their clan’s ability first – or if at all. Shin himself hadn’t felt right trying to unlock the Muramatsu clan’s while in another village

Minutes would pass by, Shin figuring they would eventually reach their destination of the training grounds. “Well, shall we begin? I believe you mentioned showing me some jutsus and seeing if I am able to replicate them and if I cannot, then I’ll just have to remember it for a rainy day. I believe that was what was agreed upon.” Shin felt a bit off, seeing someone near his age, who could potentially do more than himself. It was humbling but also a slight blow to himself – if this was true – that he could potentially be lacking behind right from the start.

When Shin's words registered to Mal'Zeth a fierce grin would spread across his features. "Finally, someone to compete with. Alright, may the better shinobi unlock the bloodline first." He'd say, a confident and hungry gleam in his eye as they arrived at the training grounds. Mal'Zeth would lead them a ways inside, to ensure that no matter what direction they were facing they wouldn't risk any buildings or people. Once they arrived at a destination deeper into the grounds, and assuming Shin followed him to it, then Mal would nod at his clansman's words. "Indeed, I'll try a jutsu or two to see if you're able to get a handle on it. No pressure if you can't yet. It is a matter of time and practice. Once we find out the level of jutsu you can handle we'll focus on those and if it's not quite the same level as I can utilize than I'll mix in a higher ranked one every now and then. If you can learn higher level techniques then we'll reverse roles." He would say, nodding his head confidently before turning toward a wide open field of stone and rock. Scraggly little trees dotted the terrain of this part of the grounds. They had a few groves here and there but for the most part the Land of Earth was without such vegetation.

"First technique, Intelligent Hard Work." He would say, before flipping through some hand seals. His pace was rather slow given that he wasn't particularly fast at doing seals yet. However that could be worked on later. Rat, Dog, Tiger, Horse, Dragon, Ram, Dragon. Once the last seal was made he focused his chakra into a small glowing ember that hovered over his hand. It glowed with an intense orange light before he negligently tossed it into the field. It traveled for fifty meters before bursting into a great firestorm that caused intense hit and burning wind to billow back at them. The conflagration lasted for a few moments before dying out as suddenly as it began leaving a large charred and blackened patch of earth in it's wake. "That's about the limit of what I can manage in terms of complexity. So at best I'm capable of utilizing a B rank jutsu. Let's see you try it now." He would say, turning to Shin and giving him a small side nod to imply 'you're up'.

Trained: Intelligent Hard Work

Spoiler:

As they entered the building that was the training grounds, Shin’s eyes would roam around the environment, absorbing the layout into his mind. Shin figured he would be returning here quite often, likely more on his own than with a companion if he wanted to push himself without needing to adhere to another person’s own schedule. Shin would continue to follow Mal’Zeth as there was no reason for him to wander off at the current moment; his exploration of the building could wait for when he had his own free time or if a tour of the facility would come after the impromptu training session Shin had been invited to. Once they arrived at their destination, what seemed to be one of the training grounds located deeper in the facility, Shin would aptly listen to Mal’Zeth’s words. Mostly it was confirmation of what Shin had anticipated today’s training session would entail – Shin knew he likely was lacking behind Mal’Zeth already in terms of known jutsu. Shin wouldn’t verbally agree, but he would nod in response to Mal’Zeth’s direction of how their training would proceed.

Shin would observe Mal’Zeth flip through the hand seals for the technique he had just provided to him. ‘Intelligent Hard Work’ Shin noted, making sure to absorb the knowledge of the hand seals that Mal’Zeth went through at a leisurely pace. The result ended up with an ember had formed over Mal’Zeths hand that had been promptly tossed aside. He watched the result of the ember that had been thrown away; a firestorm that would leave severe damage if it met a foe.

“Alright. Let’s take a crack at it.” Shin would state once his clansman was done and had prompted him to try his hand at the ‘Intelligent Hard Work’ technique. Shin would go through the hand seals much like Mal’Zeth had, though perhaps not as slow as his clansman. Shin was not demonstrating the technique, but was still confident in his ability to form the required hand seals properly and in the correct sequences. Rat, Dog, Tiger, Horse, Dragon, Ram, Dragon. Shin would wait a moment, a second passed and nothing but a slight bit of smoke. He would attempt the technique once more, but the result had been similar to his first attempt. Failure. While Shin wasn’t too put out by it, he had enough time to improve himself and be able to utilize the technique, today just didn’t seem like that day. “Well, I suppose we can rule out using B rank jutsus for me, for the time being. Somehow… I expected this result.” Shin would state, his tone remaining neutral, disappointment being unable to be found in his words.

Shin would step up to the metaphorical plate now, stating it was time he give it a try. Mal'Zeth watched as Shin moved through the hand seals at a faster pace, which was fine. However once he was finished and presumably, channeling his chakra into the theoretical jutsu only smoke would arise and not the burning ember that he himself had produced. When he went through it a second time he would have similar results and once he had stated that it seemed techniques that particular level were outside of his capability he would nod his head in agreement. "No worries, there's plenty of techniques we can go over and learn. We'll just focus on the C rank ones. I'll demonstrate another B rank one for you to remember for later if you want, but we'll primarily focus on C rank and lower techniques." He would say before turning back toward the field.

"Next technque, Great Fireball" He would say before flipping his hands through the seals, Snake, Ram, Monkey Boar, Horse, Tiger. Upon the final seal he inhaled deeply and then expelled a stream of flames. The flamethrower expanded to twenty five meters in front of them and he held it for a few moments before letting the jutsu die out. Before he would tell Shin to give it a try though he would perform the seals once more, flipping through them before inhaling again and then expelling a large orb of fire. The sphere moved at a marginally slower pace than the flamethrower did but it also went significantly farther. At the 100 meter mark the sphere fizzled out, it's energy exhausted. Once that was done he turned to Shin. "Two forms of the same jutsu, the first is just utilized in a continuous stream, and the second a sphere of fire. Maintain your breath for the flamethrower, release your breath all at once for the sphere. You try." He would say, stepping back a step to give Shin to opportunity to try.

Jutsu Learned:

As his failure to produce the ‘Intelligent Hard Work’ technique was regarded by both himself and Mal’Zeth, Shin would acknowledge his clansman’s comments about them focusing on C-Rank and lower techniques. Shin was not overly concerned with the lack of being able to utilize B-Rank techniques for the time being, as it was noted that most people were not able to utilize them until they progressed further as a shinobi overall. With a nod of acknowledgement from Shin, he would watch as Mal’Zeth took the field once more to demonstrate the Great Fireball jutsu. Taking note of the seals that Mal’Zeth flipped through, as that was one of the keys, he would aptly listen to the comments made about the two forms that the jutsu could be utilized through.

‘Release your breath for the fireball, maintain it for the flamethrower. Shin would note internally, repeating the words just stated be Mal’Zeth as not to forget them. With a slight inhalation to mentally prepare himself, Shin would go through the hand seals that had been displayed for him. Snake. Ram. Monkey. Boar. Horse. Tiger. Much like his blonde-haired training partner, Shin would release his breath in one single blow, a large flaming orb was procured. Shin had aimed it so that the globe moved in the same direction Mal’Zeth had sent his, eventually fizzling out of existence after a hectometer. Seeing as Mal’Zeth had presented him with both variations of the technique, Shin would remember to continuously maintain his breath for the flamethrower variation of the jutsu. Again, flipping through the same hand seals he had used before, Shin would continuously let out his breath gradually, resulting in a jet of flames being expelled out before him. After a few seconds had passed, Shin would stop the flamethrower variation and stand back to his full height, turning back to his clansmen.

“Well, that I can certainly handle.” He would say casually, almost as if the previously failed technique had never occurred. “Why don’t you try practicing some B Rank techniques for the time being while I try and remember some C Ranks, so I’m not wasting all your time?” Shin would suggest, figuring that Mal’Zeth had a plethora of techniques he wanted to learn that Shin could not utilize at the current moment. “Of course, I’ll watch, so I have a reference point in the future for when I am able to use them.” He would add on, as that had been previously mentioned by Mal’Zeth as well.

Spoiler:

WC: 417

As Mal’Zeth watched Shin perform the Great Fireball technique, both variations of it, perfectly on his first attempts after Mal had shown him the blonde haired man would smile. “Very good! A fast learner too, excellent. Perhaps you’ll be a good challenge when it comes to that little race” He would say, bringing up the challenge earlier of one of them unlocking their Clan’s techniques earlier than the other. When Shin suggested Mal learn some higher ranked techniques while he worked on the lower ones the blonde would nod in agreement. “Very well, I’ll need to go through the lower ranked ones too myself. I know them all in theory, but haven’t tried to apply them yet.” He would say, alluding to a high ability of memorization if he was able to memorize so many techniques without having actually learned them.

Moving a small distance away from Shin, close enough to talk, but far enough that they wouldn’t accidentally injure the other during practice. He would consider his next jutsu. “I’ll need to learn a lower ranked one to try to one I want to..” He would say before nodding to himself and flipping through seals Rat, Tiger, Dog, Ox, Rabbit, Tiger. “Phoenix Sage Fire” He would say, naming the technique outloud for the sake of Shin so he could hear the name and learn it himself if he didn’t know it already. He would be saying a lot of ninjutsu’s names today. Usually it was a tactical blunder since all it did was announce to your target what you were going to do. Or even gave them an opening. Regardless, Sixteen small fireballs fired from his breath this time. They rained forward for forty meters at a fairly good pace before fizzling out. He’d note the size of the fireballs and figure they could be used to hide Shuriken or something within them provided the equipment could withstand the flames. Once that was done he would turn toward Shin to check on his progress.

Jutsu Learned:

Shin would smirk in response to Mal’Zeth’s comment about a good challenge when it came to the presumed race for Clan Head of the Muramatsu clan. In the grand scheme of things, Shin would not care for who held the title, though he did feel Mal’Zeth would be far more suited than himself just for the simple fact of Shin having been out of the village for a decade compared to Mal’Zeth. As the blonde indicated he would need to go through lower ranked techniques himself, Shin would nod, though continued to remain silent otherwise; he felt no need to comment as of yet. Shin himself could recall some theories about other techniques, along with some of the hand seals that accompanied them. As Mal’Zeth went on the perform the ‘Phoenix Sage Fire’, Shin would make note of the hand seals used, though it wasn’t the technique he had in mind to perform.

“I’m going to go a bit off track with the katon techniques.” Shin would state as he stepped back towards the area they had been performing their techniques. This time Shin would face the length of the field, as if he remembered this correctly, the technique would go fairly far, much like the Great Fireball jutsu. Taking a moment to mentally remember the hand seals he had once read about, Shin would begin the motion of going through all four required seals. Monkey, then Dog, followed by Boar, and finally Ox. “Stone Pistol Technique.” Shin would say as the final seal was formed. Shin took in a deep breath and exhaled. Much like when the Great Fireball was formed, a resulting jutsu was the product, yet this time it was several bits of rock that were expelled. They travelled near seventy meters and along their trajectory, they expanded to become large boulders.

“Might as well have some variation from you, until I unlock our Kekkei Genkai.” Shin would casually shrug, the hint of the supposed race being at the forefront of his mind. Whether he unlocked it or not didn’t matter much in the end; he would eventually unlock it, Shin promised himself.

Spoiler:

WC: 358

Hearing Shin’s comment about practicing with a different element Mal’Zeth would simply nod in acknowledgement. While it wasn’t strictly required to inform a training partner that you were using different techniques it was courteous. If Mal’Zeth had mistakenly aimed a Katon technique while a wind kicked up from a jutsu Shin was practicing it could have some very..distracting..consequences. When Shin spoke the name of his technique aloud the taller mane would turn to look. He didn’t know that one yet. Perhaps he could look at it later on. For now, he wished to continue practicing with fire, then maybe a bit of wind. At Shin’s comment about getting some variation from him until he unlocked their bloodline Mal would chuckle good naturedly. “Well I intend to learn every technique I can from all three elements that utilize the bloodline, so we’ll have to see about that eh?” He would say before turning back to his part of the field. He stepped forward a bit, to give himself a bit more space from Shin.

“Let’s try something a bit more difficult..” He would say before flipping through a few seals. Dragon - Ox - Tiger. Once he was finished with the final one he would expel fire from his mouth but these would coalesce into eight fireballs. All of which were the size of the normal large sphere. The eight orbs maintained their position in the air and he held them there. When he expelled the fire it should be noted that he would spin, of course ensuring that he was far enough from Shin to ensure his clanmate wasn’t harmed by the technique he was trying. The eight fireballs maintained their position in the air as if they were mines and didn’t move from their position. He found he was able to maintain them there and he turned toward Shin, a grin on his features. “Interesting..” He would say as he continued to hold the technique. Already thinking of the next technique he might try while maintaining the fire jutsu.

Spoiler:

Much like Mal’Zeth had, Shin kept on the quieter side than commenting on things further. The slight comment made by Mal’Zeth about learning techniques in the three elements that composed their bloodlines was something Shin could easily agree with. “That’s certainly something I can completely agree with.” Shin concurred, deciding, in the end, there was a greater need for him, specifically, to utilize more Doton techniques for how he imagined utilizing the Muramatsu Kekkai Genkai. The need for Katon, at least in Shin’s mind, was not as important, though mixed with Fuuton it would certainly be a great alternative than using their Kekkai Genkai the entire time. He would be a cautious distance away as Mal’Zeth performed another technique, a mixture of the two techniques he had performed just before; Shin would keep a mental note of the hand seals used for this one as well.

“Well, that certainly seems potent.” Shin commented as he nodded towards the eight fireballs hovering well above them. Keeping their position in mind, Shin stepped a bit out of the way and made sure the next technique would not interfere with their trajectory in the air, though the seals he would form would still be visible to Mal’Zeth. Ox, hare, dragon and then Shin would kneel to the ground on one knee, striking the ground with his two open palms. The ground in front of him would shake slightly before a section of the earth itself would rip open and popup into a wall before him. It wasn’t a great defence, but a useful one if one ever needed it. The earth shore return technique would just be one of several he would wish to learn in the future, for as great as their kekkai genkai was, one always needed a useful defensive technique.

Spoiler:

WC: 317

Mal'Zeth smirked at Shin's agreement with his sentiment, of course he did. The notion itself had nothing but pros so long as you could invest the time into the effort, which he most certainly could and he was fairly certain his companion could as well. It was certainly worthwhile to do given that ones theoretical options increased with each technique. As he maintained his fire technque, the orbs of fire being held within the air as he practiced maintaining them while doing other techniques. He would nod at the man's comment about the orbs. They didn't seem as hot as other flames he had used today for some reason but if the weakness to the technique was that it wasn't as hot as others it wouldn't be that bad to deal with given the versatility the technique possessed. "It does indeed, although it doesn't appear to be as hot as other techniques. That's alright though." He would say before Shin performed his hand seals and kneeled upon the ground and strike it with two palms.

The ground in front front shook slightly before a section flipped up like a domino, providing a physical barrier between the caster and a potential attack. It certainly seemed quick and while it might not be the strongest defense possible it was certainly better than nothing. Nodding his head at the technique he would begin to go through seals again personally. Monkey, Bird, Dog, Ram. At the last seal a whirlwind of fire would spiral around Mal'Zeth before he thrust a hand forward off in a separate direction from his ally and the flames spiraled away in the direction. The heat of the fire was certainly more of what one might expect from a fire technique of it's level. Mal himself would look up at the orbs he had managed to maintain throughout the use of the technique and nod his head in satisfaction. "Excellent." He would say before turning back toward Shin.

Spoiler:

Taking note of another katon technique performed by Mal’Zeth, this one taking form a horizontal vortex of flames shooting off in a direction, the flames constantly spiralling around one another. The speed at which the flames travelled would likely be enough to send whoever was on the receiving end of that technique off their feet. It was just as likely this technique would a B-Ranking one, that Shin didn’t seem the capability of performing currently, but it would be a technique he would consider for when he could learn the jutsu.

Going through the catalogue of jutsus he could recall the theories of, there was one that popped up into Shin’s mind that he knew he wanted to learn. It required the use of doton once more. He would walk towards the boulders that had been formed by the Stone Pistol Technique and begin to mentally catalogue the process of the jutsu. Much like the previous techniques he had used, there weren’t too many hand seals that were required to perform the technique. Tiger, boar, ox and then Shin’s palms would once more meet the ground. The earth before Shin would being to break up in the area surrounding one of the boulders and begin to swirl around the boulder itself. If a person would be caught up in the technique it could easily bury them or more effectively, crush them enough to kill them. Shin knew that the technique wouldn’t be the most useful, for him at least, as he had to be fairly close for it to be efficient, but with a team or in the right scenario it had its purposes.

Spoiler:

WC: 281

Mal'Zeth watched as Shin practiced another C rank technique, he knew of this one although he didn't have the Earth Element to wield it yet. He would commit the technique to memory for the moment until he could utilize it later. Then he would get back to business with his own techniques. Deciding to learn another fire technique to add it to his arsenal. Deciding to focus on one of potential entrapment he would settle on another B rank technique. The blonde man would flip through the seals at a subdued pace. Tiger, Horse, Rat, Dog, Tiger, Dog, before expelling a fire from from his mouth that would spread out into an arena of fire thirty meters wide. The flames would reach up three meters high and from them came an enormous spider made of fire.

It's mandibles chittered, sparking flames between them before it's skittering legs moved forward and moving around the arena according to Mal'Zeth's will. The spider was slow for a spider, but it would supposedly get faster as his own physical capabilities of controlling fire increased. He was certainly looking forward to see how fast it could get. The eight orbs of fire he had fired above himself would continue to burn as he utilized this technique, maintaining them as he trained. The purpose was to work on his chakra control at a rapid pace so that he could increase his reserves immensely as his bloodline would require him to have absolutely massive chakra reserves in order to fully exploit to the fullest. Once that technique was done, he would turn back to Shin to see how he was doing with his training again.

Trained:

Shin observed the technique that Mal’Zeth had just performed and it was definitely one of the few they had done that he felt was more akin to his thought pattern, at least for the time being. He was not too sure on how the techniques he would learn would apply when actually in combat, but he had a certain thought process on how he wished things to proceed. Unluckily for Shin, that simply was not how life worked out; it would be something he would actually need to find out in sparring, but that was not on the docket for him today.

Turning his attention back to the partial chaos he had created with the techniques he had used thus far, Shin would step close to another boulder that had been placed by him earlier through one of the jutsus he performed. Much like everything else he had performed thus far, Shin would recall and then perform the hand seals required for the technique. This one, compared to the last two he had performed, did not require him to place his palms on the ground, which did take an extra bit of time in the grand scheme of things, especially against faster opponents. The less needless movements required, the better it suited Shin overall. Tiger, ox, tiger and snake. “Earth Flow River.” Shin would state, and instantaneously the results of the technique could be seen. The ground beneath the boulder would turn in to a river of mud that swept the boulder away a decent distance. The technique wasn’t offensive or defensive by any means, but it could certainly provide utility that would sometimes be required.

Spoiler:

WC: 283

Mal would watch as his training companion performed another C rank earth technique. It was more of a utility technique which had it's own appeal of course. It could be useful for forcing others away from him and was certainly useful in repositioning opponents. Not only that but it might be able to be comboed off of other technique if one did it properly. He need to figure out what he was missing when it came to discovering his earth element. He would have to work on it somewhat soon if he wanted to take part in learning any of the technique Shin was learning so quickly. He himself could learn fire and wind at the moment and while both were powerful elements in their own right, they lacked the raw utility of Earth release. Still it was time for him to practice another technique now.

Dragon, Boar, Dragon, Snake, Ox, Dragon. He would focus his techniques on the fireballs above and from one of them the cry of a bird would pierce the air as a flaming bird with a wide wingspan would emerge from one of the hovering fireballs. As it descended upon the earth to Mal'Zeth's planned target. Some unmarked patch of earth twenty meters away the flames would brighten into a higher intensity before it impacted with an explosion of sound and fire. Mal nodded in satisfaction of the technique. "Pheasant Hunter, done." He would say, before turning back to Shin to see what he was working on next. This back and forth was going quite well so far he thought. As he looked toward his companion he would let the fireballs above disperse, the eight orbs of fire coming simply blowing outward harmlessly into the wind. His reserves were fine, but he was growing bored of holding the technique when he had clearly mastered it.

learned:

He would watch another technique be performed by Mal’Zeth, another that he would catalogue for a future date. Most of the techniques seemed to be at a higher level than Shin could currently perform, so a mental note of the jutsus would be the best way of cataloguing them for a future time when he was better prepared to learn more advanced techniques than the ones he was currently practicing. It was another katon technique that he observed and one that Shing was intent on learning when the time came; for now he would keep his focus on the limited doton techniques he currently had in mind to learn.

The next technique Shin would attempt to perform required no hand seals, which was a boon in and of itself. Much like the previous jutsu he had used, this one was more made for utility but could be utilized in a fashion that served other purposes as well. Focusing his chakra into the ground below him and his body, Shin would let his body sink into the earth turned sand below him, effectively hiding his body from being seen physically. As he would move in a direction closer to Mal’Zeth, Shin could feel his body was slower than it usually was on the ground, a result of having to dig as he moved; but that wasn’t too much of an issue. If he recalled correctly, he’d be able to pinpoint where a certain individual is using the magnetic forces underground, but that was something he’d need to try out later. Eventually, Shin would dig his way out of the ground, appearing twenty or so feet away from Mal’Zeth, for he had been farther away to start.

Spoiler:

WC: 291

Dog, Horse, Tiger, Dog, Horse, Dragon, Boar, Ram, and once the last seal was completed thirty wisps of fire would coalesce around him and take the shape of ghosts. Mal'Zeth would grin at the small legion of attackers he now had at his command before sending them forth to assault another nameless patch of stone and dirt. His Demon Lanterns, as the technique was called, swarmed the area he had chosen. One that was ninety meters away. The explosions that came from their impact shook the earth beneath his feet a bit given that they had added to each others force and he let out a small laugh at the display. "Fire Release: Demon Lantern, Complete." He would say triumphantly before turning back to Shin again. "How are you doing over there?" He would ask curiously. Only to find him not there.

Blinking curiously he would look around a bit, left, then right. Then he would cook his head to the side and try to listen. He couldn't hear anything specific. But then where had Shin gone? He hadn't walked away, he was sure of that. Putting his hands on his hips as he looked around confused he would be surprised when someone began to rise from the earth before realizing that it was Shin himself. Chuckling at how foolish he'd been he gave his companion a wave. "I see you're doing well yourself. Enjoying the Earth Element so far?" He would ask in curiosity.

WC: 245

Spoiler:

Whatever technique had just been performed by his clansman; Shin had missed entirely while he had been underground. Luckily enough for Shin, whatever technique Mal’Zeth had performed was not dangerous enough for the ground where Shin had been to be impacted; if he had been caught in the aftermath, which was not the case here. Looking to where he suspected the technique had landed, Shin noticed the earth had been scorched even more, having felt some of the tremors from when he had been underground. He would simply turn and smirk at Mal’Zeth, clearly enjoying the use of his current usage of doton thus far. “Well, I’d certainly say I’m feeling in my element. Definitely has its merits and I can see its usage long-term when I unlock our bloodline.” Shin declared, his mind racing through what else he could possibly do with the technique when he had more chakra to use towards it.

“Lets see… what next.” Shin pondered for a moment, thinking about what other techniques that he could utilize. Seeing that he had exhausted most of the doton jutsus he could currently learn, Shin turned his thoughts towards the third element apart of their kekkai tota that they had not utilized thus far. The next would require no hand seals, which would make it quite useful in situations that called for a quick response. Shin would wave his hand away from Mal’Zeth, channelling chakra through it. The moment that Shin had completed the motion, multiple blades of wind combine to form a larger one that would slice through the air. “Wind Release: Slash.” Shin would denote, though given everything thus far, if Mal’Zeth could utilize the element, it was likely he’d easily be able to perform the same technique.

Spoiler:

WC: 315