Squad 12 first meeting

Tengoku had considered the option of a new squad to teach for some time but had lacked the confidence to raise the next generation. He knew he had a temper as well but he had rarely let it get to him lately. He was even called the paladin of Konoha and fairly well known in the village. Even his old classmates who had harassed him in the academy bowed to him now. However instead of letting pride swell hsi head considerably he was simply embarrassed by it all. After all he had grown up rather shy and confidence was a new found sensation for him. So it had been with some considerable deliberation that he had chosen to take on squad twelve. Nor had he lightly chosen its members. Two of them he had already met and rather liked and the third was a Hyuga. While he was concerned about having an Uchiha and a Hyuga on a squad due to ancient rivalries he was sure if they could work together it would be highly impressive. The third was more of a question mark than anything but he was sure the gentle young man would be a good addition as well if for nothing else but to keep the peace.

Tengoku had of course sent out an invitation to the group individually for them to meet up on the third floor of the grand konoha training grounds. In the center of the forest. The letter simply informing them formally that they had been selected for squad twelve and were expected to be at the center of floor three of the grand konoha training facility at 8 A.M. sharp. One was sent two days before hand to Maigo Uchiha, Azgodon Zaelious Vernizin Wyllt, and Xia Pangfua Daiyu Hyūga with their full names on them with a signature from the administration building to make it official. Of course Azzie would be woken up early to accompany Tengoku since they lived together. He would be given an hour to get ready and an hour for them to walk to their destination. So he would be roused around five thirty in the morning. Tengoku would finish waking him before going and getting ready himself. Tengoku had dressed in a white Yukata with a yellow Kimono loosely over it with black lining. Around his neck was a soft black fabric that went down his right arm to a glove that covered all the way to his hand all but two of his fingers. Designed to help his grip on his weapon. Black boots covered his feet and his Tetsudashi steel katana rested on his left hip. His long white hair spilled over his shoulders with his white wolf ears sticking out of them. Amber eyes almost glowed with power but there was a warmth to his smile.

Tengoku would be standing next to a creek as he had his arms crossed leaning against a tree. His wolves had been left at home and he had only dragged Azzie along. He hadn't brought any food along but the facility had a cafeteria so he wasn't worried about it. They would break for lunch likely at noon. Still the sun had was rising and he was chewing on a tooth pick for the time being as he would wait for the others to arrive. Today was an introduction to the team and discovering capabilities. He knew some of them may have already discovered some but it would be good to understand for the rest of the team each individuals capabilities. Truthfully he was also a little excited to discover what each of them could do. Especially Azzie since he was a mystery.

It was sufficient to say that Azgodon was clearly not a morning person when he had been woken up at five-thirty in the morning. While he was still grateful to Tengoku for letting him stay in the manor with him, Azgodon was still a bit hesitant but excited about being put on a Konohagakure no Sato Squad. Perhaps it was due to Tengoku wanting to keep an eye on him more, or perhaps it was the leaders of the village. Regardless of how he felt about it, it seemed Azgodon had little choice but to accept that he would be a shinobi of Konohagakure no Sato, though he did not receive that odd headband the guards wore the day he first arrived in the village. Having been given notice that he had an hour to get ready and another hour would be spent traveling to the Grand Konoha Training Facility, Azgodon begrudgingly got to his feet and prepared for the day ahead of him.

In total, it took a few minutes to completely prepare… or be as well prepared as he could be? He wasn’t exactly sure what someone would bring to a squad meeting, so the most Azgodon did to get prepared was don his clothing. A white, loose-fitting robe was what he chose to wear with black pants and boots. Should the occasion call for him to remove the robe, Azgodon wore a dark form-fitting tank top. The remaining forty or so minutes that he had left remaining would be spent eating his first meal of the day and then spending some time in the surrounding forest area searching for the three wolves he had seen on his first day, yet it seemed they wanted to play a game of hide and seek with him, as he had been unable to catch up to them. Ultimately, he’d meet Tengoku just two minutes later than intended, the male scratching the back of his neck and apologizing while slightly out of breath. If Tengoku asked, he would answer the man honestly. With that said, seeing as Azgodon had next to no clue where anything was in the village, he would follow after the man who provided him with shelter.

Xia was ecstatic.

She had not only been selected to be in a squad, she had in her hot little hands a signed letter making the whole thing official. It was quite literally a dream come true for the young Hyuga member. She had higher aspirations than just being in a squad, but this was a big deal. A first step to gaining the training and knowledge to propel her ever forward to her end goal.

Hokage.

She wanted so badly to fulfill her dreams that she would do just about anything to see them come to fruition. Even if that meant staying up half the night laying out her gear and her clothes for the next day.

Seventeen times.

In the end she had decided on a pair of skin tight black leggings with a section removed on her left thigh, ‘held up’ by a thick white leather belt. A white tank top and a loose fitting purple jacket to cover her back, shoulders and upper arms, as well as hiding her elaborate back tattoo. To say she was ecstatic was, at this point, an understatement. Even her parents, who were still fairly annoyed with her over her recent painting antics, were genuinely proud of their only daughter. The day that the letter had come there had been much celebration in their tiny house. Which just meant lots of good food and actual smiles from her parents. Her parents were kind and well meaning, though they were more strict than a lot of others she observed. Xia didn’t resent them at all, but she did strive to make them proud, and at least for two days it seemed she’d managed to do that.

The morning of the first Squad 12 meeting, Xia was already awake long before dawn. She had tried to sleep, but she had just laid there with her brain running through thousands of scenarios of how the upcoming event would go. When it was finally an appropriate time to get out of bed, Xia would jump up and rush to get ready. She had her face mask with her, but she let it hang loosely around her neck beneath her black and blonde hair. She had considered making her hair purple that day to match her jacket, but thought a more reserved look might make a better impression. Just before dashing out the door she would pull on a pair of black fingerless gloves and black leather combat boots. Her kunai and kama were tucked firmly into her belt at the small of her back and she tied her hair in a ponytail to keep most of it out of her face. Her mother approached her with a small bottle of essential oil, and a warm smile, catching her daughter moments prior to her exit. Swiping a drop of the thyme and lemon scented oil onto Xia’s neck just before she left, her mother would offer words of encouragement. “For luck. Not that you need it.”

She would arrive at floor three with just minutes to spare, slightly out of breath as she dashed through the forested training area, dodging tree branches and leaves as she went. She saw who she could only assume was their squad leader, Tengoku as he stood chewing on something next to a small creek. She also saw a beautiful white haired man near Tengoku, though he looked slightly younger than the squad leader and she assumed that he must be one of her squadmates. If her movements were accompanied by sound effects a loud ’screech’ would have been heard as she stopped and bowed low to her Sensei. “Sensei, thank you for this opportunity.” Her words were spoken in earnest and her pale eyes sparkled with excitement as the day she had been waiting for was finally real.

Azzie hadn't really spoken too much as he seemed rather grumpy waking up early. But that wasn't uncommon and it reminded him of Tengoku waking up his big sister in the mornings growing up. She had never really been a morning person either. Still they would make good time to the grand facility and to their position. Azzie looked ready enough for the day. So he was rather happy for that. Still his ears would twitch as he could hear someone crashing along their way as quick as they could manage. It was almost comical how her heels dug into the ground to drag her to a stop directly in front of him and bow. She would thank him for the opportunity and he would smile and slightly bow his head back in response unsure how to reply to that. She was certainly going to be an eager one. Not that he minded all that much. She must be the Hyuga as she was the only female there. He had always been interested in their taijutsu style though he could not replicate it. Still shortly after her a familiar face would come jogging up and apologize for any tardiness. With that Tengoku would roll the tooth pick along his teeth before stepping forward with a warm smile for all of them.

"Welcome all three of you. The four of us will be making up squad twelve. Our first step will be introducing ourselves to each other, describing what your specialties are and demonstrating any one ability you like. It is fine if it is rather simple as for now we don't expect too much in the way of jutsu. Now unlike the two of you Azzie does not have academy experience. I advice patience and will not tolerate any insults between squad mates. That said if you don't mind your sensei showing off a little. I will start us off. My name is Shinku Tengoku. Also known as the paladin of Konoha. My primary focus is sensory while taijutsu, kenjutsu and Ninjutsu are my combat specialties. Raiton is my element and this is the level of jutsu I eventually expect from each of you. I have cleared the floor today for us so do not worry about any destructive force so long as you do not catch us in it."

With that Tengoku would step forward and put all three of them behind him. With a deep breath he would draw out his black Tetsudashi steel katana with red veins along it. Slowly raising it above his head with both hands. As he did blue electricity would crackle along the blade visibly. Tengoku would exhale and as he finished he would thrust his sword down. As soon as he did a hundred meter long three meter wide blade of blue electricity would tear through the terrain for a hundred meters in the blink of an eye. Electricity crackling along the path of sheer destruction as a fissure was cut through a huge length of the forest. Nothing left in its path. A bead of sweat dripping down Tengokus forehead before he would straighten from his stance and sheath his sword smoothly. He would then turn to the others with a smile.

"Again we don't expect that level from you yet. Who would like to be next? Use any jutsu you like of course."

Jutsu trained 350/350:

It had not been too long of a wait until the first person - aside from Azgodon and Tengoku - arrived. In the time between when they had arrived and Azgodon’s first teammate, the new denizen of Konohagakure no Sato began to wander around the facility, just inspecting everything like it was a brand new discovery to him. It would not be too long of a wait until the sound of someone coming to a full stop was heard, Azgodon getting up from his crouched and standing up to see who it happened to be. Immediately she would thank Tengoku for the opportunity… was this normal? Azgodon didn’t recall thanking Tengoku for this particular idea of including him in a squad, though he did thank the man for housing him and providing him with shelter in his own home. A second person would follow shortly after, apologizing about possibly being late. Was he late? Azgodon was not sure, he had been here far too early and had not been keeping track of time; that was something he let Tengoku worry about, as he did come here with the squad leader.

As Tengoku would make the initial introduction of himself and also a little bit about Azgodon him and his lack of traditional training, Azgodon would have a light dusting of pink on his cheeks from the slight embarrassment and attention that would be directed his way. When Tengoku indicated he would display a technique that he eventually expected something similar from them, Azgodon wondered if it would be the jutsu he displayed at the manor a few days ago. Sadly, it was not, though it was one just as destructive as the first and involved the use of Tengoku’s Tatsumari steel sword.

When Tengoku asked for someone to go next, Azgodon, instead of verbally answering, would utilize a technique so he could do something Tengoku had forgotten to do. This was for their safety! Having figured out how to channel his chakra, Azgodon would delve into the earth and dig his way behind the male that had entered and was supposedly in their squad. Taking a sniff, Azgodon smelled what was soap? Some kind of soapy smell. It was there, but not strong. Definitely not dangerous.

From there, he would waltz over to the female of their squad. Leaning in, Azgodon would do the same to her as he did to the male of the group. What he smelled was definitely lemons and something else… he couldn’t remember it off the top of his head. His nose definitely was not as strong as Tengoku’s when it came to smelling danger, so he took another sniff to categorize the scent. It was pleasant and warm. Definitely not dangerous either.

From his current spot, Azgodon would stand to attention and turn to face Tengoku from behind the female of the group. “They don’t smell dangerous, Tengoku-sensei.” Remembering he did not introduce himself to the group, a bright smile would take over his features and his stance becoming infinitely more relaxed and welcoming. “I’m Azgodon Zaelious Vernizin Wyllt, but you can call me Azzie or Az! Pleasure to meet you! His voice was warm and cheery, the hope of being able to know some people other than Tengoku being a pleasant idea. Not that he disliked Tengoku, but being friends with more people would certainly be better than not.

Jutsu Trained:

Xia was mid bow when she heard another man’s voice near her, and as she turned to look there was no mistaking that he was an Uchiha. The emblem was clearly emblazoned on his shirt and his backpack. She had to fight the urge to glare as soon as she recognized the symbol, not from any particular personal dislike that she held though. Her family and clan were still resentful of the Uchiha and like any good ruling body had, unintentionally or not, done their best to instill that same prejudice within the newest generation. Xia herself didn’t mind one way or the other, the dark haired man was her squadmate and she couldn’t have cared less what clan or family he came from. But traditions were hard to break, especially those learned from birth. So after a beat she would meet the Uchiha’s eyes briefly, as she tried to convey trust and respect, and offered a quick smile before turning her attention back to their Sensei.

She was all smiles as Tengoku addressed the group, glancing at Azzie out of the corner of her eye as he blushed and finding the sight delightful. She was surprised to learn that Azzie had no Academy training. Well, not that it was especially surprising that Xia hadn’t noticed another human being during her school years, she had always been more focused on her work than on people. Maybe he was a transfer from another nation? Or the son of a Daimyo or the like that was receiving special training? Whatever the answer was, she was sure she would have remembered him if she had been in the same classes growing up. As far as his suggestion of patience was concerned, Xia hadn’t considered doing anything else. The idea that their group might need instructions as to how to behave like decent human beings took Xia by surprise, and she wondered how many people had to be told similar things.

Besides the momentary eye wandering, she would listen intently to Tengoku and his instructions for their first day together. She was excited to be able to learn from the Paladin of Konoha, and would stand and watch as he put on an impressive lightning display. Her eyes sparkled as she watched, and she would clasp her hands together to keep from clapping enthusiastically. She wasn’t sure how much anyone would appreciate a standing ovation at the first jutsu displayed by their Sensei. She would take a mental note of Tengoku’s chosen combat specialties and his element, filing the information away for later as she watched the next volunteer.

Ordinarily her hand would have been up first, but Azzie caught her off guard as he melded with the earth and popped up behind the Uchiha, before sauntering behind her. And then sniffed her. Twice. Her face had been the tiniest bit reddened from the sprint over to the training facility, but now she blushed a deep crimson in response to the closeness and attention from her squadmate. She did not try to stop him however, as she didn’t find the closeness to be necessarily a bad thing. Different, yes. Unwelcome? No. “I’m certainly not dangerous. . . um I didn’t know anyone could smell that though.”

She would bow as Azzie introduced himself, having to turn to face him, and she realized she was a bit too close for a formal bow. At least one that involved not smacking her head into her squadmate, so she would stop awkwardly partway through just before bumping into him. “I’m Xia Pangfua Daiyu Hyūga, nice to meet you Azzie. Everyone can just call me Xia. That was an impressive technique Sensei, I hope to one day wield even a portion of that power. Though I doubt I will ever use a sword, as well. . . Hyuga and all. I just use Taijutsu and Fire, nothing too special. And honestly, I still have a long way to go with both.”

Xia would step back and bow to her squad and then leap into a series of kicks against an imaginary target. One low sweeping kick followed by another at an invisible midsection and a third that had her leap high into the air and plummet back to the ground with a swift heel drop. After the quick combination of attacks was finished, she would rise to her feet and bow again, a bashful grin on her face. “Taijutsu is not so. . . exciting on its own. Not like what you Sensei and you Azzie have shown so far.” She would blush once more and turn her attention to the Uchiha, hoping to draw some of the attention away from herself.  

Technique Trained 150/150:

Tengoku could feel the chunk of chakra he just used missing from him. It was a larger amount than what he had been accustomed to. Still it wasn't so much as to draw him down to a knee or even wind him but it was enough that he could feel the difference without having to use his sensory. After all it was a powerful jutsu capable of a huge amount of destruction. Still his attention would shift to Azzie as he stepped up first. He would form some hand signs before sinking into the earth. In three days he had managed to figure out how to mold doton chakra after all? An impressive feat on its own. Still he would invade the personal space of each of his squad mates with a sniff before Tengoku would attempt to hide an amused smile. They didn't smell dangerous the boy said. Well that would do for a demonstration. The doton manipulation was significant enough. Still he would introduce himself and Tengoku would remain quiet as he crossed his arms. Simply watching and listening. The girl seemed to take it simply as something awkward but the Uchiha boy appeared to be on edge about someone suddenly being so close. Interesting.

The Hyuga girl would be next up to batt. She would explain that she wouldn't likely use weapons due to her heritage and he would raise an eyebrow. Did the Hyuga believe weapons weakened them? Still she would preform a semi complex series of taijutsu attacks. It wasn't anything particularly quick but she was certainly practiced. She would do well as a close range specialist in their party. She said Taijutsu wasn't as flashy and Tengoku would smile knowingly. He had thought as much at one point too before he learned to focus his element into his body. He would expand out his sensory just for a moment before releasing it. Barely even registering on his chakra this time.

"Don't underestimate taijutsu. Those who do tend to end up buried in the woods somewhere on a mission. Usually with someone's bare hands. Mind you weapons will still place you at a slight disadvantage with reach and lethality. If you don't intend to use any it may be a good idea to at least get bracers to defend against them. Besides that you are attuned to the katon element. I assure you flashy taijutsu is likely in your future."

With that it was Maigos turn. He mentioned genjutsu and Tengoku would nod. One of his sisters specialties. He had been on the receiving end of more than a few of those before. Still he wouldn't avoid the trigger and instead would allow it to happen. Watching Maigo fade from sight before hearing his voice behind him. His amber eyes would glance back at the illusion a moment before shifting back to in front of him. Before the genjutsu was released however his eyes would shift to where Maigo had moved to. Not looking directly at him but certainly in his direction. He could hear his steps and his very breath this close. It was clear that Tengoku could still find him even in the genjutsu. Still he would release it on his own and the illusion behind Tengoku would fade as well. A useful combination tool. With that all said and done Tengoku would smile before letting them admire each others abilities a moment.

"Very good. Now you all know each others capabilities and specialties. Now comes the first part of this training session with introductions out of the way. You three will be competing for a prize. We are dead center in the training grounds right now. On the north wall is a bag of coins on a boulder. The challenge is now each of you know what the other two are capable of and they know yours as well. Assume the enemy is prepared to counter you. Whoever reaches the bag of coins first will get to use it to purchase themselves one piece of gear from the market. Be it bracers or armor or even another sword. Or just materials to forge with. You may team up to hold up a third team mate or go it alone but only one of you can get the prize. You may use anything at your disposal but no maiming or killing allowed. If you maim your teammate you will be disqualified. You may begin."

Azgodon watched curiously as the female of the group introduced herself as Xia, having stopped herself from doing a bow of sorts to him. Her face turned a crimson colour, making Azgodon wonder if she was currently channeling her katon chakra. She mentioned being able to utilize Taijutsu and fire. It reminded him of the time Tengoku had demonstrated a taijutsu technique and wondered when and if his teammate would progress to a similar level that Tengoku had displayed. It would likely take a while, though Azgodon wondered what she would do with Katon chakra in place of the Raiton that Tengoku had utilized.

As the male squadmate introduced himself as Maigo… was it normal for someone to not have a family name? He knew Tengoku had one, Xia had as many names as he did, and the poor lad known as Maigo only had the one. Perhaps someone could give Maigo another name to make him feel included? As Maigo mentioned being good at genjutsu, Azgodon would attempt to recall what genjutsu was. He recalled reading about it briefly, though he remembered it had something to do with playing tricks on the mind, or something of that nature. One moment Maigo was there and then he would disappear. Maigo would appear behind Tengoku with his sword pointed at him and then… he was no longer there. He then heard laughing coming from the opposite side of where Maigo originally was. With a curious look, still standing before Xia, Azgodon would tilt his head to the side as he looked over at Maigo.

At Tengoku’s proposal of them competing against one another to grab a bag of coins at the north wall of the training facility, Azgodon wondered why exactly this was happening. If he was remembering correctly, a squad… usually functioned as a squad. This seemed to be achieving the complete opposite, so Azgodon settled his mind on what he would do, at least for the next few seconds. He would not move an inch and simply watch what the other two would do and see if they would progress towards the north of the facility or attack him.

After her brief display of competence she would listen with pride as Tengoku reassured her that Taijutsu was not to be underestimated. She was also excited to hear that ‘flashy’ techniques were in her future. She was, in a word, flashy. Her clothes, her hair, her art. All of it spoke to her desire to put on a show and dazzle. She would nod along as their Sensei spoke of the advantages that weaponry offered. She had long thought the same and it was why she had insisted on training with her kama and kunai. She loved punching as much as the next person, but sometimes you needed slicing.

Xia tried to pull her attention back to the last squad member to introduce themselves. It was made more difficult by the close proximity of Azzie and she was still trying to keep her cool because he had sniffed her. The Uchiha piped up and introduced himself as Maigo, no last name, but his clan was a fairly obvious part of his attire so she could see why he’d opted to leave that part out. She was intrigued when he said he was good at genjutsu. She knew about the art, but personally had little experience with it other than what she’d learned at the Academy. So she (like an idiot) watched with interest as Maigo performed four hand seals and then disappeared and then reappeared behind Tengoku. An audible gasp of surprise and delight could be heard from Xia as she tried to puzzle out how Maigo had moved so quickly. She hadn’t seen or heard him move and she was even more impressed when he faded yet again and appeared on the other side of herself and Azzie. “What? No! Don’t be sorry, that was awesome! I didn’t know genjutsu could do that.” What she meant was she ‘didn’t know genjutsu could make you move fast’, since she still hadn’t quite figured out what had happened.

When Tengoku explained their challenge for the day, Xia was torn. She wanted to win. But she also didn’t want to compete against her own team. Well, not the whole team. A tiny part of her wanted to beat the Uchiha, the bitter subconscious and ‘clan implanted hatred’ part. But mostly she didn’t want to compete against Azzie. She could only see that going one of two ways and neither were very good. Either she would win and he would be embarrassed and not want to speak to her ever again. Or he would win and think she was too much of an embarrassment to ever want to speak to her again. It was a confusing couple of seconds in Xia’s mind as she tried to figure out how best to stay in Azzie’s ‘still wants to talk to me’ zone while simultaneously competing in their Sensei’s challenge. She could definitely use the money, she still had a huge debt hanging over her tiny head and no matter what was in that bag she could use it to pay back her parents.

Her attention would drift towards Azzie and she saw that he hadn’t moved at all, and an idea struck her. Tengoku had said they could team up! Which meant she didn’t have to compete against Azzie if she didn’t want to. . . ‘Unless he wants to. Oh why is this so hard, and why do I care?!’ Her expression had turned from one of intrigue to distress as she looked back and forth between the north wall and her fellow squadmates. Lowering her voice conspiratorially she would address Azzie and Maigo. “We could just go see what’s up before we decide to start punching each other. . . he did say we could team up.” She would wait to see what their reactions were before she either went over to the wall with them, or alone.

Tengoku would shift as the three of them seemed hesitant to begin. There was a risk with this method that could breed distrust between them and cause a casm to form. If anything this would prevent them from fully functioning as a unit and would need to be put down early. But it would have to be the three of them that stepped up to do it. It would be up to them to rise above their own desires and become a team. If they could do that one of them would be established as the leader. One of them would stand out among the others and overcome this adversity. That person is who they would look to and trust above all else when Tengoku wasn't directly involved. On critical missions and at home. His eyes would take in each of them based on their initial reactions. Azzie was taking the cautious route. He wasn't familiar with much in the way of customs in the village and likely he didn't want to be prevalent in anything going wrong. Xia however would speak up. Suggesting they go and look together instead of dealing with it right then. Easy enough to say until the prize was in sight. He wondered how that might pan out until Maigo spoke in return. Spreading suspicion on her already. It was a turning point now. Could they overcome this and allow gear based on need as a group or would they fall under the idea of such a small treasure.

Tengoku would smile before turning and walking away from them towards the wall without a word. Taking in a deep breath through his nose before relaxing visibly. His hands trailed his sides as he walked down into the trench he had made. The scar leading towards the wall and scorched on the sides. Still it had been a couple of minutes and the rocks had cooled. His fingers would trail along the smooth edges as he moved and his amber eyes observed all around him. He wasn't moving fast but he was already on his way to the wall. No explanation given further. He had to trust some lessons to be learned without his direct intervention. A butterfly would catch his attention hovering by as he would reach the end of the trench. Its slow drifting motions drawing his attention to watch the three as he quietly would walk backwards. Keeping an eye on them to ensure none of them tried to lay permanent damage on the others.

Xia’s request of teaming has Azgodon curious, for when he really thought about it… he didn’t really care about winning the reward set by Azgodon. While it seemed like a nice deal, even with Tengoku offering to purchase the materials required for crafting, if Azgodon won, he didn’t feel like it was right to take more from Tengoku’s generosity. So far he was living under Tengoku in his manor, able to use the resources available to him there, and now he was in a squad under Tengoku. Perhaps there were ways for Azgodon to come around to money without having to rely upon Tengoku. Maybe it was best for Maigo to win the prize… then he could purchase another name. Was that how it worked? Azgodon was not sure if that’s how it worked, he wasn’t sure how he got his names, but he knew they were his own.

As Maigo would chime in, considering if it was a trick or not, Azgodon was more inclined to agree. Though, he was less inclined to agree with Maigo when it came to Xia trying to play them into a situation that best suited her. “I don’t think Xia would try to trick us… she has no reason to. I mean, we’re supposed to be a squad. I don’t know what a squad actually is, but aren’t we supposed to work together?” He was honestly curious, and wondered why they would even agree to compete against each other. “I don’t really need the money… I’d only end up spending it on materials for crafting, so maybe one of you two would need it far more than me.” As he would finish his sentence, Azgodon would plop himself down on to the ground in a seated position. With a cock of his head, he would look at Maigo and then Xia. “We could just use it for dinner or something.”

Xia sincerely believed the words she spoke, so when Maigo implied that she was trying to trick them her feelings got hurt. She would look at both Maigo and Azzie with eyes large and full of sadness, with just the barest hint of a pout on her lips. “I. . . what?” Was all she managed to get out, her voice echoing the sadness in her eyes as she struggled to get a full sentence out. Fortunately Azzie spoke up and defended her, which caused another blush to sweep across her cheeks.

He also suggested that he didn’t need it, and that maybe they could all use it to go for dinner. And then he sat down. In the dirt. In a white robe. She could hear her parents screaming at the stains that would occur. Xia didn’t care, clothes were clothes and although they were beautiful they could be cleaned and if not, more could be made. It wasn’t the end of the world. But that line of thinking got her daydreaming about whether it would have been better to take off the white robes first. . . which led to her imagining Azzie shirtless. . . which just made her blush fiercely and look down at the ground as she tried to get a handle on her wild imagination. “I’m not trying to trick anybody, I really meant it.” She would raise her head and square herself off with Maigo, looking directly into his eyes as she did so. “I don’t know much about the Uchiha except what my clan goes on about, but I do know about your dojutsu. . . kind of. You’re my squadmate Maigo. . .” She did not know anything about the Uchiha dojutsu, other than that they had one. She’d been told scary stories about it; that they could see into your soul, they could make you forget your parents, and they always knew if you were lying. Whether or not any of that was true she had no idea, and had never before now had the opportunity to verify. She would also turn her gaze towards Azzie for a moment before readdressing the Uchiha. “That means I trust you, I trust both of you. Tengoku Sensei put us together for a reason, and I trust that too. I don’t think we should fight each other, but I do like your idea Azzie. Maybe we could use it for dinner, or the arcade even! Oh! Wouldn’t that be fun?”

She kicked the dirt a little with her toe as she continued. “I couldn’t use it anyway. I owe a lot of money and I need to pay that off first before I can think about spending anything on myself. So I guess. . . if Azzie doesn’t want it, and I don’t want it. . . and if we don’t end up using it together. . . I guess it’s yours Maigo.” By now her puppy eyes had softened and a less sad Xia expression was visible. She was still hurt, but she could also understand where Maigo’s suspicions might have come from. If she had heard all sorts of terrible things about the Uchiha while she was growing up, it seemed reasonable that he would have heard terrible things about the Hyuga as well.

Tengoku would look back over his shoulder as his wolf like ears twitched. Even from as far away as he was he could still faintly hear their conversation. They seemed to be getting along though admittedly Maigo seemed the most reluctant. It made some sense to him though he had expected Xia to be in much the same boat. This would also be good for Azzie. Seeing his squad mates and the doubt and mistrust breeded by their clans. The Uchiha more so than the Hyuga though it would seem. Which made sense to Tengoku. The Uchiha had wrestled control from the other clans for the most part and established dominance. Sometimes very harshly. Mostly ending in death one way or another. It had been the Uchiha who had led them into their last couple of wars. So general opinion of the Uchiha was either radically high or dangerously low. It meant those who held such power had to be cautious and since it could be stolen...even more so. That meant that trusting others would have to be a long term goal. At least for Maigo it would seem. Though Tengoku already knew about his dedication to get stronger. The truth was either this would be a test of their abilities and they would understand their limits better and utilize it....or they would grow as a team and be more interested in protecting one another. There were downfalls of course but they seemed to be getting around to it. Azzie seemed pleased just tagging along which was nice.

Still they were taking some time so Tengoku had time to train a couple more jutsu. He would reach the end of the hundred meter trench quietly before taking a breath. Recalling the forbidden scrolls he had studied since coming into office. For now there were two he wished to test. Though it was brutal Tengoku would picture himself splitting apart and forming two of himself outside of himself. Feeling his chakra pulse as he placed the bare minimal chakra of .1 each to make two shadow clones. Forming the tiger hand seal he would hear the puff of smoke on either side of him as where one stood now three did. For .2 chakra this seemed like an incredible technique for a hand to hand combat specialist like himself. Still he would look to each of them and find himself surprised to find they had his equipment as well. Each of them giving him a nod as if understanding his intentions. This was only the first of two jutsu he intended to train. One of them hopped to the side and the other would hop back about ten meters. Bracing himself with his arms in a cross guard. Tengoku would normally have to form hand seals but his own talent eliminated that. Instead suddenly his right hands would screech out as lightning arced from it like birds chirping. He would launch forward and thrust the Chidori into the clones guard. Piercing through surprisingly easy as the clone died with one thrust. The Chidori still crackling as Tengoku held his outstretched hand in a cloud of fading smoke.

500/ 500 two exclusives trained :

“You’re getting a sharing yam? What’s that? Can I have one?” The words spewed out of Azgodon’s mouth the moment he got a chance after Maigo finished speaking. He was curious why Maigo wanted one and why. He didn’t remember reading about it in any of the texts he read over the past three days, so he could only assume it was not anything shinobi-related. “You’re getting new eyes? Are you blind? I have a spare eye! Eyes are like kidneys right? I think you can live with only one kidney.” He hoped Maigo was alright and was not going blind. He supposed Maigo could adjust to being a blind shinobi, but Azgodon hoped it did not come down to that.

“Oh, right..” Azgodon just remembered what he was going to say, before he was distracted by sharing yam and Maigo going blind. “Weren’t you the one tricking us… with genjutsu? Why are you accusing Xia of tricking you?” His mauve orbs would turn to Xia, Azgodon still in his seated position on the ground. “Do you know genjutsu too and didn’t tell us?” He would stage whisper to Xia, curiosity gleaming in his eyes as he scanned his environment to find out what her genjutsu did.

Waiting for a reply, Azgodon’s ears would perk up as he heard a sound eerily similar to birds chirping. “Are you making birds chirp, Xia?”

Xia was pretty happy that Maigo decided to believe her. She had been genuinely hurt that someone thought she might be being dishonest in any way. So when he did agree to not compete Xia gave him a brilliant smile and an exuberant nod. “No competition today is great. I think there’s plenty more we could accomplish by just working together.”

When Maigo mentioned he didn’t have the Sharingan yet, Xia didn’t know quite what to make of it. She knew very little about the Sharingan; only that it was a dojutsu and she’d heard stories of the Uchiha using it to control people’s minds. She felt it was safe to assume that it developed at least similarly to the Byakugan, and so she offered a reassuring smile to the dark haired Uchiha. “I’m sure you’ll have it soon.”

Xia couldn’t tell if Azzie was being serious or not about the ‘sharing yam’, although when he mentioned it her stomach decided that she was pretty hungry, the thought of food making her instinctually clutch at her stomach as she tried to concentrate. With her arms on her stomach as she tried to push away thoughts of delicious food, she found the distraction she was looking for in the conspiratorial stage whisper she heard from Azzie. She would grin and shake her head ‘no’. “I wish I could do genjutsu, it would probably help me a lot. But no, I don’t know genjutsu. . . yet. One day maybe.” Again Xia was mighty confused about what genjutsu actually was. She was still under the mistaken impression that it somehow was used to enhance other skills, and so imagining using it to enhance her taijutsu made her excited to learn about it. Xia’s hearing was poor enough, or she was too wrapped up in the conversation to notice much else, that she didn’t hear their Sensei unleash Chidori. So when Azzie asked if she was making birds chirp she was understandably confused. She would whip her head around trying to figure out what Azzie was referring to and finally she crouched down beside him with her expression one of slight distress and puzzlement. “I don’t have any birds, Azzie. So, no? Wait. . . are you teasing me?” Her question was accompanied by a lopsided grin and twinkle in her white eyes.

Maigo would scratch his head with a slight sigh as Az asked if he was going blind or sharing yam. Letting his hand rest and his eyes fall on Az as he continued his line of questioning towards Xia after the fact, Maigo could only shake his head and whisper under his breath purely to himself as they continued on about birds,

This squad is doomed...

He would lift his head and look back towards his teammates.

"Genjutsu is the only way to trick someone... anyways," Maigo would straighten himself out and inhale deeply before exhaling his breath sharply.

"We need to complete Tengoku's task anyways. Why not go for a bit of a friendly race there anyways? No animosity to win a prize or beat each other but I plan to do a bit of training today anyways but that would be better if you both wanted to join in. If not, then I'm gonna go for it anyways..."

Maigo would promptly reach down his leg and grab his ankle while pulling himself towards the ground and stretch out his lower back and thighs. Soon he would stand up straight again, listening the entire time about what they would say while putting together the signs for the fireball jutsu and slowly molding his chakra in the pit of his stomach while trying to bring it up just slightly.

The chakra felt natural, his eyes would close as he would face away from his teammates and begin to focus while holding the Snake handseal. Whatever their answer was, he was going to further his training today.


[Training for Fireball Jutsu - 150 words]

Tengoku would let the chakra from the Chidori slowly crackle to nothing as he would let out a breath. The technique was powerful but it seemed to come at a cost. A heavy chakra cost almost equal to his greatest techniques. Still he would stand up tall and wipe the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. His other clone would walk up and glance back in the way of Tengokus students. Amber eyes scanning the hill while his ears twitched. With the sound from the Chidori gone he could faintly hear them talking still. The clone would cross his arms as Tengoku would Flex and unflex his fists. The feeling of his hands tingling taking a minute to fade. Finally the clone would speak up to his original as he observed the kids in the distance. "Not making a whole lot of progress one way or the other huh? I figured by now the race would have started or someone would be fighting. Though they seem to have agreed not to compete. I guess its more of a trust building exercise at this point eh?" The clone would say with a warm smile before glancing over his shoulder. Looking to the original.

Tengoku would grunt in response a moment before the tingling feeling finally went away. Still the shadow clone seemed to have a mind of its own. But was it every bit as strong physically? Tengoku would shake his head a moment before speaking in return...ignoring that he was speaking with himself. "They are filled with youthful energy and just getting to know each other. It isn't easy to just reach out and trust someone. Better that they get it out of their system now than when its important on a mission." He would reply calmly. Activating his sensory as he felt out to where they were. He could sense their chakras but not much beyond that. The build up of katon chakra was concerning but he doubted that even the Uchiha would be so bold as to attempt to incinerate his team. If he did manage it they wouldn't die from such a small attack and the facility medics could handle it....but Tengoku would have to figure out a way to punish him for it. So hopefully it didn't come to that. Still he would continue talking to his clone.

"Maybe we should try some physical sparring? I want to test if you maintain all my strength if you don't mind."

The clone would smirk playfully before turning to Tengoku. They would each place their right fist into their left palm and bow to each other before taking their stances. Within a moment the two suddenly became a blur of yellow movement. The clone keeping up with the main body step for step. Each time one attempted a hit the other would block it. However the connection of each blow and block would send out a cascading echo across the area. Shockwaves from the connections would flatten the grass and make the trees groan as they bent within ten meters of it. Their strength was clearly as super human as their speed. Not the strongest in the world but there was no doubting that power. Tengoku and the clone both weren't giving any ground as they were evenly matched however. The ground under their feet slowly cratering more and more as they held their ground and traded blows to no avail on either side. The Hokage was training at his best as if he wasn't satisfied with his current strength. As if he knew he needed more.

“Teasing you?” His head would tilt just slightly to the side as Azzie tried to figure out what Xia meant. He was under the impression she did cast a genjutsu, so where was the teasing coming from. His chin would settle in his palm as he pondered the comment for a moment. “Task? What task?” It was sufficient to say Azzie wasn’t sure what they were supposed to be doing. He just remembered plopping himself on the ground for a reason or another before he ultimately got distracted. Maigo would, likely, continue on as Azzie interrupted after the boy's first sentence.

“Doesn’t a race involve running? Is that even fun?” The last sentence was muttered under his breath. Azgodon would turn his attention to Xia, curiosity sparkling in his eyes. “What’re we supposed to be doing again?” He remembered Tengoku saying something about a bag of coins, but that was about it. “Are coins yummy? I’m kind of hungry right now.” He would wait for Xia’s response and wait to see what she did. If she followed after Maigo, Azzie would be a few steps behind; having to get up from the ground himself.

Xia would nod happily at Maigo’s suggestion. She wasn’t fast, or strong. . . or much of anything really. But she did like friendly competition. And a friendly race sounded fun, to her at least. Azzie seemed less convinced, and frankly seemed a bit confused about the whole ordeal - but that just made him more adorable in Xia’s eyes. She would reach a hand down to her white haired squad mate, intent on helping him up from the ground.

“Running is fun, or well, it can be anyway. I think it’s fun. And hey, if you’re hungry then that’s just more motivation to get the bag of money and go out to eat!” If Azzie took Xia’s hand she would help him up, if not she would try to explain what she was doing. “Here, take my hand and we can get moving. Running is good for the soul, or so my mother says. So, just a friendly race then. Wait, did you say. . . yummy?” She would say, looking between her two squadmates. She was sure she’d misheard Azzie, and so she wasn’t expecting a reply to her question, it was just a silly misunderstanding, although it did make her curious where Azzie might have come from that he equated coins with food. Setting her eyes on the bag of coins, she would dig her left foot slightly into the ground behind her preparing to sprint. She had no tricks up her sleeves, she was just planning on running. “Ready?” If both men said yes, she would take off, moving at a ‘slightly faster than glacial’ pace.

Tengoku would finally see them start their race and smile. His Shadow clone dispersing and the short bit of experiences flooding back into him. Well that would certainly have an effect if used in battle. He would need to get used to the sensation before he fully committed to using it. Still it was a potent ability and he wouldn't let it go to waste. Still they were fairly slow and he would smile softly at their little legs carrying them like....well mostly like normal people. They were carefree and hate had not absconded with their hearts yet. A couple of them were even fairly pure souls. He liked that particularly about Azzie but Xia was from a clan that was filled with a great deal of prejudice. He wanted to guard her from it but he could not or would not ask her to not associate with her clan. Perhaps her soul would withstand it. Time would tell. Maigo on the other hand was another scenario entirely. He was from one of the most dysfunctional clans Tengoku had ever met. The Uchiha were just a mess and each of them seemed eager to increase their own standing at the expense of others.

Still Tengoku would openly watch them pass and keep tabs on them. This part would show him their deeper characteristics as well as where they needed to physically improve. Of course Maigo had already done some endurance training with him and took some bruises to show for it. This was a simple enough exercise though with no one meant to get seriously hurt or maimed. So he was grateful to see that fireball hadn't scorched anyone. Still he would watch and wait to see who reached the wall first. They had agreed that no one actually won the money but he still had a prize in mind for their intentions. However a messenger would virtually phase into existence next to him. One of the higher ranking shinobi had processed some suspicious activity and his attention was needed for it. Go figure it was an Uchiha. Honestly the whole clan needed to put its own in check. Still he would appear once all three made it to the wall. A smile playing on his face. Turning to whoever got to the coins first. Speaking warmly to them all.

"There is pride in my heart for you all. You got along and despite the reward of coin there was little in the way of arguing. Cohesion is incredibly important in a squad during missions. If you can't trust the person next to you...you act on your own. You will always be stronger together. Now the winner since you all decided on a meal still wins something. You get to select where you three are going to eat! However I have been called away to deal with something so unfortunately I have a late night at the office. Still I hope you learned a lot about each other and can progress further as a unit from here."

Tengoku would turn to leave. Ruffling Azzies hair on his way by as if saying see you at home later. With that though he would step and it was like he was suddenly just gone. His time allotted to training was passed and he had some rather serious business to reach quickly. He would make his way out of the training grounds with an awful lot on his mind. Those three were good kids though and possibly the hope for uniting the Uchiha and Hyuga in the future. Perhaps he should force the two clans to work together on more squads.

Exit thread
Split the heavenly storm 350/350 custom S rank trained post 5
Multi Shadow clone and Chidori trained post 17 two Library A ranks for 250 each

7 posts at 30 exp a post (10 for 2 people...another 10 for additional 2 people and 5 for grand training facility - another 5 for sensei bonus)
210 exp