If A Tree Falls Will Someone Hear Another Laugh?

Dahlia pursed her lips as she leaned forward to get a closer look at her notes from her ninja academy days. She had been so largely focused on learning advanced jutsus back then that she overlooked most of the ones taught in school. She had managed to do the base ones needed to pass her classes, but after that she hadn’t really thought of them much. Her training had gone rather stagnant lately so perhaps she just needed to relearn some of the basics again.

After that she could try to learn another set of wide raging jutsu’s found in books available in the library. She wasn’t certain if relearning the basics would really solve much for her, but it sure as hell was better then slowly cracking her head open with failed attempts to hit a tree while backflipping that was for sure. She stretched a bit before she positioned her note book in some low hanging branches of a tree to stay eye level for her.

She had picked out a few to try out again today, the Clone Technique, The Transformation Technique, and the Body Replacement Technique. There were a few others that did intrigue her, but she lacked the immediate supplies to properly practice them at the moment. For now she’d stick with these three. Starting with the Clone Technique. She took a deep breath in as she reread over the instructions in her notes before she would attempt it herself. Thankfully she was in the forest; so there would be a far lower chance of anyone seeing her if she messed up here.


OOC:

Post 1
110 / 110 Chakra Points
[Jutsu's Referenced]

Nyguyen trekked through the forest looking for a spot to set up camp. He had obtained permission from his wife to leave home for a day trip in the wilderness. The purpose of this excursion was to enjoy the nation's unspoiled wilderness, reflect on his past, contemplate his future, and arm himself with the knowledge needed to make a positive difference in the shinobi world. The weary Kage had selected the a biographical tome for this afternoon. New Eyes: Lessons on Leadership from the Life of Hideshi Uchiha The disgraced former Hokage smirked to himself. It was an ironic choice but a fitting one.

As he made his way through the lush woods, he encountered a young girl with orange hair. She appeared to be training her little heart out and Nyguyen stopped to watch. He did not dare give her pointers. He felt as though he had failed as a sensei and taking on another student would be too dangerous a proposition for him to entertain at the moment. He still had Ari and while his door would always be open to her, he could not risk taking on another at this point. He squinted as could see that she was attempting to learn the Clone technique. It was sometimes hard to tell as his vision grew blurry at times. He put a pair of thick spectacles on his face and was able to better see her features. Dahlia would probably recognize the infamous Kage that had led Konoha into two brutal wars, but what she may not know or appreciate was how burdened he was by the weight of his past failures. He did not wish for confrontation so if she saw him, he'd likely turn and move away before she hurled abuse his way.

This next generation...hopefully they will be in better hands with Tengoku than they were with me...

The new presence wasn’t something that she immediately noticed just yet as the old Hokage approached. Due to her surroundings, as well as assumption that she was alone; Dahlia was able to invest all of her attention into the task at hand that she was attempting. ‘Ram, Snake, Tiger’ She recited in her mind as her hands followed suit with the hand seals required to perform the Clone Technique.

Only a moment later did the 4 after images appeared behind her in the same pose that she was in. She lowered her hand to look behind her. A momentary look of approval reached her face and eyes. Though only a moment later did it fade away; as did the clones in a puff of smoke. The move was easily done. And there had been no real practice needed to perform it. Had it been so easy the first time she had to attempt it back in the academy?

She supposed its versatility in battle didn’t make it something so easily overlooked, nor ignored in terms of things that she should be learning. But she was hoping for something to click. Maybe not a big revelation given it was the first thing she tried, but at least something. She crunched up the corner of one of her lips, as well as that side’s nostril in annoyance. Hopefully the other 2 would be of more use in figuring out where exactly she had stagnated in her lessons that hindered her as much as she was now.

She turned back around to her book with squinted determined eyes. Perhaps she'd try the transformation technique. It seemed just as simple, but she was hoping that there was something else behind it. She pushed the annoyance away to focus on her next jutus attempt. ‘Dog Boar Ram’ She recited in her mind as she thought of a form to take. In a puff of smoke her form turned to that of what she remembered her father to look like in old photos of he and her mother when they were around her age.

Her hair was now blonde as well as became a further mess than it was before. So much so that it was a question if it was styled with hair gel to stay that way. Her iries were an emerald green. And her body was decently fit with some noticeable muscles that could only be gained through hard work, and no doubt the heavy labor her father had done in his youth on his parents farm before they had to flee their old home.

Dahla then turned her eyes to the rough but large hand that replaced her own. As she stared down at the hand that resembled that of her father’s when he was her age she tried to think of what exactly she was missing. Once again the move was very versatile in terms of how it could be used in battle. Much like her Hiding in the Shadows Technique, Focused Amplification, and Genjutsu Kai, these moves thus far had been good for battle. They had many passive advantages with each one.

Despite not seeming like out right battle techniques she knew each could be used in battle… could it be that she was overlooking the core reasonings of why they were likely created? She was thinking more about battle plans for these moves… but could it be that it wasn’t all about battle proficiency? She let out a thoughtful grunt as she released the jutsu.

“But even if it’s not about battle alone I’m clearly still lacking! I have the knowledge and skills! I know Icould answer most things one would ask as a genin, but why can’t I perform correctly?! Gah!” She ruffled her own hair and scrunched her face up in annoyance. “This is all so stupid!”

She shouted out. She did want to become a great ninja, but sometimes she just wished things could be as simple as they were when it came to living in the forest.


OOC:

Post 2
108 / 110 Chakra Points
[Jutsu's Referenced]

Nyguyen looked on as the young girl practiced the academy basics. The kunoichi's progress was uneven and he couldn't help but be reminded of his youngest's struggles with Ninjutsu. The bright haired girl had a fair amount of determination though. When she turned, Nyguyen considered leaving but instead he looked down at the book he held in his hands. While his first instinct was to flee, he remembered the lessons he had learned from the book and the duty he still owed Konoha. The old him would have shuffled off to sulk in his own misfortune, but the man that the war had forced him to become operated differently. Setting aside his feelings of inadequacy, he cleared his throat and stepped forward.

Dahlia's problem was not knowledge but practice. By her own admission she appeared capable of understanding the material but applying it was giving her trouble. Perhaps the former Hokage could use his Sharingan to give her some insight as to what she was doing wrong. He wouldn't allow himself to be her sensei as even with his newfound courage he felt unworthy, but a couple of pointers might go along way.

"Hello there.....I couldn't help but notice you were having some trouble. Perhaps I can lend a hand?" he said in a formal voice. He had excised the fear from it but his eyes still showed a glimmer of uncertainty.

Dahlia grumbled to herself thoughtfully before her eyes laid on the man in the distance. She quickly moved to be ready to run, but stopped herself as she realized who he was. She scrunched up her nose and brows before she pursed her lips a bit in confusion. That was the previous Hokage.

“Does every Hokage just chill in the forest?” She loudly asked.

She gave a little huff of annoyance that another person ran into her in the forest along with the fact that someone was pointing out her having troubles. Yeah it was true but she didn’t like it being pointed out to her. She was about to speak to you before she noticed his eyes. Normally she wouldn’t care much about the possibility of someone giving such a look to her, but she supposed he may be helpful considering he was an ex Hokage.

Yeah he was one with a more… interesting past, but a Hokage nonetheless. Even if he failed to teach her anything good she could just go back to training on her own. Besides, it was rare for her to come across a teacher willing to teach her somewhere where she can fully focus like the forest. Then again based in this past little while she may even come across another new Hokage in the forest. She grabbed her book flipping to the next page before holding it up for him to see. It was her very thorough notes and study on the body replacement technique.

“Fine creep.” She said in reference to his quiet watching of her before. “I was working on this one next.”

She said knowing the man no doubt had heard her before so he'd know her goal was fixing an issue she was having in overall performance, not just one jutsu. She though wasn’t feeling like pouring out every little issue, and short coming she had to someone who she had never directly met before.



OOC:

Post 3
108 / 110 Chakra Points

Nyguyen stood his ground when the stranger snapped at him. Internally, he felt ashamed but he only shook his head and addressed her question head-on. "Only those with heavy thoughts and the time to clear them" He wasn't as easily rattled as he would have been but the comment still stung him. He decided to chalk it up to her frustration. Like many shinobi, she did not want to appear weak or incompetent. A ninja would often rather lash out than admit their own insecurities. Nyguyen adjusted his glasses and squinted at the notes of her next technique.

The Body Replacement Jutsu? Simple enough.

This girl was probably not even a genin if she was training a technique so basic. He opened his mouth to give instruction when she called him a creep. The former Hokage pursed his lips as he tried to work out how to respond. If his time in leadership had taught him one thing, it was that indecisiveness was worse than saying the wrong thing. He was her sensei-for-a-day and if he did not demand respect then this training would be fruitless. A waste of both of their time at best and another failure on his record at worst.

"Creep? Hmph. The youth in this village are in a sorry state if that's the first thing they think when someone observes them training. But the fault for that is not yours's but mine...allow me to correct it Ms?" While the question hung in the air, Nyguyen activated his Sharingan. The Doujutsu dilated behind his glasses giving it an eerie look. As he reviewed her notes, he launched a query.

"So verbalize exactly what you're having trouble with"

He could surmise her problem but he wanted her to state in succinct and direct terms. The first step towards growth was acknowledging your weaknesses in as plain a terms as possible.

Dahlia’s brows frowned at his reply to her first question. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but it hit weird. It almost felt unsettling in a way with how it hit. Her face slowly softened a bit besides her brows. Her eyes grew a bit thoughtful then. She too had first come here when she was not in the best of places, and had continuously returned in times where she needed to think. It had always been this place that she felt safest in.

Could it just be the atmosphere here? No that would be stupid. It was just a forest. And forests always made the most sense to feel at home to her. So it probably was something similar. Or just coincidence. She raised a brow at his reply. She wanted to lash out at his words that basically said she was in a sorry state, but it was hard to when he out right did the lashing out in his own way to himself by taking the blame. Honestly it was hard to think of any way to properly reply to him in a way she normally would. So much so it was hard to tell if she should be annoyed or impressed.

She felt her muscles tense up more at the eyes he displayed. More so than any wild animal had given her before. She knew about those eyes. She lowered the book silently with a sigh that she hoped would ease her body in some way. But only managed to release extra air from her body. She curled up her bottom lip while giving one side of her upper a little crook in it. Dahlia then promptly averted her gaze to her book to avoid the man’s eyes as he asked his next question.

She flipped a bit through her notes of all her past jutsu she had learned, Hiding In Shadows, Genjutsu Kai, Focused Amplification, Great Fireball, and False Darkness. Then through some that were clearly still in note taking, all higher level, and likely in debates if she could even use said techniques yet. She paused at her flipping before she finally replied.

“Dahlia…. And the technique is something I’m not directly having trouble with. I’m hoping to figure out what I missed back in my academy days.” She partly mumbled as she flipped through again. “I have several issues… most I can’t fix, or at least don’t know how to yet.”

She clenched her jaws a bit as well as the book as her frustration set back in again.

“I have been a Genin for 2 years. I know how to learn B rank jutsu, I have a firm handle on the technical sides of being a Genin, but I know even if I was old enough to be promoted… I wouldn’t be.” She closed her eyes for a moment as her tone sounded only further frustrated. “I can perform just fine here, but when I’m-”

She stopped herself for a moment trying to think of how to explain it.

“I can’t focus, I feel suffocated, I… I panic… And everything is just so …. It’s just too much when I'm in large populated areas or in buildings... “ She closed her book. “I managed to use books and the rare things I could remember from class back at the academy to teach myself everything here. I became a Genin. I even taught myself advanced techniques. But-... I can’t teach myself how to get past this. So I must just be missing something. These techniques I remember being taught, but I never paid attention to afterwards so I’m relearning them. If they don’t work then I’ll just have to relearn other things until I figure it out.”

Her eyes were filled with a surprisingly equal amount of determination, as well as doubt. She knew she had this issue since the first day at the academy when asked basic questions she had known for a long time. If she could have learned the answer why hadn’t she by now? She didn’t care how long it would take, she would figure out what it was then figure out how to work around it. Just like she always had.



OOC:

Post 4
108 / 110 Chakra Points

Dahlia curled her bottom lip staring at the man before her thinking about everything she just spouted out. Rather than admitting she was embarrassed for having let all of that out so suddenly to essentially a stranger, ex Hokage or not; she chose to get angry per usual.

“This is stupid.”  She shook her head in a huff closing her book and moved past the man. “I’ll just figure it out on my own. Besides, I think better when I’m alone anyways.”

Yep this was definitely the best course of action. To just keep doing the same thing she always did that always failed in the attempts of fixing her ultimate issue. Yes she’d learn to grow stronger on her own, but not learn how to perform in front of others.


OOC: Sorry I did enjoy this thread, but I need the thread slot and this doesn't seem to be moving much anymore. I'd be willing to try again in the future though. Sorry if my bailing comes off or rude or anything. I also do appreciate your willingness to rp with me even if it was only for a brief while. I hope you had fun as well.

Post 5
108 / 110 Chakra Points

OOC: No worries at all. Sorry but I've been fairly busy these days. I'm glad you are threading with others though. Hopefully are paths will cross again soon.

Nyguyen opened up his mouth to reply when suddenly his vision went blurry. Really blurry. This was a reoccurring problem ever since he had unlocked the maximum potential of the Mangekyou Sharingan. The unfortunate truth was that his vision was now permanently compromised. He wasn't likely to be a top tier warrior at this rate but even civilian life was challenging some time. While he waited for his vision to return, he fell silent not wanting to focus on anything but regaining his ability to see. Unfortunately during this time the short tempered red head had spilled her guts out to him. By the time he finally regained his sight and his ability to actually focus on what she was saying, her patience had worn thin. The redhead had stomped off in annoyance. Nyg's inattentiveness wasn't his fault but he did not call out after her. He had failed the youth once again. He shut his mouth and walked off. Maybe his book would teach him to do what time and time again he could not on his own.

Nyguyen spent days reading and studying. Eventually he grew weary of his books and solitude. However, rather than double-back home he decided to do something spontaneous. He knew that Okane's birthday was being celebrated at the Emporium and while he was not especially fond of the business magnate, he had heard that the man was known for his sense of style and extravagance. Mercedes would love to go and Innocence was sure to spend a lot of time amongst the chemists and crafters. He could take time to bond with Yui. He could certainly get Juniper to come and if she tagged along then maybe even Satomi might get out from under his constant state of brooding. A family trip was just what they needed. It was just what he needed. The former Hokage shut his book and headed to the Heavenly Emporium.

[Exit to HE]