Burning Daytime

Dahlia slowly carried the large tub of water over the last bit of area to make it onto the head of the Hokage Rock. She set it down next to several other buckets she had gotten from her house on the mostly flat surface she had chosen. Each one was filled with water to the relative brim. Normally she would train in the forest, but much like when she had trained her Great Fireball Technique she needed to avoid the forest to prevent forest fires.

Even though she was on solid rock currently she didn't want to risk causing too massive of a fire… Or at least not one bigger than intended. That and it was good for the chance of getting the scrolls she had recently gotten from the library caught flame as well for if she got thirsty. She took her hair down to better pull it back including her bangs and was sure to tie it back tightly. She was not going to set her hair on fire this time.

She barely had put it out before more than a few inches of her hair was gone. Her mom had been pretty ticked off. Ever since she had worn her hair back in a ponytail. Given how much she was going to be training with fire for the next few days she really wanted to avoid setting her hair ablaze. Even if she was positive she could perform all of the jutsu she had planned on training for the next while.  

Afterall she had gone through each one to  make sure she wasn’t grabbing any that needed supplies that she didn’t have or was out of her overall skill range. If she could use False Darkness she could use these jutsu’s given enough time. She looked down to the scrolls as she pulled off her vest, elbow cover, and gloves. The first one on her agenda was…






The jutsu itself created fire in the hands of the user to throw at their target. If she fumbled wrong, or created the fire wrong, it could mess up her clothes so she wanted to make sure to avoid that. Alright first step practicing the hand seals. The easy step! ‘Rabbit… Dog… Ox….’ She thought to herself as she slowly did the hand seals. ‘Rabbit. Dog. Ox’ She sped up the process a little more. ‘Rabbit-Dog-Ox’ She quickly thought as she made the seals quickly several times until she had done it at least 15 times without hesitation or slipping up.

Next was the Chakra. A bit trickier, but not too much so. She had to practice charging it up while channeling it to her hands. She stretched a bit before positioning her hands out to her sides and started to focus on her Chakra. She then took a deep breath before performing the hand seals required; then moved her hands quickly to her side as she tried to gather her chakra at her hands. Small little embers came off ehr hands after her hands let off small flows of blue chakra. Her eye twitched a bit as well as a water droplet rolling down her forehead.

Could be worse… She bounced on her toes a bit before trying a few more times until she finally formed the fire balls. She grinned and went to throw them only for them to land only about 2 feet away due to her improper form. Her eyes went wide as she raced away just barely in time before they exploded. Thankfully also due to her lack of practice and improper form the explosions weren’t nearly as big as they should have been. Dahlia sighed and let her head sink a bit.

She got back up though and tried to focus herself. For the next few hours she practiced the jutsu over and over. Slowly throwing them further and further away. Though never too much further past where she could normally throw Kunai or Shuriken. The explosions slowly reached the size they needed to be. She managed to get to about 16 tries before her Chakra got so low that she was overly exhausted and knew she couldn’t push too much further without risk. She flopped to the ground tiredly.

She wanted to train a bit more to see if she could get any better at it, but once again knew it wasn't the best idea. Nonetheless; she managed to get the jutsu down.






“Locus! You dumb ass! Evade, do not confront!” Dahlia’s mother’s voice echoed into her dream as the memory faded back into place.

“Don’t be a brat Laura! Needs of many over the few! There are too many for us all to take on together as a unit, nor to flee! You and I both know you only are telling me to evade in hopes you were wrong.” Her father shouted back as he dodged the Kunai coming at him. “I can hold them back for you all to get away. Maybe even take some down with me to give you all a better chance.”

“Mama?” Dahlia could remember her younger self asked concerned as she gripped onto her mother’s hand.

“I hate you so much right now.” Laura said softly as tears rolled down her and her father’s face.

“I know, baby. I hate me too.” He smirked as Laura scooped up Dahlia.

“Wait no!” Dahlia called out as her mother ran towards Locus as he did a series of hand seals.

“Be good for your mama Doll! Be as proud of yourself as I am of you both! And remember..” He grined a wide toothy grin as Laura leaped up towards him as he crouched down. “Always bite back your doubts… And fight on!”

He roared out as Laura leapt off his shoulder, while he blew out a massive fireball with the one jutsu he knew. The Great Fireball Technique. Dahlia tried to squirm as she moved over her mothers shoulder reaching out to her father with tear filled eyes. Several attackers fell down burning alive as the man grinned widely despite the wave of Kunai coming at him.

“PAPA!” Dalia screamed out, and just as the kunai would pierce him… she awoke.

Dahlia panted hard as she jerked up from her bed. She wiped the sweat from her face, shivering a bit. She felt cold despite how much sweat was on her brow. She squinted her eyes before violently wiping her tears from her cheeks with her forearm. Her tired eyes slowly shifted to the scrolls she had at the ready for her training, then to the buckets she had brought back with her earlier the other day. Her eyes rested upon the reflection in the moon that rested upon each of the water’s reflection. Dahlia then closed her eyes before opening them up with a narrowed stare forward.

“I don’t care if you’re gonna always be proud of me…” She brushed out her hair and pulled it back fully again. “I’m gonna become as great of a ninja as you were, and show you what it's like to be the proudest father in the whole world!”

She slowly got up and dressed before emptying, and stacking the buckets in each other; then placed them in the large tote.

“I’ll keep everyone safe like you had. I just have to get past this road block. Just you see.” She lifted them up to bring back with her to the Hokage Rocks. “Just you wait and see papa…”

She took a deep breath in giving a sad smile before she set off to continue her training.






Dahlia panted as sweat rolled down her face and arms that shined in the slowly rising sun. Her blurry vision faded in, and out before they slowly permitted themselves to become focused once more. She coughed out a bit before slowly lowering herself down to one of the buckets to drink some water. She almost had it. She just had to focus. She just had to stop thinking about how little she was getting done with the Jutsu that was so similar to the Great Fireball Technique.

She was upset that something far similar then was causing her such issues yes… but she wasn’t getting anywhere with her anger. All she was doing was causing herself to let out the flame improperly and thus not work as it was intended. She gripped the bucket before taking a deep inhale and dunked her head into it. She was trying to use it thinking of it like Great Fireball Technique… A lesser form of it.

Maybe she wasn’t preparing it right. She pulled her head out with a cough before wiping some of the water off from her face. She slowly got up before thinking it over a bit more. But another moment later she did the hand seals while she built up the chakra inside of her chest. ‘Tiger-Dragon-Boar!’ She thought to herself as she then took a deep inhale letting her chakra form into a more fire like state inside her till she was filled to the brim with it.

Then in one single exhale she let it out in a wild blaze traveling out 10 meters. When it finished she fell to her knees coughing. But much like her father in her dream she let a wicked smile grow on her face. Another jutsu down… She blinked then seeing the trail of burn marks on the rocks.

“Crap…” She whispered out.





Dahlia later that day slowly sat up from scrubbing the rock. She angled her back to stretch it out as she finished the last bit of the burn mark, as well as a few others she hadn’t realized she made the other afternoon during training. She looked to the brush that she had ‘borrowed’ from the outpost nearby that she had previously done a mission for. Yes she could have asked for it, but she was too tired to deal with social interaction. It was covered in soot now on its bristles. She sighed at this fact and looked over the buckets till she found one mostly clean and proceeded to scrub at it until it was as clean as she could get it.

She tiredly rubbed at her eyes after with her forearm. She looked to the sky and the sun slowly trying to sneak its way behind the trees in the horizon. If she went home now she’d be able to bathe, eat, and sleep and still get up to train further the next day but not soon enough to avoid most of the public crowds… She let out a sigh at the idea, closing her eyes. Why did they have to move to the most densely populated area around?

She made her way home after emptying the bucket and traveled by roof to get to her own. When she got there she looked over the edge at the laughter that came from her mother and uncles as they left the house with sacks, and bags. They had only gotten home last night. Did they really need money that bad that they had to leave so soon? It felt like her mother was out more then she was home lately.

She must have gotten that side of her from her mother. She knew she was gone often and didn’t like to talk much to her family given their surroundings and how she drifted from them over time, but it would have been nice if they had waited a bit longer to say goodbye. Dahlia's grip grew tighter on one of the buckets, she could throw it at them if she really wanted to. That way they knew she was upset…. But they were family.

She scrunched up her nose before setting the buckets down. If they didn’t want to say goodbye then neither would she. She didn’t know what they did for a job but clearly it was more important.  Anger wasn’t always a useful tool, but right now it was pretty dang helpful with shoving down her sorrows.






Originally she had planned on trying out the Dragon Fire Technique first, but today was a day that she just needed to mix things up with a more challenging Jutsu. The Phoenix Sage Fire Jutsu was just the one. Creating and controlling 16 fireballs at once? Yeah it was just what she needed, for challenge, and destructive power to help her work out her pent up anger from the previous night.

Dahlia had never been one to really talk her feelings out, but to punch them away. This wasn’t punching, but it was a productive close second. “Snake… Dragon… Rabbit… Tiger... “ Her methods rarely sit well with others, and did occasionally get fists or other jutsus thrown back at her by those she attacked. “Snake. Dragon. Rabbit. Tiger.” But it didn’t matter. She doubted she’d make many friends at this point. She wanted them yes, she desperately wanted someone to just understand her finally after so long, but. She heavily doubted that would come at this rate.

“Snake-Dragon-Rabbit-Tiger!” Embers formed around her only to burn out just as soon as they came.

She clenched her eyes shut before trying again. Failure, Once more, Further failure. It didn’t matter when it came to training though. She always had found a way to teach herself without others' help. This was the one thing she could do by herself. It didn’t matter how she failed, it didn’t matter no one liked her. Because on her own she knew she could excel. She just had to figure out how to do so to prove she wasn’t some dumb kid.

“Come on!” She roared out as she tried again, finally succeeding in the jutsu.

But sadly… she lacked the skill to control it. All 16 fireballs flew all around her wildly just as soon as they came. Her eyes grew wide in fear as she ran trying to dodge them as they came. She looked back just as she saw one coming at her faster than she could run.

“Nononono, no, NO!” She held up her arms to block her face knowing that without intervention it was the only thing she could do at this point.



OOC: The Post in summary for my dudes out there.

The Summary:

[Jutsu's Used]

Jutsu's Used:

Also going to assume she used this jutsu a few times already and guess about 10ish times making her Chakra at this point. I can tweak it if needed though.

60 / 110 Chakra Points

Tengoku had been informed of some noise complaints atop the Hokage mountain by a secretary before he finished his paperwork for the morning. They said for a couple of days now some genin had been training fire jutsu right on top of their nations greatest tourist attraction and monument to their history. They asked if perhaps they should send a chunning to have them move it to somewhere more appropriate....like on of the training grounds. He had told them not to send anyone. He had a need to stretch his legs anyway. They tried to encourage him not to go meandering around too much as the Hokage but he was already ready to go. He kept his rings on his arms, wrists and ankles at all times and his swords were on a rack next to him. After all in this harsh world even his office wasn't entirely safe. So he rose from his seat. Informing them to have a team do a sweep of his office for any seals while he was out. A good security measure to practice. With that said he had strapped his three swords to his left waist. With a wink he was out the window and off to the mountain.

he had actually arrived during her failed attempts. Casting out his sensory he noted that her katon energy simply wasn't being fueled enough. Besides that it was having difficulty being accurately sent towards the emerging embers. Her chakra control could use some work. It was like she was sending out a wave of chakra instead of a steady and controlled supply to each individual fire ball. He didn't use katon himself but his chakra control was about on par with anyone. He didn't even use seals for his raiton jutsu. His control over it was immense in comparison to almost anyone in the village. Though his sister did have a similar affinity or fire if he recalled. Still she would figure it out. However some of the embers were starting to hold a charge now. If she pushed out that wave much harder than the jutsu would activate. However she would have absolutely no control over it. He could see that much about to happen. Still getting burned was part of a lesson right? But...that wasn't required to learn. People could learn without pain right? They could learn through willpower. So he would spare her these burns.

She would scream out in fear or defiance against the fireball coming after her. Raising her arms to defend. A good move to protect her eyes. Arms could heal easily. Blind eyes could ruin lives. However before it could reach her suddenly there was a flutter of yellow and black in front of her. His usual robes and gloves for his attire with his white hair wild around his shoulders. His white wolf like ears facing up at full attention. However as he struck out the golden rings around his upper arms, wrists and ankles would spread out. White gold feathers with gold trimming would expand are forearm bracers, Shin guards and shoulder guards like angel wings. Small but beautiful. With a strike of his forearm the fireball would disperse into tiny embers blowing passed him. However her technique was still connected to her chakra. So they had turned and were following their source of chakra. The remaining balls charged them like a wall with a few of them slamming down into the top of the mountain with a small burst of flame here and there. The remaining Tengoku stepped forward towards. With alarming speed he struck out at each one until in a seconds time a shower of embers fell around him. If one blinked all the fireballs had burst at once and she likely would barely see him as a blur. Still he would sigh out in relief before looking towards her with a relieved smile.

"You know..there are less public places to practice this...preferably under supervision for safety. Where civilians can't get caught up in it. Did you know the path is less than fifty meters from here? You burn some poor kid and that's at least a year of therapy trying to forgive yourself."

Dahlia’s arms slowly lowered as she saw the figure of the man suddenly appear before her . And with another moment he had dealt with all of the fireballs. To her he seemed to do so just as easily as he could breath. She knew the Hokage was supposed to be one of the strongest ninja in the village, but this? This was something that truly showed her how strong he was. Punching a tree was impressive, yes but watching him so easily deal with a move of similar strength to her father’s greatest and only jutsu in such a way… it really put things into perspective for her.

She could feel her hands trembling from the whole ordeal, as well as the fear that suddenly could go away boil up in her. Her eyes grew a bit watery, but she did not permit any tears to fall. So instead she did what she did best. She turned the fear and sorrow that still was at the forefront of her mind from the night prior, and turned it into annoyance and anger at his words.

“I knew no civilians would be up here! And if they were, they should be staying away from active fire! It’s better than accidentally burning a forest down or something!” She huffed out kicking over one of the water buckets in frustration. “And in one of those inside facilities? Tsk…”

She clenched her fists as her muscles tensed up at the thought of being inside a building.

“Like I could focus in a cramped place like that.” She scrunched up her nose. “And if you’re worried about the rocks I was going to clean up after.”

Despite the man’s face, and clear worry for her and others; none of it registered to her properly given how she was more focused on staying angry to avoid her real feelings. To avoid being scared, or crying. To avoid all of the issues she wished didn’t exist.


OOC:

Post 2
60 / 110 Chakra Points

Tengoku would watch the last of the sparks of fire fade to nothing. His attention paid to any near something flammable. A fire started up here was alarming and symbolic. Still she would already be mouthing off in return to his gentle mention of the safety of others. She clenched her fence and stood there in defiance. He was impatient now. His kindness was being spat back at him and she was ready to blame civilians if they got hurt from her training over the multitude of training grounds available to her. His own fist would clench as suddenly the air filled with static electricity. Golden streaks of light zapped around him as he turned to look at her fully with a frown and eyes that suggested he was not to be trifled with. The sound of electricity hummed off of him from his temper as bolts of it ripped off of him into the dirt around him.

"You will watch your tone with me Dahlia. If someone gets hurt because of your actions only the weak push the blame on the victim. You should not train these powers without first thinking about how they can affect others. You can kill someone. Make no mistake about it you have harnessed a weapon of massive destructive capabilities if used improperly. Recognize the responsibility that comes with that or stop training entirely."

He would glower a moment before taking a breath to calm himself. His eyes closing a moment as the raiton energy pouring off of him died off and his armor would fold back into the golden rings he wore. He stood there mostly normal if not about as well built as any taijutsu specialist. It was the representation of his hours upon years of training his body. However his control of his temper was not as well honed. So he would give it a second. The words he spoke were harsh but they were important. He would not have someone lose their temper and burn down the market. She held power and there were consequences if those powers were abused. Still after a moment he would continue.

"Most of the training grounds are actually outside. With proctors on standby to ensure nothing terrible happens. As for the indoor one....have you ever been there? It was built magnificently and replicates a great deal of environments. So well that once inside its as if you stepped into another world. Now...I lost my temper and for that I apologize. But I need you to understand the gravity of what you can do. The importance that innocent people not be caught up in your efforts. Or yourself."

Dahlia shifted a bit away at the sight of the lighting followed by the look he gave her. She tried to keep her anger upfront as a form of protective shield, but it was easily being slowly broken away by his words. Her clenched fists loosened a bit while her eyes widened a little further. The closest thing she had faced up until now in the form of a lecture like this was when she had a fight with her old teammates and their leader stepping in to end it. His was more along the lines of tired and sounded as though he had just been finished with dealing with her.

He likely only did so as long as he did because he had to. But the memories of her old teammates shouting at her for her incompetence flooded back to her along with the weeks of healing they all had to do after their fight. The breaking down of her anger slowly allowed her to think about that situation, and how similar it was to the one the Hokage spoke of now. Her actions at this point could lead to even worse situations than her past ones had. All because she was being incompetent. Only this time the incompetence was something she could have avoided

With the anger slowly fading, the water in her eyes slowly arose again. Her brows turned upwards further. She hadn’t known about the outside ones. She had known about the indoor one due to her old leader taking her and the others there, but she had always left as soon as she could and had never really trained much there. It didn't exactly matter what it looked like. The fact she knew she was inside a building had felt suffocating enough for her to be unable to focus on her training. The moment her leader had gotten fed up with it and let her go she had fled as quickly as she could from the place.

Confusion then slowly set in her teary eyes as he apologized. Why was he apologizing? She had been in the wrong. His anger was just a normal reaction. It was scary and intimidating, but on all fronts of Dahlia’s understanding; totally called for.

“You’re being stupid…” She finally let out. “You apologizing is stupid… I should be apologizing, not you, idiot…”

She paused thinking back to her teammates and the situation that had happened… had she ever apologized to them? She had never thought twice when they hadn’t told her. After all that the whole situation started with the root cause of her own failings. Just like this one. She didn’t need an apology because it had been her fault. She had never thought to apologize. She had always been too busy being angry.

Both then and now she could have ended up killing them… or like moments ago, could have badly injured… or even killed herself. Her face turned to that of fear and sorrow. All while her shoulders rose with a slow and deep inhale. The memory of the fire ball nearing her, nearly taking her down in one move. God she really was stupid. She hadn’t even thanked him for helping her. She just jumped right to anger.

Did her family leave without telling her because of how she acted? How often had she done this to her father…? She knows he loved her in the end but when he was alive how many times had the missed chances to apologize or thank him? The regret, fear, and sorrow seemed to refuse to be totally contained any longer now inside the girl. Tears that likely would be flowing out rapidly by now were only lessened by her willpower to not cry.

She had no right to be crying right now. But a few tears still leaked out despite her desire for them not to. She wiped at them as more kept falling. She looked to the man before her and said the words that she knew she likely owed to a lot of people by now.

“I’m stupid… and I’m sorry.” She said a bit quietly with a moderately shaky voice.





OOC:

Post 3
60 / 110 Chakra Points[/quote]

Tengoku would look at her with those golden eyes of his. He could see it. This pain and loneliness she was experiencing. He was familiar with it. Memories of his own childhood rushing back to him. Alone with his sister off being trained by one of their teachers. She had special classes because she was intelligent but he...he was not. He had a high perception score even as a kid but he was considered weak and unintelligent. Though the teachers hadn't used those terms it had been clear that was why no one spent additional time with him. Outside of his sister mostly. It was mostly through her merits they had graduated. But when she wasn't there at the orphanage...he was alone and vulnerable. The other orphans treated him like trash. His ears made him different. A freak and connected to some witch of the wilds he had never met. It was a cruel rumor that he wasn't even human. So they had beaten him. They had tormented him. His sister had always paid them back in kind but he remembered sobbing as she wiped away the marker on his face. As she picked the lock on the collar around his neck.

Tengoku would move as she spoke. Slowly as he approached her. He would listen as she spoke and though she still referred to him harshly he didn't care. She just didn't know what to do with herself. Who to be and how to get there. She wanted so much to be like her father but she was wild. She was rebellious and no one had taken her in to train her because of it. He had seen her records after their time in the woods and saw more of who she was. But this moment was showing him so much more. Tengoku saw those tears and his own welled up. But he would drop to both knees in front of her. Whether she fought him or not he would grab her in her arms and pull her into a tight hug. Not one where she couldn't breath but her would hold her a moment to him even if she attacked him. He hugged her tight and his hot tears would stream down his chin and drip off of it. Little droplets falling onto her shoulder and soaking into her clothing as he held her a moment before a few seconds passed and he let her go. Sitting back on his feet. Wiping away his own tears before taking a breath and speaking.

"Please do not call yourself stupid Dahlia. I spent my youth unable to really speak to others or even read and write. My sister took care of me and helped me grow. I imagine your father would have done the same for you....Just because you do not know something doesn't make you stupid. Its knowing these things and choosing to take the fools route. You said your father was a hero...that he cared for others and fought for them. You also said you wanted to be like him....so Dahlia...will you fight for the sake of others?"

Dahlia’s eyes watched him as he came closer, only to grow wide as he grabbed her. She jerked away for a second out of instinct though the moment she registered the hug further tears began to stream don’t her face. Why was he hugging her? Why did he even want to hug her? No one, but her family ever did, and it's not like her treatment of him deserved a hug. But it was soft, warm, and inviting. It made her feel safe, and cared for. A feeling she hadn’t felt in anyone by her mother and father all her life.

Her body trembled as tears streamed fully down her face finally. She didn’t hug him back, but she did grip onto his shirt as he held her in his embrace. Her eyes grew a look of confusion as she felt his tears land on her shoulder. He was crying? Why was her crying? She felt a pit in her stomach slowly form realizing his crying. When he moved back she let go of one side of his top that he was holding but still instinctively held onto one side with a loose grip. With her other arm she used it to wipe the tears from her cheeks that were still streaming down from her eyes.

She listened to his words without interruption and even stayed silent for a bit after his question. She looked at him with her irritated eyes and spoke softly, but with a slight frown still.

“You ask a lot of dumb questions… of course I would…” She replied in the same soft tone despite her words.




OOC:

Post 4
60 / 110 Chakra Points

Tengoku would allow her a moment to wipe her tears as he took a breath to steady himself. He had allowed emotions to overwhelm him and he could only smile in return. One hand would rise up to wipe the remnants of the lines from his tears. The lines were wet and cold on the breeze. But he would give her a moment to respond. She still seemed irritated with the question that he posed so many times to her. He wanted it ingrained after all. So much so that she had to consider it on a deeper level. That she had to be prepared with an answer when the time came. People were simple enough. They promised one thing when it was easy to do so. However when it came down to their survival they usually would sacrifice others on instinct. The hard part for a hero was overcoming that instinct and saving others. He wanted to give her the tools in order to succeed without as much difficulty. That said her bond to her father and how she envisioned him would make that choice more natural for her. If she was as dedicated as she seemed towards becoming like the man she idolized.

"Very good than. Gather your things. We are going to move to an outdoor training ground. For the time being I will act as your proctor. That is if you will have me."

Tengoku would smile before reaching out and ruffling her hair a little. With that he would rise to his feet and idly brush himself off while he waited for her to either get ready or tell him to fuck off. He honestly wasn't sure what direction she would take. On one hand she wanted the power to protect. On the other she was resistant to any formal training. Of course his own students seemed preoccupied with their own lives so perhaps he was just lonely. Azzie was running his shop while Xia was with family. Maigo was intermittent with his dedication to training as was Matsu. Still he would be there when they chose to return to him. For now his own training could be included in helping Dahlia refine her own chakra control. From what he could tell she lacked the coordination to pull off that technique. So if she agreed to join him he would focus on that first. Achieve mastery of that katon technique and she could dominate when she came of age in the smaller fights.

Dahlia finished wiping her tears as her face slowly grew red from embarrassment that she had allowed herself to cry so openly. She was supposed to be a ninja, not a cry baby. Her displeased face lessened upon the sight of his smile. Her eyes moved to his tear lines while her hand chose to move more on its own to help him wipe some of his tears away. Her hand was a bit shaky as well as her tone as she allowed herself to ask in a gentle tone.

Why are you even crying....?” She buckled her bottom lip a little before lowering her hand with a sniff.

Her eyes fell from his face to the ground; her hand moving to gently grip her opposite arm. The one that she finally noticed was still gripping him. She let go of him finally with the embarrassed look slowly returning to her face once more, along with a mild annoyed one that was more aimed towards herself then anyone else. Her eyes rose again in surprise the moment he offered his assistance to her. This was another thing she had never really had outside of her parents. Someone who genuinely wanted to help her learn, rather than being just forced to due to their position.

She didn’t even know why he’d even want to be something like that to her of all people. There were far better, and easier students than her. She blinked when he ruffled her hair. She took a deep breath in when the warm sensation came in her chest at the realization of what this was seeming to be. Someone was finally willing to be there for and with her. A friend or as close to one she had ever had, and always wanted. So that meant she’d have to be there for him too. Even if she might fail at doing so she had to try.

"I’ll have you.” She then gave a very slight smirk and pointed up at him “But you can’t wimp out half way through!”

Her tone was still a bit aggressive, but this time held a bit of a playful tone to it. She lowered her hand before dumping and gathering up the buckets and tote, as well as her scrolls for notes. She’d have to come back later to scrub the rock again; a task that was becoming a recurring thing for her it seemed. However at the moment, it felt more like a small cost rather than an annoying self made chore. When everything was gathered she picked it up and looked back to him.

"Okay hurry up and lead the way this isn't supe rlight.” She called over as she started carrying her tower of items towards his direction.



OOC:

Post 5
60 / 110 Chakra Points

Tengoku would smile as he discovered she was a tad bit softer than he had thought her to be. She had put up walls it seemed. Unused to populated an enclosed areas due to her families traveling lifestyle in her younger years. Years she had likely put in a light to bright to be real out of fondness for her father. But that was something she would have to discover for herself. It wasn't something someone outside of her circle could tell her...certainly not something someone who didn't know her father could bring up. It would only be met with hostility and a step backwards. So in order to help her he would need to have her surpass her father. He wasn't a katon user but he was the Hokage. So he could offer guidance and assistance to help her along the way. After all an unattended teenager with power over fire usually only ended one way. Someone got burned. Hopefully it was just something small but houses had burned down before. Matsu had not understood his explosive power and had taken out his own family in the process. He wouldn't see the same happen to this one if he could prevent it.

Still she would gather her abundance of things and urge him to hurry because it was heavy. She had accepted him for the time being so he would nod and head for the path down the mountain. Careful to keep a pace that would be a little difficult for her but doable. Keeping an eye on her to ensure that she did not trip and fall in a hazardous way for her of for others they passed. Nodding to those who bowed to him in passing. Noting that they eyed the girl and whispered about the Hokages possible new student. One joked a little too loudly that he may as well take students. He wasn't an Uchiha after all so how long could he last in office? His ear would twitch to this but he would continue to smile and spoke to her once they were about halfway down the mountain. When that strain would likely begin to burn a little.

"It is sometimes our everyday tasks that can be considered training. If it is heavy, it builds your strength. If it is far it builds your stamina. If it is difficult to find, your perception. If it is fast, your coordination. If it is puzzling, your intelligence. If you must get there quickly, your speed. If you must endure, your constitution. Only through challenging ourselves can we surpass our limits and grow. What you lack for that technique appears to be coordination. When we get to the training grounds we will focus on that....the walk there however...I think will test the limits of your strength and your Stamina. If you want to quit you can say so. Otherwise I will push you to your limits so you can cross the threshold. So you can discover what you can be capable of."

Dahlia tried to keep pace while focusing on their path towards the training area. Though her eyes constantly shot towards those who they passed. Her body slowly shrunk into her things like a cornered animal as they walked. It was bearable for now, but she much preferred her usual method of rooftops to get to locations by far. She couldn’t help but grow a little bit of a displeased look on her face when she saw those who bowed to him.

She knew he was the Hokage, but the whole thing made her feel a bit uncomfortable given the stark contrast of how normally they just eyed her like some scrappy dog that got loose on the streets… or at least the people who knew her did. She supposed it's what years of being abnormal and lashing out on people over the years gifted her. When she heard the whispering of others she clenched her teeth wishing to bark out at them just the way she was known for but managed to stop herself. She still growled a little though… baby steps.

She didn’t like the way they whispered. They could have just asked. She also knew that he was the Hokage but he was still a person with a name. But all they called the man was his title and number associated with the line of how many there were before him.like he was just another number in the line waiting for the next one to appear. It felt rude to her. As well as the unwillingness to just directly talk to them and choosing to talk about them from afar as if they were not really there as people.

All of it just felt rude, and made her angry. Then one joked about how quickly he may be dropped as a Hokage. No one should be talking about their leader like that let alone someone she now wanted to call a friend. She clenched her items, getting ready to turn and teach them a lesson, but stopped as she heard Tengoku’s voice. She looked over with strained eyes that twitched just a little, but she remained contained the best she could as he explained a new way to look at the struggles she faced.

It was just something she could train. Just like everything else. She just had to train it differently given how different of a thing she had to figure out how to do. He then explained what she lacked in the jutsu she attempted last. She lacked coordination. She had known some jutsu needed such a skill, but she must have overlooked said skill too often as she had gotten older in favor for knowledge about things. Though knowledge wasn’t practice. It was just knowledge of the practice; not the actual skill of holding said ability to do said thing.

She tensed up though at hearing how he would push her on the walk. Though she nodded a bit with strained muscles.



OOC:

Post 6
60 / 110 Chakra Points

He would glance at her over his shoulder as she glared at the people who spoke so openly out of turn. As if she wanted to strike them. Yet she refrained and focused. Something she had claimed was difficult for her when they first met but she had clearly been working on. He would smile as he placed his hands on his hips and turned towards a more difficult but more direct path. She had a lot to carry so this would be good for her coordination. An effort in balance to raise her bodies limits. Of course this wasn't the most difficult path down. No direct cliffs or long falls if she did. Since it was autumn there would be large piles of leaves to prevent anything more than light bruising if she did fall. Before that though he figured he should explain and comment on the interaction.

"Alright so we shall begin on your coordination. Before we do though...you did well to ignore them and let them be about their business. Remember Dahlia, sometimes it is the battles we choose not to fight that matter the most. Now...this path is broken so it isn't used much. There is a narrow path with roots growing through it and some of it is unstable. However if you fall you won't get hurt. We will move on when you can make it to the other side with all your luggage. Remember to be mindful of your footing and balance. If you fall you will have to follow the walking path below back up and start over. I will watch your progress from the other side. If you need a break...simply call out to me and we will break for water and food. But we will not move on from this until you make it to the other side with your belongings."

He would pat her hair before he stepped onto the path and seemed to float along it. Hopping with ease from broken path to broken path before settling onto where the road continued healthily on the other side. Settling down on a stone nearby cross legged and clearly ready to watch and wait. Balance was just one key point to improving coordination. She had her work cut out for her of course as it wasn't the easiest to carry on a solid path. He also wanted to see if Dahlia could fall down and get up time and time again. This would be an important step in her training in many aspects. The training ground he was taking her to would wait until this was done. Even if it took days.

She braced herself as they shifted paths to a seemingly tougher one. Her eyes turned to the piles of leaves they passed. They pulled some of her attention towards them leading to an easing of her muscles as she gazed at the familiar sight of the leaves that reminded her of the forest. While another chunk of her attention split towards the man's speech. Her head did perk up at his praise as did her eyes shift to him. No one had ever really praised her for holding back. Normally it was more of a viewing of her just doing the bare minimum.

'The battles we choose matter the most.' An interesting concept when it came to just walking about the streets. She understood the concept but she had always figured it was one that was more geared towards planning assault and battlefield stuff. It did make some sense that the same could translate to everyday life too. She listened as he explained the route only managing to excite her rather than likely his intended warning to her. A root covered path? Not a people covered path? She was worried about more socialization but instead she got the gift of ground that felt oh so familiar to her.

That and if she failed and fell here it was far more recoverable for her then if she failed in a socialization based scene. Focus on balance and footing, an easy task compared to the others she had been fearing. Yeah she may have to do it over once or twice, but she was far more willing to do this part over and over. After all, it was something she had been doing since she was a kid. Dahlia gave him a nod to say she was ready before gaining a little smile from the head pat. Yeah this was way better than what she had been worried about.

Dahlia watched him hop around with ease before looking down to the path. Okay not that bad she could do this. She thought to herself nodding without moving as her friend stared at her from the other side. Yep she just had to get moving. Just like she always did when she was alone. A few more nods. Yep. Her eyes twitched a bit. Okay friend or not she really hated benign watches and it was already throwing her off.

She grumbled a bit before forcing herself to take a disgruntled step forward, immediately catching her foot leading to her tripping and tumbling down a bit further down the path. She felt her head sink a little in shame. She knew she would have been able to do this far easier without prying eyes. And once again the moment she could prove how skilled she was in something she stumbled and fell… literally.

After a moment she got back up to stack up the buckets. If this was going to go this way there’s o way he was going to take her seriously for her skills and once again she’d jusst come off like a stupid kid. She couldn’t let that happen! She tracked back up only to fail several more times in a row each time her mind drifted to the idea of messing up. How did she ever make it this far if she was going to fail this easily every time?!

She ruffled her own hair before thinking back to her tests from when she was in the academy. She had memorized the position of every answer and every question back then. She had already known everything she needed to know but had always failed due to being unable to focus and answer questions until she practiced the muscle memory to perform the test without looking. Yeah she didn’t do nearly as good as she could have if she had looked and her teacher had assumed she just cheated but passed ehr to get her out of his hair but she had passed.

When ever she had looked at him before it led to her over thinking knowing he was watching. If she could avoid seeing him maybe she could keep her attention from him and on the task and move based on her memory. She got up and stacked up the buckets leaving them at the top of the trail where she set them down. He may think she was cheating by leaving her things behind at first but friend or not, just like her old teacher, what he thought at first didn’t matter. What mattered was her completing the task with the skills necessary to do so.

Yeah it wasn’t a permanent fix to her issue but it was a start in her eyes. She took a deep breath before starting down the trail. She tried her best to focus but couldn’t fully do so knowing he was still watching. She had more confidence and less encumbrance so she was able to get significantly farther but still not good enough. Which meant her idea of implementing muscle memory so she could block her own vision from seeing him wouldn’t likely work.

At least not in a timely manner. Though if he couldn’t see her then maybe… She thought on her way up, sitting down next to her things for a moment. Then promptly grabbing one of the buckets to place over her head to avoid him distracting her as she thought. Walking in shadows would only merge her body with the shadows. Not the buckets. That and there weren't many shadows to work with. So even if there was, she would be unable to use that method because she would just leave the buckets behind.

Think, think….. The mission objective is to get from point a to point b without falling or dropping her things. She was over complicating it by adding the additional rules that either she or he could not see the other while she was doing it. Though both of those things could be seen as difficulty curves to the mission. She can not stealth her way though due to location limitations, and the escort addition to her movements. The path to the target location is also treacherous, preventing fast mobility through it without some sort of failure.

The escorter entrusted to the delivery holds primary to assault skills with their only travel based skills benign unusable in the current location. There was no method to get around this using jutsu alone. If her mother was in this position she would have found a better way around this. But this wasn’t supposed to be something to over think was it? This wasn’t a battlefield, this was physical training. One that she was failing at because she couldn’t deal with being stared at.

If her father was here he would have just barreled through over and over till he got it. Most would usually just say well what they would do at this point rather than others. But what she would do clearly wasn’t working either. Heck she had to wear a dumb bucket on her head just to function. There was an answer here to her problem; he just knew it. But that answer wasn’t something she could learn now. It wasn’t a permanent nor perfect answer but one that she in time would find a good go to in the future.

That lesson funnily enough would only be learned a few days from now with her mother during her brief visit home. For now she just had to accept that this would be a trial and fail. But the one thing she could prove was her willingness to endure. To take the humiliation, get back up, just to make a fool of herself again and again just in hopes of success. A task far easier to do on one's own but clearly would ruin the point of the lesson. She took off the bucket with a somber look on her face.

She had to just keep going. No tricks, no master plans to avoid the direct issue. Just attempting the task at hand. She slid the bucket back into the other interlocking ones and got up to her feet wiping some dirt from her cheek before picking up the pile. If he didn’t stop her she'd go until the sun even gave up and let itself settle in for the night. No breaks, just her, and her determination to keep trying. Alongside the ever growing humiliation of her failures… that and the ever growing dirt build up that she was getting from falling onto the dirty path.



OOC:

Post 7
60 / 110 Chakra Points

Tengoku would watch quietly. His amber eyes never wavering from her as he observed. This was difficult for her but it was only step one of her training. But she would grow from this. It was through trial and error he had grown. Through the pain of failure he had been forged. His starting point had been focused on his body but his mind had been his greatest obstacle to overcome. His sister had tutored him through that and had been patient so he intended to be patient with Dahlia as well. He did not laugh or crack a smile when she failed. He took no pleasure in the failure nor did he shift his gaze when she hid her own eyes from him. If she were shy it was just another obstacle to overcome as he had. He had kept his eyes to the floor and had almost been passed up for a promotion because he could not rise to the occasion and stand up for himself. It still humored him that despite those setbacks he had risen to become the Hokage he was today. Supposedly among the worlds strongest. Though he had sat at a table of them and two of them still stood leagues beyond him. A goal for him though.

As she continued to try and try again for hours he would watch her try to change tactics here and there. Attempting to cross without asking for a break or help. Nor did he step in to stop her. He was reminded of the Uchiha boy he had trained to run laps at full speed while dodging pebbles. He had ran until he vomited and then ran some more. Tengoku had pushed him as he now intended to push this girl. So he would not be soft on her. He would not treat her like a fragile child during training. Even if he would not allow her to go on serious missions. Not until she was old enough to be considered an adult and choose missions for herself. She would need to be taught when it was good to retreat but for now the will of fire was evident in her. She would not give in and he would stay seated where he was. Cross legged and hands on his knees even after his legs fell asleep. She would rise to the occasion eventually and than they would rest. Even if it took all night.

Of course he wouldn't sit idly. He had time and he could watch and concentrate on something else at the same time. Something she was familiar with as a chakra practice he had showed her before. Even at his level his hands would still raise to his chest and cup facing each other. A tiny golden ball of chakra with threads feeding into it from his palms would form. Even now he was working on refining his chakra. In building it up and making it stronger. He never took his eyes off the girl but he would do the refinement practice all the same. It was like flexing a muscle for him at this point so he could do both but still it was training. Every moment of life was in his opinion. Still she didn't ask him for any favors so he was proud of her. He would not dwindle that determination. But when she was ready he would have water and food for her. After all this was only step one. Chances were she wasn't going home tonight. Not until they were done at the training grounds. However long that took. She didn't seem like the type to hate camping though.

Even as the sun gave up and set, and her new friend trained while watching her she kept failing. She kept falling. Her face was covered in dirt and scuffs. The buckets are a bit dented by now. Her body demanded attention due to lack of care and food. Her mind started to wear as well. As it had in the past, but to a bit of a bigger level it would in the near future. Rather than just remembering old memories it was like the world around her was twisting and bending to make the roots around her worp slowly into the trees at the academy.

The sounds of laughing and mocking slowly pierced her ears. Her eyes that were on ethe ground slowly widened a bit as her breathing grew heavier. Footsteps neared her before an imaginary version of her old teacher kneeled down beside her to whisper into her ear. Yes to Tengoku nothing would change, but to her it was plenty real. The breath she could easily imagin on her ear as he whispered. The malice in his voice as he said the same thing he always did. And the rage and shame that built up inside her as she heard his words.

‘If you can’t do the simplest of tasks, girl, you really should just go home and stop wasting everyone's time.’

She looked up toward Tengoku just sitting and watching her as her old class stood around him all laughing and mocking her from afar. Rage slowly built further and further as her heart raced faster and faster. No she wasn’t giving up. She had to do this. Ninja didn’t give up, and she couldn’t give up. Her father hadn’t. She needed to be the best ninja like he was. She needed to show her family she could do something besides just yell. She needed to show that she could help protect their family even if her mother wasn’t there to see it most of the time.

She couldn’t let her new and only friend be disappointed in her but just failing over and over. Hands slowly came from the roots in her mind gripping onto her tired heavy limbs as she slowly got up grabbing the buckets. She had to be what they needed her to be. She couldn’t just be that brat child anymore. The laughter only grew louder and louder. The mocking started to hit her biggest insecurities as she saw her old team leader with her old team standing between her and her destination.

‘Do you really want this? This clearly is hurting you, and making you lash out. Look I know you're determined, but maybe it's time to give in….’ He sighed as the other two vanished before her eyes, abandoning her… as they should for their own good. ‘I’m disbanding the team Dahlia. Clearly it’s just causing issues for the three of you. I hope you find what you’re looking for, but I don’t think it's here being a ninja. You have the determination, but not the talents needed.’

Angry filled tears rolled down her face as everything slowly shifted back to normal while the imaginary man began to walk away towards Tengoku. The moonlight worked like a beacon on him in her mind. Her legs broke through the hands binding them as she dashed forward towards him. She stumbled but didn’t fall. She couldn’t. She had to catch up with him. She had to try. She couldn’t fix what she had done, and knew it was for the best. They all had left her after she shut down and stopped talking to them. But she couldn't just let him walk away.

She needed to show him! Her brows frowned as her eyes grew wider. She nearing the finish line where he looked back towards her then did what he had always done… only ever did to her. He just sighed in disappointment. Turned. And went to walk away. Her foot landed where it needed to with the buckets finishing the task but the man had already left. She was alone again. Her nostrils flared up as tears kept streaming. She was still just some brat to be mocked. Her fingers strained as she gripped the buckets tighter.

Her heart threatening to explode form her chest, butcher mind finally permitting her to fully remember Tengoku was still there. She couldn’t let him think she was breaking down. Not after how long he waited for her. She had to be the proper ninja in training for him… No more acting like an angry child. She was a shinobi. Not a child. She hadn’t been a child in a long time. So she needed to start acting like it. She relaxed her face the best she could, wiping her cheeks and eyes off with her shoulders only smearing the dearth on both her shoulders and face. Then looked to Tengoku to see what was next.



OOC:

Post 8
60 / 110 Chakra Points

Tengoku would watch but not intervene. It would be up to her to decide if she wanted it bad enough. If she persevered it would only increase her own abilities. If she quit than it would be a good lesson on what she considered her limits. However he sincerely doubted it. He saw something in those eyes that avoided his own. A determination to fight. A will to press on. So he would let her suffer through her training. At some point this became a simple task for him but he had fallen just as many times if not more than she had. He didn't mind the passage of time. He would be off towards home by now usually...A hot meal and something cold to drink usually awaited him there. But his other students were too busy doing their own thing to have time for him. His sister always dealing with something she didn't speak to him about much. Others he had met along the way faded and gone. Or dead. Truth was he had no where better to be and nothing better to do. Besides that he was getting in some good time refining his chakra. More of a muscle reflex training than anything now.

When she finally did push he saw it starting. A turning point for her. She stepped forward and stumbled again but pushed through this time. Tired and dirty she pushed through the doubts. Through the pain and through the memories she surged forward as the moon illuminated her. This task was considerably harder at night but based solely on the amount of times she went over the path....she had it down to memory now. She pushed and leapt through the air to land next to him. Accomplishing this on day one before she tried to wipe away tears from her face. He knew what it was like to feel so frustrated and powerless it brought you to tears. But that drive would carry her. When he was done with her...not only would she master that fire ninjutsu...her confidence would carry her forward. This was a task she had to accomplish by herself. A small step but perhaps one of the most significant ones for her. It showed her that she could succeed. Despite a day worth of failures she could turn a positive result. He would wait until she looked to him once more before he released his own chakra practice. The ball fading away before he spoke once more.

"Well you managed it on day one. You did well Dahlia. So now I have to ask you. Are you prepared to continue on after a short break or do you want to go home tonight? There is no punishment for either choice as neither is a wrong one. You can acknowledge the effort you put in and come back tomorrow to meet me....or if you are still not beaten yet...we will move onto the next stage after you hydrate. I will warn you though...the next stage will be frustrating and painful. Perhaps more than this one was. Each time you clear a stage it will get progressively more difficult. But you will grow from it one way or another. What do you choose?"

She panted as she stood there a long while just silently staring onwards where her old leader had once stood. After that while passed she finally looked over to him just long enough to see him end his own practicing before looking back forward. At his congratulations she couldn’t help but feel them ring inside her mind… hollow. The last time she felt so emotionally numb was… was a long time ago. It would pass but it made it hard to enjoy his congratulations.

Thinking at his offers made her just instinctively translate them. Would you like to keep pressing on and train like you used to in the academy. Or would you like to go home and lay in your tent all night listening to your family talk and mingle until he or she fell asleep first alone in the tent unless her mother came home early to say hello which was unlikely.

Tengoku was her friend now, yes, but he clearly still had a lot to learn about her if he thought she’d run from training so easily… Yes she felt a bit broken inside but that was something on her end. Not the training. So finally after not much thought required to be put into it she replied in a surprisingly calm almost dead like tone and looked in her puffy eyes.

“Lead the way.” The tone and the atmosphere around her was a stark difference from what she normally gave off, but the lingering look of determination still dwelled in her eyes deep under the dead look.

Like it was the only thing really keeping her moving right now emotionally.



OOC:

Post 9
60 / 110 Chakra Points

Tengoku would look into her eyes a moment as she stared blankly ahead. That determination that left you cold. She didn't seem like she was fighting to obtain something....she seemed like she was fighting to escape something. Perhaps it was her fathers shadow....perhaps her time at the academy or even her time with her squad. Perhaps it was society itself or even her own anger. She was always so angry...not to mention rude. Still he could not ignore a need for him or her own will to continue on. If she wished to push he would allow her to until she did fail. Fail enough to rest. He could tell her the limits of her body during training or she could discover it for herself. It would be up to her though to recognize any growth she obtained. That did not mean however that he intended to instill entirely unhealthy habits on her. She was caked in dirt and mud and likely dehydrated after all that. So he would nod in silence as she spoke before turning and walking down the abandoned path. This one was wider however and while a little steep going down it was a solid path.

Still he would keep a comfortable pace for about a quarter of a mile as they walked in silence with the crisp night air biting at them. He could feel it like a numbness soaking into his cheeks which were most exposed with his nose. Every inhale brought in new scents and almost a biting cold up his nose. One of which he followed rather suddenly down a side path. One which dipped under a bridge. This river ran to the Uchiha compound but at the moment they were not within their clans domain. Instead he would crouch down next to the river. Dipping his hands into the water and pulling up a pool of clear liquid reflecting the moon in his palms. He would lift it to his mouth and sip the pool away with a refreshed sigh. Out here the water was fresh and freezing cold which only felt better in his opinion to drink. With that he would turn his attention to the girl before he stood up and folded his hands behind his back. Smiling in a warm smile that met his warm amber eyes.

"Dahlia, part of training yourself is to take care of yourself. Destroying your own body won't serve you well in the long run. It is important to rehydrate and eat balanced meals as well. Take this time to wash your hands and face as well. It won't do any favors to be caked in mud for the next session."

She followed him when he took the lead. Each step she took threatened to lock her in place. She blamed the hands that she could almost think were real that kept reaching out to grab at her. To keep her back. To put her in the place they believed she belonged. As the numbness from the cold night sunk into her face and exposed skin she could almost swear she saw her old team mates walking beside Tengoku smiling and laughing. They glanced back only for a moment to smuggly smirk at Dahlia and mouth out.

‘All that rage and she still can’t fight when she needs to.’

‘No wonder she fails everything she does in tests’

She grit her teeth a little for a moment before they dissolved away moments later. She slid down the slope a bit as she went down towards the river with Tengoku. Why were they stopping now? This wasn’t a training ground. Her cold lifeless eyes met his warm ones and warm smile. If the feeling should have filled her body with warmth rather than the cold that was slowly invading it from the night nothing was permitted past her unintentionally coping method of shutting everything out. Bad or Good.

“I lived on the road before I moved here and in the forest largely since then.” She stated calmly but not finishing the thought fully that likely was her way of saying she knew she had to eat and drink well.

She looked to the river after setting the buckets down the voice of her mother invading her mind as she did so.

‘Sorry dear, I can’t go camping with you this time, I need to stay in the village for work. Maybe next time yah?’

There had never been a next time… And deep down she knew there never would be. After all, she said something similar every time. She walked up and washed herself off with her hands and face but left the rest. If she did too much right now without a fire she would bring down her body temperature too far and freeze out here. She then drank some of the water coughing a bit after the suddenly freezing water splashed against ehr dried throat.

After a moment she grabbed one of her buckets and gathered some of the water. It would add more weight to her load but it would be good if they had the water for later. More weight on her load or not iit was more important if they would need it later or if Tengoku got thirsty. After she got a bit she walked it back over to the pile of buckets to add it back to the stack.


OOC:

Post 10

60 / 110 Chakra Points

Tengoku would stand where he was and watch. She was troubled. She got quiet when she was troubled. He wouldn't give her the option of continuing after all beyond the next exercise tonight. He was beginning to believe her desire to push on and prove something would write a check her body couldn't cash. It happened. Especially with taijutsu specialists like himself. He himself pushed his body too far and required time to rest and recover after. More than once. She would need to learn to pace herself. Allow for room to grow if she could. But she could push on. For now. She would feel it later but she had some left to give. He would smile as she filled her buckets in preparation for later. She wasn't wrong. She would want that water. They were close now and he had an old practice of his nearby. Something he had used to practice his own hand eye coordination. Of course it was balanced for him now but it had been difficult when he was stronger than he was quick. Not to mention painful. Sometimes his jaw still smarted from one particular impact. As they walked his hand would reach up to rub the old spot.

Still they would walk into a section of the woods that on every tree in a row was labeled with an orange warning label. Easy to see even in the dark. Oh right it was dark...so this would be a difficult one for her. Still tengokus wolf like ears would twitch a moment as he listened and smelled the air. There was no sign of anyone here within the last couple of hours. Some faded scents but nothing recent. Still he would step forward with his eyes a little more serious now and attentive. He wasn't in his office and he knew it. He would expand out his sensory field but he wouldn't push it. Just keeping a two hundred and fifty meter sensory radius. Still he detected no one but them as they walked further in. Through the trees in the distance was what appeared to be a moonlit training field. Obstacles and barriers...target poles. One such spot was about a dozen metal plates creating a makeshift large dome. With one wall completely gone. A game was played within this where balls would be thrown and bounced back off the walls and the opponent would have to catch it.

"We are here. This is one of the many training grounds and that ball court over there is the last part of tonight's training. I will stand at the entrance and cycle any balls that come my way back into rotation. There will be two blue balls and one red ball. You have to evade getting hit by the blue ones while trying to catch the red one. It sounds simple but chasing a target while evading two enemies is a challenge and one few survive." He would say with a serious look in his eyes as he grabbed a bag off the side off the ball court and pulled out two aged blue ball and one slightly less aged red one. Dimly colored in the moonlight.

Dahlia picked up the buckets with a bit more strain given how the water added to the weight she was carrying, but she managed to do so following him to the training ground. She eyed the stickers on the trees as they entered and almost silently scoffed. Right normal people weren’t used to travel in forested areas in the dark. She however was. Perceiving things in forested areas was sorta her thing. So much so that if one had a ranking system for it they could describe her perception in forested areas as an entire rank higher than usual.

However just cause she could notice things easier in the forest didn’t make her any better at reacting to them faster. She set the buckets down, wiping some cold sweat from her forehead that had chilled from the night’s wind. Her eyes then set on the obstacles, barriers, and target poles of the training area. She eyed the dome off in the distance. She didn’t quite like the looks of it. All it was was a glorified cage. It was and earlier on ethat you could get out and escape from, but another cage yet again.

Her last bit of training for the night…? Placed conveniently in the stupid dome. She made her way over with him listening before finally speaking again. This time she had questions about the exercise now that her mind was more clear.

“Do I have to restart if I get hit, or can we keep going despite getting hit?” She honestly would like to avoid restarting every time and just keep continuing each round to the completion of obtaining the target, then repeat until she didn’t get hit. “And does it count against me if i block the strikes rather than dodge? In a real fight from what I’ve learned, you cant always dodge every attack.”

She said as she pulled out her Tanto from where she usually kept it on her side to show him what she had planned to block with. In a real fight if you blocked with something else technically the hit wouldn’t hurt you… sometimes. She also knew that Tengoku was likely used to kids with no experience in fighting against someone else. She wasn’t proud of what she had done in the past by any means but she has had countless fights with other kids by now. She knew ell enough that you can’t dodge everything, and if you enter a fight you have to expect to get hit back.



OOC:

Post 11

60 / 110 Chakra Points

Tengoku would glance as she pulled out a tanto. His eyes looking it over quietly. A fairly basic make but it would endure against something as simple as a bouncy ball. Even one designed to withstand a great deal of abuse during training. His amber eyes looked at it for a moment before glancing to her gaze. So she wasn't interested in limiting herself to dodging. Of course just deflecting the balls would limit the purpose of the exercise. Perhaps he would need to modify his thought process. He would nod a little before an idea came to him as to just how he was meant to do that. He didn't have any jutsu that would increase its weight or density. Just one that made the ball considerably larger....He could still throw it about the same speed at least...though it would impact more like a bowling ball. So he would consider it a moment before nodding and speaking in return.

"Alright you can block as well. But to make it interesting I am going to increase the size of one of the balls. Both one blue and the red will travel at approximately what I have determined your abilities. The big one will move a little slower because if it hits....well our next stop won't be home..but for medical attention."

If she acknowledged this he would quickly form the hand seal for enlarging projectiles. Perhaps faster than she could see his hand move. He would throw the small blue ball first and then the red. Both bouncing randomly at C rank speed throughout the pit. Finally he would throw the bigger one at D rank speed. He could limit his strength to keep it going. Of course any ball that came back his way which they always seemed to before losing velocity he would toss back in idly at the same speeds as before. She had one opponent she had to dodge...one she could block and an objective to capture. Of course it was a challenge....one he had given himself around her age....though back then if his sister didn't throw the balls he had to do it himself....so back then he was doing all she was doing and throwing the balls to keep them going at the same time. Of course it was difficult back then to determine his own strength when throwing. Still the bowling ball sized blue bounce ball would make a crashing noise each time it hit concrete though it did not show signs of slowing.

Dahlia blinked at his explanation of the larger ball. Well she did add her own curve to the challenge so it made sense he would do the same. She’d just have to adjust accordingly… or else face medical attention. She tried to see what hand seals he was doing, but could only see blurs. He moved too fast for her to fully see even when she had better focus. Soon enough the blue balls were sent off. They would definitely be hard to dodge given their speed. She started to block the impact of the ones she wasn't fast enough to dodge. She even was finding a decent rhythm to it all.

Despite his stares’ the combination of the focus of simulated combat as well as being in the forest was enough for her to not have to deal with her performance issues. That however was only half of the battle so to speak. However it did show how drastically her performance issues, and issues being in crowds as well as buildings had been affecting her performance. If Tengoku ever looked into her record she normally had been described as bottom of the barrel in terms of ninja skill when being tested in the past.

Whether it be physical or metal it was always the same. Barely passable. Right now however? Definitely didn’t match that description. Some sweat rolled down her forehead as she kept up just in time to see the red ball. She narrowly dodged the larger ball as she tried to track the red ball while dodging the blue ones and large one. She moved forward as she saw it coming towards her just as 2 blue balls were coming a bit lower and earlier towards her. She moved with pure instinct then with a move she had practiced on her own a few times but never had really succeeded in.

She did an aerial cartwheel letting the blue balls fly narrowly past her hair and head. As she came right side up she shifted her arm going for the red ball just as she saw the larger ball that had right behind it, that she hadn’t noticed in her focus of the red ball. Just as she grabbed the ball she tried to shift to dodge the large ball but it was too close by now and all she managed to do was not get her arms crushed. Instead the ball landed right into her right set of ribs. She could feel her body shift towards the ball upon its impact as well as the air escaping her lungs. Her feet flying from under her as she fell onto the ground holding the red ball in one hand and her tanto in the other.

Her daze’s vision slowly focused to see an imaginary set of her old team and their leader mouthing ‘Knew you were a waste.’ before vanishing with her next blink. She frowned her brows raising one side of her lips while keeping them closed and her teeth clenched. She tried to sit up only for the pain to shoot through her due to the hit on her ribs only to drop back down. She stared up at the top of the dome unable to feel the joy of succeeding in a move she had been working on, nor feel sorrow of her failure. Her mind was slowly coming back from its numb state just enough to make her able to feel disappointment in herself… joy.



OOC:

Post 12

60 / 110 Chakra Points

Tengoku would merely watch as she went about the practice at hand. He wasn't really all that tired. Though every time a ball would come back his way he would toss it at the same original speed back in at random. Even the large ball was caught with one hand as he casually tossed it back in. His amber eyes tracking her movements. She was fairly agile given her age and experience. But it would improve over time he was sure. Her limits were nowhere close to where she currently was. She was simply blocking herself trying to do it all alone. Still he would not move from his spot where he sat other than to keep the balls in rotation. She was quickly getting a hold of the exercise though the danger added to it with the heavy ball was something most academy students wouldn't experience. Real damage....real pain.

Still she held her own for a while before she saw her first opportunity and went for it. She succeeded in getting the red ball but at a cost. He would wince as he heard the way it cracked on her ribs. She would lay there after as the balls continued to bounce. One moment she was in danger and the next Tengoku was at her side catching the two balls. The large one finally shrinking back in size as he released the jutsu. With those in hand he would kneel down and pluck the red ball from her hand. Smiling as he did so before speaking to her.

"The first opening you see is usually a trap to lure you in. It doesn't matter if you can take the objective if you can not hold it. We will work on perceiving these threats next time. For now let's get you some medical attention."

As soon as he finished his jounin guard would seem to appear from the treeline. Four of them that had made no note of their presence up until this point. Concealing even their chakra signatures in the process. Much like he had just described...this was designed to lure people into thinking the Hokage was alone. Revealing usupers and giving them the opportunity to take them down. However one would step forward and kneel down as Tengoku would move to return the balls to their resting place where he had found them. The practice with normal balls was meant as a game for children but he had turned it into something painful. A life lesson to endure. Still the med nin on his guard would place a glowing green hand over her ribs...returning them to a stable enough condition to walk...but bruises would still remain. As soon as he or she was done...since faces were behind masks...they would seem to fade back into the trees. The whole team would. Still Tengoku would smile as he seemed to have gathered her buckets of water before setting them down in front of her.

"Wash up and go home. Rest until those bruises no longer feel strained with movement. Once you have healed come see me again....Can you make it home in your current state?"

Dahlia looked up to see Tengoku as he plucked the red ball from her hand after catching the other balls that had been still in rotation threatening to smack into her. He had some good advice for her that she would take to heart… later… after her ribs stopped poking her lungs. She shifted upon the arrival of the jonin guard out of nowhere. She winced from the shift forcing her to lay back down until she was healed. She looked down to see the bruising was still there but most of the pain was gone.

That didn't mean there wasn't still a sharp pain; but it was tolerable enough to bear through. Just as quickly as they came the guard seemed to vanish once more. No doubt they were still lingering to watch over Tengoku. The extra eyes on her didn't help her mood knowing there were more people watching her struggle. The statement to wash up and go home right after her failure hit harder than the rubber ball had hit her. Her old leader had said something similar to her the day she fought with her old team. His voice had sounded more fed up than Tengokus had, however.

Sbe gently grabbed her side where the bruises were and clenched her teeth as she got up to her feet looking down to the water. She'd wash up at home. She wasn't going to clean herself with water that by now would be cold then walk home wet in the cold night alongside the pain on her ribs. She wasn't too interested in adding to her bad day by doing that. She slid her tanto back into its place and tipped the bucket over to drain it of its water with her foot. She didn't feel like drinking either right now.

"I've done it plenty of times before." She said simply to his question.

She wasn't lying. She wasn't the best fighter currently and had always been at the disadvantage in the past when she had fought with her old classmates and team mates. She always got a couple hits in, but she always bore the brunt of the damage. She then slowly got down to pick up the buckets looking up to the sky. If she went slowly her family would hopefully all be sleeping by the time she got back. Good.


OOC:

Post 13

60 / 110 Chakra Points