It's all in the Wrist

Maigo's eyes were intently focused on the wall in front of him, his hand extended and feet set apart to maintain his balance. His hand was weighed down by a thick brush nearly the width of his hand as well. The fibers of the brush slacked towards the ground, weighed down by the neutral colored white paint that was to become the new color of the Grand Konoha Training Facility Room number seven.

It may have been a deception for some free labor but Maigo had bought it hook, line, and sinker. He could hear the old facility caretakers words clearly as he focused in,

"All you need to do is hold the brush like you would that katana of yours. Follow the motion and paint the wall but maintain your form and apply the paint in a smooth and even stroke. Pay particular attention to the wrist and your form and you'll strengthen those auxiliary muscles and you won't need any incredible strength in order to wield your blade like a true master!"

The flashback scene would show a bright eyed and hyper determined Maigo taking the words in and preparing himself before the old caretaker would quickly add in,

"And make sure you get every room on this floor! Don't let a single opportunity go to waste here!" a small pause as Maigo would wonder why he was laughing under his breath while he shuffled away and left Maigo with a moderate sized pyramid of paint cans and a few hand brushes of different sizes.

It mattered not though, Maigo had prepared himself and began to strike the wall with the brush, keeping the edge of the fibers just making contact and trying to maintain as smooth in speed and pressure a stroke as he could.

First, a smooth chop downwards and pausing at the bottom of his reach, observing his stroke for any signs that his speed or pressure may have been uneven. Built up paint at the edges or perhaps signs of thinning paint that would indicate he had let up the pressure in his first stroke. Not wasting too much time, Maigo would quickly turn the brush and swipe upwards with a slight rightward diagonal. Making sure that the turn of the brush was all in his wrist and moving quickly with the same intensity to keep the stroke even. Continuing on for a few more passes, letting his wrist guide the direction and making sure to keep the brush parallel to the direction that he was going, as if he were practicing keeping the cutting edge of his blade perfectly centered on where he wished to cut.

Five in total. He would manage five total brushes and would pause a minute to observe his work. Noting that at his own skill level, it looked like the turn of his wrist was sloppy and put more pressure to the wall judging by the small curved hill of paint that sat upwards from the wall. His mind worked wondering if he was equivalently off balance when he turned his wrist like that. One other stroke seemed too thin as if he weren't leaning into his strikes enough but he also didn't want to over compensate.

A deep sigh would fill the air as Maigo would empty his breath and recenter himself for another pass at the wall. Setting his feet and stance before positioning the brush against the wall and preparing for another series of swipes.


[25 XP Earned (10 + 5 xp for training ground bonus + 10 for Tengoku Sensei/UA)]

Tengoku had been practicing the meditation he had discovered helped aid the head aches. The road behind them seemed dark as it was dimly lit with few and far in between bright moments. Much had been lost or sacrificed for profit or idealism. People with power thrusting their views out like a fist or blade. Even now it seemed like Konoha teetered on the verge of the end of the world. Yet from this dark past many new powers had risen to be. It seemed Azzy was busy with his crafts but his latest products in his shop promised a masterwork soon. He would be a highly valuable asset to them given time. Taking him in did not seem to be a mistake. Zenaku was now head of the Uchiha clan and stood at the top of the great powers in the village next to Satomi. There were other Uchiha budding now but the extent of their evolutions was yet to be seen. New batches of genin adding to their forces including a surge in medical nin. Tengoku himself had gained a new power and was working on mastering it...though his connection to the lightning element was weaker. He was still at the peak his body could reach without something more.

So he had been deep within this room that Maigo had been placed in. Having settled into a resting cross legged meditation a couple hours prior on a white cushioned stool. Wide enough to be sat on but with no back. He had shifted the weight of a small ball in each of his hands. Made of everyday metal and without anything unique to them. He had been working on adjusting their weight as he held them. Sitting there with his long white hair draped down to his waist. Over his shoulders with his bangs trimmed out of his face. His white wolf like ears at attention on top. He was wearing white Shinobi pants and a knee length white robe with gold trim designed like lightning and the sleeves removed. A gold ring around his wrists, upper arms and ankles. His feet wearing shinobi sandals. On his left hip were two katana and a wakizashi. On his right was a jug of hero water. His eyes however were different. The whites of his eyes had dyed black and for a cornea he had three glowing golden lines. The dojutsu he had gained after the last tragedy.

Still the distant smell of paint in the massive room may as well have been right next to him as he wrinkled his nose. It was a slightly offensive smell but one he could almost entirely ignore. However it touched the curiosity. He had to admit he wondered about the source. So he would unfold his legs and stand. Placing his hands on his back and stretching a little. He let out a content sigh before shifting into a low jumping stance. Launching himself forward and through the air with a newer trick he had learned. A pseudo flight technique. Letting him glide along weightless at B rank speed a moment before he spotted Maigo at the far wall. Along with the source of the smell. He could see from where he flew in the large room that he was painting in a way the helped with sword grips and stance for better slashing...but as to why this room needed a fresh coat of paint was beyond him. So once he drew closer he would slowly increase his weight. Gliding down gracefully before finishing the landing into a walking motion. His hands placed on his hips as he jested out to the young man.

"Given up the shinobi life and joined the civilian workforce Maigo?"

Maigo had been too locked into his task at hand, each flick and turn of the brush as his eyes tried to lead the movement and his stance sought for perfection but may have lacked the intricacy needed to be truly elite.

Swish. Swish. Swish.

As quickly as he could move his arm before a voice would ring out at the halt of his final swipe. The voice was familiar but struck Maigo off guard, he hadn't realized someone else was in the room, too focused on starting his task. If it weren't for the importance of the voice, Maigo might have made some comment about the civilian life but instead, the brush carrying hand would fall to his side as he would turn to let golden colored orbs scan out to the voice while he listened and began to digest the words fully.

"Oh, Lord Hokage." Maigo's eyes would have expanded a bit in shock to see his guest that he had interrupted. His posture would straighten and his free arm would also fall to his side as he would give a quick and polite bow to show his respect. It had been some time since he'd seen Tengoku and done any training with him. Some small mental flashback of running wall to wall in a large training ground in this very facility while he sweated, heaved, and struggled to make his way back and forth.

"No, no civilian life for me. But I've had a bit of a revolution recently and well... training can take many forms, right? I'm sorry if I interrupted you here, I didn't even notice..." Maigo would hold his bow if needed but would let his eyes wander upwards to see how Tengoku would respond to his cut off comment.

It felt a bit odd but given his location it would be fairly standard for Maigo to be dressed a bit more casually than he would otherwise. Black sandals and pants were the standard fair with two kunai holsters on his right thigh. A plain white shirt with the Konoha leaf symbol on the front chest emblazoned in red covered up two ninja pouches that sat caddy-corned to his legs so he could reach back for the ninja tools and items within easily if he needed.

Maigo would control his breathing and let his attention focus on Tengoku instead of the brush with paint starting to bubble at the ends of its fibers, threatening to fall to the floor. Maigo wouldn't mind it, wouldn't even be aware of it as he would focus on the situation in front of him.


[25 XP, 50 XP total]

Tengoku would let his black and gold eyes shift down to take in the brush a moment. It was as it currently stood about twenty seconds from dripping at three bristles almost simultaneously. He could read that in the gravity waves it gave off and how they fluctuated. Still he was surprised Maigo hadn't commented on it. Still the smell of the paint was training hmm? Well that was a simple enough endeavor. Keeping the flow in your swordsmanship smooth and quick. Still this was a job if he recalled correctly was contracted out. Likely the man responsible for this was slacking somewhere having fooled a genin into work. Still it wasn't an invalid form of training. So Tengoku would speak up.

"Repetition training is suitable enough. It helps keep form regulated and allows you to weed out imperfections in your grip and footwork. However a brush weighs less than a sword. That aside this job was an expensive contract and it is my belief you have been duped into this if you are not being paid a fair deal."

Tengoku would shrug with a smile. By now the droplets would fall any moment. But if they did they would be the issue for the contractor. He wouldn't allow Maigo to be punished for something so simple. At least not while he was present. Still he was happy to be outside of his own head and conversing at an earlier stage of training. It appeared Maigo had kunai on his belt but no actual sword with him. Luckily though Tengoku was not without a means to get this point across. He would loosen a strap on his belt that held the improved Tetsudashi steel katana. Red and black in color it had been reforged by a late senju and made permanent from an old friend and his sisters abilities. It was solid steel with a cloth wrapping around the hilt. The sheath was made from Senju wood and darkened to black as well. He would hold it out by the center still sheathed with one hand. Speaking up once more.

"Put the brush down and take this but leave it sheathed for now. It is an S rank craft weapon so if you slip up you will cut off your own limb. Like passing the blade through water. Feel the weight of the sword and its balance. Then try a couple of practice swings with the same strokes and wrist movements. You should notice a significant difference."

Maigo would nod at Tengoku's words. He understood instantly that a brush weighing less than a sword meant that he was preparing and practicing with the wrong equipment. When an actual sword or other weapon would come to his hands, he would have an entirely different object to balance and move with. However, being duped into work felt slightly... odd? He couldn't imagine it for a moment but then would grin as he realized that it was exactly something he would do as well.

Maigo would watch as Tengoku would pull the blade out, brandishing a gorgeous weapon. Maigo would follow his words and would drop the brush, paint beginning to drip and all, into the aluminum tray set aside for moving with paint around the room. A small thud as Maigo would let the hilt drop and the brush set into the tray before turning back towards Tengoku.

The warning would be the key of what Maigo would focus on, feeling the blade still sheathed in his hand he would hold it up and set his stance while focused in. His feet would shift slightly and to the empty air next to them, he would feel the weight of the blade in his movements. Focusing this time on keeping the sharp edge of the blade to lead his movements.

After a few long strokes and twists Maigo would hold the sheathed blade in front of him in a readied stance.

It's immediately noticeable. The weight of the blade is very well balanced but compared to the brush, my fingers must hold it tighter to have the same control and my body is shifted ever so slightly forward, more towards my toes than my heels.

A brief pause would fill the air as Maigo would bring the hilt of the blade towards his waist, bringing himself in and then firing outwards like a spring coiled up or a viper ready to strike. The sheathed blade would fire outwards in a jab as if to stab someone or create space. Maigo's feet would shift as he would retract from thrust and give a single solitary overhead swing.

Further, I'm a bit slower too and need to account for the length of the blade in any movement as well. Twisting and turning is harder to do on a longer normalized vector.

Maigo would hold a determined face as he looked down the length of the blade and began to think further about how his training actually was going.


[25 XP, 75 XP total]

Tengoku would watch with his arms crossed as Maigo would collect the weapon after discarding the brush. The smell of paint was still thick in the air but Tengoku was able to tune it out at least. With his level of practiced perception it was virtually second nature to him. Still he would watch the young Maigo move through his stances while keeping the weapon safely sheathed. He was good at following instruction. Still the subtle hand posture switches would show he was growing comfortable with the handle. It wasn't effortless but the feel of the weapon would be entirely different from a simple tool. The black katana wasn't a run of the mill katana from the market or even something of superior craftsmanship. It was made to be among the top tier of weapons within the world. Considered S rank it was perfectly balanced and could cut through flesh as easily as air. It felt like handing a kitchen knife to a skilled toddler. Still it was sheathed so little to no damage would be done. Still he would let the lad practice a moment before he would speak up to him. Adding a lecture onto some simple swing practice.

"What you hold is the Kuroikiba Alpha. Its Senju wood hilt holds the mark of the Stag emporium and Lupus Armaments. Though its make molds any technique cast through it more fluid like. Requiring less chakra for the same result. While the sword itself has a strong personality. Stubborn even. But if you bond with it....Kuroikiba will strengthen your body. Increasing your durability to wield him. For when you swing him...it is not the weight of the sword you carry....that you should not need to be fortified inwardly for. What you must be fortified for is the weight of the village behind that choice. The results and consequences. Know when to draw your blade and when to sheath it."

Tengoku would let out a sigh with a half smile before glancing to the nearby wall. It was entirely too bright in here...but likely it was just somehow involved with how the technology worked. It made him miss the trees suddenly as he spoke of the sword. Wishing he could be in the woods once more. He would close his black and gold eyes a moment before finishing his exhale. When he opened them there was reverence in his expression though pity mixed in.

"Not everyone can handle the burden of those choices...and the challenges in our path claiming to be liken unto gods. If you can not find the balance you will either be lost to despair or to violence. The Stag Emporium stamp is well known but you likely won't see many Lupus Armaments anymore. You see the senju wood hilt and the man who reformed it were both of the same blood and chakra. The original was the blood and chakra of the late Tsuchikage Masaru...but the man who reforged it was Ashitaka Senju. A lost man who saw no way to win and decided it was too much to bear....the man who crafted this sword ended his own life. Do you understand the weight of your profession now?"

exit thread
3 x 20 = 60