For the good of the Uzumaki

Raphael had spent the last several weeks tending to the needs of the clan, the paperwork, the meetings, the constant boring day to day activities that were required of the clan leader. It was something that was less than exciting for the male, he would much rather be out training or on a mission. He was not that he minded doing the work, he would do whatever was required of him for the good of his clan, despite how boring he found it all to actually be. That is not to say that he didn't get his free time, he had gotten his training in as well as the occasional mission and not everything that came with being the leader of the clan was a downside. It gave him the power to make decisions on behalf of the clan, even those that the elders often disagreed with, but they could not stop him from doing it. That is unless they found someone else to replace him as leader, but considering most of the Uzumaki were unable to unlock the adamantine chains that he possessed they would be hard pressed to find someone that could challenge his abilities. The only other Uzumaki he knew of that held such ability and that was Raika, who as of yet had not unlocked the full ability of the chains but her progress was not something that could be ignored. Though he learned the ability at a younger age than Raika is, she is learning to wield them at a much faster rate than he did. Whether or not it was because he didn't have a teacher and she had him to teach her did not matter, she possessed great skills, skills that he would see are grown to their fullest potential. This of course was one of the decisions he had come to make that the elders disagreed with, they did not believe he should be sharing such secrets to someone that was not loyal to the clan. To Raphael it did not matter that she was a Ryuutei, the fact was that she was also an Uzumaki and one of the few that could utilize the Adamantine Chains. So, he would teach her all that he could to help her grow to be a great shinobi of the hidden mist village.

Another benefit to being the clan leader that Raphael had found was access to a scroll that he had not seen before, holding two techniques within it. These techniques are said to be the strongest techniques an Uzumaki wields and has only ever been wielded by the previous clan leaders, even the elders that told him of the scroll had never opened the scroll to try to learn the techniques, as evident by the presence of the former clan leader's insignia binding it closed. Raphael has held the scroll since his appointment as clan leader but had yet to find the time to actually train the techniques to increase his own arsenal of techniques, today that changed as he found himself with some free time away from the boring bureaucracy that came with being the clan leader. Dressed in his typical training gi, Raphael would head to the Uzumaki Training Arena to practice the techniques. Hayami would be accompanying him today, though Ryuoh would have to work so he would not be able to be Raphael's practice dummy if he needed one. Hayami however volunteered and Raphael would be hesitant but eventually accept, as it was likely better for Hayami to witness the techniques rather than someone from outside of the clan even if the man was like a brother to him. Opening the Scroll after arriving at the training area, Raphael's face would slightly fall as he read the first technique. It would seem that a blood donation was required, meaning it would leave him weaker after using it, and meant that it would not be something that he could use in the midst of a battle like the elders had claimed. Still, Raphael would grab his trench knife and slice the palm of his hand as he began to focus on his intent with the technique on Hayami before slamming his palm to the ground. Watching as a sealing formula would form across the ground in front of him and surrounding Hayami as chains would burst through the ground and bind Hayami in place, Hayami would let out a wince at first but when Raphael asked if she was ok, she would simply reply with a yes. Raphael felt weak already from the use of the technique, through the wound was healed and it did not take that much chakra, the loss of blood seemed to have a diminishing effect on him. Looking over the next technique within the scroll Raphael would push through the slight exhaustion to release Hayami from the seal, focusing his chakra as he slammed his palm to the ground once more. He would watch as the chains that bound Hayami would turn to dust and fall to the ground, releasing her from their hold as he gave her a faint smile. Hayami would rush to Raphael's side to help him stand, but he would hold her off. Standing on his own he would let out a small sigh, before turning to head back inside to his office to rest for the time being.

---

Learning Uzumaki Sealing Technique (350/350)
Learning Unlocking Seal (350/350)

-60 Chakra

-1 tier to physical stats for 3 rl days

Raika arrives back at the Uzumaki clan district, having done quite a lot of work training up her abilities for quite a long time. She brushes her black hair over her shoulder before making her way up to the Uzumaki clan compound's major administration center. Raphael had promised her the chance to master the more advanced abilities of the clan, and she was quite ready to learn at this point. Whether or not she was capable of learning what needed to be taught to her remained to be seen. She had no idea about Raphael's previous training to learn the secret and nearly-sacred Uzumaki Sealing Technique, though she could smell blood in the air, and it nearly caused her to worry; however, she knew that this clan compound was inside the walls of Kirigakure, and it would take a fool to think they could get into the village and take down the Uzumaki clan within their very walls. Besides, the scent of the blood was familiar, and it was only one person's blood. It took her a moment to recognize it as being the scent of Raphael's blood; because of the Uzumaki's ability to heal, she'd only caught scent of it exactly once, during one of their spars, and then only a whiff. This scent was quite a bit stronger, and though the scent was fresh, it seemed that the blood was not still around. This was only making Raika more curious.

She heads into the administration building, ignoring the stares of the people she passed in the halls; even if they didn't like that she was part Ryuutei, none of the other clan members would have said so to her face. She knew it, and she didn't care much for their disdain, mostly ambivalent to their feelings. She considers barging straight into the clan leader's office room, but then she reconsiders. Raika remembered how close he and Hayami had appeared to be, and she did not wish to walk straight into a private moment between the two. Still, when she raises her hand, she knocks firmly on the door, a series of three smacks with the bottom of her fist against the door.

"It is I, Raika. I've come to see if you are prepared to teach me the Fuuinjutsu for which the Uzumaki clan is known. I have become more powerful, and I feel I am ready to master all the rest that you have to teach me."

It might have sounded arrogant to a fault for most others, but Raika spoke plainly and often held back her feelings; her tone was matter-of-fact, without boasting. Her body was stronger and faster, and she knew she had attained an even greater level of competency with her body, despite its strange dual natures of both Ryuutei and Uzumaki. She also felt certain she could even defeat Raphael in a spar, if it came down to it, though she didn't think it would do to actually defeat him in such a way. It wouldn't really mean much for him if she did defeat him in a simple spar; a pride only grows weaker if the most capable members tear each other apart.

Raphael would be laying on the couch within his office when the knock on the door came, tending slightly as he moved to sit up however hear Raika he would lay his head back down. He was concerned with his clan seeing him laying about when there was things the clan needed done, but Raika he was less concerned about. "Come in, Raika." He would call out, when Raika opened the door she would see him laying on the couch on the far side of the room, it's addition the only difference between the room now and the last time Raika had been there. Hayami would be sitting at the desk doing the paperwork he was supposed to be doing, their years together had seen to her learning to forge his signature so well that even he couldn't tell the difference between him signing something or Hayami signing his name to something. Considering he didn't exactly have the greatest memory, she sometimes was even able to convince him that he signed it despite him not remembering doing it.

Once Raika was inside he would address what she said at the door, still without rising from the couch or opening his eyes. "So you think you're ready do you? Well I guess we will find out, stand in the center of the room in front of the dagger." From where he was on the couch there would be nothing between him and the stone dagger that stood in a case in the center of the room until Raika stood in front of it, the distance between the couch and the case being just under seven meters apart. "Do you remember the lesson I taught you about the Attacking chains?" He would ask quizzically, waiting for her reply before he continued. "Well this lesson will work similar to that, you simply need to focus on what you want the chains to do, now our first spar. Do you remember how I stopped you attack by making a round shield in front of me?" He would pause, but this time the question would be rhetorical as he wouldn't wait for her to answer before continuing. "I am going to fire an orb at you like I did during our last fight, your task is to use the chains in a defensive way to protect the dagger. It will likely take all 6 of your chains to form a good defense, using the chains this way does use a fair amount more of your chakra." Once he had finished speaking he would slowly move his hand to stretch it out towards the dagger while still laying on the couch with his eyes closed. He didn't need to look, he knew where everything in the room was, as long as Raika was standing in front of the dagger she should be able to stop the orb from hitting her or the dagger using the chains how he described. Once his arm was positioned directly at the daggers case he would launch a single adamantine orb at it, hoping Raika was both standing in front of it and as ready as she claimed she was.

---

Teaching Adamantine Sealing Chains S-Rank Tech

Raika comes into the office when she's invited, only to see Raphael laying on a couch that she hadn't seen before in the office. She might have been somewhat more worried about him, but she assumed that as long as he wasn't feeling poor enough to be going to the Kirigakure hospital, he must be fine; Raika is certain that Raphael knows his limits. She's quick to take in the changes and immediately close the door behind her. It wouldn't do to have any of the clan elders see their own leader in such a state. Even if they weren't as cutthroat as the Ryuutei clan was, it still wouldn't be a good look for the clan leader to be laying on a couch while his associate was the one writing his name down on paperwork.

When she's instructed to stand in the center of the room in front of the ancient dagger, she does so, standing between the stone knife and him with one hip thrust out to the side and her hand on the other hip while he asks her if she remembers the lesson. A lesson she'd been speaking to herself for quite a while after their last spar, and which she spoke aloud now.

"Focus my mind on what I want the chain to do and then let the chains do the rest. They want to be used, they need to be used, don't concentrate on forming the chains just on what I want to do with them."

The idea still seemed a little absurd, the chains aren't really sentient, but she had to admit that when she willed the chains out, they did what she needed of them. She was no longer forcing the chains to exist; they were part of her, not apart from her. It was no different for her than moving an arm or a leg into proper position. She does indeed remember that round shield he'd made during their spar, a powerful defensive tool for sure. Raika still remembered how she'd seen those chains form up in a spiral to block her quick and sudden slash. She frowns when he explains that he's going to shoot the ball at her again, and this time he wants her to defend using the chains, and that she'll need all six to be able to make the barrier that she recalled.

As he sits up to point his open palm at the dagger, Raika takes up a firm stance with her left forearm forwards and her right palm pointing at Raphael's own outstretched hand, her wrist on top of her forearm as she wills six powerful chains out, focusing them in a spiral not unlike the spiral of the Uzumaki clan symbol before firmly bracing them, compacting the chains together to form a tight, firm shield on her forearm just in time for Raphael to fire off the Adamantine Orb. Raika catches the orb directly on the shield at first, braced by her forearm, before she ducks a bit and angles the shield upwards, causing the rest of the energy from the orb to be deflected skywards without having to break her barrier. Raika is left panting a bit from the effort she'd needed to both make the barrier and also deflect such a strong attack without allowing it to unravel and chain her up itself. She allows the shield to unravel before the Adamantine Sealing Chains return to her palm, and she takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly.

"No... sweat."

OOC: 300/300 Adamantine Sealing Chains

Hearing the orb impact with Raika's chains would bring a smile to Raphael's face as he opened his eyes and began to stand up. "As expected, I see." Raphael stated with a chuckle, "I am glad to see you live up to your own hype. The rest of the techniques should be just as easy if not easier for you now that you have learned the two most basic and fundamental techniques. Though from here we should probably head out to the training area, no need to destroy the building if it can be avoided." Motioning to the window behind the desk where the training area could be seen, moving past Hayami he would climb through the window with a small nod to the woman. Once outside the building, assuming Raika followed him, Raphael would continue with her lesson. "Once we get to the arena, I want you to attack me with the orb like I just did to you. It is simpler than the chains, and of course you already know the result of being hit by one. You simply need to focus on forming your chains into the orbs, unlike the normal chains you can only make three orbs rather than six. This is because it takes two chains per orb to be effective, the speed they move and the fact that they aren't attacked to you like most of the chain attacks make them more versatile in the capture of criminals that are trying to flee without having to kill them. Once the orbs make contact and bind the person their chakra is nullified making the apprehension of the target easier so that a seal can be placed on them to bring them to trial." Raphael would pause realizing that she might not have the same mind set as him when it came to capturing people, "or you know. Whatever it is that you want to do to whoever it is that you were hunting." He would add with a small facade of a smile as they reached the training area and he stepped onto the Adamantine platform. Taking position at one end of the training area he would look to Raika, "Whenever you are ready," he would call out with his own defensive chains prepared and ready to defend against the orb.

---

Analyzing Raika (1/2)

Teaching Adamantine Chain Attacking Orb (A-Rank Custom)

Raika feels a bit more proud of herself when Raphael says out loud that he'd expected her to understand that technique so quickly, but she quashes that growing feeling of superiority. She was confident in her abilities, but she wasn't about to feed into it herself and turn it from healthy confidence into unhealthy cockiness. When Raphael suggests they go out to the training area to do some more training instead of breaking more thing sin the office, and she's about to walk out the door to the office when she realizes he's climbing out of the window. She realizes once more that he likely wouldn't want to let the other clan members know that he's not currently in his office and working, so she stops before she actually opens the door, then climbs out of the window with him as well. After explaining that she should attack him now with the orb as he'd just tried to do with her, though her eyes gloss over a bit at the suggestion that she could use them to harmlessly capture an opponent. Raika is indeed not thinking of using the orb for simple non-lethal capture. She comes back to the present when they reach the Adamantine dais.

Raika easily hops up onto the platform, moving to the opposite side of the platform from Raphael, and she brings one hand up to point her palm directly at Raphael, the way she'd seen him do earlier when she'd been learning to block it with her own Adamantine Sealing Chains. She remembered how she'd watched his chains curl around into a ball, and she focuses on willing two of her own Adamantine chains to do the same, coalescing them into a ball before launching the black metal ball of chain directly at Raphael, surprising Raika when she isn't blown back by the launching of the ball at the clan leader, especially when she loses track of its movement almost right away with its incredible speed.

OOC: 250/250 Adamantine Chain Attacking Orb

Raphael would block the advancing orb, quickly making a shield of his sealing chains and diverting it before it could reach him. A smile forming on his face, "very good." Raphael chuckled slightly as his fists and feet slowly began to coat themselves in chains, "Now on to the fun stuff. I am sure you remember this from our first spar, this is known as the Chained-Fist Style. It is the height of our abilities with our chains as it requires finer control of the chakra than the normal chains. Even among those that can use the Sealing Chains, there are fewer still that can use this style. The Chain Fighting I showed you before is what those that cannot use this style often use, though it has its own use even if you can use this style which is why I still use it as well." Raphael would take a moment to allow Raika to inspect his feet and fists if she wanted to before he continued. "The key to the fighting style is that we use our chains not to effect the chakra of others but to manipulate our own chakra, of course the maneuvers of this style will obviously affect others, however you must learn its core first. Will the chains to do what you want and use them to increase your strength, but don't stop there. Feel the chains on your skin connected through your chakra to each other running through your body, use it to increase your coordination and allow you and the chains to flow as one like a river." Raphael wasn't sure if Raika would understand what it was that he was talking about, sometimes even he didn't know what he was saying, but he was telling her how it felt to him as it was the only way he knew to be able to explain it. If she could understand and learn this fighting style, then he would be able to teach her the moves of it so that she could increase her own lethality.

---

Analyzing Raika (2/2) Complete

Teaching Chained-Fist Style (A-Rank Custom Fighting Style)

Raika shakes her hands a little when she finishes the technique, still a little surprised that she was able to do it, but the chains did most of the work, and she simply willed them into action to be able to use the technique. She does actually allow herself to feel better about what she's been able to accomplish when she sees Raphael smiling after he deflects her Adamantine Orb with his own chain barrier, so she feels she must be doing exceptionally well for him to react in such a way. Then Raika watches as chains wrap themselves around Raphael's hands and feet, and she remembers that he'd done so in one of their spars. Now Raphael is showing her how to use them herself, and she carefully observes the wraps of chains around his hands and feet before she focuses for a long moment, then raises both arms to watch as Adamantine Sealing Chains wrap around both of her fists, spiraling from her knuckles and then ending midway down her forearms, locking her wrists so that she can punch harder than before. She looks down at her legs to see that her feet have been similar wrapped in chain, and a quick stomp on the surface of the Adamantine platform makes sparks fly a bit.

His other words about letting the chains increase her strength and her agility had seemed a bit odd or esoteric for her at first, but now she could actually feel a bit stronger and smoother in her movements. Raika turns her attention back to Raphael, and although she wasn't actually smiling, the expression on her face is certainly more than her usual look of boredom or disdain; someone who had been with Raika for a while would be able to recognize almost a look of awe and excitement on her face.

OOC: 250/250 Chained-Fist Style

Raphael would continue to smile as he watched Raika form the chains on her fists and feet just as he had, giving her a moment to get comfortable with them before he would create two shadow clones of himself. "Now then there are two base maneuvers within this style one is for the capture and containment of a target while the other focuses on the draining of chakra from the target. Both can be effective depending on the situation, so I will go over both of them with you and then we will see what you can do with them against my clones. The first one is called Binding Strikes, the first thing you need to do is focus your chakra through your body with your chains stimulating your muscles so that you can move and react faster than you normally would be able to do. Once you feel that chakra flowing and your muscles stimulated then you strike, with this technique you want to get four good shots in, it doesn't matter where on the body you hit them as long as you hit them. When you strike you leave a little chakra on the target and then using your other hand you direct the chakra from the target to the ground creating a binding chain, once all four are placed then your target is at your mercy." Raphael would finish explaining before he would move with one of the other clones to actually show her how it worked, seemingly dancing as he moved with unnatural speed and coordination. Striking the clone in the stomach with one hand while simultaneously thrusting the other hand to the ground as a chain formed and then sweeping under a strike from the clone as he twisted and struck the clone in the leg, repeating the same action as before with his other hand to create a second chain. Raphael would spin around to the back of the clone striking the clone's forearm and chaining it to the ground before striking the clone one final time in the opposite side of the arm he had just bound and chaining it as well. Once he was finished, he would look back to Raika. "Once they are bound the manipulation of their chakra is easy enough to place seals on, though the chains by themselves will slowly drain them of their chakra and I have yet to meet someone that has been strong enough to break free." Raphael would chuckle slightly amused by his own words before pointing to his second clone, "please Raika, let's see what you can do."

---

2 Precogs Available

Teaching Binding Strikes A-Rank Custom

Raika listens intently as Raphael explains that this fighting style has two base maneuvers, one of which is for the restraining of targets that must be kept alive, while the other is explicitly meant to drain chakra from a target. Then she watches while Raphael gives a demonstration after having explained that the way the first technique worked was by using a strike to attach chain to the target's body, then using the other hand to bind the struck portion to the ground. She isn't understanding at first when he explains it aloud, but now that she's able to watch him work, she can see how the technique is done. When Raika is pointed towards the second shadow clone and she's given the go-ahead to try and use her binding strikes, she uses a sudden burst of motion to rush to the clone, bringing her right hand low like she's going to try and smash her chained fist into the clone's stomach. That punch, however, is a fake, and she instead uses her left hand to suddenly jab at the shadow clone's right shoulder in a quick and sudden strike that would take most fighters by surprise. Instead of hitting the clone's stomach with her right fist, then, she extends her elbow to point her right hand to the ground, extending her will to connect a powerful chain from the shoulder to the Adamantine platform.

She spins suddenly, pulling back her left fist in order to swing her right arm towards the shadow clone's right knee as she drops her body, and then using her left hand to point at the ground this time. As soon as the second connection has been made, she puts her left hand to the ground directly, thrusting her legs up to give a two-legged kick aimed at the clone's chest and stomach, then leaping off of the shadow clone with both legs. As soon as she lands, she points her left and right fist to the platform on either side of her, connecting the chains to the platform again and locking the clone in place.

OOC: 250/250 Binding Strikes

Raphael couldn't help but clap as he watched Raika's performance against the Shadow clone, her versatility in using her feet in conjunction with her fists to create two chains at the same time was astounding to him, having never thought of such a thing himself before he was impressed by her ingenuity with the technique. The Shadow clone would offer no resistance or fight back against Raika's strikes, this was a training exercise that needed to ensure that she understood the principal of the technique and so seeing it to fruition was the only way for that to be accomplished. "Excellent, simply excellent." Raphael stated as he inspected the chains that Raika had created to see what it was solid and as it should be, "Alright then, on to the second maneuver, the Sealing Strikes. This one is more of a double edge sword, so I suggest only using it if you have the advantage. You are capable of sealing away chakra, but it costs the same amount of chakra that you are sealing away in order to do it. It can come as a simple kick or punch, focusing the chakra larger amount of chakra into the chains will at the same time draw out the chakra of the one that you strike, sealing it away. This is even capable of sealing away the chakra of a Bijuu at its strongest variation, but because the chained-fist style focusing the chakra to improving our physical self they aren't really meant to drain the chakra like the normal sealing or attacking chains do which is why we have to pay the extra chakra to do it. I would demonstrate this one as well but like I said it is as simple as punch or a kick and unless you can see chakra you wouldn't really gain anything from the demonstration, so you will just have to go off this explanation. Feel the chakra within your strike, and then at the moment of contact use it to pull their chakra from their body and seal it away." With that said Raphael would step aside to allow Raika to strike the clone once more, this time with the sealing strike instead of the binding strike.

---

2 precogs

Teaching Sealing Strikes Multi Rank Custom (S-Rank Requirement)

Raika feels a bit surprised herself that she had been able to not only use her feet to bind the target, but that she'd also been able to do it twice at the same time, although it had required almost all of her concentration to do two at the same time. It seemed that even Raphael was surprised that it was possible, since he was applauding her and even the shadow clone looked a bit surprised when she'd hooked the final two to the platform that was acting as the ground for now. The dual-clanned woman did allow herself to feel a little proud in that moment, as she seemed to be progressing the clan's own techniques with her own exemplary Taijutsu skills.

Still, she reminded herself that she had to learn all of this from Raphael, and he was her sensei; it wasn't possible for her to learn any of this without him, and she knew it, so when he began his lecture on the second application of the Chained-Fist Style, she paid very close attention. Raika knew that she had naturally high chakra reserves, judging by the way some reacted to her abilities in regards to technique usage, so this drawback that Raphael describes seems far less detrimental to her than some others might feel on themselves, but she still understands that it's a drawback compared to most other uses of the Adamantine chains.

Still, she squares up with the shadow clone once more, taking a somewhat traditional boxing-like stance as she gathers chakra into her right fist first, then slamming her fist into the clone's shoulder lightly, like a kitten padding at a toy, but she uses that chakra and the chain to drag the same amount of chakra straight out of the shadow clone and seal their chakra away, proving that she's at least capable of using the technique. But that's not enough for her, and she frowns before she focuses on drawing even more of her chakra into the next "strike" with her left hand, almost infusing the Adamantine chains wrapped around her left fist with her chakra before she makes contact with the center of the shadow clone's chest and sealing away even more chakra this time around, and by the time she does that one, she's left panting a bit from pushing herself; she'd already done several high-level techniques at this point, and for the first time in her life, she actually felt like she was getting tired. Even in the multi-person spar with herself, Azrael, and Blitz against those three other genin, she hadn't felt nearly so winded after summoning two different creatures from separate contracts, so she knew these techniques must be high-level.

"Unf... You weren't kidding about how much chakra these attacks drain..."

OOC: B-rank Sealing Strikes 200/200
A-rank Sealing Strikes 250/250

Raphael let out a laugh as Raika commented about the drain of chakra, "yes, it is quite draining isn't it." Raphael replied with a small smile, as he dismissed his clones. "If you are up for it there is two more clan techniques that I would like to teach you, though if you need to rest, I understand. These techniques, especially the last one, can be hard to continually use." Raphael would wait for a reply from Raika to ensure that she was able to continue, he didn't want to push her to hard and she had already mastered more techniques that most at her level. He would not blame her if she wanted to stop, or if she simply couldn't continue due to low reserves on her chakra.

If Raika could continue, then Raphael would continue the training, this time creating a whip out of his adamantine chains. It would be no more than an ordinary whip, with the exception that it was more durable than one you would get from the market. Raphael would show off with it slightly before allowing Raika to inspect it as he had the other techniques. "This is the Chain Whip, unlike some of the other techniques this is solely a weapon made from your chains. You focus your chains to wind together so tightly that the links don't even look like chains, I believe we could use our chains to create other weapons though I have not tried. This would at least give you a starting point if you should decide to venture out into other weaponry, this one is one of the easier techniques to learn as it doesn't deal with the draining of chakra it will simply provide you with a little range on your opponent."

---

2 Precogs

Teaching Chain Whip (B-Rank)

Though Raika had indeed done a lot of high ranking techniques, she instead rolls her shoulders and her neck, then takes a deep breath as she checks with herself. She can still feel plenty of chakra inside her, ready to make use of some more techniques and train up her way to mastery. She appreciates that Raphael is aware of how draining the techniques are, but she resolves that she has deep enough reserves that it likely won't be much of a problem in a fight, especially against an opponent that's using techniques of their own already and likely to be losing their chakra before she even uses the fighting style. She lets her breath back out slowly, already back to normal, though she takes a moment to drag out a piece of beef jerky from her left weapon pouch, munching on the meat to feed herself and get back up to full strength. She'd developed a taste for the stuff, and nobody gave her odd looks when she ate it.

"I'm fine to continue. I've got enough chakra in me to keep it going."

Then she finishes off the jerky and then turns her attention back to Raphael as he makes such a whip of the chains, seeing how they're intricately pulled together, tightened, and twisted into a cord-like structure that allows those powerful chains to act more like a whip than a simple loose line of chains. Raika is worried at first that the structure will be too intricate, but she remembers that it's not her mind mentally making the chains, it's her will to put the chains into a shape like that. After studying the structure Raphael uses to form the chain whip, Raika stretches out her hand as she forms the shape of her own length of chain whip, before gripping the handle with one hand and firmly twisting to lock the chain formation in place. Raika then turns and belts the whip out three times into the open air with satisfyingly loud popping noises at the end of each swing.

OOC: 200/200 Chain Whip

Raphael would watch Raika with her newly created whip, before clapping his hands. "This next one will likely be the most useful, though the initial amount of chakra to create it is substantial. Once activated you can have multiple people trapped within the area with you and them having no way to escape, of course you might ask wouldn't I be the one stuck inside with them? But this technique serves a unique purpose, and as the caster of the technique you can end it at any time of your choosing." Raphael would pause for a moment, "it might be better if I show you on this one," he continued before focusing his chakra down through the ground and out around the pair of them. Within a matter of seconds, they would be enclosed within a one-hundred-and-fifty-meter radius dome made of his Sealing Chains, the chains would interlock with one another creating a steel cage type effect around them. "This is called the Adamantine Grand Battle Dome, and its purpose is to not only trap the people within it, but to limit their use of chakra. No matter where a person is within the dome there is a constant drain on their chakra, but that is you included. The more people within this dome the less the drain is on an individual, however even then they cannot use most techniques. Here within the dome only Taijutsu and weapon techniques can be used beyond the lowest of levels, the dome prevents any Ninjutsu or large-scale technique beyond those. This is because Chakra outside of the body or item is harder to maintain its form, and with the dome drain on chakra the large-scale techniques just cannot hold their form and power. Now if you were to touch one of the chains that made up the dome you wouldn't be able to mold chakra in any way, but if you are strong enough you could always try to break out of the cage." Raphael would end his technique and give Raika a mock bow as if to signal for her to try. "Just focus on what you want the chains to do, and let them do the rest."

---

Trained Adamantine Grand Battle Dome (350/350)

Teaching Adamantine Grand Battle Dome (S-Rank)

Raika disperses the chain whip now that she's managed to construct it and even use it a little before Raphael explains how the next technique works and its abilities and limitations. When Raika gives him a confused look after having been told that the technique would trap its user and anyone else inside of it with no way to escape, save for the user simply ending the technique. She thinks at first that such a technique would be extremely detrimental to the user, as many ninjutsu are capable of causing damage in a large area, and a technique that traps its user within along with any opponents would surely just make it far more difficult for the user to dodge any wide-range attack.

Raphael seems to notice his student's exasperation, so he chooses to show her how to use the technique instead, and after a short pause, they're suddenly surrounded by many interwoven chains, spiraling up into a dome shape around them, and as soon as the chained dome is completed, Raika can feel her chakra being suppressed, even oppressed, by this heavy, weighted feeling. With her chakra being sealed away from her at a slow rate, she listens intently as the clan leader himself further explains that the technique can be used to suppress ninjutsu and genjutsu, and in fact sucks away anything that isn't a physical technique, as the dome will suck away the chakra that makes up that technique. Raika moves closer to the edges of the dome in wonderment, raising one of her hands almost to touch the black chains as Raphael suggests that one that's strong enough could break free, but the dual-natured woman scoffs at such an idea, pulling her hand away before she makes any contact.

"If someone strong enough to break through the Adamantine Chains were trapped in here with me, I'd prefer them to break out; the other option is that they could just as easily break me or anything else for that matter."

Raika takes a deep breath when the dome is suddenly dispersed by Raphael, not realizing until just then that she'd been taking shallower breaths, which was silly; air could still move in and out of the dome between the links in the chains, she hadn't been in any danger of suffocating. Still, the sensation of having her chakra drained in such a confined space made her feel a sense of claustrophobia, as mild as it was. Then she looks at Raphael as he bows to her in a mocking expression, though his usual training mantra of focusing on what she wants the chains to do refocuses her mind on that exact thing.

Raika closes her eyes and then pushes her chakra out along the ground, waiting until her chakra encapsulates both herself and Raphael before willing the chains to close in over them, making a much smaller dome between them as she focuses on the memory of that same claustrophobic sensation, using it to guide the creation of her own Adamantine dome that rapidly spirals around them before locking closed at the top, though hers is only 90 meters wide at the most.

"Unf... And there it is!"

OOC: 300/300 Adamantine Grand Battle Dome

The fact that she managed to make the dome at all impressed Raphael, even if it wasn't as big as his that he had shown her, for her first attempt at the technique to be able to make a ninety-meter-wide dome was in of itself a major feat. It made him wonder if she had what it took to push further and gain mastery of her body and chakra, it also made him wonder how long it would be until she surpassed him. "The idea of the Dome is to give yourself the advantage, as all but the physical is limited. Granted it is less effective against another Taijutsu fighter, if you are able to monitor your chakra correctly during the fight it should not take you long to win. I would suggest only deploying the dome against those you know to use high level ninjutsu and are less than likely to engage in hand-to-hand combat. That is what the dome is meant for, though that is not to say that all those that use high level ninjutsu won't excel in hand-to-hand combat as well and for that reason I would like to teach you three techniques that I believe will give you an advantage even against another that is as skilled as you are. They are known as the Paths of Mastering One's own body, they utilize the control over chakra to enhance the physical performance of your body. The First path is Control, you must have control over your body. The Second path is Force, you must be able dish out as well as take. The third and final path is Vigilance, as you must be ready for anything the universe may throw at you." Raphael would pause for a minute in case Raika had a question, and if not to allow his words to sink in. It was likely sound like he was repeating himself over and over, or at least it did to him, but once Raika showed that she was ready for him to continue he would. "We will start with the first path, inhale slow deep breaths. Relax both your body and your mind, clear all other thoughts from your mind and focus on the flow of your chakra. As you see your chakra, I want you to focus on using it to stimulate the muscles in your legs and I want you to use it to run faster. I want you to increase the flow of chakra through your body to increase your overall body movement, and then I want you to do both at the same time, because only then will you have full control over your own body and be on your way to mastering it."

---

Teaching Mastery of Body: Control (S-Rank Requirements)

Raika ends the Adamantine Dome, allowing the chains to slowly degrade away and disappear as they break away into nothing. Meanwhile, she listens carefully to Raphael as he fully explains the usage of the dome, for locking away an opponent's options to use ninjutsu for combat and allowing those with taijutsu to thrive in combat. Then Raphael explains that he'd like to teach her three more high-level techniques, such skills made for their user to gain greater advantage against their foes. With a name of mastering the body, it's quite clear for Raika at least that the techniques would be a form of Taijutsu, and so would make for a deadly combination with the Dome technique she'd just learned to be able to use. She considers the teacher's explanation of these techniques, but she has no questions; she was accustomed to using chakra to improve her body's capabilities, as much of the Ryuutei clan's Taijutsu made use of such concepts.

"I understand. I would very much like to learn these techniques, Raphael."

As Raphael explains what she needs to do, she does as she's told, taking in deep breaths through her nose, and then expelling that breath through her mouth even more slowly as she calms her body to a nearly trance-like state. Raika feels a flow, focused from her gut and up to her heart, where it extends outwards to every part of her body, flowing out and then pulling back in, almost a thrumming noise that she can feel more than she can hear coming from her own body. With such an intense focus on her own chakra pathways, she wills her chakra down into her legs first, focusing on stimulating her own muscles with the chakra until she can feel her legs pulsating with the power of her chakra, and she suddenly moves with a surprising amount of speed that nearly takes her out of the trance state, but she refocuses on her breathing to keep her mind calm as she switches to a focus on her ligaments and her tendons, allowing them to become more supple and springy before she acrobatically flows her own body to spin about, going to a complete standstill suddenly and turning herself like a cat that turns itself around in midair to land feet-first.

Raika lands with her feet on one of the pillars, focusing her chakra all throughout her body to her various tendons while also focusing that chakra into her legs, improving both her speed and her agility before she dashes rapidly once more to stand directly in front of Raphael again, and she breathes out one last time before cracking her neck with a roll of her head.

"Is that what it's like normally? That's incredible!"

OOC: 300/300 S-rank Mastery of Body: Control

Raphael would let out a laugh at Raika's remark, "yes it is, however it is important to note not to let yourself get carried away with your chakra. The Three Paths of the Mastery of Body are powerful, however you must maintain a eye on your reserves because if your chakra drops too low these techniques will not be able to help you. Now that you have an understanding of the Control it is time to move on to the Force. Similar to Control, you need to control your breathing and the concentration of chakra, only this time you are focusing your chakra to increase your muscles in a way to increase your overall strength, or even the ability to take a punch if you cannot get away in time. Due to the concentration required, you of course cannot use Control and Force at the same time, however you can switch between them as needed once you have full mastery of you body." Raphael would explain as he walked around Raika in a semi-circle as he watched her, The boost to Con was not as great as the boost to strength can be, but that did not make it any less effective as well as useful, it all came down to the situation and how fast the user could think on their feet. After finishing the semi-circle in front of her, he would take a few steps back to give her some room to try the technique out for herself.

---

Teaching Mastery of Body: Force (S-Rank Requirements)

Raika frowns a bit and then nods seriously when Raphael lets her know that these techniques are quite draining on one's chakra reserves, and that utilizing them without the necessary amount of chakra will make the techniques useless for their user. Clearly, she would need to use them to quickly end a fight, rather than allow it to drag for too long and likely leave her without enough chakra to finish the fight. She then listens as he explains the next technique, that being the mastery of the force of her body rather than simply the control of it. Raphael also explains that these techniques cannot be used at the same time, though one could potentially switch between the in order to make maximum use of their effects. The dual-natured woman nods once, firmly, then lets her eyes lose their focus as she takes a long moment to focus her chakra throughout her body once more, taking deep breaths in through her nose and then back out of her open mouth. She's only somewhat aware of the clan leader walking around her in a half-circle while he watches her; she mostly ignores his movements for now, since switching her focus to him isn't going to help her learn this technique at the moment.

Raika remembers how she focused chakra along her legs for her speed and along her tendons for better agility, and now she changes how her chakra flows once more, sending some all around her muscles at first to increase her strength, causing her musculature to stand out far more in tone and in size, and then she focuses that same chakra from her muscles partially to her skin, hardening the outermost layer of her skin into a practically hard shell before she returns to the moment, still focusing her chakra along her muscles and her skin as Raphael moves to stand aside. Raika jumps up and slams her fist into the Adamantine platform, grunting as her fist makes contact with enough force to send some reverberations all throughout the structure, but her bones aren't even hurt thanks to the slight increase in hardness to her skin. She can feel, however, that this is the limit to how tough she can make herself; it seems one's force is somewhat limited, in this way.

"Hmmmmmm... That's two down. That means there's just one more technique left to learn, right?"

OOC: 300/300 S-rank Mastery of Body: Force

"Yes, there is only one more technique of this set," Raphael stated with a small chuckle. "Like with the other two it requires the focus of your chakra, however unlike before instead of increasing its flow through your body you will focus to your eyes or your ears using the chakra to increase either your sight or your hearing. It can be used to boost both, however that is more chakra than just the singular sense. I find it useful when I am using the hiding in mist technique to ensure my chances of hearing my target, I am sure you will find it useful as well." Raphael would then devise a test in his head that would be able to tell whether or not she was able to perform this technique as there would be no physical difference like with the others. Taking a few steps back he would activate his own mastery of body: control, flowing his chakra to increase his coordination to the point that Raika would not be able to normally keep up with his hand movements. Turning back to face Raika, "tell me these hand signs" he would form a rapid string of four hand signs but no chakra would be molded, assuming she had not activated the technique by this point she would not be able to. Raphael would then wait for a few moments before doing the exact same four hand signs, which provided she activated the technique for her eyes by this point, she would be able to tell that they were Boar, Rabbit, Horse, Dragon. If she still couldn't he would continue to make the same four hand signs every few minutes, giving her a bit of time between the attempts so that hopefully she could get the technique down, though considering how quickly she had gotten the other two techniques down, it wouldn't be very long if not on the first try.

---

Teaching Mastery of Body: Vigilance (S-Rank Requirement)

Raika found this last technique seeming a little more esoteric compared to the way the other techniques had used chakra to boost her body's capabilities; those other methods, she'd had some success in focusing chakra in those ways before, such as with her clan's Taijutsu techniques focusing chakra to her various limbs and even her very claws to turn them into shredding implements. This final technique was a continuation of that, certainly, but it was something she'd truly never done before and was usually outside of her wheelhouse.

Still, that didn't stop her from trying, though this time she has to close her eyes as well, since trying to focus chakra to her eyes was causing them to blur at first, making her feel a bit dizzy. When she finally opens her eyes again, she thinks she's got it down, but when Raphael makes those four handseals so rapidly, she loses track of where the fingers are moving after the first two. She frowns a bit at not getting this technique correct on the first go, but she can tell the first two are Boar and Rabbit. Raika pauses and closes her eyes once more, pressing forwards and focusing on using her chakra to facilitate her eyes' ability to process the information, and this time when she opens her eyes, she swears that she can see things happening more slowly; she even catches the flight of a bird far off in the distance as it disappears between clouds.

It's jarring for her initially, but the movement in her peripheral vision helps her to refocus on watching Raphael's hands, watching them flow between the four seals this time, and she raises her hand to shoulder height, signalling him to stop after the fourth seal.

"The four handseals are Boar, Rabbit, Horse, Dragon."

Despite her certainty that she got it right this time around, she feels slightly humbled that it took her two tries to get such a jutsu right. Perhaps it was something that could be chalked up to simply her brute-forcing the technique to work thanks to her chakra levels pushing the jutsu to work, instead of her level of chakra control. Regardless, she sighs in relaxation as she lets the chakra dissipate from her eyes to continue circulating through her body as normal.

OOC: 300/300 Mastery of Body: Vigilance (S-rank)

"Correct," Raphael replied not surprised at all that she got it on the second try, reaching into his hip pouch Raphael would pull out a small scroll. "I think that is enough for today, you should probably rest now considering the amount of strain these techniques put on your body. However, this scroll here holds a list of Taijutsu maneuvers that I have developed, they are compatible to all forms of styles, but they are my own variations. If you are interested, you can take a look at them and train them on your own time." Raphael would hold out the scroll for Raika to take, "who knows maybe next time when we spar, you will be the one teaching me a thing or two." he would add with a small chuckle before taking his leave of the training area and heading back to his office to rest himself.

{Exit - Attempt)

---

OoC: Raphael gave Raika Scroll holding all his basic Taijutsu creations for her to learn.

Raika is indeed left a bit out of breath and feeling as if she'd run a marathon, which would not be an incorrect summary of just what was learned in this training session. She can almost feel like her chakra is near depletion, which she realizes she's never really felt before.

She flexes her fist a bit, watching her muscles in her forearm work and thinking very little about how sore she feels from it before she lifts her head to see him holding out a scroll for her to study his own Taijutsu techniques. Her eyes widen, but she moves towards him and accepts the offered scroll; after all, the other Taijutsu techniques she has available to her are sparse outside of her own developed Taijutsu style.

"I'm sure I can teach you how to think fast, but I'm not sure I can teach you to win a spar against me."

This was likely the most boastful statement that Raika had ever made, and the very hint of a smile on her normally very stoic face shows that she means it in some bit of jest, something the Ryuutei clan practically never engaged in. Then she turns and leaves the Uzumaki clan compound, keeping the scroll she was given somewhat concealed from view all the way back to her clan compound, where her own clan leader office was still being built back to something resembling it's former golden glory.

OOC: THREAD EXIT