Picking Up Where She Left Off

Innocence sat on the stump at the opening training fields of Konohagakure no Sato. She had reached out to her previously assigned sensei Tengoku Shinku. The man had been tapped by her father to be the Hokage and so Innocence felt a degree of familiarity and comfort with learning from him. Around most people she was always on edge. It was a natural product of her insecurity and fear of failure, but somehow the Wolf Kage was a more reassuring figure in her life. She looked up to him and felt that she could be more vulnerable around him than most others.

Innocence held in her hand a dull iron training sword which she stabbed into the ground a few times while she waited for her sensei to show up.

Tengoku had received a request in his retirement that had him debating it. Innocence had been introduced to him before Nyguyen had passed in battle. He had seen her at the funeral but that was the last time. He hadn't expected to hear from her out of the blue to say the least. Still she was looking for training. She had been assigned to him once but nothing ever really came of it. Perhaps he had been too busy at the time or that he didn't wish to intrude on their mourning. Still he had let the years pass and not reached out to any of the family in that time. He had considered actively ignoring the request as he was retired and no longer obligated to train anyone. However he felt that would simply be to rude. As would be declining the request in writing. Innocence had always had a bit of attitude but he figured he would at least give it a shot. So he had dressed in his usual black pants and sandals with his yellow and black lined robes. His white hair flowing freely around his shoulders as a mess. All his equipment was in a scroll on his person. Tucked into his robes. 

He was running a little bit late as he walked into the meeting spot. An open style training grounds inside of the facility itself. His black and gold eyes would shift to easy spot the moody girl stabbing at the ground with a training sword. He figured she was already in a mood. Or maybe he was just lucky and she was bored. Either way he would sigh and walk towards her. One hand tucked lazily into his robes exposing his chest and some of his stomach more. Using it to hold his arm like a sling. The other hand raising to scratch idly at the five o'clock shadow while his wolf like ears stood at attention. 

"Alright kiddo. I'm here. What is it you were looking to train today? Swordplay?"






((+5 sensei bonus, +10 from grand facility +5 UA exp from me to you.))

Innocence immediately jumped off the stump when Tengoku arrived. She gave the man a quick bow and an expression of gratitude. "Thankth for agreeing to train me Tengoku-thama. I know you're retired and all but i could really uthe thome help with my with my thword thkillth" Innocence would twirl her katana around once before accidentally dropping it. The hopeless genin picked it right back up and settled into an attacking stance. Despite the fact that this man was her father's hand picked successor, she actually had no idea what kind of abilities he had, but whatever it was she was certain that it could help her train.

"I don't know if you have any experienthe with uthing thwordth but i really could uthe thome tipth on developing my own thtyle and keeping it in my handth."

The member 'Innocence Uchiha' has done the following action : Dice roll

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'Bunny Arrival' :

Tengoku would lift a hand to his ear and use his pinky to seem to clean his inner ear out. Much easier considering the size of his wolf like ears. Still his golden cross pupils would take her in a moment as he tried his best to process what she was saying. Luckily given the context of her wanting training and holding a sword he was able to piece it together. That lisp of hers was heavy but he wouldn't bother scolding her for it. If she wanted speech therapy her family was well off enough to obtain it. So she was choosing to leave it as was. So he would too. Still he would glance at her grip as she mentioned her issue. He would step forward quietly and draw a practice blade as he passed a rack of them. Calmly flicking it. The weight was off. It was front heavy but he could work with that. 

"Alright kiddo. First things is your grip. For one handed grips keep your hand just under the guard. Keep the handle wrapped in your knuckles and the crook of your thumb. You will need practice as the shock of the blade facing impact will leave a numb sensation in your fingers. With the second hand keep it with the same grip but touching your upper hand. This two handed stance provides more power and stability but less speed and versatility. I want your goal to be able to switch between these two freely. Adjusting as needed for a situation. That said....."

Tengoku would demonstrate a very straight downwards slash at B rank coord. Slowing it down but with good form. Using the two handed form. "I want you to practice one hundred of these swings. However I will be placing a handicap. You're likely to feel the numb feeling in your hands and arms by the end. But stick with it. Yeah?" He would state before he would reach out and touch the flat of her dull practice blade. Strange flowing black ink would flow from his skin onto her blade as suddenly it became incredibly heavy. He would multiply its weight by five. Giving her a weighted practice sword she should be able to lift over her head with some effort. "I have increased the weight of it. If you get used to a heavier weapon during this practice a normal sword will feel lightweight in your hands. Begin when you're ready." He would state as he shouldered his own sword and his other hand on his hip.

The member 'Tengoku' has done the following action : Dice roll

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'Bunny Arrival' :

(This Thread is Now a Flashback for Innocence)

Innocence was loathe to be lectured by anyone. But this man wasn't just anyone.

"Alright kiddo. First things is your grip. For one handed grips keep your hand just under the guard.
Innocence shifted her hands underneath the guard of her katana.

"Keep the handle wrapped in your knuckles and the crook of your thumb. You will need practice as the shock of the blade facing impact will leave a numb sensation in your fingers.
She tightened her knuckle-grasp of the handle and held on until it hurt.

"With the second hand keep it with the same grip but touching your upper hand. This two handed stance provides more power and stability but less speed and versatility.
Innocence did as she was bid and noted her sensei's instructions.

"I want your goal to be able to switch between these two freely. Adjusting as needed for a situation.
This sounded like an impossibility for someone as unskilled as her, but she would try nonetheless.

When he mentioned that he wanted her to practice 100 of such slashes, she nearly balked but instead she said nothing. If she was truly to be competitive in the Exams then she'd need to follow his instructions to the letter. She had often ignored her father's words of wisdom and now that he was no longer around to give them, she felt compelled to listen to his successor. She allowed him to touch the tip of her blade, increasing its heaviness and immediately causing her knees to buckle in protest of the weight that the Wolf Sage had placed upon it. The katana suddenly felt like it weighed more than she could bear, but only just barely. Innocence struggled to keep her form but keep it she did.

When he instructed her to come at him, Innocence charged wielding her sword with all the strength she could muster. As she swung her sword directly ten times at his trunk.

"Hiya!"

Tengoku would not bother to sidestep the heavy swing. It was poorly executed and barely within reach of him. Ten times she would swing at him in a way that targeted the majority of him. A good method for someone slower than him. Yet he felt comfortable not attempting to dodge. Instead each time she would get close he would lift a hand and use a finger to adjust the slash to the side. Parrying it with ease as he observed her. After ten slashes he would step forward. She would be feeling burning in her arms now. The weight of it new to her. His foot would slide out to adjust her stance. Widening her feet and his hand moving under hers to lift it a little more. 

"When you do not have to pursue your opponent take the chance to brace yourself. Bend your knees and make your body uniform with the blade. It is not power but grace. It is not force but flow that the blade responds to. Kenjutsu is an extension of your body similar to what taijutsu is. You have to let go of the desire to treat it separately. Let go of the responsibility you feel on your shoulders for being his daughter....let go of the rage and the pain fueling you. It is just you and the blade now. Feel it like it is an extension of your arms. Feel how the weight of it flows when you move correctly. If you force the sword you only serve to wear yourself out. Now....again. Flow and grace."

Tengoku would release her with a sudden return to the weight of the weapon. He would step back to in front of her and shift one arm crossed against the small of his back while the other hung loosely in front of him. He did not draw a blade as he didn't need one. The skill gap was too large for that step. Instead he would focus on the training of the moment. She had a lot on her mind he was sure. However in her hands at this point the sword may as well be a baseball bat. She needed to feel how the forms could flow. Move with the weight and swing of the weapon. It didn't take a lot of effort to cut an opponent in most cases. With his weapons it was like cutting paper. Still he would wonder why now and not before. The exams coming up he assumed.