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Post by Akemi Izayoi on May 9, 2012 1:45:50 GMT -5
Akemi was practically shivering with a combinations of nerves and pre-training jitters. So naturally she channeled that into the desire of accomplishing her task. The girl merely waved off Kaibutsu's initial concerns. So what if that wasn't it exactly? Boil it down to the bare basics and that had to be it, right? Move quickly and silently. Without mediation. What was so special about meditation anyway? She had this in the bag. She didn't need to sit around and do nothing for a while to get in the zone. And they could go through that boring stuff after this. The action part. The hard work! The stuff she was good at.
So the girl tensed uncomfortably. In a way she knew should have felt familiar, but yet felt so alien in the state she was in. Akemi's breath started to quicken and the nerves became worse which fed fuel to the jitters. It was taking forever to just throw the damn rocks at her. Not being able to see sucked. This was way worse than any mist she'd been in. At least in that she could sort of get a feel for things. At the very least she could see herself. She knew how she was moving. This darkness was damn near overwhelming. But Akemi refused to back down now. She just had to work at it and get used to it. She could do this!
Akemi would have raised an eyebrow at Kaibutsu if she could. That was supposed to be advice? The guy didn't even sound like he was sure of it himself. Then again, it wasn't like she could just go through a lengthy explanation on how to handle a weapon to someone. It had to be felt. So she tried to follow his instructions. Her mind felt pretty blank right now, but was it clear? So many thoughts that she couldn't seem to quell kept rattling in her head. However, she couldn't make sense of any. They taunted her, poking at her till she tried to reach out only to come up empty. Not the best start, but she was focused. Kaibutsu seemed loud and clear.
She held on to whatever calm she had left with a death grip. Kaibutsu said something, but for some reason she couldn't image sounded further off. Akemi couldn't actually make sense of the words. She was a ninja, the dark was suppose to be nothing. Yet, it was tormenting her. She felt cut off from her own body in a way night and mist could never mimic. And for the first time through this entire session, Akemi actually doubted. Akemi actually considered the thought of giving up, at running away, and embracing failure without even a fight. "Don't panic and fight," she told herself, but this self didn't really want to listen.
Then she hear it, something. The girl knew that the rocks were coming toward her, but she couldn't "see" them. Despite herself, she felt her breath hitch. Then to her horror she stalled. Nothing moved. A stinging pain caught her right in the forehead, followed swiftly by a shot straight to the shin. The cried out in shock and the sound spurred her. However, with such a muddled mind she could only focus on the pain. It hurt more than it should and she didn't know why. Practically reeling on autopilot, she grabbed at her shin and started hopping. Right into the path of another rock that stung her shoulder. Then the other foot caught and without anything near balance, she tumbled face first. Luckily, the ground was kind enough to catch her fall.
"Ow..." she said through a mouthfull of dirt. Spitting out a wad of grass and grit, she pushed herself up. "This may be a bit harder than I thought." She was still grateful though, the pain from the rocks and fall had knocked the sense back into her. Now she just had to avoid getting caught in it again. "Clear your mind. Focus on sound." She kept repeating the mantra to herself. Finding solace in the familiar words while they told her how to handle the pressure of darkness. Her breathing slowed a bit and she eased the tension in her shoulders. Waiting.
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Post by Kaibutsu Gakidou on May 9, 2012 23:05:39 GMT -5
Kaibutsu quickly regretted throwing the rocks. Very quickly regretted it. He could tell as soon as he threw it, just by how Akemi's muscles were tensed, that they would hit hard...Why did he have to be such an idiot sometimes?
The first one bounced off her head, hitting with a mighty thunk, hitting the ground and rolling away like some guerrilla warfare fighter, running to fight another day. The second, immediately following the first, struck her shin, causing her to jump around like some rendition of an old cartoon. Had he not been so terrified he had seriously injured her, Kaibutsu would of been laughing his ass off.
The other rocks met their marks, and he watches as her face met the earth. At first he stood there as she started to push herself up, unsure of whether he should run in case she were angry, or to stand there and take his punishment like a man. Deciding on the latter, he watched as she stood up, but after a few seconds of merely standing there, waiting to be yelled at, Kaibutsu realized something...
Akemi was also just standing there...Weird. He walked up to her, Bending down a little (read: A lot) trying to get a good look at her face. "You alright, Akemi-chan? That rock hit pretty hard..." Pretty hard? He threw that like he would a shuriken. Hard. If it wasn't bleeding, he would of been surprised. Damn him and his inability to hold back on occasions.
But needless to say, his emotions were in overdrive. He felt scared she would be mad, worried that he had hurt her, and even more worried that he may of lost a potential friend (read: girlfriend).
That was one thing Kaibutsu couldn't stand. He may of not been much of one for socializing, but when he made a friend, he kept that friend. Once you made a friend of Kaibutsu, he had your back for life, and he expected the same from you. So to have lost someone to add to his tiny pool of close friends. Well...That would of been bad.
What confused him, though, was why she was just standing there? Did she expect to continue training? That rock had to have created some sort of headache. Which made it exceedingly hard to learn Silent Killing. He knew from experience...But...if she wanted to continue, he guessed they probably would. If she didn't hate him by now, at least.
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Post by Akemi Izayoi on May 9, 2012 23:42:53 GMT -5
"Clear your mind. Focus on sound."
Over and over again, it repeated until she didn't even try to push herself to remember. The mantra came effortlessly, naturally, in the darkness. When time continued to bleed by, the mantra shifted. The 'clear your mind' aspect seemed unneeded. Still, no rocks came. Barely any sound too. It was so quiet that soon the 'on sound' drifted away as well. It left only the need to"Focus". Akemi struggled not to go any further than that one word. If she did, if she questioned it, then it would only lead to more doubt.
There was no need to doubt anything anymore. The tension in her shoulders had relaxed. Her body didn't feel as distant anymore. The darkness that seemed so intimidating became almost welcoming. Welcoming, but shy and afraid. It a way it was similar to an animal, having grown nervous as she did which only served to make both of them lash out at each other. Losing her sight wasn't that uncomfortable anymore. It was still difficult, she couldn't deny that, but only a slight more in comparison to mist and darkness. In darkness, the eyes could adjust and she naturally compensated with other senses. In mist, you could still 'see' yourself. You weren't uncomfortable with how you moved because you weren't cut off. Likewise, you still compensated with other senses.
Now, she could feel herself getting closer to that feeling. The girl's breathing evened out and it no longer distracted her ears. Yet, still nothing was happening. However, Kaibutsu's sudden voice shocked her. She flinched and turned to his direction without thinking. If her eyes were uncovered, the girl might have even had him in her sight. She didn't want to think too much yet. This was what she was suppose to be looking for, right? So she focused on his words, trying to keep them distant, but stay aware of them and process them.
It took a while. And while she mulled over it without losing her focus, the girl finally noticed the slight crunch of grass beneath sandals. Akemi felt the sun blocked. The source of warmth had been cut off from her skin. Next came the nervous breathing of someone, perhaps Kaibutsu, to her ears. She didn't want to wonder why he was nervous, she only wanted to continue. So she just tried to react. A small smile graced her lips. Then she brought a single finger to her lips slowly and deliberately. The meaning was hopefully obvious.
"Shhhhh...."
"Focus." The girl took a leap back, then another, subconsciously trying to measure out the same distance as before. This time Akemi took notice of how she moved. She still made noise, but she could feel her body more. She could pick out how the grass bent beneath her weight and how the air drifted across her skin from the movement. "Focus." Finally, after a third and final leap, she stopped. Akemi stood there once more, unmoving. Waiting. Her smile turned into a determined line. She was going to get this.
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Post by Kaibutsu Gakidou on May 10, 2012 0:43:51 GMT -5
The young shinobi flinched back quickly when Akemi suddenly turned towards him. His nerves went crazy, thinking that she was furious with him. There went all chances to seduce her, all flying out the window. And then she made that motion.
Confusion was the name of the game. Akemi apparently didn't care for the wound on her forehead at all. At least not by the shush motion she was giving him. Odd...She must've been...in the zone, as they say. Well, as she as she wasn't mad, that was good with him.
Nodding, even though she likely couldn't see it, Kaibutsu bent down, picking up a few more rocks. This time he would go a little easier on the throwing though. No need to hurt the poor girl again. Winding up, he threw the first rock. This one did not have the force behind as the other rocks, but still traveled fairly quickly. This one headed for her chest, one of the least likely places to hurt her, but also center mass, making it harder to dodge. While he may of not wanted to hurt her, his mother had instilled a respect for training into him. You weren't to go easy in training. It wasn't training then. Just...playing, basically.
The next one he threw about the same, this one aimed for her shin, the other one this time. He didn't know which would be better, hitting the same shin or the other, so he took what he thought was the lesser evil.
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Post by Akemi Izayoi on May 10, 2012 1:25:00 GMT -5
A shift in the air, but nothing threatening. The hairs on her arms raised as goosebumps started to form on her flesh. This training was kind of exciting now. A challenge that was so foreign from those she'd been through previously. No sight. Just hearing, smell, touch and taste. Focus on them and "see" through them. They were her eyes now. It was a wonder the girl had never noticed how acute they were before. Akemi was after all a weapon specialist and not shabby in taijutsu either. Just because she'd trained her eyes the most didn't mean the others had been neglected.
Everything made a sound as it traveled through the air. She knew that, practiced on knowing the sounds that each made. Senbon, Kunai, Shuriken, and many others. When you knew what they sounded like it made the decision of what weapon to use easier. As well as how to use them and if they were aerodynamic or took a specific way to adjust for a accurate path with strings. The sound of a hit when the target was far and out of sight. There was a distinct difference between wood, ground, flesh and the dummies she made. Even out of flight the sound of a sharp sword and a dull one, a bladed weapon and a blunt one, were all different. Build, purpose, and use made them that way.
Her hands had touched materials to judge their worth in quality just as she'd use her eyes to pick out imperfections, her hands looked for what eyes might miss. The two senses had worked together before. Her flesh had grown accustom to heat from forges and dew from mist. Her breath become slower and she took a gulp as saliva collected in her mouth, feeling the workings inside her body that she never paid attention to on a normal basis. How she breathed, how her heart beat, and how she tried to stay still but still felt the occasional movement.
Then she heard the sound of something flying through the air. It wasn't scary though. So she decided to take the first hit. Instead of moving blindly, she stayed still and focused on the happenings that came before. There had been and still was the faint feel of being watched. Then the displacement of Kaibutsu's movements as he positioned himself for a throw. Which led to the sound of the rock itself as it made its way toward her. Still, if she was suppose to be 'seeing' with the other senses she liken it to a blurry sight. The projectile was hard to perceive accurately. Only when it thumped into her chest was she able to pull a few pieces together.
Another followed, still hard to place. However, the girl decided to take a gamble and stepped to the side. The rock flew by because she felt the movement by her legs and heard it bounce against the ground behind her. She smiled and motioned for Kaibutsu to continue. It was slow, but she was making progress. "Quit holding back, nothing like positive reinforcement," she said with a mixture of idiotic determination and brazen impatience.
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Post by Kaibutsu Gakidou on May 12, 2012 18:30:17 GMT -5
Kaibutsu's jaw dropped as he watched Akemi dodged the second of the second set of rocks. She managed to dodge the second, though it wasn't as fluid as it should of been. Anyone worth their salt in silent killing would of been able to pick her out just from her footsteps. That didn't matter though. She had dodged one. Of course they weren't going nearly half as fast as the first, but still. To pick it up so quickly. Almost as quick as he had when his mom had finally decided to start throwing shit at him. Apparently learning by doing was the best. At least from what he had seen. Even if his mom did believe that a little studying was needed beforehand. Eh. Whatever.
Then she told him to stop holding back. Stop holding back? That wouldn't be good. He was actually good at Silent Killing. But...if that's what she wanted, he would oblige. Putting his hand together in the handsign for snake (this was just done to help his concentration) he steadied his breathing. He felt the world around him almost as if it was him. He could hear, even almost feel the animals of the forest around them. He could feel the grass moving and crunching beneath his feet. And lastly, he could feel Akemi. Feel her breathing, her body moving with the slightest twitches. If he trained her half as good as he hoped he could, when he himself entered his 'Silent Kill' mode, he wouldn't be able to feel those.
Picking up the rocks, his body made barely a sound. Even with that though, as the world around him lived, he could hear his slow heartbeat. Pounding in his ears. Why was that? He had never had this before. Now that he thought about it, he hated what he was about to do. There was no way she would be able to dodge what he was about to do next. He was about to show her what a NOVICE could do with Silent Killing.
"No holding back, huh? Well then, we'll see what that looks like." His voice seemed to reverberate around the surroundings. It wasn't as effective as it would of been with something like a mist in the area, but it still got the job done. The effect was actually quite easy to achieve. It just required one to be VERY good at throwing their voice. Not a skill everyone could achieve. But also not one required of the technique.
With that he took off in slightly wider circle around her, sticking around ten feet from her. His feet almost not a sound. As he circled around her, he prepared to throw. "Get ready!" Was the only warning he gave her before he unleashed a barrage of rocks, smaller than the ones he had thrown previously. More pebbles than anything. But damn if they wouldn't sting like a bitch if they hit.
After only a few seconds, he stopped himself, in the spot he had started.
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Post by Akemi Izayoi on May 12, 2012 21:46:36 GMT -5
The girl took a deep breath and let it out with slow exhale. It was getting easier. Her 'sight' was still a bit fuzzy, but it was becoming ever more clear as the seconds dragged on. As the last bits of excess air escaped her lungs, she focused on keeping her breathing even. Quiet and controlled, but still enough to gather the required oxygen. Kaibutsu said not to worry about being silent, but Akemi wanted to push her developing skill to improve it faster. She wanted to run and figure out the steady steps of a walk later. Leap ten feet instead of taking one at a time. The kunoichi didn't want to be the weakest link in a mist.
It was embarrassing. The skill helped the other members of her team by complementing their skills. The skill was also a staple to their hidden village for crying out loud. For her to only be weakened by it only reminded her of her dead last status. Of the fact that others would only see a failure. Akemi was not a failure and she was not a quitter. Which was why she would learn this skill. Then when she learned it, the girl would push the skill to its limits. Even the legendary Zabuza would find trouble against her in the mist should their paths cross. That was a promise to herself. As a ninja, Akemi would do everything she could to accomplish it.
With a newly found fire, she pushed her awareness out. Trying to 'see' as much as she could without her eyes once more. Further than anything she'd tried before. Stretching until she hit the limits of her sight and then even further passed the so called limitations of what people expected from her potential. Her stance loosened as her feet dug into the ground tensely before lessening the pressure. Relax and focus. People would fear her in the mist, they'd regret it even. Blend in, hide from the senses, Akemi tried her best to become one with the surroundings. Her body became still as she followed the sound of Kaibutsu's voice and attempted to trace where he was.
So when he practically disappeared from her 'sight', it surprised her. The echoes of his voice seemed to come from everywhere. Still, she held on to where she was in this state. If she couldn't pick him out, she could try to pick out where he may be. Where the winds shifted, where the grass crunched, or perhaps the faintest of sounds. However, all yielded nothing. He was already well versed with the technique and she couldn't seem to place where he was. Akemi only got one warning before the sound of rocks was heard a moment later.
Time felt slow, little did she know that she was steadily growing accustomed to processing this different sight. Without her eyes she didn't need to look so she didn't try. The senses she did used seemed to tell her enough anyway. The girl wanted to just react, but these didn't sounded timed. They were too random. If she just moved she might still mess up. Akemi pinpointed as many as she could, measuring and comparing them to each other. Then she moved. Partially planned and partially instinctive, she tried to dodge around them.
A sidestep to avoid the full brunt of the assault. Her foot crushing the grass was still way to loud for her expectations, but she continued. A quick pivot followed to make herself a smaller target from the direction they seemed to come from. She wasn't afraid to step into the small safe zone since she knew her size. Akemi didn't let herself hesitate either. To her delight, it was much more silent than the first dodge and a couple of more rocks flew around her. However, the last lagging ones still snagged her. They sent a stinging pain down her arms and into her brain. Yet, even so, she managed a smile. She was doing it! Having stopped the rest of the barrage struck her, taking full advantage of her distraction.
It wasn't enough to knock the smile off her face though. "One more time, I think I'm getting a feel for it!" She said excitedly.
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Post by Kaibutsu Gakidou on May 13, 2012 20:26:08 GMT -5
Damn. She definitely got a hold of this quickly. Some of the rocks still hit her, of course, but regardless, she managed to dodge SOME of them. The majority. And that was something to be proud of. Kaibutsu himself had already done the meditation part of the training, which from what he could tell, she herself was doing almost subconciously, so when his mother had started throwing shuriken at him, he already had a base to stand on to dodge them. So her moving this quickly, well, it was astounding.
"Again? Alright." His voice still reverberated around, him having not 'stopped' the technique. He knew she would want to go again. Just from the small amount of time he had spent with the girl, he knew she wouldn't stop till she had the technique down. A trait he hadn't thought he saw from almost anyone. Most people would take breaks, or have even given up after the first rock hit them in the forehead. Hell, even he would of taken a second to rest after getting a stone to the skull. But this girl...
Picking up some more rocks, Kaibutsu thought for a moment. Deciding on his course of action, he spoke. "Get ready. This time won't be so easy." He took off, tracing the same circle he had made around her from before. He started throwing the rocks. Once he completed one circle, he quickly reversed, retracing his steps. About halfway through that, since he would soon run out of rocks, he leapt over Akemi, raining some stones down from above.
Landing only a few feet in front of her, Kaibutsu turned quickly to see how she was. Hopefully he hadn't hit her too many times...
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Post by Akemi Izayoi on May 13, 2012 22:30:31 GMT -5
Akemi could feel it. The kunoichi was approaching the point where she almost had the technique's beginnings down. The girl could also feel the barrier she practically slammed against. She could understand that it wasn't complete yet. That she didn't hold the full understanding needed to satisfy her high expectations of herself. Still, the contradictions between her own nature and the techniques purpose were starting to clash violently. It was as if she was fighting herself now. Deep down, Akemi wanted to be noticed and to stand out. This technique wouldn't allow that. Because of that it felt like she was drifting away from the drive that made her want to struggle for it.
Hiding and waiting like this. Akemi didn't want to use the technique if that was all it entailed. Even if it allowed for her to keep up. However, the thoughts didn't sit right with each other. What was she missing? To defeat, but not destroy; to triumph, but not humiliate. That is what she wanted. That is what Akemi thought she wanted. What she thought it meant to be noticed. To gain the respect and fear in her opponents when it came to her skill. This skill could still do that though so why was she hitting a block? What did it mean to her to be a ninja?
Not everyone in the world has a reason to learn the ways of shinobi. But she did. Why? She could only sum it up in three words: blood, sweat, and steel. Killing was a factor she had to accept. Akemi didn't have to like it, but she die if she held back. As complex, as different as this technique was, she could mold her own style with it just like a weapon. It had to be possible. She didn't like waiting constantly. The girl liked to take initiative so why not take it? She was being dumb, closing herself into something so narrow. Just because a technique or weapon wasn't used in a certain way didn't mean they couldn't be!
She nodded to herself and Kaibutsu. This is where she'd get it. The girl chose the moment Kaibutsu shouted his warning to unsheath the sword at her back. Quiet, but eager. Waiting for initiative, any opening she could take. She was standing out, Akemi was using a skill to become unique. Everything seemed to click together at that moment. A separate entity, but one with the surroundings. There, but not. For the first time in her life, the girl let out a controlled killing intent, different from her rage. Weak by most standards, but still enough to unnerve. Akemi could finally grasp the technique fully in concept. All that remained was the practice.
Then the rocks started on their path towards her. Her mind processed and added steps onto the one she'd previously used. Pinpoint them, 'see' them, 'look' for the openings...and strike! The girl dodged through the rocks, avoiding them. Unsteady and loud at first, but gaining a sure step and increasing silence as the rocks continued to pursue her. She hadn't even realized that she started holding her breath. Despite the different angles she could still see fine. Where they came from, where they were going, and with that the girl was able to follow Kaibutsu's position even in his silence.
So when he landed she followed and closed the remaining few feet with a sudden strike. She wanted to show him her full progress. The blunt side stopped right in front of where she 'saw' him. The girl finally let out a heavy breath and proceeded to suck in air with a large smile as the killing intent faded. "Did I do it right that time?" For the briefest of moments, Akemi actually waited for a praise. Then she quashed it. Not everyone would take such a effort for anything other than what you were supposed to do.
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Post by Kaibutsu Gakidou on May 14, 2012 3:34:25 GMT -5
The 12 year old Gakidou didn't notice the KI until he completed his jump. Turning to look, he watched as Akemi dodged the last of rocks perfectly, akin to the way he had dodged his mothers kunai. What he didn't expect was the unnerving intent the he suddenly felt. He also didn't expect her to suddenly rush at him, her sword drawn. He reacted at that point mainly on the instinct driven into him by his mother. His tanto flourished from his sleeves, sliding into his hands with perfect precision.
He brought one up to block her blade from slicing him in two, and the other was poised to skewer her if she came closer. So of course he was surprised when she suddenly stopped, her blade inches from his own, his tanto almost ready to slice into the poor girl. When she spoke, and the smile graced her face, he realized what had happened. Moving slightly away from her, his blades still out since they were usually a pain to sheath anyway, Kaibutsu laughed. He laughed heartily. Not to demean her. Not to make fun of her. No, he merely laughed because of how similar this was. He also laughed at the fact that he was such a damn good teacher. Hell, maybe he would get his own little group of child soldiers one day.
"Damn right ya did it right, girlie. Great job!" He managed to almost shout out after his laughing fit. "Damn good job. Ya can take the blindfold off now. Ya got most of the basics down." Sitting down, he forced his tanto into the ground and pulled a couple of ration bars from his pockets. While not exactly the tastiest thing on the planet, they filled someone up, especially after training. He threw one to Akemi, and started to munch into his own.
"So that was fun, ya?" He asked shyly. He hoped that all the rocks hitting her didn't suddenly come to the forefront of her mind. Needless to say, Kaibutsu had a healthy dose of fear of the female race, mainly due to his mother. She didn't abuse him of course, but she was a stern and strict parent. If he messed up, she didn't hesitate to yell at him, and even slap him if the need grew. It wasn't like the slapping was all that bad, considering he also full-contact sparred with the woman, but slapping just seemed to be worse to him. Made him feel like he did something wrong, which he often did.
So anytime it came to woman, he usually kept himself as respectful as possible, though his slight perverseness occasionally made this hard, if not outright failing sometimes. Speaking of his perverted ways, for some reason they didn't much come out around this girl, even with his like of her. Why was that? Maybe it had something to do with the fact that when he had first seen her he had felt nothing except that she was a little cute. It may of also been the fact that it was mainly her personality that he was attracted too. Regardless, they had yet to show themselves, and subconsciously he hoped they didn't, lest they ruin any slight chance he had with this hard-working young girl.
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Post by Akemi Izayoi on May 15, 2012 16:52:51 GMT -5
Akemi was so enthralled by finally being able to develop the beginnings of Silent Killing, the girl could not find the urge to be bothered by the sounds of weapons being revealed. The smooth hum of metal unsheathing felt more like a compliment. To have taken the boy by surprise and caught him flatfooted by using his own technique was nothing more than an accomplishment. A broad smile of shining pearly white teeth became apparent on her face. Her sword lowered to a harmless position as Kaibutsu moved away from her and his laughter soon filled her ears. A laugh that wasn't the slightest bit mocking.
She did it. SHE DID IT! Another step toward becoming a legendary ninja. A shinobi of unparalleled skill...within certain areas. Weapons, seals, and now silent killing were on that list. The girl felt as if her fighting style had become slightly closer to completion and much more well rounded. Akemi couldn't wait until she got the chance to surprise her team with this new development. The girl caught the ration bar without thinking or removing her makeshift blindfold of bandages. Unraveling the morsel and biting into it heartily, she took the time to briefly imaging their reactions.
Kyomu and Mitsuko would both give her that appraising look at her hidden talent. Heck, Mitsuko would be so shocked when he summoned up a mist and Akemi faded into it. The girl would cut down anyone who tried to mess with Kyomu while he was trying to cast his genjutsu and then back up Mitsuko. No way they wouldn't be impressed. It was going to be awesome. The image of all three of them among a hazy red misted battle field, standing victorious in a sea of corpses came to mind. While most would find this image far from healthy, it was quite the norm for Akemi's imagination. Maybe if they did another training session as a team, she could pay Mitsuko back for that cheap shot too.
Kaibutsu's voice brought her back into reality and she let out a questioning hum as she played back the question. Swallowing another chunk on the ration bar, not bothered with the taste she answered, "That was great, opponents won't know what hit them when I get this down perfectly." Sure she would wake up with a couple of bruises in the morning because of the rocks, but that was a small price to pay. A couple of cuts and stiffness were an often result of her physical training anyway. So what was getting hit with a couple of rocks when the trade off resulted in her becoming so much better of a ninja?
Finishing the ration bar, she moved to peel away the bandages. Slowly and carefully, she took them off and peered out. With the return of her sight, she took in a new world. Everything was the same, but different. Though this training she had opened up another sense or maybe it was better to say she had gained a better awareness of the all the senses she had already. The sun was so bright that she had to shield her now sensitive eyes from it. Finding Kaibutsu, who seemed to be staring at her in a way she couldn't piece together, she smiled gently. "Thanks Kai," Akemi said serenely.
Her thoughts were then captured by the weapons in his hand. As a habit she started analyzing them, pulling every bit of information she could based on her own knowledge. Everything about them seemed well done. After her mind finished breaking down the weapon themselves, she moved to going over every possible way she used could use them both orthodox and not. Brain buzzing with all the thoughts, her mind suddenly screamed 'Weapon training time~'. The question was: should she use the same weapons or different variants against them? Shrugging she decided on matching her tanto skills against his.
Fiddling with a scroll she quickly unsealed her own pair. "Let's go another round. Silent Killing and real weapons, I want to see if I can keep up the technique under pressure." To most sane individuals Akemi would promptly be called crazy. To use a fresh technique under such stress was close to suicide. Yet, Akemi learned through her body with practice and hard work. Real conditions to breath life into her skills. The girl didn't know any other way. Besides she still wasn't tired enough to actually meditate. Also, since Kaibutsu carried around the weapons the boy was most likely proficient with them. Akemi could improve her own skills with the weapons just by seeing how he used his.
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Post by Kaibutsu Gakidou on May 16, 2012 3:13:48 GMT -5
"Ha, thats the point." Kaibutsu said, a smile adorning his face. His mental state calmed, seeing that the young girl wasn't getting angry. At this point, it was kind of hard to stay scared as she munched on the ration bar with that beaming smile. She was just too cute to be scared of.
When she removed the bandages from her eyes, her face lit up. It kind of reminded Kaibutsu of when he removed the blindfold from his face, though he was more glad to finally be done with training since his mother was a slave driver when it came to those things.
Akemi's words forced him from his thoughts and he was almost taken aback. Not from the words themselves, but from the way she said it. No one called him Kai. Only his mother, and that was often in a teasing manner. So to here someone say it, and not in a mocking manner was much...different than what Kaibutsu was used to. But...he kind of liked the name. "No problem, Akemi-chan." His own face curled into a small, genuine smile. He could see himself hanging out with Akemi much more often if spending time with her was this much fun.
Noticing her glance lower to his tantos, his thoughts wandered to his father. The man had been dead for around five years now, but he still remembered his face as he walked out of the house on his last mission. After his fathers belongings had been recovered and he had been attacked, his mother brought him the tanto told him that his father planned to give them to him. It was an emotional time, for sure. So the tanto were very dear to Kai's heart. They were his link to his father.
"They were my dad's." Kaibutsu stated, picking up one of the blades and looking it over lovingly. The blades themselves weren't exactly special. Nothing near Seven Swordsman quality, but they could damn sure take a beating. Good, reliable blades. Kaibutsu himself wasn't exactly the best user, but he wasn't a slouch. He knew his way around them.
Once again pulled from his thoughts, which he seemed to be pulled into a lot lately, he was surprised Akemi wanted to continue. This girl was a machine. Not only that, she wanted to face him in Silent Killing? He wasn't one to flaunt his skills, but lets just say his mother was a damn good teacher. "You sure, Akemi-chan?" Quickly he realized he shouldn't of even asked. Already he could tell Akemi was stubborn. Once she decided something, she was going to get it, one way or the other.
"Alright, I guess....What are the rules?" He asked tentatively. If he didn't want to throw rocks at her, he sure as hell didn't want to fight her using Silent Kill while using weapons he was somewhat proficient in.
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Post by Akemi Izayoi on May 16, 2012 20:34:15 GMT -5
Akemi paid little notice to the addition that Kaibutsu had tacked onto her name. The girl didn't mind it, despite how...girly it sounded. Kaibutsu was a cool guy anyway, having taken the time to show her the basics. The boy just had a different vibe in comparison to many others she had met. He took her seriously as a ninja, whether he was aware of her status in the academy or not. With the more likely answer being the latter. The kunoichi couldn't help, wonder for a moment. If he had been in her class, if he had known of her before they stumbled upon each other, would he still be the same? Akemi swiftly shook those thoughts from her head.
That didn't matter. All that mattered was now and how he was quickly gaining points as a friend. Honestly, she hoped that he wasn't as skilled as her with the weapons he wielded. Not out of pride, but Akemi wanted to help him out like he had her. The girl was confident with her skill with anything related to a weapon, but at the same time she still had doubts. She pushed herself to master many and all if possible. It was difficult and sometimes foolish considering how different a weapon could be from another. Those who focused on one weapon alone could possibly out do her. As a jack of all trades with using many weapons, developing them evenly, she always feared the time where she'd lose against an ace of one.
Sure, she prepared for that outcome by developing tactics with different weapons. That was a strength, to have a weapon prepared to defeat how another was used. Still, it would not stop the sting to her pride. However, if she considered any of her skills the best among all her weapon types it would be swords. They called out to her more than others and she developed her skill with them faster. The girl knew that though nearly impossible, mastering all the seven swords of the mist was still possible. It fueled her to the limits and sometimes beyond them in practice. As a jack of all she could become an ace in her own right. Akemi would let no one tell her otherwise.
Her eyes widened in shock at his sudden admission then softened. At that moment, Akemi wanted nothing more than to stick her foot in her big mouth. Trust her to hit a sore topic just by not being discrete enough by her curiosity. The girl hesitated to say something, but came up blank. Instead, she chose to stick her tanto within her sash and start wrapping the bandages around her eyes once more. The girl shifted a bit uncomfortably so she was glad when Kaibutsu changed the subject back to the spar. She wasn't good with all that emotions stuff anyway. The girl shamelessly distracted herself from the previous fumble by thinking hard on any rules they would need. These were live weapons after all and she had just learned silent killing.
"Uhm, just silent killing and tanto. No, running from the area and hiding either," Akemi wanted to push herself with these rules. The girl wouldn't throw weapons as she wanted to focus solely on the silent killing aspect tanto were for a sense of danger. The girl also didn't want to retreat, she hated running so she cut off her own escape by making the rule. It would force her to fight straight up. "Drawing blood is a point, spar ends when one of us gets three." There was no reason for this to be a death match anyway.
Then as an after thought, "No holding back though! We'll stop if a wound is too serious, but otherwise we do our best not to die. Sound good?" She finished a little nervous he'd think she was insane. The tanto made their way back into her hand as she waited for his response.
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Post by Kaibutsu Gakidou on May 23, 2012 5:39:23 GMT -5
Kaibutsu noticed the moment of silence, but threw it out as just one of those silences that come between new friends that couldn't think of something else to talk about. He hated those silences. They were unwelcomed, that was for sure. Made everything afterward seem so awkward. Luckily, she ended the silence with rules, but now that left one problem. Kaibutsu didn't have anything to cover his eyes...They both couldn't practice Silent Killing if he didn't have anything to cover up with.
Searching through his kunai pouch he tried desperately to find something. Unluckily, he came up with nothing. Damn it all. Well, he was a ninja, and a ninja could improvise. Taking the bottom of his shirt, he ripped a long strip off. It made a loud tearing noise, and hoped Akemi didn't ask what it was. It would be embarrassing to have to tell the now blindfolded girl he himself didn't have anything, and had to use his damn shirt. Well, she would obviously find out later anyway, but he wasn't thinking that now. Putting the makeshift blindfold on, he stood, bringing his tanto with him.
"Just silent killin' and tanto? Sounds good. And I won't hold back, but you have ta promise you won't either, kay, Akemi-chan?" He said, a humorous lit in his voice. He knew she wouldn't hold back. And he would try not to, but he wasn't sure he would be able to go all out. This was a girl he was starting to like, and he didn't want to ruin it by hurting her too much. But the rocks should of shown him that that didn't seem to matter to her. And now thinking about it, maybe he could impress her with his skills.
Kaibutsu himself wasn't the best genin to exist, but he sure as hell worked hard with what he had. He worked to become as good as he was at silent killing, and definitely worked hard with these tanto. These tanto had kept his father alive. These tanto had taken the lives of many people. And he would not disgrace them by being bad with them. He would be a good ninja. Maybe even a great one. And it would all be in the name of his father. No matter how badly he didn't want to. That was his nindo. His ninja way.
"So...Go?" He asked in a questioning tone. He didn't want to start prematurely, after all.
(Short, I'm sorry.)
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Post by Akemi Izayoi on May 24, 2012 3:35:50 GMT -5
Akemi's hands tightened around the leather bound hilts of her weapons. She needed to get a good feel of them. Carefully, she gave them a bit of a twirl as well to test their weight. After, she glided them along the length of one another. Enough to visualize them perfectly even without her eyes. The sounds reverberated in the air only to be disrupted by the sound of something tearing. The girl gave what would have amounted to a curious stare in Kai's direction, but dismissed the sound soon after. Once again, she glided them along each others' blades. The light hum filled her inner eye with everything she needed to know. Length, width, weight, all of it down to the very presence they gave off.
Everything that she would make disappear with her. Hide herself then find Kai and find him. It sounded simple because she was really good at making things simple, but she knew all the complicated stuff was just waiting to sink its teeth into her rear. The boy most likely held the edge here. She'd chosen his element to fight in and handicapped much of her improvisation. Akemi was stronger than her size gave her credit for, faster too. However, that didn't matter. This was a fight of straight up skill and practice between them. Already, she was running through just how she should fight against him. What was he expecting from her and how could she use that to her advantage? Did he use a customized fighting style or a classic one. Normal and straight or wild and various?
Too many questions and not enough answers. Akemi's only choice was to hit him with something that was hers down to the very core. She had to fight with something that was the most familiar to her. The girl barely had the focus of mind to nod an affermative to him. As if she could hold back. After all this, she wouldn't allow for anything less of her full ability. She'd been talking the talk now she had to walk while taking those steps without hesitating. So Akemi took a deep breath and blew it out with a loud rush of air. The tension in her shoulders relaxed and her arms dropped loosely to her sides, pointing the blades upward. The girls feet dug into the ground, tensing up all at once before also settling and easing into the surefooted stance.
It was the last sound the girl would make before she forced her presence and that of her weapons to fade into nothing. Akemi was going to test out something she'd never had a chance to try before. A self made style that was basically suicidal. To her, she didn't see much other choice. It was control the pace or get left behind, as simple as that. Idly she went over the purpose as she focused to stay aware of her sparring partner even as he would surely fade to her senses. "Attack and defend in the same movement. Be open and guarded. Have style and instinct. Contradict yourself without thinking." The list rattled on as Akemi waited for Kaibutsu to employ silent killing as well.
The girl stood in a still silence as she waited for the initiative.
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