Road to a Warrior's Destiny pt. 1 - Close Encounters of the Genin Kind

Mort the mighty warrior, savior and uniter of ninjakind and overall cool guy stood before an army of samurai, sent straight from the Land of Iron, their bloodlust for his head aimed right at the Sarkage of the land. Their faces held nothing but hatred, while his own was only filled with sorrow. He trained with these men, learned how they fought and tried to show them the way, but it was all for naught, for he was a ninja, and they Samurai. He truly desired peace, but it had come to this. Raising his trusty sword Excalibair, he'd begin to recite his strongest Genjutsu yet. "Be like water-"

"Wake up lazy bones, or else I'm taking a ride."

Mort the recently ranked Genin was snapped out of his trance as his daydream was shattered by none other then his god damn Id, Nova. He'd fall off the small rock he had taken a seat on and hit his head upon his trusty sword Excalipoor with a small "Ow." Escaping from his lips. "You know, I prefer to have my mind free from your blabering when I'm trying to psyche myself up." He'd seemingly say to his sword, when in actually he was responding to his Id. It helps me actually concentrate instead of want to smother you with Ocha Icha again."

"Oh? We're on willing corruption now? Well I must say I didn't think you had it in you. I guess you've earned your peace today then, but I call which book we're reading tonight." And with that ominous comment he coukd feel Nova sulking back to wherever it went to in his mind. Good riddance.

Properly getting up he'd grab a large scroll he brought with him. Before he had come to the training grounds he had spent the previous week writing up a large scroll on techniques he wanted to learn. While some of them like the clan techniques were...difficult given his mental state, he wasn't concerned with that. Today was going to be a lot simller then that. Looking down the list he'd find some good ones to start with.

Picking up his sword he'd etch a crude line from the rock to a smaller rock before putting the sword on top of his scroll. No need to lose his work so quickly. He'd then make a couple small hops from the large rock onto the line as to get a feel for how far he'd have to focus his chakra. Confident in his skill he'd stand upon the rock once more, and leap as far as he could before sending a burst of chakra down to his extended foot. He felt a slight burst of upward momentum...before realizing it was also bakwards momentum as he landed on his back, his head a few inches away from the training rock.

...Eh, he could practice that skill later. After all he had another, similar technique he wanted to try ever since he got ahold of that cool paper he couldn't recall the name of. Moving the scroll scroll a little farther back he'd stand on the rock he now dubbed 'sir cumference' he'd preemptively start to let chakra flow through his feet and walk off Sir C. A few steps in he felt fine, but as soon as he looked down his conentration broke and Mort ate dirt once more. He'd practice this a few more times before giving up for the day. He was pretty sure he had it down, but he couldn't quite find how much wind chakra had to be used.

Well, he still one more thing he wanted to try before he'd take a small water break. Apparently he managed to miss this training exercise before immediately skipping to chakra flow, but better late then never. Outstretching his left arm he'd quietly beging to say "Haaaaaa... like some cheezy hero from his daydreams as he'd direct his chakra to his palm. As a small orb of light began to form he'd keep pumping more chakra into it as his voice got louder and longer. Haaaaaaaaaaaaaa... Mort would then send a burst of chakra to the ball as he struck a few poses, his Haaing reaching a peak when he pointed to the heavens. HAAA! He'd scream as he took a pose. A pose that'd last for two seconds before seeing a highly charged ball of chakra he created landed right in front of himself. A ball meant to act as a flare gun. A ball that was clearly about to go off in front of his face.

"Oh no."

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3/8 Solo Post #1/3 (+10 xp; 690 debt remains)
Trained:
Jump Step | 120/100
Gentle Step | 116/100
Fusee | 56/50
Flair Gun Technique | 113/100

After a fair amount of eye-rubbing and ear-popping, Mort was pretty sure he'd recovered from the effects of his failed chakra flare. Of course he'd forget to put proper force behind it, but at least he had a few ideas on how to improve it for later. Walking back over to his large scroll he'd jot down a few notes next to the techniques he practiced. It was mostly 'Don't do X', though he'd make a few stars by the movements jutsus as he had a feeling he could turn that into an offensive attack with his sword, he just wasn't sure how. Taking a few more moments to look over his notes he'd hear the familiar sound of a feminine voice in his head.

'You know, if you actually practiced Genjutsu like the rest of the clan expects you to, you might actually make some progress.'

He'd send a quick burst of chakra through his head as a sharp 'fine then' echoed in his mind before going away. Already his Id was breaking its promise, and today was just note a good day for that to happen. Still, as much of a pain having a demon in your head would be, it did at least look out for his physical well being. "Whelp, back to it again."

Sir cumference faithfully greeted Mort with a stone-cold expression as the Genin returned to practice once more. But this was no time for greetings as this time Mort took a running jump onto and off of the rock before making the Bird hand-sign. For a moment, it actually worked as he hovered in the air and gracefully landed. sure it wasn't perfect and he was only in the air for barely half a second, but he had the right idea so far. Hell next time he'd try it without holding the bird sign as he went down too! He'd do the technique a few more times, even once with just 1 hand before feeling satisfied.

Satisfied with basically walking on air for a short time, he'd start to practice the last jutsu currently on his list that had a similar premise. Drawing upon his chakra he'd begin to channel wind through his feet. while before he was trying to have a decent amount flow through, this time he was trying to get a more consistent base underneath, closer to a snowshoe or rock climbing gear. After a little while he began to wobble as it felt like he was standing on smooth ice. His feet would slip and slide a little, but unlike his other attempts with Fuuton movement he kept himself upright.

Slowly ending the flow of air from his feet he'd walk back over to his scroll and put a few more rocks on top of it, making sure it was a bit more secure while taking Excalipoor with him. While he wouldn't need the sword for this jutsu, the next one it was practically a necessity. Jogging a lot farther away then any of the techniques he'd preformed up to this point, he'd gather the chakra in his body and let it build up, the warm feeling building in his chest letting him gauge how much more he had to focus. As soon as he felt ready, he'd strike a pose and yell "HAAA!" as he released the built-up wind chakra from his system as his clothes flew about all around him, though thankfully none of it tore. Taking a look over his clothes he was satisfied as it mostly worked, he just needed to remember to cast it over his clothes next time.

Taking a moment to fix his now disheveled clothes he'd set his sword down as he thought about how the mechanics of the last jutsu in this set was all about. Even now, he wasn't quite sure when he'd use it, but if he ever got disarmed having some way to get back his weapon was better then none. Taking position he'd walk a few meters away and make the snake hand-sign while looking at his weapon. At first nothing happened, the blade just...sitting there, almost like it was mocking him. Then, he'd see an outline of green form as it began to wobble around. Before he could get too excited however, the green chakra would fade from the blade. Was he not putting enough into the jutsu? Reforming the hand sign he'd redo the technique a few more times, slowly getting the blade to float without losing the outline. Satisfied he'd slowly bring the sword over to himself before setting it on his hip. Picking up the sword he'd walk back to his checklist and pull out some water for a short break.

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3/9 Solo post #1/3 (+10 xp; 680 debt remains)
Trained:
Gentle Descent | 115/100
Fūton: Kaze Sanpo [Wind Release: Wind Walk] | 108/100
Wind Release: Passing Typhoon | 108/100
Wind Release: Verdant Mountain Gale | 106/100

Taking a sip of his water he'd take a look at the sun and take note at how low it was getting. He had time for about...8 more jutsus before he had to head back home. Setting down his water bottle he'd make another round to his scroll and quickly skim it for a few quick ideas. He'd frown at a couple of the ones on his list, but a jutsu's a jutsu, and leaving a tool out of the kit could spell his downfall. Sighing as he'd roll up the scroll and set it next to his rocking friend. "Nova, come on out, I need you for this jutsu."

'Oh, now you want me? And what do you want me to do oh host of mine?' A chibi version of Nova would form and sit on the rock in front of the Genin. "I want you to try and manifest behind me as soon as I make the dragon seal, okay?" The chibi tengu shrug and would fade away as he made the hand position for dragon. Looking over his shoulder he could kinda see the ghostly form that the scroll had talked about, but it was too...milky? Well it was something. Trying a few more times he'd slowly get the form right as it went from milky to creamy to a sort of translucent white. A few time he'd see Nova's face try to form, but it's quickly become pale like the rest of the genjutsu. 'This sucks! Why this one and not a cool genjutsu that lets me eat people?'

Ignoring the small tengu now punching his cheek ineffectively he'd channel chakra through his hands like he'd always done, then he'd focus it down to his fingernails. It seemed like a really odd technique, forcing your fingernails to grow to an abnormal size and then reinforce them with chakra, but if he were ever to be disarmed having 10 little daggers on the tips of your fingers were better then none at all. After half a minute he'd see some progress as his nails looked like they needed to be filed, and then shortly after he'd take a closer look at the nails he'd see a small amount of sheen from the newly grown nails, and even the tips where they'd been dirtied were now a lot cleaner. He'd stop the flow and make a few test scratches on cumference, now squire of the rocks. After a few swipes he'd note that his nails were a little sharper, and with a little more practice he'd have some proper cutters he could grow from nearly nothing.

Taking some time to file his lengthened nails with Excalipoor as best he could, he'd take a moment to decide just what jutsu he'd practice the Focused Amplification jutsu on. Today was only meant as a training day and any chakra he spent meant less mental defenses from Nova in his sleep. Thinking back to the jutsus he'd practiced earlier today, an idea popped into his head. holding out his hand he'd begin practicing the Flare Gun jutsu again, then make the snake sign with his off hand and surge chakra into the ball forming on the tip of his finger. Before it was bright, but as soon as he began to pour more chakra into the jutsu it began to go from red to blue. He'd keep putting more and more in, and then fired. And it fell, again. Right at his feet. It it weren't for Cumference, defender of rockkind Mort would've been blinded for the second time that day. Thankfully the flare exploded rather quickly, and after getting an earful from his mental shoulder demon he'd take up his sword.

Out of all the jutsus he'd been practicing, this one felt...wrong. Like sure, a sword wasn't exactly a projectile, but that wasn't what bothered him. No, having weapons launched with the wind itself sounded cool, but making them large enough that not even the Kazekage could wield it was what seemed off. But this was the only weapon he brought to the field, so the sword it had to be. Hoisting up thee weapon he'd mysteriously bought he'd grip the pommel of it and began to spin it around. After about ten or so spins as he started to wobble, and he'd let go. As the sword flew towards the lowering sun, he'd make the Tiger-Rabbit-Dog signs and the weapon would grow larger...on the ground. Well, to say it grew would be an understatement. On closer inspection it just looked like it gained an inch. Well, like most of the day today, some progress was better then no progress. Releasing the jutsu he'd take his final break for the day and begin to munch down on some chips he brought with, courtesy of his mother.

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3/10 Solo post #1/3 (+10 xp; 670 debt remains)
Trained:
Lost Soul | 159/100
Claw Creation Technique | 175/150
Focused Amplification (Wind) | 183/150
Ninja Art: Shuriken Giant Body Technique | 161/150

Finishing the last chip with a satisfying crunch he'd think about the last few jutsus he was about to practice. Were physical techniques like swords or punches really jutsus? or were they some lazy way of categorization that made it seem like it was in the same area as breathing fire or jumping off of thin air? He honestly didn't know, and while a part of him wanted to, that was better left for another time and place. 'Unless...' He'd bring his hand up to his chin as he gave it some thought. Maybe if he did consider taijutsu, kenjutsu, and bukijutsu not as jutsus but as just one split into several, he might be able to fit in a few more then he'd thought of. Picking up his sword for his final set he'd begin.

First came the bear, where he'd take a sort of 'power up' pose. Mort was told that if he focused on treating his muscles like they were tough like leather he could withstand more physical punishment. Focusing on said ideal, he'd focus on tightening said muscles while trying to visualize just how one would withstand physical attacks this way. It took him a bit, as while he was used to swordplay, actual physical fighting was not his forte, but eventually he could feel his body toughen up ever so slightly. Slowly he'd move his arm and beat his chest with his fist a few times to test it out, and while it wasn't exactly what he'd envisioned, his midsection did feel a bit tougher. He'd slowly relax his body soon afterwards, satisfied that he had at least some defenses if he was fighting a musclehead.

Next came the sword, his area of expertise. Taking a relaxed form of Red Tiger, he'd then attempt to shift it into the proper style of kendo. He knew the basics of how kendo was supposed to work, yet every time he attempted to practice the same thing would happen in that he never felt fast enough. Red Tiger just felt faster to use, while kendo felt slow. But today he'd achieve proper form. Shifting his back foot slightly forward he'd focus not on overall speed but his handwork before making a few practice strikes. It still felt slow, but he did feel a bit more confident in his strike. a few more swings and he had a better idea as to why it never felt right. It wasn't just the speed, it was how he'd been swinging the sword itself. He was still using more of his wrist instead of his arm. sure wrists allowed precision, but without the power from a proper swing no wonder it felt off!

Satisfied that he had the proper idea as to how he was to use Kendo, he'd switch back to Red Tiger and practice the 5 basic techniques he was told about: Sky, Sun, Ruby, Crescent and Swallow. Fist was Sky. He'd lower the sword and make a few upwards strikes. The fist couple of strike were fairly slow. Sure he knew it was a defensive attack, an oxymoron if he'd ever heard of it, but if he couldn't get it down then how could he call himself a proper swordfighter? Taking a few more practice swings he'd note that each swing had a small wobble to it. He'd frown, as even without the wobble it just wasn't the same. There was just no joy in not having someone to practice with, but even there it gave him an idea for a genjutsu, he just needed to think about how to apply it. But the idea could wait as he'd make a few more uppercuts with his sword. Perfection wasn't the aim today, just the basic idea.

Next came Sun, and thankfully even as the sun was lowering he had enough that he could practice the technique. Raising his blade he'd take a few minutes trying to get the sunlight to reflect off of his blade and onto the rock of legends of which needs no name. With the sun as low as it was it took him a bit to get the refection just right, but Mort would line up the beam eventually. Satisfied that he found the right angle he'd practice the slash that utilized the sun as a weapon, making small adjustments as he saw the beam's target vary wildly. After a good half an hour once the sun was low enough that he couldn't effectively get the beam to line up anymore he'd stop and move on.

Ruby, the power attack of the quintuplets. It seemed so simple to Mort that he wasn't exactly sure why it was labeled as a jutsu until he watched it in action. Taking the stance he'd begin practice. It was more then just a simple downward slash, it was putting your whole body's weight into the swing, using the entire arm's muscle mass to press down into a person or object and utilize every ounce of energy into breaking through and surpassing whatever was blocking the wielder. While the glaring weakness was an issue, it was clear to the Genin that this attack was meant as a finisher or punisher if the opponent was in a genjutsu; perfect for his fighting style. More swinging, taking the sword from left shoulder to right hip. Out of all of the sword skills here he'd rather never have to use this one. The thought of being able to cleanly strike through a person's body exposing bone just unnerved him.

Crescent. The second of the three counters and the first one that he wasn't exactly sure how to practice with as from what he was told it required someone to attack him. Well, while he couldn't create that part without potentially having Nova assault his mind again, he could practice the pivot and spin. Making the motions to execute the counter, his mind wandered a little. Was this even a viable defense? Watching other Kenjutsu masters fight and seeing how fast they moved he wasn't exactly sure. His elders mentioned that the clan rarely if ever had able-bodied ninja that they could fight with, and that speed was only their forte when it came to mental attacks, not physical. But Mort had set his mind to it, and he'd figure out a way to become both a great swordmaster and Genjutu wielder. Spinning around he'd make the required slash and accidentally drop his sword as his grip slipped. A master indeed, but that'd only come with time.

Picking up his sword, it was time for the final sword style, Swallow. Like Crescent and Ruby, he was unsure of if he'd actually use these in a fight, but it was always better to learn and never use it then not learn it and need it later down the line. Taking position he'd attempt to visualize the opponent and began his swings. He still had some doubts about using a sword, even now as he tried to strike the imaginary target's wrists. When he was younger it seemed so obvious as swords were used by strong, noble fighters such as samurai and those in the village. But now? after seeing some of the tactics used by sword-wielders such as the ones he was practicing today a part of him faltered. Those few days when Nova took advantage of that weakness were a toll on his psyche, and even now he could feel the being attempt to take hold through that weakness. But he had time. He was told that even the best masters had times of weakness, and that they only became who they were through surpassing those hardships. A few more strikes and he felt like he'd practiced enough for today. while the sun wasn't quite gone he could see the moon begin to rise, signalling the end of his day.

Walking back to grab his scroll and other items he'd head back home, the weight of those final thoughts still there.

[Exit]

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3/11 Solo post #1/3 (+10 xp; 660 debt remains)
Trained:
Body of the Bear | 145/100
Kendo | 171/150
Zangeki no Sora ”Slashing Sky” | 139/100
Nikko ”Sunlight” | 134/100
Akai Rubi ”Red Ruby” | 165/150
Akai Mikadzuki ”Red Crescent” | 167/150
Agehacho ”Swallowtail” | 223/150