Team Ten's First Meeting! (Specialty Flashback)

Nyguyen Uchiha stood in the center of the state of the art outdoor training compound. The compound was just a small part of the overall facility but it was considered prime real estate for the purpose of outdoor training. The ground was sturdy but rough, a decent replica of what a shinobi could expect if they were in a random country. High quality training dummies and racks of weapons stood off to the side. Nyguyen had reserved the entire compound for his squad's use. It was time to see what Team Ten was made of. His secretary had given each of his students the time and place of where they would meet. He expected them to be punctual and he felt that there was a high chance of those expectations being met, at least by Chika and Ashitaka. Ari was a tough nut to crack and he'd need to handle her carefully.

Nyguyen was wearing typical Konoha Jounin instructor gear. A tracksuit, green flak jacket, and ninja scandals. He had trimmed his beard for this occasion and if one got close to him they'd smell a dab of cologne on his person. He had asked them each if they had what it took to be the leader of his squad and each had answered in the negative. It was a fair response but disappointing nonetheless. Konoha was in desperate of young leaders and if this new generation lacked confidence, could they truly uphold the legacy of this country's forebearers?

"We have our work cut out for us..." he said with a sigh.

Ashitaka arrived about ten seconds prior to the time he was given, and had been using his chakra-enhanced hearing to make his approach as quiet as a shadow, as well as his Suppression Technique to hide his aura. It hadn't been long since he'd last seen his sensei, so he wondered what the man would think of the... considerable improvements he'd undergone since then. Not least of which was the Scorpion Tail mounted on his back, a deadly variation on what was ordinarily a mostly harmless training weapon as long as he was tall. Saying nothing, he bowed silently to his sensei, habitually keeping his eyes on the man before straightening and turning to wait for his peers.

He was dressed as was normal for him: canvas trousers and a long-sleeved denim coat, both a drab brown with patches of tan and darker brown spattered over them. Over these, he wore his bush cloak with the hood thrown back to reveal his almost absurdly serious face. In spite of his expression, he was actually fairly serene on the inside. Even though he was sure that the kindness of his found family was going to get a lot of them killed, the rapidly burgeoning threat of the coming war was stripping away the petty necessities of civilization as the humans around him subtly devolved into their more primal states.

Techniques Used:

Chika, despite his best efforts, would arrive right on the dot, jogging up to the duo, holding a piece of toast in-between his teeth. He wanted to get there a little earlier, but fate had other ideas in store. He wanted to have a little fun, appear from an unexpected area like any good shinobi, but as the meeting location was in the facility itself, there was a high chance of combat, and he needed to reserve his strength for when all hell broke loose.

What might of been intriguing to them though was not the semi-burnt toast with half-melted butter threatening to fall off at any moment, but the large cloaked figure on his back, the faithful Karakuri. Although he hadn't had time to properly buy some gear for the thing for...reasons, he did have some kunai that could be used, though he left the kunai launcher back at home as he had other plans for it. Setting down the puppet he'd give a bow to the both of them, his off-color Hyuga clothing slightly modified from the last time either of them had seen him to provide more dexterous movement while sticking a little closer to his body.

"I hope I'm not late. You know how it is, life trying to get you lost on it's path and all that jazz. Also hiya Ash, didn't expect to see you here! Who do you think our third partner's going to be?" He'd finish eating his toast, the butter having been thwarted in it's escape.

Because of the letter’s time frame, Ari made sure to arrive at the entrance of the facility on the dot. Her short silver hair is unchanged from the last time Nyguyen met her. Likewise she wore shorts and a black tank top. Her feet are bare to the elements, but it doesn’t seem to bother her as she seems to have wrapped her forearms and shin with bandage wrap. Not in the way that she’s injured, but rather it adds pressure to avoid stress in the muscles and joints. Being a taijutsu specialist would mean that she has to protect her arms and legs.

Her stormy grey eyes with fierce determination shift in her vision. To take in the sights and once they fell upon Nyguyen Uchiha. Ari smirked at the sight of him, and hopefully she doesn’t strike a nerve again. But considering how well that went before. Ari can’t hold any silent promises when there wasn’t any promise made. Her steps were light and made soft taps on the ground. It was good enough to perform some solid earth style techniques, but as for the other two that were there. Ari didn’t recognize them, and frankly she didn’t know what sort of skill set they would have.

”So these are the other wannabe shinobi? Are you sure they have what it takes to make a living out of this career Nyguyen?” Ari questioned the other two as one seems to be timid and the other seems to be stiff as a board. She swears if that creaking isn’t coming from that tail then it’ll probably be the poor boy’s joints. Either way all of them appear taller than her as Ari stands at 4’10”, but that doesn’t bother in the least.

Nyguyen was mildly disturbed by the look in Ashitaka's eyes. The young man was punctual which was good and normally he didn't mind a genin that acknowledged the weight and difficulty of the profession they entered. However, there was something about the ethos that he exuded that put even this Jounin on edge. Apparently he had taken Nyguyen's words to heart. He also had come prepared as he wielded a large weapon with a kunai attached to the end. The black man gave his first arrival a curt nod.

"Good Afternoon Ashitaka" he'd offer.

He expected a response.

The next to arrive was Chika. Curses! She's going to test me! Was his first thought when the puppeteer made his way over to them. If Chika was second then that meant that Ari was third. And if she was third then there was a risk that she might be late just to prove a point. He'd need to deal with that if that was the case. The punctual puppeteer was true to his word. He had brought his faithful manservant with him which meant he'd be ready for action.

"Good Afternoon Chika" he'd say.

He expected a response.

Apparently the two knew each other which would only solidify their cohesion as a team. This was also good because it made them less likely to bend to Ari's peer pressure. Two down...one to go.... Nyguyen had remained stoic throughout the first two arrivals, but the third was sure to be a battle of wills. He was already psyching himself up for the encounter. Fortunately for Nyguyen, Ari arrived after Chika with not a second to spare. They weren't early but they weren't late. It was a decent enough start. He was about to wish Ari a good afternoon when the she opened her mouth and berated his pupils.

Nyguyen's eyes flashed with anger. He resisted the urge to take her side, for ire directed towards others was ire not directed towards him. But he could not stand there and let her disrespect her squad mates. They were his students and he was responsible for them just as he was for her.

"What did I say about that tongue young lady! You will not disrespect your teammates in my presence. As far as I am concerned, you are all ill-prepared for the battles to come"

Nyguyen realized that perhaps his praise from before had gotten to her head. The Dokuma likely beleived she was his favorite as a result of her fantastic martial aarts display. He'd need to quash that sort of thinking immediately if he were to win over Chika and Ashitaka's trust and respect.

"Each of you are shinobi....the lowest rank of shinobi.....but shinobi all the same. I will afford you due respect and in turn you must offer the same respect to myself and your fellow squadmates. Since you believe yourself to be better than them Ari, I will allow you to introduce yourself. Please tell us all your full name, skills, and what you hope to achieve as a shinobi of the Hidden Leaf"

Nyguyen's strategy here was simple. He knew Ari responded well to an even-handed approach. If he berated her too much, she'd retaliate and he'd be near powerless to counter. But perhaps if he treated her like an adult, she'd keep herself in check. It was a bit of a gamble but it was worth it. He couldn't afford to come off as oafish and frightened, not when Chika and Ashitaka were watching his every move. If he was going to lead them on the battlefield, he'd need their unconditional trust and respect.

"Sir." was the extent of the kid's response to his sensei. He wasn't sure what could be good about this afternoon, seeing as how war had just beaten the consolidation of their team in terms of official declaration.

Ashitaka afforded Chika a faint smile, which dissipated as the last member of their team arrived and greeted them with insults. He silently analyzed both of his teammates. Up until now, he didn't know what Chika had been capable of other than the Byakugan he inherited from his... delightful clan. The thing resembling a hybrid between a corpse and an amorphous growth on his back pointed strongly in the direction of puppetry, which probably suited his shy demeanor and visually-focused talent quite well. It would afford him the opportunity to participate indirectly in whatever conflict they got into.

As for the rude girl, her attire and build pointed strongly towards a specialization in taijutsu, which Ashitaka personally avoided because physically speaking he saw himself as rather frail. In his mind, strength of body was best left to animals with no capacity to develop their brains, and this newcomer was quick to illustrate that being the case for her. She was also notably barefoot, and the way she contentedly dug her toes into the soil made him think she either was or imagined herself to be an Earth element user, something which made him feel dirty for having such an association with the crass lass.

Nyg's voice drew his attention back to the adult of the group, and Ashitaka was unsure, but he got the distinct impression that the jounin was nervous about something. There was a tremor in the man's tone, slight enough to be hidden from common ears, but not for someone who was as good a listener as he was a smith. The way he snapped at the pale-haired girl, the tension in his body, how he prattled needlessly at the lot of them as he was starting to believe was typical, but opened the floor for her, all slowly painted a fairly unpleasant picture: Was Nyg-sensei intimidated by her?

Ashitaka looked again at... Ari, that's what Nyg said her name was. Looking her over, he could find no trace of what had their jounin so shaken. She was just a girl, and other than being foreign, seemed a rather garden-variety taijutsu-centered genin. Nothing to get so worked up about.

"'Afternoon Sensei." No need for any fancy greeting right now. That and despite his sensei's secretary coming to give him the time, he still didn't know his teacher's name.

That was quickly rectified when their third teammate showed up.

He had seen many hoity-toity people who's heads were so far up their own arse they'd be considered an Ouroboros three times over, but she was different. Maybe only one rotation, but not due to being stuck-up. No, she reminded him of his little sister. Smart, annoying, and somehow just wanting to be fisted right in the face as Gently as he could. But in his time with working with puppets and other Hyuga, he'd learned the art of patience. No, as he did a brief look-over her body, he'd note her muscles and how, while definitely more toned then his muscles, was about the same level of his own. Did she model as some sort of side job? he didn't know, and was fine with not needing to know right now. For now he'd just show a fairly neutral face, no need to reveal anything.

No, if she kept it up, he had an idea, but it'd be shelved for now as he listed to Nyguyen scold Ari about teamwork and how the three of them were all on the same level. While Chika didn't notice Nyg's small bouts of emotion as he had been focus on the newcomer, he could pick up some of it in his voice as he went over how they were going to introduce themselves.

High strung as always Nyguyen was. To be honest Ari hoped the day break from her presence would ease the tension between them, but it seems to not dwindle over the short period of time. Her brow raised at attention to Nyguyen’s shouting as if he’s trying to get louder than her. Quick to light a fuse it would seem, but in her mind she is right.

”Lemme stop you right there chief. We are not real shinobi individually. Can you really trust us individually to carry on assassinations? Espionage? Or just an easy task as guarding the trading routes from typically bandits or possibly another nation? Without a hint of doubt in your own voice?” Ari didn’t mean to, but her voice became loud, clear, and held a passionate anger behind her. The memory of her house being destroyed by fire and the memory of being forced to leave the village of Tetsugakure burned in front of her mind. Her hands balled into tight fists as she was angry at the thought Nyguyen would suggest such a thing. Then she took a deep breath as her therapist often said to calm her emotions.

”Respect is one thing, but respect won’t protect us from having a blade running through our throats sensei. Individually neither of the three of us Genin are considered to be shinobi until we’ve acquired enough experience under the right guidance to do so. Until then, the three of us would just have to try our damnest to act as one single unit and just maybe as a whole we can become trained shinobi.” Having said her piece, Ari becomes quiet as Nyguyen nurses everyone else’s pride. Granted Ari admits that she is a bit harsh, but pride and respect is not going to protect them. Action will with the right skill and build be the protector of their lives. On the same token, she doesn’t trust her life in anyone’s hands, and she definitely doesn’t trust any of them either. Trust or not, if they’re not mentally prepared to potentially die in their line of work then they could choke. In which case would be catastrophic that can result in the team’s death, or worse, kidnapped and tortured for various things.

”My name is Ari Dokuma, the Earth Devil. A pleasure to meet with the rest of you. I specialize in combining Ninjutsu and Taijutsu together with the Earth element. As you can imagine I’m more of a close quarters person, but I do aim to master all five elements someday. As for what I hope to achieve, I don’t know if it’s for the name of Konohagakure, but I do wish to aid in creating a safer world.” Ari wanted to add more, but she felt like it would make her seem even more hostile and would deter the point of this session if she gave a political opinion of how terrible the major nations were being. So the small girl shrugged her shoulders as her stormy grey eyes shift to the side indicating that was all she had to say.

The other two were not particularly troubled by Ari's insults. This made Nyguyen's reaction all the more questionable. He noted how calm they were and how they appeared to be analyzing the situation very carefully. The realization made him even more nervous. They were scoping out whether he could handle Ari's rank insubordination. Unfortunately, Nyguyen's bid for respect was scuttled when Ari cut him off at the knees. She made it clear that none of them were shinobi and she even highlighted the fear in his own voice.

”Lemme stop you right there chief. We are not real shinobi individually. Can you really trust us individually to carry on assassinations? Espionage? Or just an easy task as guarding the trading routes from typically bandits or possibly another nation? Without a hint of doubt in your own voice?”
"I! Well! Yo-"

He couldn't form a good response and instead his words became garbled. She wasn't this angry before. This was a new side of her. The balled fists, the raised voice, the ferocity in her eyes. All of it reminded him of his daughters and how he'd cower when they both tag-teamed him into submission. He did his best to hold his ground but before he could get a word in, Ari launched a second offensive.

”Respect is one thing, but respect won’t protect us from having a blade running through our throats sensei. Individually neither of the three of us Genin are considered to be shinobi until we’ve acquired enough experience under the right guidance to do so. Until then, the three of us would just have to try our damnest to act as one single unit and just maybe as a whole we can become trained shinobi.”
"Yes Ari I agree but th-"

She was worked up now and it seemed that he had no hope of stopping her. Not only was her passion greater than his, she was right. Ultimately, none of them were ready and if they occasionally reminded each other of that reality then maybe they'd have the motivation to remedy it. She had taken his entire criticism and turned it against him. In the process, she had robbed him of his authority and made herself out to be the wisest among them. Nyguyen fell silent as Ari finally introduced herself. He was ashamed and embarrassed. He was certain that his students would not respect him now. He had failed to bring the girl to heel, but most of all he had failed her. He could tell there was real pain and anger in her voice. Having raised two young women he knew when they were putting on an act and when they were truly upset about something as a matter of principle. He wasn't Ari's father but given her background, he guessed that she needed an additional paternal figure in her life. If he couldn't exercise discipline and foresight in situations such as these then how could be there for her?

Yui was easy. She did what she was told and allowed him to instruct her as necessary. Unfortunately, not all children were as obedient as Yui Uchiha. If he could not reach through Ari's pain and bring her out of it then she'd be a liability to herself, the team, and Konoha. He couldn't let that happen.

The Uchiha allowed Ari the floor to state her skills and ambitions as a shinobi. Once she was finished, an awkward silence filled the air. Nyguyen stared at his feet as he said:

".....Ashitaka, you're next"

Great. More lecturing. That's just what everyone needed to spice up an already bitter day. And Nyg-sensei just stood there and took it like he'd been gelded or something. At first, Ashitaka felt his respect for the man plummeting like a meteorite, but it rebounded when he remembered that the adult had previously asked him if he was ready to lead the team. Which meant that he had foreseen his own weakness and compensated for it in advance, while at the same time not looking already beaten down by it. In fact, he was still fighting it, as progressively more sad as his efforts were looking. It was time for Ashitaka to step in. After all, his dedication to the craft and use of weapons was also a compensation for a stark weakness, as he was sure that Chika's puppetry was to overcome his cowardice.

"Sensei, shouldn't we wait for the fourth member of our team before we start introductions? We don't want to have to repeat ourselves." he suggested, completely circumventing Ari's aggression. While was not especially familiar with preteen girls, or people in general, really, he had interacted with a lot of animals. Wild boars among them. And he knew from watching them that if you started butting heads with a boar, it would fight back even if your ability far outstripped its own. And it would fight all the more fiercely as it lost ground, motivated by sheer spite. And this Ari was definitely giving off "boar" vibes.

"Thanks for sharing your wisdom and the nature of your prowess." he said to Ari, with a smile that while not forced certainly lacked any hints of warmth. The kind you'd expect to see on a person working customer service while they dealt with someone who was deliberately being especially difficult. "Please don't let us get in your way. You must certainly have better things to do with your time."

Giving her a slight bow, he moved over to Chika, to whom he was significantly more friendly.

"So that's a puppet, right? Did you make it yourself? Can I please see it?" he asked, although truth be told, the puppets in general unsettled him a little. He wasn't sure if they were more or less disturbing when they looked more or less human, and that bothered him even more, which he was a bit embarrassed about. He decided that it was best to temper this squeamishness now while they were out of combat so it wouldn't become a problem while they were in it.

Yep, she needed a good hard slap. Sure over the years his respect for those above him had dwindled, but he still showed it even if they were assholes. In his eyes she didn't even bother to set up any respect at all, and then her goal. It was hypocritical, and yet he bod language said she had a lot more add. He'd hold his tongue a bit longer as it seemed it was Ash's turn.

He'd mutter aloud. "Wait, we have a fourth member going us? Aren't teams usually 3 Genin and a Jounin?" He'd wonder why that'd be the case and who the mystery member could be, but he was coming up blank.  "Anyways I don't mind repeating myself, so I'm Chika, and while it's a bit obvious. I fashion myself to be a bit of a Kugutsu practitioner. I also've dabbled a bit into taijutsu and Kuchiyose, though the former is almost a given. As for what I want to achieve? I just want to enjoy my hobbies, and being a shinobi is the best way for me to do that. If that means I become the greatest puppet master in the world, then so be it." He'd motion to the youngest of the group. "And he's Ash." No need to say anymore on that front. The kid could say his talents when he felt it was time. No need to step on his turf. Speaking of the kid, he'd listen to his request.

"Ah, yes, yes you can Ash." He'd set down Faithful and take off it's cloak, revealing its remarkable similarity to it's creator, both in form and in clothing. Even since Nyg had last seen it, small modifications had been made, with it now having proper eyelids & an old pair of frames right over the eyes. If it weren't clearly made of wood, it would've fell deeply into the uncanny valley, though in it's current state one could argue it was close to the dip.

"Oh, and if you want to get it to move, just attach this to the back." He'd hand Ash a wooden board with several small gears & levers. "It's not chakra strings, but slow movement is better for diagnostics anyways." Hoping Ash would be distracted for at decent amount of time now, he'd turn his head to Ari and his demeanor would change, enough to show he was annoyed, but not enough to show his frustration. No, the Hyuga were many things, but they did not show frustration, and some old habits died hard.

"But back to you Ari. Unfortunately I can't exactly return the pleasure yet as I'm curious about one thing. Why you don't show him the respect he's tried to show you? Sure we're still newish to all of this, the kid moreso then you and you more then me, but I just can't help but wonder why you're trying to act higher and mightier then a young Uchiha who just awoke their eyes." He had noted the clenched fists, and was goading her. His desire to see what was making her tick taking a forefront now that he had the floor. If he was going to work with her, they'd need to find some sort of middle ground, and for many Konoha nin it seemed that fighting was the easiest way for that to happen. Thankfully if he could get her to attack, that'd speed things up immensely. "After all, isn't respecting others and not antagonizing people a big part of creating a safer world? Or are you of the opinion that a safer world is one where fighting doesn't happen due to everyone being too afraid to do anything wrong; else you'd 'fairly' punish them? That would technically be a safer world then the one we live in right now, wouldn't you agree Ms Devil?"

Ari wasn’t aware that there was a fourth member in this team, and like Chika mumbled the teams are usually three Genin being taught by one jounin. A brow raised as the short girl shifted her eyes over to Nyguyen for any confirmation about this.

"Thanks for sharing your wisdom and the nature of your prowess." Ash spoke to Ari directly in a surprisingly calmer tone than what Nyguyen displayed. She didn’t verbally respond, but Ari did nod her head in acknowledgement. "Please don't let us get in your way. You must certainly have better things to do with your time." In response to this Ari’s eyes slightly narrowed as her vision focused to the side. A frown can be seen on her face, but not one of anger or disdain.

”I wouldn’t say that. If I thought this was going to be a waste of my time then I wouldn’t even be here.” Ari responded with a calmer tone than she had earlier. There was a moment of peace in Ari as she was calming down while Chika was presenting his puppet. It was a unique form of a puppet to Ari’s eyes as she hasn’t seen a puppeteer in combat before. So she was a bit curious on how Chika was going to implement this puppet in such a manner. There was even a box with levers and gears that Chika handed over. However all sense of calm was thrown out of the window once Chika started talking to her. Ari’s left brow rose as he spoke his piece and she ended up scoffing at how naive he was.

”I’m sorry if I don’t give everything on a silver platter just because some old fart told me to. I don’t try to act superior than everyone here. I take this career seriously, and if you think this is just some kid’s show then you’re very mistaken once you see one of your friend’s frozen face in agony as they die with a sword in their back.” She is starting to realize that none of this is going into their heads and it was infuriating to think shinobi could just walk into this career wily nily and expect rainbows throughout their lives. Seriously if they thought she was strict then they clearly didn’t have a Samurai tutoring them.

”You’re so damn naive. Where I come from, everything is earned and that includes respect. Fortunately for our sensei here, he’s already earned my respect. I’m simply laying out the truth and what you all should be expecting to face soon if not later.” Ari’s tone held anger in her voice as her eyes spoke of fierce determination. Although the second he questioned her goal, earth chakra flowed from her core into the ground. Specifically, the ground underneath Chika’s feet churned into a river of mud as it attempted to sweep Chika off his feet. Assuming this is successful, Chika will be carried along the stream 20 meters away back from his original position. No major damage will be done aside from maybe a bruise from falling into the mud, but if anything Chika will be further away and he will be dirty from the mud.

”I have my reasons for being here, and I’m sure you have your own. I ain’t going around here ditzing everyone’s dreams, and if you think i was antagonizing before then boy are you in for a rude awakening!” Ari lowers her stance like a tiger is about to pounce. Her hands cupped as her legs were spent and spread out a little past her shoulder width.

”If ya wanna fight four eyes then you should’ve start swinging instead of running your damn mouth!”

Used Earth Flow River -3CP (Affinity)
Seal-less Combat Doton UA

Stamina: 132/135

Nyguyen was temporarily snapped out of his stupor of defeat by Ashitaka's mentioning of the "fourth member." Chika seized upon this and wondered why there was a fourth member. Nyguyen shook his head as if rousing from a dream. A dream where Ari and his daughters were hoisting him up by his feet and beating him like a pinata with sticks of insubordination, disrespect, and mockery. Grateful to Ashitaka for the distraction, he cleared his throat and announced:

"The fourth member of this squad has been placed in reserve. I was waiting to tell you this but now should be a good time to say it. If one of you fails to keep up with the rigors of this squad be it physically or mentally, you will be benched and the fourth member will take your place. So please respect the squad and respect yourselves or I'll replace you with someone who does!"

The last words he said were practically shouted as he desperately tried to maintain control of his team. The decorum he had imposed earlier was breaking but thanks to the efforts of Ashitaka it might yet be saved. The Inzuka's words were conciliatory. Like Nyguyen, he had recognized Ari's ferocity could not be easily cowed with threats. The boy then asked to see Chika's puppets showing that he was interested in his comrade's choice of weaponry. Nyguyen quickly realized that Ash was the peacemaker of the group and that he might need to lean on him to preserve their unity. Nyguyen did notice that he declined to formally introduce himself to the group. He didn't want to take it as a sign of disrespect or insubordination but given how Ari was treating him, that was how he subconsciously viewed it. Yet After Ari's berating, he had not the strength to call Ash out. Chika was the last to introduce himself. He did a fairly decent job but no sooner had he done so and obliged Ash's request did he turn and undo the peacemaker's work.

Nyguyen looked on as Chika put Ari in her place. He was about to jump in but part of him was morbidly curious as to how this would play out. He could not allow Chika to usurp his role as Ari's disciplinarian. It wasn't Chika's place to chastize the girl but Nyguyen also knew that if he tried and failed it would only embolden her more. Perhaps it was better to see how she reacted to the puppeteer. Nyguyen's jaw set when Chika compared her to a young Uchiha who had just awoken their Sharingan.

" ...I just can't help but wonder why you're trying to act higher and mightier then a young Uchiha who just awoke their eyes."
"Chika that's offensive" he commented, purely out of habit.

As a historian, it irritated him when people relied on anti-Uchiha stereotypes to make a point. The Jounin was honor bound to defend the image and ideal of the Uchiha as a noble people. He could find the courage to speak up on behalf of a nebulous concept but not himself. It was rather sad, but that's just who he was. He could not let a misunderstanding of emotionality, doujutsu genetics, and anti-Uchiha bigotry go unaddressed even if it had nothing to do with the crisis at hand. Nyguyen didn't say anything else. It was clear that Chika was antagonizing her and while he wanted to stop it, he wanted to see if Chika could do what he could not. Could Chika get Ari to behave? It occurred to him that running this experiment was a catastrophic failure of leadership on his part but at this point what else did he have to lose? It was the gamble of a desperate teacher at the end of his rope.

He turned to Ari to see her reaction.

The girl had been calming down when Chika jumped in, but that didn't mean much. Nyguyen knew that once his daughters had won an encounter that didn't necessarily make them behave well. Tween girls' moods were constantly in flux and not even his Sharingan could predict what they'd do next. Contrary to his hopes, Ari immediately returned to her war-like nature. She called him an old fart and he winced in pain at the insult. She then followed that up by saying he had actually earned her respect. He'd have beamed with pride if things didn't take a violent turn. She had taken offense to his attack on her goal. Nyguyen's historical knowledge immediately kicked in. The Land of Iron was governed by the immutable law of the Samurai. It was known as Bushidō and to disrespect it was to court death. Nyguyen was armed with all he needed to know to step in and yet he could not. He froze.

He watched as Ari activated the Earth Flow River technique to wash Chika away in mud. Nyguyen was fast enough to react to save his student but for some reason his body wouldn't move. He watched helpless as Ari openly challenged Chika to a duel. The ferocity, the spirit, the Tenacity of the young girl was overwhelming. It made Nyguyen wonder whether he had somehow sired a bastard daughter at some point in his life.

Nyguyen willed his body to move but he could not. He watched as his students literally came to blows before him.

OOC:
Nyguyen has attempted to intervene but it was not successful.

Chika should have anticipated it as she had mentioned she manipulated earth, but without a seal or the byakugan, he was shook by the Earth Flow and tried to keep balance, activating his byakugan out of habit to try and not slip. Unfortunately, about halfway through the movement he'd fall right on his rump in a little bit of shock. Ari took the bait, he hadn't expected that reaction, so at least he knew what one of her nerves were.

"Hmmm, no. I'd say most of what you just said and assumed was wrong, though I don't blame you for that."

A few plans had formed their way into his mind. A lot of there were pretty bad, but one of them stood out as possibly working. Having a view of the training area they were in he took at what he could work with without needing to break eyesight with his opponent, he'd find a few rocks that were good targets for his needs. Setting his hands down he'd let some chakra flow into them before spinning around on his hands and pushing himself back up and a few feet in the air using the spin as momentum, righting himself back on his feet and with very little mud remaining on his clothing, though some stains still remained.

"I knew fully well what I was getting into when I agreed to become a shinobi and puppeteer, but it's better then dying alone in a ditch in fear, abandoned by those that said they'd keep you safe." Could he have made it all on his own as a simple merchant? Maybe, but his path was chosen without his input, was taken away without his input, and he had to pick up the pieces and make it into his own path, though he did embellish it a little.

"It's clear you won't back down, and I guess I'll need to beat some sense into you just like life did to me." While he had already shifted into it when he spun around to get up, he'd take his proffered neutral position for the Way of the Spider, his heels off the ground and his arms and hands spread out. While he was a bit annoyed that there wasn't any tall trees, he could make due as he had one hand form some strings to pull out a lone kunai, the strings attached to it's ring as it slowly circled around him.

"Come now little sister, and spit out that spite you've bottled up against the Living Stain of the Hyuga Clan. Maybe this time you'll learn that you aren't special." With a twitch of his hands as he started to make some distance, he'd have the chakra thread's thin, visible, and dangerous to touch. Finally the kunai & string would be manipulated to try and wrap up Ari's limbs in an effort to partially restrain her with pain, keeping slack on his end in case she tried to power through and yank the chakra cords. The desire to find a middle ground had been lost as he just wanted her to shut up now and see his side of things. He hadn't seen that he was projecting his feelings onto her, in his all-seeing eyes a stuck up bitch who had no right in saying he was pampered after what he went through. That he was wasn't 'fortunate' and 'born lucky'. No, to him she was just another puppet parroting the same old nonsense that made him an outcast.

---

135/135 CP
➤Byakugan -0.4 CP; 14 posts remain till strain
➤Way of the Spider -3; +1 tier Coordination (Fighting Style)
➤Nimble Fingers -1; + Coordination/++ Coord with hands/arms; 4 posts till end (Aura)
➤Chakra Thread Technique -3; Kunai manipulated to move with A++ Coordination
➤Razor Threads -3; adds C-rank dmg to Chakra Threads if touched
123.6/135 CP

➤Chika will try to move about 10m away from Ari.

"Whoa, hey! What are you doing? Stop!" It was a testament to Ari's skill and accuracy with her Doton jutsu that Ashitaka didn't fall into the Earth Flow River that was directed at Chika, whom he was talking with. Surely it must be that and nothing else. But when the poor boy tried to save the puppet he was suddenly burdened with from the unexpectedly moving dirt, his "toy" sword got caught in the wave and pulled from his back. Only a quick kick from his foot as he gently put Faithful down managed to keep his weapon from being completely submerged. Instead, it stuck about halfway out of the ground as the latter became solid once again.

"Guys, let's not do this here. Please. Everyone is going to see you two acting like idiots, and they will talk."It was about this time that Chika was making a very showy rise to his feet and assuming a martial arts stance that Ashitaka was unfamiliar with, and given the way both of them were talking, he knew that his own words were falling on deaf ears. Ari and Chika's impending duel was sure to be a deeply emotional one where the participants' traumas and personal motivations would be brought to the surface, laid bare like blades drawn in the moonlight. Ashitaka, being a ten-year-old nerd, had little interest in any of that. If they wanted to beat each other into a pulp, they could do it on their own time, when he had the opportunity to set up ticket sales. Right now, though, they were allegedly on a mission.

As the older genin drew a kunai on a string, the younger one did the same, except he drew two that were attached to the same wire. His duet entered flight a bit later than Chika's sole weapon, and driven by a far inferior skill. The linked pair crossed paths in front of Ashitaka; one sailing toward Chika, and the other toward Ari. Neither kunai really had a chance of hitting their respective target, and they need only hold still for a moment to let the little weapons pass by their cheeks. Ordinarily, it was unlikely that either of them would be more than mildly inconvenienced by such a pitiful technique, had it not been for the fact that their attention was entirely on each other, which was the whole reason for his using it in the first place. He was probably just trying to get their attention, as one would expect from a little kid who felt like he was being ignored. Probably. As the loop in the center of the fifteen feet of steel wire shrank in front of him, he dropped it over the hilt of his half-buried sword. If it looked like they were too far away for the wire's default length, he would stretch it appropriately using his chakra.

For his part, Chika would have recognized the technique being used in the way the artificial waterfall operators might recognize a kitchen faucet. That is, if it wasn't for the fact that he had just made a hypocrite of himself and delivered unto Ashitaka a massive dose of disrespect and completely abandoned the notion of the boy being a potential threat, blinding himself to what was right in front of him. Ari was marginally more forgivable in that the kid didn't have a high opinion of her to start with, but she had much bigger fish to fry in the form of Chika's vastly superior and much more imminent variation of essentially the same technique.

"Heel! Sit!"

Technique Used:

The way Chika held himself was infuriating to Ari, but there were some merits to what the Hyuuga said. Still he was rearing for a fight too no matter what anybody said. Ari was never the type to turn down a fight either way. Her eyes become sharper in detail and being able to focus on a higher level of speed. It was because of her eyesight that Ari can see Chika beginning to reach over for a kunai in his holster. In response to this, Ari molded chakra of earth within the core of her body. That which transfers up to her mouth as multiple tiny rocks form, and as Chika whipped out that kunai with a fancy trick. Ari spits out the many rocks at Chika’s direction in high velocity.

No sooner did the rocks left from her lips these rocks instantly enlarged into multiple boulders that cover Chika’s general area of 5 meter radius before they crash on the ground. Whether they slam against Chika or not, the sudden mass of boulders would deflect Chika’s kunai assuming it was maneuvered forward. Which given the man’s perception of the world, these strings move a bit too fast for Chika to accurately pull a 180. It’s a high likelihood that they will succeed in doing so.

Given Ari’s position and while yes her focus was on Chika, her eyesight still saw that kunai flying towards her with no difficulty. The young Genin leaned away from the kunai as her left hand reached up and attempted to snatch the kunai by the hilt before she sprinted forward to Chika’s direction.

Either way Ari sprinted 10 meters closer to Chika in less than a second as she built up more doton chakra that flowed down to the ground itself. Again she isn’t weaving handseals to perform these techniques,  but at the end of the 10 meter sprint Ari slams her right foot forward as she extended her right hand forward at Chika’s position. The ground rumbled and groaned as many chunks of earth splintered from the surface like fragment underneath Chika. A 5 meter high and width of many pieces of earth tumble into a vague shape of a wave. With a swipe of her right hand bringing it down, the wave folds down on Chika. In which case he’ll be tumbling and battering in constant motion within this wave. The boulders crack as chunks of them are pulled into this wave. Whatever wire trick Chika used would more likely be tangled up by the tumbling wave of rocks.

Ari makes it worse as she guides the wave with her hand to pull closer up to 15 meters away from Ari. Pushing the boulders aside while breaking apart some of them in the process. Carrying Chika in the process, and with a flick of her right wrist the tumbling wave turned. In which case Ari will cause the wave circle around the team.

”For the record I have no spite towards this Hyu-whachamacallit family. Even then, I don’t spite a family because of one person, but you’re well on your way in doing so.” Ari responded verbally finally as she doesn’t think this wave will deal lethal harm unless Ari sustain this punishment long-term. Granted there will be bruises and probably some shallow cuts to be made.

Spoiler:

It was on. Nyguyen found himself gritting his teeth in admiration as Chika popped right back up after Ari's initial assault. The Hyuuga resolved to teach the girl a physical lesson. Nyguyen finally found the courage to take a step forward and then stopped. If he got involved then he'd need to issue correction against Ari and not just Chika. He looked at the young dark skinned Iron native. He could see the fury and determination on her face. There was no bluffing. These two were going to fight unless either he or Ashitaka stopped it. Nyguyen could hear the pain in Chika's voice. The way he referred to himself as a "Living Stain," it almost made the grown man cringe in pity. They all had baggage. Each of them.

Chika had attempted to restrain Ari with a combination of Chakra Strings and Bukijutsu. Ari responded via a torrent of Earth Release Ninjutsu. The sudden display of overwhelming force triggered something inside of him. Ari was like his daughters yes, but he and his daughters were blood. They were kin. He'd never hurt them and they'd never hurt him. They were safe and could trust each other implicitly. They had multiple bonds between them: family, clan country. No matter how paralyzed with fear he was in dealing with them, no matter how insecure he felt as a father, he knew he could always rely on them to love him. Ari didn't necessarily have that. She was a strange girl in a strange land. She was new here and she was carrying some unspeakable burden on her shoulders. If he allowed her to act out of control then she'd learn violence as the only possible coping mechanism. The Konoha military wouldn't tolerate it. She'd be washed out of the village and then god knows what would happen to her from there. Nyguyen wasn't even worried about her per se but those who would cross the path of this jaded and bitter young girl. Ari reminded him of his daughters but ultimately she was a very different person and he'd need to find the strength to treat her like one.

Her skill with Doton was impeccable and he knew that if he let this spar continue, Chika could be seriously hurt. He thought about his brother-in-law, how no one had been there to protect him. How his own family had let him down. He died a miserable death alone and in the forest. An act of cowardice by some filthy assassin. He would not let the same fate befall his comrades.


No.
NO
"NO!"

Nyguyen activated his Tomoe 3 Sharingan and in that moment he set to work. Using the Eye of Insight's amazing predictive capacity, he tracked the trajectory of each boulder and got to work on them with the skill and grace of a practiced surgeon. He dashed forwards forming the seal for Body Flicker to ensure that he got there in time. He'd superimpose himself between Chika and the the now rapidly forming boulders. From there he'd use Arhat Fist and his Sharingan to strike the boulders and knock them off course. Some would crack and shatter while others would merely be thrown off course. The rocks were moving at high speeds and the force behind them was something to behold. Nyguyen didn't care. He'd bruise, break, and bloody his knuckles to protect his student. The speed, force, and angle of the rocks were all calculated and accounted for via the Sharingan, his bones and muscle would do the rest.

"ARI!!!" he roared over the incoming wave of rocks. Ari would doubtlessly see him in action. Her previously cowed sensei was now standing right in front of her target and his eyes were like nothing she'd ever seen before. The moment her eyes noticed his he'd loose one of the most powerful techniques in his arsenal.

Genjutsu: Sharingan!

If successful, Ari would be rendered immobile as Nyguyen initiated the B-Rank version of the technique. With luck he'd catch her before the wave was executed, if not, then he'd grab Chika with his Olympic strength and hurl him to safety before getting out of the way. Ari had not been aiming for Ashitaka so the boy ought to be safe. Any wires and kunai Chika had been manipulating would hopefully be thrown off course. If the boy was smart he'd fail to connect his attack even if an opening arose given Ari's likely paralysis. For if Nyguyen was going to protect him, he should take it upon himself to show restraint.

If all went according to plan, Ari would be be paralyzed, Chika thrown off to the side unharmed, and Ashitaka in his original position, impotent but safe. Nyguyen would be breathing heavy as he mustered the courage to address his own failure and that of his squad.

"That's enough!!" he shouted. They had heard him yell before but this time there was a level of raw emotion that wasn't there before. When he had lectured them in prior sessions it had been from his head not his heart. It had been what he thought a sensei was supposed to say. He had been going through the motions giving them the same timeless instruction as he gave Yui. That wasn't going to work here. There were some dark times ahead for Konoha and if he wanted their trust he'd need to speak from the core of his being.

"I will not have you two fight each other under these circumstances. Out of anger, disrespect, and pride. I will not have it-oh!" He snapped towards Chika and glared at him. The crimson eyes seemed to tear into the puppeteer's soul. He was now seeing a side of his sensei he had never seen before.

"Chika! You are not a Living Stain....your intelligence, creativity, your ability to manipulate tools in the most heated of situations would earn the admiration of any Uchiha. Our Clans often do not see eye to eye and your kin may not recognize your true worth but know this! From what I have seen today you will shine brighter than any Byakugan can bear to witness! But you must learn to handle people with the skill you handle your weapons and puppets. Your comrade was in a volatile state, and yes she required chastisement, but you had stepped on her honor and where she comes from that is everything!"

Nyguyen snapped to Ari who would hopefully be frozen like a statute.

"Ari! You are by far the strongest member of this squad. I have never seen anyone perform so many Doton techniques without lifting a finger. You are strong, quick, smart, and you have a pride that refuses to be tamed. We may not be of the same soil but I acknowledge you Ari Dokuma! This country would be blessed to have you fight for us in the conflicts to come. But you bear a burden of anger that is as hot as my Clan's fire. I can see it in your face, hear it in your voice, if you do not get it under control it will consume you and anyone who gets too close to you. You must learn to respect me and the others even if you do not think we've earned it. A military doesn't run on how you feel, it runs on discipline and I will not tolerate any sass from you any longer."

She wouldn't be able to interrupt him due to paralysis but Nyguen hoped with all his heart she'd hear his words. She had so much talent and potential, if she could tap into it she'd possibly surpass all of them. Bloodline or no there was something special about her. He didn't want to make the others feel bad or inflate her ego, but it was a fact he had to utter aloud. They'd need to be honest about each other's capabilities so that they could grow and feed off of each other as a team.

"Ashitaka! You are the youngest among us and the weakest...but you have shown more bravery than the man who swore to lead you" he was referring of course to himself. "You have shown more social intuition than any of us and you have acted to restore peace and harmony to your squad when I could not. You will be the captain of this squad answerable only to myself. You lack inner confidence and the skill to back up your ambitions....but you will get there in time"

He had mostly positive things to say about Ashitaka. The child had not gotten the opportunity to formally introduce himself or his skill set but that didn't matter. He had shown the one trait that Nyguyen had been looking for in each of them.  At this juncture, one would think that Nyguyen was finished but alas he was not.

"And then there is me, your sensei, Nyguyen Uchiha. Jounin of Kumogakure. Brother-in-law to the late great Nidaime Hokage Satomi Uchiha. Preeminent Scholar on the Scarlet Kingdom and Uchiha Clan history...." his voiced cracked towards the end but he did not let that deter him. He had torn them to shreds and acted as if he was on some mountain peak looking down at them. The truth was that for all his pretensions he was just as stuck in the muddy trenches as they were.  

"I failed to intervene before this conflict escalated nearly to the point of injury. I let my own insecurities as a father get in the way of my ability to control and discipline Ari." He turned to face her directly.  "I see so much of my daughters in you, its scary but you are not them and they are not you. I let doubt and uncertainty cloud my relationship with you as a student. At home I want to be respected and feared but loved and cherished. I want to guard them from the evils of the world but give them room to grow. I want to let them learn from my mistakes but give them the freedom to make their own. I....I was wrong to bring that baggage to this team and by every ancestor I have going back to Hideshi, I swear to never make the same mistake again. You are each individuals with your own unique wants, strengths, and weaknesses and from this moment on I will respect that and train you to be the best you can be. And if I ever fail you as I have done today, then the weak link is not you but me. Recall that I said earlier:

If one of you fails to keep up with the rigors of this squad be it physically or mentally, you will be benched and the fourth member will take your place. So please respect the squad and respect yourselves or I'll replace you with someone who does!

He'd look each of them in the eye and utilize the Genjutsu: Sharingan to literally replay the words he had said.

"I include myself in that statement. If I prove unfit to lead you on the battlefield then I will remove myself from the equation and the fourth reserve member will replace me instead! I have my own weaknesses to account for and I will work on them. I know its a lot to take in but every team should be founded on trust and honesty....I believe we can do things that no other squad has ever done in Konoha's history. I truly believe that Team Ten can be Konoha's beacon for what a proper squad should be and we can do this...together!"

Nyguyen released Ari from the illusion allowing her to speak and move freely. He had said his piece. The only question left now was whether they shared his vision. If they had no faith in him or this team then they were free to walk away. He wouldn't stop them or mark them as insubordinate. The squad would be dissolved and they could each go their own separate ways. But if they saw, what he saw, he'd be honored to lead them in the battles to come.

Techniques  Used:
Arhat Fist
Tomoe 3 Sharingan
Genjutsu: Sharingan (B-Rank Version on Ari, D-Rank on Everyone)
Body Flicker

Stats
Strength: C-> Arhat Fist -> B
Constitution: C
Stamina: C
Speed: C -> Body Flicker -> B
Coordination: C
Intelligence: C -> +1 Tier Sharingan Genjutsu -> B (Casting Illusion)
Perception: C -> Sharingan-> B (Tracking Boulders)

(Post cut due to situational factors.)

Ari’s keen eyes caught wind of Nyguyen’s movement to intervene in the path of her boulder barrage. He was frankly moving the same speed as she was, but there was no way she could try to outpace him. There was no need to stop him for it was about time he took action instead of standing around. So Ari proceeded with her initial plan to sprint 10 meters closer to Chika and Nyguyen as she passed by Ash. To whom she’ll toss the kunai hilt first to Ash as she charged up for her second Doton technique. Ashitaka wasn’t the enemy here, and technically neither is Chika. However Chika was the one bringing in the most aggro to himself as he went on about a part of his life. Ari didn’t respond verbally, and instead slammed her foot as she channeled the chakra into the ground. With a raise of her free hand, Ari conjures the tumbling wave of earth 15 meters in front of her, 6 meters from Nyg, and 10 meters from Chika.

After Nyguyen punched the boulders away with his fists, Ari circled the wave around herself as the wave grew a meter in width. The level of crying out for authority from Nyguyen’s voice echoed from the rubble. Truthfully she wasn’t angry with him, but more like disappointed with the way Nyguyen froze earlier. However, one look into those red eyes that wasn’t Nyguyen’s original was all it took. Ari’s whole body locked up as her eyes glazed over as her vision blurred. Eventually, the small girl collapsed onto her side as the wave of earth collapsed roughly 9 meters behind Ashitaka. The Earth Devil didn’t understand what was going on. She’s fought and trained until she passed out from exhaustion before. However this was nothing like that at all. It was like something disconnected her spirit from her body.

Move! Why can’t I move?! She thought angrily to herself as Ari mentally struggled against whatever vile magic that binds her. Her efforts were in vain of course, as she could not resist the illusion that binds her. It was beyond infuriating as Ari felt like she had absolutely no chance in winning from the very beginning.

So they really do have special powers with their eyes… That’s absurd! I can’t be beaten like this! Ari continued to struggle against the illusion, as if she thinks sheer willpower would be enough to overcome it. Trying to just get her fingers to twitch was an impossible task as she laid there on the ground. She couldn’t even grit her teeth to demonstrate her frustration, and she finds herself unable to speak. It was humiliating to her that she was defeated with such overwhelming odds, but hell if it was an actual fight she wouldn’t be complaining. However her pride was more damaged that she was forced into this defeated position with just a look in the eyes.

Wait that four eyes has stupid eye powers too?! Does Ashitaka have them too?! Ari thought as she heard, or rather was forced to listen to Nyguyen’s speech. Yet she can’t help except feel like Chika wasn’t taking her seriously, and that he could have done the same thing if he wanted to. Everyone in this squad was revealing they had some kind of gift and it was infuriating that she doesn’t have anything.

No i’m not… Bitter thoughts ran through her mind when Nyguyen was speaking encouraging words to her, but in the end no matter how skilled she was on the earth. She couldn’t even compete against something like that, and Ari can’t help except for the overwhelming feeling that she can’t contribute anything. She insulted them and thought they weren’t ready to be real shinobi. Yet she was realizing that perhaps this whole time she didn’t fit into this team. Everyone else had some power passed onto them since whoever acquired it first.

So what if I can move some rocks around. That is not going to protect me from what’s happening right now! Memories, bitter and sad ones, flashed into her mind. Her mind slipped from consciousness as her body if able grew laxed.

---

A Memory:

It was like reading an open book, as soon as she started gathering chakra and having it go up he throat. Did she even know the byakugan saw all? He'd shift the kunai's flight to avoid the boulders and continue on, but in his haste he didn't anticipate three things:

The first was the technique itself. While it was clear when her chakra had built up she was going to do some sort of upper body doton tech, he couldn't have predicted that the rocks she spat out would turn into boulders, catching the string as it's flight was readjusted, cutting the chakra string and forcing him to prematurely end the technique. The kunai would fly forward, but by then Ari would have run past it, becoming indented into the ground.  The second thing was that of Nyg. He had caught a glimpse of his movement as he was in his range of divination, but hadn't anticipated him moving right in front of the boulders, nor for him to try and deflect them all. But the third and final thing was, of all things, Ash. The kid was tossing a kunai at him and Ari. Sure it would never hit him and was pathetic as hell, but why was he attacking him? This wasn't his fight.

All three of these factors caused him to lock up, his mind not quite able to process who all of this was happening, and he froze. This wasn't how it was supposed to go down. No, he just didn't see the whole picture? He didn't know, and it was eating at him, taking his mind off the battle. Though her 2nd technique never got close as Nyg did his thing, it did still happen and while the Byakugan saw all, with him not paying attention seeing everything didn't mean registering it, and halfway through the push he'd come back too his senses, confused as to why he was moving without intending too right before eating dirt.

"That's enough!!"

As Nyg started his passionate speech, Chika turned to look at him as the Uchiha's words slowly registered, albiet not quite in the way his sensei would have wanted. 'I have to...handle people with skill like they're my puppets?' It...didn't make much sense to him as he thought he was doing that already, but apparently today proved that he wasn't. With himself seeing his sister in someone who didn't even look like or have the same level of skill of his own kin. Still, what compliments Nyg had given him didn't fall on deaf ears.

No, he needed to take Nyg's advice into account. Ari just had a kink he hadn't worked out yet, and with refinement and time he could improve her potential. All of them. But he didn't know how to yet. No, he was going to have to listen to his puppets like he would his own, find what was wrong, and mend their faults till they were all fit for any situation. Looking at the collapsed girl, he wondered what he'd have to do.

When all was said and done by Nyg, he'd relax as the battle was basically over, though his eyes still stayed active. He'd stand up and "Personally I just want to make puppets, but I'm too invested in this now to back out. Consider me a part of this ride, at least for the time being." Sure he didn't share quite the same vision, but if he backed out now, it would only prove to those who looked down on him that his path was not one meant for Hyuga, and he couldn't risk that.

---

123.6/135 CP
➤Byakugan -0.4 CP; 13 posts remain till strain
➤Way of the Spider -3 upkeep; +1 tier Coordination (Fighting Style)
➤Nimble Fingers No cost; + Coordination/++ Coord with hands/arms; 3 posts till end (Aura)
120.2/135 CP

With all that was going on just now, Ashitaka felt like a rock in a river. For all his efforts, he might as well have done nothing. At least in Nyg's case, when he finally did move, it made a real and perceptible impact on the events happening around him. In contrast, Ash might as well have been trying to shout down a typhoon. The pair of his teammates that were making the lot of them look undisciplined and Nyg-sensei look spineless mostly ignored his efforts at damage control. He was nothing to them. Even an ant would have a better chance of spurring a person to action than he would of having any affect on his peers.

He was looking at Ari when Nyg-sensei's Genjutsu hit, because he caught her throwing his kunai at him in his peripheral vision. But something was off: she had lightly tossed it hilt-first, indicating that she was simply giving it back. He snagged it neatly in the same instant that he watched her body freeze up. Reflexively, Ashitaka pocketed his kunai and caught her as she fell, setting her down gently like he had with Chika's puppet. In the midst of all this, their sensei's voice rumbled over the general area like a pervasive thunder, and Ashitaka was slowly starting to realize that he was surrounded by idiots.

Nyg wrote:"But you must learn to handle people with the skill you handle your weapons and puppets."

"Sensei! Phrasing!" that one would have taken only a moment's forethought to see the horrible flaw in. Ashitaka's eyes flicked over to Chika to see in his face the expression of someone who was taking advice to heart. He may have been young, but he had little doubt as to how someone who was so angry and bitter that he referred to himself by a denigrating title and so warped that he made puppets that resembled himself was likely to interpret the message he'd been given. He tried to figure out what to do with this as he spooled up the wire attached to his twin-bound kunai and holstered them.

Nyg wrote:"Ari! You are by far the strongest member of this squad. I have never seen anyone perform so many..."

"She can't hear you right now! I think she's having some kind of nightmare!" Ash said as he looked down at Ari, whose face was trying to go as pale as her hair. The kid picked up the girl who he'd already had more body mass than despite his youth and carried her over to lie in the shade of the wall she made when her wave stopped.

Nyg wrote:"Ashitaka! You are the youngest among us and the weakest..."

"Geethanks." he muttered, wishing that he was as capable of ignoring other people's words as most people were of his. Unfortunately, though, he could not escape hearing the entirety of his sensei's speech. And it was a long one. (At least it gives me time to clean up,) he thought as he walked over to the resting place of his sword and held his hand a centimeter or so off the hilt as he flooded the weapon with his chakra, turning it black. Then he grasped it and pulled it out of the ground with one hand, shook the loose dirt off the "blade", and released the enhancement as he returned it to its home on his back.

Nyg wrote:"You will be the captain of this squad answerable only to myself."

This actually made Ashitaka freeze. Not because he was intimidated by the prospect of responsibility (although being held accountable for the actions of at least two spastic morons was a mortifying thought), but because he was painfully aware of the utter lack of affect his words and actions had already had on those who were assigned to be his subordinates. Being put in charge like this in spite of appearing pitifully weak to all three of them... such an act was sure to build resentment, and there was already a strong predisposition toward that in this team.

"Sensei, ARE YOU NUTS? Punching boulders is one thing, but you really mean to put me in charge of them when they can't even hear my voice? You might as well try to have a kite tell the wind how to act!"

Ashitaka was well aware, although he couldn't read their minds, that not only was he younger and apparently weaker than his teammates, but he also had no ability to relate to them as people. There was pain, loss, and loneliness in every tremor in their voices, so clear that even Nyg-sensei could pick up on them. The kid had no such thing. He had only gained over the course of his life. First he gained wolf parents and siblings and forest friends as a toddler. Then he gained a loving adoptive mother among the Inuzuka, who all generally had a high opinion of him, with the odd exception that he really didn't care about. Then he gained the awe of his former classmates when he was prematurely promoted to Genin, far ahead of anyone his age.

The anguish that the three magic eye users seemed to radiate right now was completely out of his purview. So instead of trying to process it, he pulled out the latest edition of his trusty notebook and quickly wrote down a summarized version of Nyg-sensei's speech that he hoped wouldn't lose the meaning. Then, he returned the notebook to his inner chest pocket and started approaching Chika, stopping to lift the puppet on the way. It had nearly as much mass as he did, so he had to fireman-carry it.

Nyguyen tried not to breath too heavily. He was a bit hoarse and winded. Rescuing Chika and giving his impassioned speech had left him emotionally drained. He did not have superhuman constitution and the pain of punching boulders was radiating through his arms. He looked at his knuckles and saw how bloody, bruised, and broken they were. He looked over to Ari who had taken the Genjutsu quite poorly. He was careful to use a relatively weak version of the technique on her. All he wanted to do was paralyze her not inflict psychological horror. Unfortunately, Ari was not used to such illusions and the result was her losing consciousness. Ash was quick to set her down gently. This act cemented that Nyguyen had made the right choice. The boy was rather impudent, interrupting his impassioned plea several times to make rather childish statements. However, he had mentioned earlier the boy was young and this was a rather strange situation.

He allowed it.

Ashitaka did point out one crucial fact though. Ari was lost in a troubling dream of some sort. There was no telling how much of his words she had heard or processed. She was in no position to give him the answer he sought and so he'd need to approach her separately. He turned his attention to Chika who appeared to be the only one that was genuinely listening and taking it all in. He mentioned that he just wanted to build puppets but that after all this investment, he wasn't going to back out now. Nyguyen gave the man a nod. He was happy that he still counted himself a member of Team Ten. The "time being" part made him nervous but he could accept that. If they could not find a way to bridge the gaps between them then there truly was no hope for this team.

Ashitaka who had been cleaning up in the midst of the speech was rather disturbed by Nyguyen's declaration that he was to be squad leader. He smiled at Ash's impassioned disapproval. He had expressed similar concerns back when they had first met. He was a green boy with little experience. Why would anyone want to take orders from him? Today's events arguably proved that he was not fit to be squad leader. Chika and Ari had barely paid him any mind during their battle. Nyguyen knew better than to dismiss Ash's concerns, shout him down, or tell him to "suck it up buttercup."

"Ashitaka, you are the most qualified for the position. Even now as I stand and lecture, you made sure Ari was okay. You put away the various tools of your compatriots....you have a better understanding of people than you might realize. You say you are not fit for the job but your actions speak louder than your words. This is my decision and if you do not feel this is a burden you can bear then I can accept that....but I won't let you hold yourself back. You will either lead this team or not be a part of it. You are free to walk away. You will not be written up and it will be my personal mission to place you in a good squad."

It was harsh. Nyguyen cared about these kids but he would not coddle them. Ashitaka had lofty goals, he had conceded that much. Had he told Nyguyen his desire was to be a meatshield in war or a small time Chuunin then Nyguyen would have let him be. But if he was going to achieve his ambitions he'd need to make people listen even when he wasn't necessarily older, louder, or more developed than they were.

"You will always have me guiding you and I assure you that over time they will learn to heed your every word. I believe in you Ashitaka. You can do this."

He truly hoped the kid wouldn't quit on him. There was so much potential there. He couldn't let Ash back out of the responsibility no matter how impractical it seemed. This was how this child was going to grow into a demon to be feared. He did call him "Sensei" and take notes on his speech which seemed to indicate that he still saw Nyguyen as a teacher, if that was true then maybe he'd accept the burden irrespective of the position's difficulty.

Konoha's youngest official Genin really couldn't wrap his head around his sensei's antics. The man had shown himself to be prone to speechifying at any given opportunity, freezing up in a crisis, and carrying out his every action with explosions of drama that would be hilarious to Ashitaka if he was an outside observer as opposed to being part of the scene. He was the exact opposite of everything the boy thought a ninja should be. To save his image of his sensei, he decided that surely he must be acting like this on purpose, to show the students exactly how not to behave, and more importantly, why not. Nyg-sensei's hesitation and lack of conviction in his authority nearly got one or both of Ashitaka's teammates seriously injured, possibly even killed. And when he did act, he injured himself and traumatized Ari, on top of leaving Chika's much deadlier attack open to hit a free and helpless target, subject only to his mercy and/or fear of consequences. It must have taken incredible courage to sacrifice his dignity in such a manner, and the kid hoped that one day he would have the strength to risk so much for people who didn't know him and would probably not even appreciate it.

Ashitaka's breath grew tight as Nyguyen delivered his ultimatum: lead or leave. He didn't know why, but he suddenly felt the full weight of his own weakness and had to set down Chika's puppet before he could properly return it to him. All other thoughts left his mind, from the reassurances from his mother that she believed in him to jutsu he wanted to study and even budding weapon designs. That included the skit he had planned to bring Chika's spirits back up after all that had happened recently, even though no small portion of it was entirely the teenager's fault. Perhaps especially because of that. Instead, there was only the one question: (Do I reach for the reins of these two warring bulls, or do I give up the first opportunity I've ever been given to earn the slightest bit of respect?)

Of course, his mind did not like being empty, or even bound to only a single thought. So the question became the seed to a great tree with many branches.

(Is this also a test? If I say 'yes' after all that just happened, will he tell me he was 'just kidding' and laugh at the fact that I still dared to dream? Will he make me fight both of them to assert my authority? Could I beat both of them in a fight? I have the same elemental affinity as Ari, but she has energy to spare, and Chika was moving that kunai really fast. Will either response I give result in more speeches? Probably. Does refusing make me a quitter and a coward or somebody with a reasonable grasp on the limits of my abilities?)

As he considered what was asked, no demanded of him in all the depth he could muster, he externally shut down. While not necessarily paralyzed or unconscious like Ari was, he didn't respond to any external stimuli for at least a couple of minutes. He didn't even register going back to pick up Ari and carrying her to within conversational range of the rest of the team. That was until a tangential thought cut down his existing tree of possibilities like the head of a greataxe charged with Lightning chakra.

"Sensei..." Ashitaka asked as he suddenly perked up and looked over at his teacher, confused by a tiny almost insignificant detail that he had up until this point failed to notice up until his brain sorted out the almost inaudible dripping sound from the man standing a few meters away from him. "I don't mean any offense by this, but... how do I put this... are you still bleeding?"

The skin along her arms held goosebumps as her body adjusted from the difference of warm and even warmer contact. With how uncomfortably hot it already was with the humidity and heat. Ari started to sweat as her stormy grey eyes cracked open. Confused as to where she was, and the fact she didn’t immediately recognize anyone at first. Luckily as her disoriented mind overcame itself, Ari remembers what happened before she went unconscious.

”Oh… I guess I lost then.” She muttered to no one in particular before she pulled her legs up to allow herself an attempt to slip through Ashitaka’s grasp at the middle. Assuming her movement was successful, her left leg snaps downward as she lands on her left foot albeit she does bend her knee to cushion whatever amount of momentum she was carrying. With a soft tap, Ari stands on both feet before turning around to face Nyguyen.

”I got a lot of questions for you, main one is what in the hells did you use to trap me? Can anyone else do that?” That was the main thing as sure Ari faced multiple other genin before at this point, and some of them even used Ninjutsu which wasn’t ever a big deal for her. Not one of them ever used Genjutsu before, if they have she never noticed it until now. Even so she has never been so utterly beaten with just an eye contact before. That was humiliating enough, but even more so when it felt like she couldn’t even put up a fight of her own before it happened.

Watching the scene before him play out, it was only when Ash raised his voice did the whole 'Ash will be the leader' comment finally hit him. He...he didn't know how to feel about Ash becoming team leader. the kid was capable, sure, but leader? At such a young age? And yet, compared to himself and Ari, out of the three of them he couldn't find fault in the decision. He didn't really care much for leadership outside of maybe becoming a buisnessman, and he didn't have enough info on Ari other then 'could believably have a KKG in short-temperedness'.

Walking over to where Ash & the puppet were, he'd note that his shoulder was hurting like hell, probably from the push Nyg had given him. If he was going to improve, he'd need to improve his awareness to everything around him while he was using his byakugan, as well as his emotions. tunnel vision just wasn't helpful in combat. Picking up Faithful, he'd do a brief look over as he did have his byakugan still active, and was glad to see it barely took any damage. He'd briefly look to the boy and speak.

"Thank you for watching over Faithful, and congrats."

Not sure what else to do, he'd sit down and wait, using his puppet as a backrest. He'd want to talk with Ari, sure, but right now it seemed like she was occupied with Nyg and would rather not have him killed this time.