Such a wonderful feeling waking up under a warm sun. A thin young man lay out on the edge of Konoha's legendary dense forest. To most it was a dangerous place to be, though to the him it was an ideal place to practice and get stronger. The thin man was rather easy to miss on his own. Long blonde hair reaching down to his lower back, thin build, wearing a set of plain dark clothes. For the last few years he had spent his time traveling looking for small towns and places to train always avoiding the major villages. This time though was an exception, but he still hadn't set foot inside Konoha and had no plan of doing so, least not until he had a reason. He always preferred to avoid crowded places such as the hidden villages.

It had been a week now since he had set up a small campsite outside of the dense forest. He was curious as to when the village would take note of him, but it was likely that the Anbu had already reported him, it wasn't like he was listed as a threat or in any black book. As the sun peaked in the sky it was time to get some training in for the day or over the course of a few days. While he wasn't a threat to anyone he had every plan to become quite strong and his training methods tended to be routines that lasted hours into days till he finally collapses. Reaching into his small tent the young man pulled out or rather rolled out a large metal ball. At first glance it was a plain steel ball, but anyone with attention for detail would see a few seems on it. Truth was it wasn't just a ball, it was a puppet. A quad style puppet named "Kappa", it was a puppet he had created by hand. Setting out the ball in an area away from his other things, the blonde young man begins to equip himself with an assortment of metal objects. Two full length armored arm covers, a longsword and shield over his back, two gladius's at each of his sides, a windmill shuriken strapped to each of his upper legs, and a large and wide supply pack around the back of his waist. He wore enough gear to sink a small ship and this was what he planned to train in. Finding his balance on the puppet ball, he stood on one hand with his feet pointed towards the sky. Starting off easy he began with one handed push ups, quietly counting in his head.

Post Word Count - 442
Unused Word Count - 442

A walk out of the bounds of the village itself, it wasn't something one might expect Risu, the new Clanhead of the Ouroboros clan to do, but ever since she had managed to create a bit more stability in her life, she had at least a bit more time to enjoy the finer things of life, especially now that there weren't any night missions issued for the ANBU that her subordonates couldn't handle on themselves.

Dressed in a lavender Yukata with a deep purple obi and wearing wooden sandals with purple ribbons, the young woman looked exactly like she should've looked as a leading figure of Konoha's politics. The clothes really seemed to soften the appearance of her white skin and her golden eyes, giving her a more innocent and pure look than the terrifying image her usual ANBU attire seemed to give to other people. Alas, this innocent image only worked from afar, because when looking up close, everyone could see what the massive white things was, which had coiled itself around her neck, shoulders and arms. It was her pet snake, the white snake Uraeus which was not only her pet, but also a life's companion as he was the animal representing her status as a sage of the snakes.

"You do know there were reports of a stranger camping here in the woods, right?" The snake asked his mistress, who simply nodded with a soft smile to confirm that she had indeed read those reports, but as captain of the ANBU, she had decided not to be immediately alarmed by this stranger's presence. In fact, she more or less decided to take this stroll just to reaffirm her belief that there was no reason to act with her position as ANBU and that it was probably better to show not too much hostility to a person who might as well be just a traveler taking a rest in Hi no Kuni's famous forests.


After a while, she finally caught a glimpse of the stranger in question and as a precautionary method, gave her snake the order to get himself into a nearby tree and keep an eye on the situation in case any action should be necessary.



"That is an aweful lot of weaponry for someone resting in the woods, is it not?" Risu calmly confirmed with a soft smile on her face, while she gently approached the stranger. Her steps were completely silent, befitting her status and background as Konoha's Lamya, the ANBU's seventeenth generation White Snake. "You dont seem to be some ordinary traveler with that training you're doing, might I ask who you are?"

451/451

It didn't take long before the young man simply stopped counting it was never the number that interested him but how long he could keep up the exercise. It seemed however that his training for the day wouldn't go uninterrupted. With his eyes closed he couldn't see anyone approaching, a soft voice taking him by surprise as he opened his eyes to see an oddly dressed woman given the area. The arrival of a visitor though was enough to upset the balance he had been working on. His hand slipping from atop the metal ball, the blonde young man lands with a resounding ding as he hits his head against the puppet ball. Clutching his head in pain for a moment before turning his attention back to the woman. "It's only polite to offer your own name before asking another person theirs. Call me Bunshichi, I my not be ordinary but I'm really nothing special." The young man offering a grin and a handshake after taking off his right arm puppet. It was always more personal in a handshake to not be wearing gloves or armor.

The metal puppet ball Bunshichi had been training atop of slowly rolled it's way up against a tree and just sat there, a thin line of chakra connecting it to it's owner's other hand. The woman before him didn't seem like a civilian, the location alone being a give away, unless all of Konoha's citizen's could handle themselves in or around the dangerous forest. The silence bothered him, he didn't hear her coming at all. It was unlikely that Konoha trained everyone in such manners. It was merely a hunch but she wasn't a civilian. Moving his left arm behind his back, "I apologize in advance for this." With a smile on his face he tugged slightly on the chakra strings connected to his ball puppet Kappa. A small metal plate quickly shifting to the side as the puppet fired two kunai not at but close enough towards the visiting woman the sound of the kunai being fired giving her enough of response time, her reaction should tell him what he wanted to know. He didn't do such a thing to be mean, he was simply cautious. Only wanting to know if his visitor actually train in the way of a shinobi.

Post Word Count - 388
Unused Word Count - 830

:Chakra Remaining 145/150:

Just as she had greeted the stranger in her own way, the man stopped with his seemingly rather boring exercises. Doing push-ups wasn't something Risu would do anyway, she'd rather do a long run or some grueling training with some of the shinobis she knew, but despite that all, she had to admit that even if it was short, seeing someone do his best in training themselves and most likely sharpen their skills as well was always something refreshing and a good way to judge their potential, their possible use and their progress.

"My apologies for my rudeness mister Bunshichi," The young woman apologied calmly, while accepting the stranger's handshake, only to feel that the man's hand was far from normal, as it lacked both the tenderness of actual skin and flesh nor did it seem to have the warmth of a living thing. However, despite that, not to offend the man if it was but an ordinary, though well made prothesis, she simply did not react to it. "I am Lady Orochi Risu, nice to meet you."


When the man suddenly seemed to apologize for something, Risu wondered what it was he was apologising for, but the slight twitch made by an object laying near a tree had already drawn her attention and as the two kunai flew through the air, her more than adequate perception had already given her all the information she needed, the kunai's would miss their target, most likely intentional, but still it made the young woman think about the man's intentions.


With a swing of her arm through the air, the young woman seemed to smack the kunai's off of their path with her arm, only to sigh when she looked at the tears in her yukata when she retreated her arm. The skin on her arm seemed to have hardened, having formed into a tough layer of white, glistening scales, explaining how she slapped aside the kana so easily.



"Attempting to force me into proving my shinobi background," Risu sighed again, while lowering her arm and look straight at the person in front of her. "Now that you've discovered that I am indeed a shinobi...what is your next move?"

376/826

Chakra remaining 305/320:

The two kunai flew only to be knocked away with ease by his visitor, it seemed his hunch was right. The woman before him was a shinobi. It was actually slightly relieving to know, rather then possibly being caught off guard. It seemed though that his little test had put a few new holes in her lovely yukata. "Well Lady Risu I merely wanted to see if you were a shinobi. I have no next move, I'm not here with ill intent, If you'd let me, I'd like to pay for the tailoring bill to get your Yukata mended. It wouldn't be right of me to damage it and not get it fixed. My brother would probably beat me if I didn't." Bunshichi laughed as the puppet ball that had shot the kunai began rolling over towards Bunshichi stopping by his leg. "I assume your taking a stroll out here to see who's been camping outside the village. This isn't exactly a swinging hotspot after all for people to hangout." The puppet ball clicked as it opened up to stand on it's four legs, the puppet looking almost like a turtle. What was it's head looking up at The Lady Risu. The puppet stood only about two feet tall.

"I suppose I should tell you a little about myself. My name is Bunshichi Myugan." The Myugan clan was a rather obscure clan with very few members ever taking the path of the shinobi let alone getting any kind of high ranking. Only one person of the Myugan clan having ever achieved any kind of status and rank, and he was from Kirigakure. "While I don't call myself a shinobi, I do have some mastery of chakra obviously. My brother taught me about five years ago and I've been practicing ever since. I'm rather skilled at both weaponry and puppetry. Normally I train by myself but I'm always happy to spar with others should the opportunity arise."

((Sorry for the delay. Also I don't have any prosthetics, had to change my starting idea.))

Post Word Count - 326
Unused Word Count - 81
Used Word Count - 1075
Total Word Count - 1156
Training Speed from E to D-1

:Chakra Remaining 140/150:

A soft grin appeared on the young woman's porcelain white face, when the young man spoke about paying the tailoring bill for her damaged Yukata. With a swift motion, she ripped both sleeves from the normally quite expensive piece of clothing and threw them to the ground with an air as if what she did was more than normal.


"It doesn't matter, there is no need to repair damaged goods," The Orochi lady spoke calmly, not even looking at the sleeves anymore. "In stead, it is better to strive for another purpose and a better use for those things."


While listening to the young man's words, the young woman's golden snakelike eyes followed the ball with great interest, for the fact that it seemed to move on its own could only move two possible things: either it was some rather futuristic construct able to move and act on its own accord or it was a quite cleverly created small puppet and her judgment was weighing over to the second.



"Well well, a puppeteer," Risu smiled rather coldly when she uttered those words, placing her right hand under her chin, with her thumb and indexfinger seemingly supporting it, while she looked at Bunshichi, as if she was trying to meassure him or something, taking in all the details of his appearance. "A spar would never be a problem...but, I reckon it would not be fair to pit you against me. No matter how good you think you are at controlling chakra, you would not even be able to scratch me and I suppose a completely one-sided match would not exactly be all that exciting at all. However, I might have an interesting proposal for a Puppeteer such as yourself, not to mention you also mentioned being a practitioner of bukijutsu. How about you leave behind this lanky place in which you can't exactly be able to have a comfortable life and follow me to my Estate. I have no doubt about it, that I know a certain person who is most keen to aid you in your progress and who knows...under my guidance you might even surpass your brother."

366/1192

Having offered to pay for repairs to her yukata the woman before him simply tore the sleeves off. A sense of surprise coming over Bunshichi. Such a waste of a lovely thing, to so carelessly toss it aside. The way she talked, it was conniving, seemed more like she wanted him rather then wanted to help him. She was so high and mighty talking as if she knew what he was capable of or of what he liked. Wouldn't be able to scratch her, uncomfortable place, one sided match. While he had noticed the technique she used to deflect the kunai that made her rather skilled, to be so arrogant. What was this woman really after?

Despite feeling a sense of disdain for this woman she was offering to act as a mentor. What would she teach him though? What would this estate be like? If he said yes, would he be able to leave of his own accord at any time? The woman was too sketchy to perceive any clear answer. And his brother, while he only had a few years of experiences with him it was clear from the start his intentions at any point, plus to think that this woman could train him to surpass him seemed far fetched. Having received a letter from his brother after departing, he knew of the position and rank he had achieved in Kiri, unless this woman could hold her own against someone of such a world wide known position he'd remain skeptical of her capabilities. "Tell me something then. How do you feel you compare Kiri's legendary swordsmen? Particularly the Captain of the Seven Swordsmen. One other thing as well, if I go with you I reserve the right to leave at any time."

Post Word Count - 294
Unused Word Count - 0
Used Word Count - 375
Total Word Count - 1450
Training  Reaction Time to E-2 (150)
- - - - -Perception to E-2 (150)
- - - - -Strength to E-1 (75)

:Chakra Remaining 135/150:

The young woman looked straight into the puppeteer's eyes, her golden snakelike eyes showed an endless void within her slit pupils, a darkness she had only found to exist a few months ago, but as she did, she took over the reigns of her clan, took over the place of her uncle and had started to follow his exact path. While she was yet possessed by a figment of the Truth, she was certain that she could rise above even her uncle, a man who would even make Kages cower at his feet if he had ever been smart enough to simply use his power rather than rely on simple deception and manipulation alone, but on the other side, his heart had darkened, while hers was not fully converged yet. Her ways were still more peaceful...for now.

"A captain of the Seven Swordsmen, huh?" Risu cocked her head to the side, giving off an eerie vibe while grinning viciously. "I wouldn't know...haven't tested any of kirigakure's soldiers yet, but I can tell you this: How will this captain fare against the Captain of Konoha's ANBU?"


Slightly turning a bit, the tattoo on her shoulder became obviously visible, the tattoo which appointed the ANBU and which marked them to be the most skilled spies and assassins of their village and thus the entire nation of Fire. Risu was more known as Lamya, The White Snake of Konoha and unlike her predecessors she did not hail from those closest to the hokage, but had worked her way up, proven that she would be faster and stronger than any other.


"Ah...probably they would be able to defeat me if I wasn't at the fullest of my abilities," The young Orochi lady laughed, while taking a few steps to the nearest tree and stretching out one arm to the foliage of the mighty mark of nature, at which point a massive white snake slithered down from the tree onto her arm, coiling itself around her waist and shoulders, resting its head upon her shoulder. "What would I be without a weapon of my own, am I right? You have your puppets, a captain of the Seven Swordsmen has a sword and I have Ureaus, a snake hailing from the Ryuji cave."


The snake seemed to whisper something in the woman's ears, at which she seemed to reply by nodding silently, though she remained vigilant by keeping her eyes straight at Bunshichi. After a few seconds had passed, the snake's head went down upon the young woman's shoulder again, watching the puppeteer with its red beady eyes.



"I can live with your terms...for now," Risu replied finally to the last question the man had posed, her expression changing back to a more soothing, smooth smile. "I think by the time you have seen what I have to offer, you might want to reconsider your terms, but until then, I shall abide by the terms agreed here on this place...is that satisfactionary, Myugan-san?"

466/1664

"Captain of Konoha's Anbu Black Ops? Hmmm." Stealth against the Weapon Master. From experience he'd likely level the battlefield to prevent her from hiding, but then again he almost level any field he fought seriously in. "When did it become policy for Anbu to not wear the mask?" A fight between the two though would be interesting to observe, it had been awhile since he had seen his brother let alone seen him fight. It became clear though that she knew nothing of her brother, The Captain. The man didn't get his position by wielding a sword, but a hammer, which served as inspiration for the ball puppet that was currently rolling around on it's back as a large white snake made it's appearance. "You use a snake? Very interesting." An animal companion, he had heard of ninjas using animal partners but never seen it. A curiosity grew at the concept, how would she use the snake in battle? If anything he had a reason to observe her now, mentoring aside.

"My term won't change, if your offer is as great as you think, I won't have a need to leave. However I'll leave as soon as I dislike anything about it or what comes of it. Doesn't matter if you agree or not." Putting the armor puppet he had taken off early back on, he looked at her with a serious tone of mind. "Let's see what you have to offer then." Bunshichi quickly packed up his things, though he didn't have much as he traveled light . . . very light. He was curious as to what she had to offer, if it made him stronger, then he'd be fine with it. Anything shady he'd be gone before the sun set. He had his own goals and anything less then proper had to be avoided till the time came, but he needed strength first. He needed power. While he had already passed his brother in technique, he hadn't passed him in capability. The raw power his brother threw around was enough that the Mizukage gave him rank and title.

Post Word Count - 348
Unused Word Count - 48
Used Word Count - 300
Total Word Count - 1798
Endurance E to E-1
Reaction E-2 to E-3

:Chakra Remaining 130/150:

"The policy of wearing a mask is for those who do not aim to become more than 'just' ANBU," Risu replied calmly to the puppeteer's inquiry, giving him a soft smile and a wink, so that he would understand that she did not count herself to those people. "Being the face of a faceless organization isn't that bad. After all, with or without my mask, people will know who I am, no matter the name they decide to use for me.


Slowly, the young woman's hand rose towards Bunshichi's face, placing her right index finger on his lips as a sign that he had to be silent and had to listen to her for a moment, rather than drown her underneath a mountain of questions and requests or terms. Her eyes looked straight into his, with those golden orbs seemingly taking in all of the information she needed.


"There are three key words in this shinobi world," The young Orochi lady removed her finger from his lips, patting her snake's head for a moment, after which she stretched out her arm towards the trees again, letting Uraeus take his leave so he could have fun hunting for his next meal again. "Power, fear and silence. We need to be silent to others, grow stronger than others and make them feel fear from the bottom of their very soul, only then will you be able to rise above the limits that have been passed down onto the shinobis ever since ancient times."


When the puppeteer had gathered his earthly possessions, a lighter task than the young woman had expected, Risu simply gave him the motion to follow her, which meant they were about to take a walk back through the forest so they could get to the Ouroboros compound and given that the compound was at the other side of town, she knew that during the time of that walk they were about to make, this man would surely have more questions he would've wanted to be answered.


"As a puppeteer, I reckon you have an interest in the anatomy of humans and other animals, no?" The Orochi lady asked with keen interest while she started the walk back to the village. After all, she had to deal with a very powerful puppeteer soon enough, one to be known as the 'Tue Puppetmaster' : Itsukuchi Hataro. It was kind of funny and ironic how her life was turning out to be, as she was gathering the pieces for her game in an almost exact same way as her uncle did, which made it more and more apparent that she actually began to walk down the same path as the man who had destroyed her childhood and had manipulated her during her entire life. "My clan has quite the extensive knowledge on that subject, so do feel free to use our library if you feel the need to gather some knowledge."

494/2158

More and more as he listened and watched this woman, it became more and more clear, she planned to use him. Any game of chess though required strategy, a pawn serving as one of the most powerful pieces in a player's possession. How one used them determined everything, to play the game as a pawn would be interesting. One fact stood out in the young man's mind, he did not like this person. He would though learn what he could from her before feeling compelled to leave. Having gathered the last of his things, the ball puppet began climbing Bunshichi's back, sitting on top of his bag. Even though it was controlled by him, he felt it necessary to give his handmade construct some kind of personality, even if the creation seemed physically like a cross between a spider and a cat.

With of all his things in hand he followed the white snake woman, silently. He had questions but none that would benefit him by asking aloud. For the time being they would remain in his head, waiting to be answered. The sight of this estate would answer a few alone, so would the training she might give him. The three words she spoke of rang in his head, he only agreed with one. Power, but not for the same reason as her. Strength was what his brother strived for, but strength for others not over them. He would prove his own strength to him in time.

She was making assumptions, assuming he had an interest in anatomy. "I'll think about it." It was the only response he gave during the trip.

Post Word Count - 273
Unused Word Count - 21
Used Word Count - 300
Total Word Count - 2071
Reaction E-3 to D

:Chakra Remaining 125/150:

The walk had become rather silent when it seemed that the young man wasn't apparently much of a talkative man. It could've been that the young woman's approach was a bit o harsh or maybe her own ideas were a bit to ellusive for such a person who most likely did not know who he was dealing with at all. Thinking about what to ask or tell him after he had initially only rebuked her small talk with a slightly indecisive answer.

"Perhaps you are not really the kind to talk about their ambitions or their pleasures," Risu sighed, while they were almost nearing the entrance to the village and thus as well the entrance to the very foremost compound they would enter: the Ouroboros Compound. "I do hope you enjoy the delight of a cup of tea, because otherwise I would not know how to entertain someone who has literally not spoken much since our initial acquaintance."


Giving a nod to two Hebi guards who were standing on duty at the small gate, the young woman ignored their rather questioning looks and glares towards the stranger who was following her. Surely the Ouroboros clan was a slightly introvert clan, which despite its fine history and rather significant place in Konoha, had always been looked at with doubt and in return, the two families which the clan was comprived of did exactly the same to all outsiders, a natural habbit of sorts.


"Perhaps you would like some refreshments and a nice bath," The orochi lady asked Bunshichi calmly, hoping he would at least take her on that offer. Maybe after that he would be more willing to have a more decent exercise, but for now, she had to make sure he at least felt a bit more comfortable. "Or do you want to test my abilities to their fullest before taking a bath...it's all up to you."

322/2480

The compound came in to sight, it wasn't much to talk about at first glance, though any place that had it's own guards likely had reason for it. It was surprising though, surely he'd have been put under more scrutiny upon entering the village, but that just might him merely over thinking security. His intention was simple for the moment, to be mentored by this woman he still didn't really know. Wandering into the compound he took it all observing everything around him. It all had a different feel then staying out by the forest. "I'm not the most open person when it comes to strangers. I'll be honest we know each other's names, and that's about it. No real connection there." It seemed though his silent treatment had made her settle down, she seemed more like a reasonable person now. "I enjoy the occasional cup of tea, I'm more interested in what you had in mind as a mentor. Beyond that I wouldn't worry about entertaining me, being bored is never an issue. I'm sure your a fine hostess either way."

"I would prefer to get started right away, a bath can come later. Bathing always feels better after a hard day of training or work. Helps to calm the mind and body." Setting his things down in either the first place out of the way or where directed, he was ready to go now. Kappa, the ball puppet on all four legs beside him ready to go as well. While she had seen out ability of his puppet ball, she had not seen all of it's potential or mechanics. It was never wise to assume a puppet had used all of it's tricks.

Post Word Count - 285
Unused Word Count - 6
Used Word Count - 300
Total Word Count - 2356
Strength E-1 to E-2
Endurance E-1 to E-2

:

The further she would take the young puppeteer into the Ouroboros compound, the more this young man would realize what he was getting into. The clan had evolved from a sidenote in Konoha's history to a powerhouse in both numbers and knowledge. It had hundreds of citizens hosted within its sanctuary, a well trained and well employed guard comprised out of members of the Hebi-branch family and members of the main Orochi family that weren't in line for the clan's leadership. An entire compound filled with medicinshops, snake charmers, doctors and scientists, the very hub of Konoha's medical system was located in the compound.

"We're almost there, mr. Bunshichi," The young Orochi lady spoke calmly, when the two had arrived at a large garden sealed off by fences and gates, showing that this was not just some estate, but the estate of the clan's leader. When passing through the guarded gates, a wondrous world of beautiful flowers and trees was revealed in the well-maintained garden which marked the outer layer of the rather massive Orochi Estate. However, while walking over the gravel path towards the fairly large two story building in traditional style at the center of the estate, the sound of hissing and sliding bodies also warned outsiders for the dangers that lay beyond any beauty. "Don't fear the snakes, mr. Bunshichi, for they fear you more than you would fear them, but let us go on and get you something nice to drink and eat, so you could rest from the wariness of camping in the middle of a godforgotten forest."


Arriving at the entrance of the large house, two women dressed in traditional black yukatas came towards Risu, asking her if everything was fine when realizing she did not wear her yukata properly and that her sleeves were torn off. With a shrug however, the young woman showed the two servants she did not need any assistance and that all was fine. Before she could say anything though, the two women eyed the Puppeteer as if he had done something to her, their expressions dangerously close to fury and hatred.



"Give this man some clothes and care for him well," Risu ordered the two women sternly, nodding them off, while turning towards her newest guest. "Please follow my servants, they will provide you with a clean attire, a bath and some refreshments. If you could, I would like to see you in my study whenever you are ready."


420/2900

He was ready to actual begin some kind of training, but instead it seemed he was to be shown around what was a beautiful place. It was quite the place, shops, gardens, doctors, scientists, and he could only assume even more beyond what he could see. Farther and farther in he followed her, his four legged puppet trodding behind him at an equal speed. Upon reaching the estate though it seemed this woman had planned on taking away what he believed to be a rather comfortable lifestyle, taking it and insulting it. It wasn't until she had servants appointed to tend to to him that he wouldn't put up with such things. "I appreciate the gesture, but I'd rather take care of myself. That includes my clothes, housing, hygiene, and food. For the future if you could not make me out to be some homeless bum forced to live in the wild against his will, when you don't know me. It's rather insulting."

It was by choice he lived on his own camping out in nature everywhere he went. It allowed him to train whenever he wanted to, and however he wanted to. At times his own training was rather harsh, so avoiding observing eyes was beneficial. Traveling and camping also served as a form of training all on there own. Ever since he had set out on his own, he lived with pride, just as his brother did when he first met him. No one would take that away from him, didn't matter what kind of guidance this woman was offering. Besides while he did camp he was severely well kept for a camper, he often wore stark white clothing that he never allowed to stay wrinkled or dirty. Living out in nature at all times, that was fairly difficult. Though he may have been a bit sweaty from training earlier, he was still well kept. "I do still want to recieve this guidance of yours, so if you'll point me towards your study I'll wait for you. I'm ready now." He was becoming rather impatient at this point, he could've gotten through a few routines and gotten on to refining his techniques by this point of the day.

Post Word Count - 370
Unused Word Count - 376
Used Word Count - 0
Total Word Count - 2732

:Chakra Remaining 115/150:

With Bunshichi's rather harsh refusal towards her hospitality, the young Orochi lady took a simple step back, tilting her head a bit to the left while looking at him with a slightly eerie smile on her face. This was the first time someone actually refused the luxuries of being pampered and smothered with all the luxury her house had to offer. It seemed that she had to change her approach a bit, since it became obvious that this man did not desire luxury but power.

"Well then, if you do not wish to enjoy my hospitality," Risu responded calmly, making a single motion with her hands to send off the servants, while coming closer to the Puppeteer again, trying to see what actually made him so confident about himself. "I guess there's no use forcing it upon you."


Thinking about what he was saying, the young woman simply turned around and stepped towards the doors of the house, turning around towards Bunshichi right in front of it. Her lips had curled into a grin which filled her expression with a greedy appearance, a sign that she was geniunly interested in what the young man had decided to do and what he seemed to truly desire.


"Maybe rather than coming to my study, we simply should start this little test of us right away," Risu replied calmly to him yet again, showing not the slightest hint of being distressed or even being impressed by his words. Despite his rather stern and headstrong behavior, he still had a long way to go to impress the young lady. "Since I dont like holding back, I'll use a simply solution of mine."


" Water release: water clone technique!!" With a quick set of seals, the young woman quickly seemed to activate a jutsu, with water rising up from the moist ground of the garden in a fast pace, forming three seperate entities which looked exactly like the Orochi lady herself, but their chakra reserves were obviously a lot lower and in those terms their strength as well might've been equally lower compared to the original. These were three water clones and they were ready to be used for a simple test of strength with the puppeteer.  


"Just tell me when you think you're ready,"  Risu said with a smile on her face, settling herself on the edge of the patio in front of the estate's entrance. 

jutsu+chakra:

407/3307

It seemed his little outburst sped up what was seeming to become a long process of receive any kind of training. With a set of seals the woman had summoned a set of three water clones. "Clearly you weren't listening." He had confidence in his ability though he knew what level he could fight at. Drawing his long sword with his left armor clad hand he was ready to fight. His mind beginning to race. Water clones and all other clones were a terrible jutsu in his mind, weak beings that took chakra from it's user. The three water clones would be no different. Despite being a test, he wasn't impressed.

Bunshichi's mind raced, it had been almost a year now since he had fought anyone. The only other person he had ever fought was his brother, and that never went in his favor. That was how he trained though, getting beaten each and every try only to train and improve for the next skirmish. It seemed a less then healthy way of training, but perhaps it was merely a trait the two shared. Bunshichi honestly had a single hope for his newest opponent, and that was to open the way forward through battle. Turning to face the three water clones that had been designated as his opponents, it seemed like a simple fight. "Three clones comprised of water. Minimal chakra reserves. Unknown combat ability. Clone stability an obvious weakness. Advantage is theirs. Defensive tactics likely my best strategy, let them come to me." Putting the battle in simple terms in his mind, he was more then ready.

The ball puppet at his feet tilted it's head towards The Lady Risu, clicking the metal plates that made up it's outer shell as if it was happy or laughing. Hovering his right hand over the clicking puppet, it jumped up to meet what controlled it. Similar to a pinball machine, Bunshichi quickly drew back his hand only to strike the ball puppet and send it flying towards the water clone to his left. Kappa though wouldn't have a boring flight though, firing off two kunai towards the second of the three water clones. Sword in hand, Bunshichi himself took a defensive stance holding his blade before him in wait. Though he was truly a puppeteer, secrets as a dangerous weapon. He wouldn't wait and do nothing, focusing his chakra he charged his body similar to a battery. Creating a ready supply of raiton chakra to be discharged at will. The raiton shock would be sufficient to destabilize and defeat the water clones the proclaimed Anbu Captain had made for him.

Post Word Count - 439
Unused Word Count - 65
Used Word Count - 750
Total Word Count - 3171

Training Endurance E-2 to D (525)
Perception E-2 to E-3 (225)

Chakra Remaining 95/150:

From her position on the patio, Risu could enjoy watching how this puppeteer would handle her clones. Surely, it could've been frowned upon as a more or less denigrating way of testing a person's level of skill and strength. However, even so, the Orochi Lady had decided upon these tactics from the very start she knew Bunshichi to be a puppeteer, simply to see if his puppets could outshine her clones and therefore prove his value.

Right when he seemed to start off, the young woman's eyes opened widely, this was what she wanted to see; the raw fighting strength, the strategic capacity of this man. It was all worth the loss of her chakra, something which she, with her incredible reserves did not really care about.

"Let's see what you've got for me," Risu whispered calmly to herself, while her tongue went slowly over her lips to show not just her anticipation, but also her greed when her lips curled into a wicked grin.


Like a team of well trained shinobi-as expected from clones with the very mindset of the original-the clones immediately took their position, each with equal distance from both eachother as well as the target, effectively forming a triangle around Bunshichi, but their own assault had not been devised yet or the puppeteer, apparently determined to make quick work of this test, had already begun his own offensive. 


Within an instant he had already thrown the ball-like puppet towards the clone to his left, while several kunai came out of the ball soaring towards the clone on the right. With quick reflexes, the first clone jumped aside, while performing a few handseals. "Water release-Water whip jutsu"


In a smooth combination with her jump to the left, water envelopped the clone's arms, lengthening greatly to two whiplike appendages of easily ten meters, lashing out with them simultaniously towards the puppeteer's legs as her went for the third clone, aiming to take away his footing or at least force him to jump up to avoid getting hit.


The second of the two clones managed to do the same as the first clone, by jumping in the same direction and forming a few handseals of her own. "Water release-Starch syrup capturing field."


Pouting her lips a bit, while her cheeks puffed up, the second clone spat out a large amount of viscuous gel-like water to cover a large part of the garden, with the aim to halt or at least hamper Bunshichi's movements, which in coordination with the first clone's assault wasn't all that bad of an idea, but still depended on the reality of wether or not the puppeteer would fall for their trick or not.


The third of the clones had decided upon a more active role of playing the full frontal assault, a choice which initially didn't look bad, until sadly for her, a surge of electricity ran through the air, immediately tearing apart the cohesion of her chakra and dispelling her into nothing more than a puddle of water on the ground, the two others were slightly more lucky, as they managed to yet again jump back, but their reserves were almost depleted or at least halved and that wasn't good when facing someone who could use raiton release.

562/3869

Jutsu+Chakra:

The battle truly began as all four of the combatants got involved. Bunshichi having already launched his initial attack was replied to by all three clones. Two ranged attacks and one close quarters strike. It didn't take long before one of the three was reduced to a puddle of water as the melee attacking clone merely touched it's target. With one clone down his strategy was working. Now the fight was two against one, but he had yet to escape the entirety of their first attack. Quickly jumping back, he identified the clones jutsu and would counter accordingly. A whip attack and a ground slowing substance, it was simple in theory, just don't touch either of them. Near the end of his jump he stabbed the blade of his longsword in to the ground, using the hilt of his weapon as a platform to land on as the starch jutsu covered the ground below.

With the ground around him now covered in the gooey substance, he had to maintain his mobility. Focusing chakra to the bottom of his feet, he'd use a very basic jutsu to move across the starch field. Taking only a moment, he then channeled chakra to the palms of his hands creating three free floating balls of lightning. As they began to move, they left trails of what seemed like a gaseous fire.

Dashing forward from his longsword, he moved easily over the starch field. The three wisps behind him, he drew a gladius with his right hand while grabbing another and throwing it with his left towards the first clone. Blade in hand he rushed the second clone, starting with a straight thrust followed by horizontal slash, he aimed to strike the clone. With two charges of raiton remaining, all he had to do was touch the clone in order to destroy it. The wisps breaking off towards the first clone.

As Bunshichi began his assault of the second clone, they flew towards the first. Splitting up, they circled the clone and began dashing towards it attempting to bash themselves against the clone. The wisps held just as much raiton energy as Bunshichi did with each charge of his Contact Shock jutsu. Touching one of the wisps would be enough to defeat the clone.

Post Word Count - 379
Unused Word Count - 44
Used Word Count - 400
Total Word Count - 3550

Speed D-1 to D-2 (400)

Chakra Remaining 65/150:

Risu's eyes widened considerably, when she noticed that not only had the puppeteer managed to destroy one of her clones, but he had also managed to avoid getting caught into one of her own standard strategies in a most clever and inventive way, using a sword as leverage and get himself outside of the sticky ground, while avoiding the whips of her other clone. It was marvelous to behold, making her tingle all over her spine just from mere excitement alone.

The two clones were slightly taken aback by this young man's actions as well, noticing the quickly forming and subsequently seemingly free-floating balls of energy hanging around the puppeteer. This moment of awe and confusion also proved to be their downfall, as the first clone could not react in time to avert the dangerously thrown gladius, feeling it plunge within her chest before bursting into a splash of water as she got zapped by the electrically charged wisps.

The second clone was just as stunned by what was transpiring, yet still had enough luck and concentration to avoid the initial thrust, trying to avoid the horizontal slash proved less successful, as the clone not only got hit by the blade, but by Bunshichi's hands as well, splashing down into a crackling puddle of electrified water.

Theme

"Well done, well done indeed," The young orochi lady laughed, while getting up from her seated position at the patio, clapping her hands in applause for the young man's efforts. "But somehow I seem to feel dissapointment coming from you. Could it be...that you do not seem to enjoy this as much as I do? Could it be that you want more...action, more excitement and more danger?"


With a swift pull, the young woman removed her obi and yukata all together, kicking away her wooden sandals and revealing that she was still wearing a sleeveless shirt and spats underneath it, which seemed to be more than enough for her, as she was now more than capable of moving freely, to the fullest of her abilities. 


A sinister grin appeared on her face, while she flexed the muscles in her slender arms and well shaped legs. The muscles in her arms seemed to be surging with chakra, as they were gradually getting larger and thicker, with her arms tensing up and showing an image of a lot more raw power than before. When she had redirected enough of her chakra to strengthen her arms to their maximum, the young woman dashed at her highest possible speed in a straight line towards Bunshichi, from her position only ten meters away, while throwing up her right fist towards the young man's abdomen, while hissing just a few words: "Let's see if this is more satisfying to you."

470/4339

jutsu+chakra:

The test was over, all last two clones had fallen to his sudden split attack. In a three on one fight he had come out without any damage, though against clones he wouldn't consider it a real fight anyways. Overall he was disappointed, while he could tell he had improved since his last bout against his brother defeating water clones was too simple. Their tactics too easy to out maneuver as well. Flanking a melee fighter and striking with only ranged attacks would have been a more useful strategy.

While the test was over and he had won, the Lady Risu seemed too greedy to end it so quickly.  A swift wardrobe change and she was ready to fight herself. Adrenaline still flowing through his body, he wouldn't decline in any way. "New opponent, water element, Anbu Captain, versed in ninjutsu, majority of skill still unknown, advantage hers, greed an obvious weakness." He watched as her body changed, subtle changes, but enough to see a noticeable increase in physical ability. "Enhanced body, four to one likely best tactic."

Quickly tossing two more of his gladius swords, towards the Lady Risu but at angles so that they would be between the two as they began the next round of their skirmish. He needed every bit of wit to just land a single blow, and if he could get just one it would be a winning fight. His opponent bursting from where she stood removed the distance between them, moving far faster then he could. Throwing her fist at him, two things were clear, one was that she didn't practice taijutsu too much while the second was that despite her ability in taijutsu she was still too fast for him to avoid it without using a technique.

His opponent moved at a blazing fast speed. Reaching out she struck him, or at least would have as Bunshichi's body erupts into a cloud of smoke. Quickly dispersing to reveal the fourth and final gladius blade being left behind in the young man's place, as the Lady Risu's strike lands on the blade of the left behind sword. Bunshichi's strategy was much more then simply avoiding her attack, appearing on the roof making sure to land rather noisily as his feet touched the roof tiles. "So far I'm not impressed, I bet you hit like a girl." The chakra strings attached to his weapons kept him and his weapons connected. The two gladius he had tossed out prior to her attack began floating pointing themselves at the Lady Risu, flying for her exposed back. While still working to improve his puppetry, two puppets was not his limit. Kappa, the ball puppet he had launched in his initial attack would make a return to the fight. Firing two kunai not at Risu but towards the area right in front of it's master, Bunshichi, in an attempt to predict his opponent's moves or deter her from getting close to him. One precaution was never enough, as the two wisps that had survived  their opponent moved to float around their master's body serving as an added for of deterrence. One final treat waited for his opponent as he had one last charge to his Contact Shock jutsu, he would make hitting him hurt as much as possible.

Post Word Count - 550
Unused Word Count - 69
Used Word Count - 525
Total Word Count - 4100

Strength - E-2 to E-3 (225)
Perception - E-3 to D (300)

Chakra Remaining 50/150:

The very moment her strike had landed, Risu's eyes opened widely when she was momentarily envelloped in a cloud of smoke, only to realize she had not hit the young man at all, as he emerged unscathed when the cloud of smoke dispersed. She figured he had used something to switch himself with the gladius or something, but it did not feel like the body replacement technique, no, he had used the gladius he had thrown earlier to pull him away, while sacrificing another of his gladius', what a keen thinking man this was.

Seeing the puppeteer stand there, showing his smugness in his actions, the young Orochi lady simply gave a smile, while sighing a bit. The muscles in her arms reverted to their original size, returning the young woman to her original appearance again. "Well, so much for a surprise attack."

Just as she wanted to commend Bunshichi for his smart mannuvres, he managed to piss her off a bit by exclaiming that without a doubt he expected her to hit like a girl. breathing in and out a few times, Risu managed to control her anger and gave another of her trademark soft smiles. "You'd be surprised about the punches we girls can pack."

bending a bit through her legs, whil clenching her fists, the young woman began to grunt a bit, while her chakra started to surge through her body, the ground crackling beneath her feet when her entire skin started to turn into a shimmering array of white scales, a snake's hide covering her entire body. She seemed to have gotten slightly more muscular due to this appaerance, but unlike her earlier jutsu, this one did not only grant her more physical power, but also an incredibly hard to penetrate defense. All at the cost of some of her usually incredible speed.

"Now let's see what you plan to do now," The young woman exclaimed, noticing the whips that had destroyed one of her clones so easily, not to mention that the puppeteer had something up his sleeve, but she did not know what. All she had to work with, was her observation of the earlier fight. Deciding not to take any chances, the young woman made a quick succession of handseals, after which a layer of thin, cooling water seemed to cover the scales. "Water release-Mystic water veil."

Yet, she wasn't done yet. With another set of handseals, she seemed to form an exact copy of the jutsu used by one of her clones, with her hands being covered with thick, fast streaming water, with the only difference being, that she swiped with her hands through the air to create a few fast travelling, sickle formed water projectiles to be launched towards Bunshichi. "Water release-water slash technique."

Without hesitation, the young woman burst towards the puppeteer, making sure she remained behind her projectiles, only to divert to the right at approximately a distance of three meters away from the puppeteer, aiming to flank him from there by throwing a swift blow towards his right kidney. "A girl's punch...heh."

523/4862

jutsu+chakra:

It seemed his tactic had avoided her attention as the two gladius he threw out before her initial strike, met her back. While only dealing inch and a half wounds, it was still a successful attack. Misdirection was a basic of combat, drawing her attention to himself after putting his swords in a position to flank and strike her only proved the Anbu Captain was rather easy to manipulate. To think that a few childish words would also get her so riled up, clearly both narrow minded and gullible. Any true warrior of any gender put aside such differences, it only served to distract or underestimate, often resulting in their own defeat. Bunshichi couldn't care what gender his opponent was. In a fight they were merely his enemy.

With a grin on his own face he surveyed the Lady Risu, her body was changing again. From a swift build to a bulky and defensive stature, she was set for power. He could read her intentions from her moves. Any practitioner of Taijutsu or Bukijutsu could hide such obvious moves as a straight punch. What was next then, she had already done the most obvious attack without a weapon. He would give her one thing though, she was formulating a defense. Calling our her Water Veil jutsu, water formed a thin layer over her body. It was a technique not so common as the Water Clones, though in appearance it was a defensive style, only cementing his theory of her defensive body. She almost seemed like a snake that had freshly shed it's skin.

Another set of seals from his opponent only added to the mental storm that was him analyzing her next move. Water whips, similar to the water clone he had defeated. One drastic difference arose swiftly as she launched them as a ranged attack. Her attack began, charging forward, she followed her attack. The water slash was easy to follow and in turn so was she. Another frontal strike couldn't be her objective, no one ever followed a ranged attack to simply strike the same place it would. That was all he needed, it was time to use the puppets still on his body. Swiftly turning in place to face the Lady Risu as she flanked him or at least tried to. His arms bore a pair of puppets he had equipped the entire battle, consisting of several plates each as they shifted each forming a decent sized shield to protect his body from her strike. Bunshichi wasn't so ignorant to turn his back to an attack though, a third shield he wore on his back, turning just so as to face his opponent and block the water slash with it. While it did feel like a punch to his back it was nothing he couldn't handle.

The Anbu Captain's attack made contact ringing out as it struck the puppet shield. If time froze it would appear as if he had stopped her strike in it's tracks, such a thing was not possible however. Striking the shield the force quickly went through blowing Bunshichi from his position on the roof straight back into the square courtyard below. The strike was even enough to disrupt his control of his chakra as his wisps dissipated into nothingness. Bouncing a few times before coming to a stop, his body hurt . . . a lot. One strike, almost felt like he was fighting against Kaguza again. Laying on the ground for a moment before slowly climbing back to his feet, though it was a struggle. "See like a girl." While to most it might seem like an insult Bunshichi it wasn't. Breaking out in to a laugh, despite the pain. "I'm quite satisfied now, I think I'll take that bath now." A line of blood running down his face from landing on the hard ground, he removed the puppet armor revealing a massive bruise almost spanning the entirety of his arm that took the brunt of her attack. While losing the battle he had passed her test and proven to himself that he had improved since him and his brother parted ways. The path ahead was clear, he'd get stronger. This was a victory for him.

Post Word Count - 702
Unused Word Count - 2
Used Word Count - 725
Total Word Count - 4802

Reaction Time - D to D-2 (725)

- Edit -

Strength = E to E-3 (450 words total)
Speed = E to D-2 (1475 words total +75 ryo)
Endurance = E to D (700 words total)
Reaction Time = E to D-2 (1475 words total + 75 ryo)
Perception = E to D (700 words total)
Total Training Word Count = 4800 words +150 ryo

Chakra Remaining 40/150:

With a rather excellent strategy, the puppeteer had managed to minimize the damage of everything thrown at him with relative ease, but the question remained: did he know that this was nowhere near the limits of Risu's power or not?

After all, besides her high level defensive and bodystructure altering jutsu, she had decided not to use anything too destructive from her wide arsenal, simply because if she did, the damage would not just be directed at the terrain or the puppeteer, but at her very own house as well and she wasn't going to spend the entire clan's budget for her own means.

"With what you've shown now, you've earned that bath," Risu laughed after the puppeteer's commend, while reverting back to her original appearance by dispelling the snakescales and the waterveil, realizing that despite the strong scales, she just as well had a few cuts due to the two gladius thrown by Bunshichi. "Next time let's have a bout on a more secluded place, where I dont have to think about my own property being damaged in the process. However, I doubt you'd be able to even survive such a single match without first gaining some strength and more importantly some skill."

It was an obvious jab towards the puppeteer, a verbal skirmish which he had started by calling her punches that of a weak girl, while she was without a doubt one of Konoha's finest. Not that she worried though, somehow this man had a refreshing character, smart and not annoying, witty and cunning without being scheming. He seemed so much older and so much more mature than her, which in all honesty he might've been.

"So...about that bath," The young woman laughed, while patting Bunshichi on the back while walking upon the manor's patio. "I suppose you wont argue with me this time if I were to offer you some clean clothes while yours can be cleaned?"

333/5195

trained A rank jutsu Water Release: Tearing Torrent Technique:  1600/1600 (clan perk) complete

3595 wc left and used HERE

trained

His whole body just hurt knowing that the next day he'd be sore and stiff. "I look forward to our next skirmish then. Not gonna argue against clean clothes. Just point out the bath and I'll be on my way." Though he passed the test he did lose their fight. Overall he wasn't disappointed, he had improved. New ideas and techniques filled his head. For the rest of the day he'd rest, tomorrow a whole new set of training. After finding out which way the bath was he began making his way towards the warm water. For now it seemed that his extended camping trip had come to an end here in Konoha.

[Exit Thread]