"It has been sometime since I got out of the academy, all that time off isn't good for a shinobi," Sekuro thought to himself as he walked to the training grounds to, in some sense, 're-start' his career as a shinobi. What Sekuro really needed was someone to show him the ropes of iwagakure and how things have been working. He knew it would probably be sometime before he was put into a squad again and to help pass the time he was going to train his hardest and prefect his skills to pass the time. The next hardest decision to make on his way to the training grounds was what he should train and if anyone was there, should he ask them to train with him? It is not that he is nervous but doesn't want to break the rules and start off on a bad foot with his village and possible teammates. Sekuro can see the training grounds just around the corner, he checked his equipment and tightened his new headband. It's time to get today's training out of the way.

Well, there seems to be a few people here; but who are they, what are their skills like, and would they be willing to a quick match?

He looks around the grounds and sees a few ninja who might be up to a quick spar, although Sekuro has a feeling that no matter what, he is probably leagues behind most of these ninja, and that any challenge he offers will only end up with himself being injured. No, this is for good, no one becomes great without suffering. He must find a partner, someone who can teach him and help him become a better ninja, one who has experience that can be portrayed to Sekuro.

[306]

The green one woke up from sleep as the ray of the morning sun pryed through his windows, opened his curtains and reflected on his face just to inform him that it was morning. The young man simply rubbed his eyes with the back of his right palm before raising the green plain bed sheets off of himself. He moved them aside as he got out of bed. With a slow turn of his upper body to the right and another one to the left, a cracking sound could be heard with each turn. Putting both of his hands to his chin, another simple turn to the right and left, one after the other would give of a cracking bone sound. He loved the coolness of them. He walked over to the bathroom and he ran the water and poured a bit on his face before looking into the mirror to see the same person he saw everyday, Zennyo Ryuo. His body was half exposed except for the shorts that were on from the previous night. Dray pulled the shorts and entered into the bath room. He spent a few minutes in there, tidying himself up before coming out and drying himself with a broad green colored towel. Dray proceded to dress himself up and he slipped into his usual cloths. He wore his well designed shinobi sandals and combed his spiky hair upwards before tieing his blank headband to his forehead. He filled his ninja pouch with the various shinobi projectiles he possesed which ranged from kunais to shurikens and senbons.

Without eating anything, dray would leave the abandoned house which had long become his home. He just followed his mind. He did not feel like to stay at home today. As a shinobi, his body wanted more. Most of the missions he had embarked on in iwagakure no sato were not satisfying. Perhaps, a single spar with anybody would do. He just wondered if whoever was up for it was worthy. Dray looked as he legs carried him. His instincts had become something that was not to be ever ignored in most situations and this situation here, the instinct was taking over. While he walked, he thought about his unfinished puppets in the basement workshop. He was a bit eager to test them in battle but on a second thought, he shunned his thinking. They were not only meant for battle but they were also his family.
Dray would walk into the training grounds of the land of stone, seeing a few shinobis training but none of them would catch his eye. Dray would then walk some steps further and sit on a rock boulder that was present in the arena. It was a beautiful spot for doton techniques. Just the, a young male would come into the arena. He seemed to also seek what dray was looking and perhaps, this was the opponent. For the first time in so long, dray would speak first trying not to waste anymore time..
If you have come here looking for a spar, then I give you the priviledge to bring on whatever you have got..cos I won't hold. dray would say to the karumo while cracking his knuckles but still seating on the stone boulder that was seven metres away from him. All the while, dray's calm look would be forever active like it had no switch.
WC:571

Sekuro continued to look around and his eyes caught the glance of someone in green perched upon a boulder nearby. He looked him over trying to evaluate what his skills might be, but nothing was immediately given away about this man in green. Sekuro over heard him from a couple meters away,
"If you have come here looking for a spar, then I give you the priviledge to bring on whatever you have got..cos I won't hold."

Sekuro contemplated his offer, It definitely seems interesting enough, and it is a great chance to warm up his skills, facing an unknown opponent like a real battle would provide. He saw his blank headband, it immediately spoke that he was not a ninja of this village and the fight would prove more informational than most others he could face.

I accept your challenge, although most would give their name first. My name is Sekuro and I am one of the phantom eye warriors. I won't back down either and hope you take this challenge to test both of our abilities. So tell me, what are your abilities, where are you from? Regardless of what you say, this battle will tell me more than I could probably hope to know.

Sekuro would then weave the signs necessary to spray a cloud of flammable gas towards his opponent trying to look into the future of how this battle will go. It is obvious that his skills are lower than that of any beginning ninja so his brain must be the one to get him out of this fight in one piece. He calls out to the man in green before beginning,

"Impress me stranger, let's see what you can do, and don't hold back, I plan on exhausting all of my jutsu and strategies. And i expect no less from my opponents, let's just try to keep the shots above the belt can we?

Sekuro said with a sort of jest and joking in his voice, trying to lighten up the seriousness of a mere practice sparring that was about to take place.He prepared the signs for his Misty Flame Dance and began to spray his invisible and odorous gas towards his opponent while he reached for the kunai in his bag, he would try to spread the gas around him to cover any spots his opponent could cover before he could prepare his next attack or before his opponent could land a blow to him.

Misty Flame Dance:

[140/150 chakra left]

[419 WC, 725 total WC]

From his sitting position, dray would observe the young man and glorify the seven metre distance between the both of them. It would be enough time for him to counter whatever attacks his opponent would throw at him that is if the attacks were straight forward or even slightly visible. Dray loved to analyse certain situations before making any of his move. His opponent did not look too well built but that would not mean that he did not have some strength in him. Dray would wait for his opponent to make a move so he would determine his speed and what other things would make this battle be in his favour. As dray had said earlier, he would not hold back and he actually meant it but truly speaking, it would not be much fun if his opponent would go down with just one blow to whatever part dray hit. This opponent had better be fun.
Dray would look at his opponent from head to toe, imagining what he could be scheming. Dray would open his mind's eye and picture his opponent as a puppet. His opponent might regard this as a little spar between two parties but dray would regard it as a battle between two different entities. One of iwa and another with iwa as dray could well see the iwagakure no sato shinobi head band on the opponent. This was a battle that could not be lost and would not be lost. Using his mind's eye to picture his opponent as a puppet, just as a puppet master controls his puppet, dray would try to make his opponent the puppet and anticipate his opponent's moves giving him a quicker time to react to situation changes.

"I accept your challenge, although most would give their name first. My name is Sekuro and I am one of the phantom eye warriors. I won't back down either and hope you take this challenge to test both of our abilities. So tell me, what are your abilities, where are you from? Regardless of what you say, this battle will tell me more than I could probably hope to know." Dray would devour the words of this young man and squeeze out the useful knowledge out of it like a grinder grinding a solid susbstance to extract it's paste. The phantom eye warriors.. Was that actually something or a self acclaimed title because dray was sure he had not heard of it during his stay in iwa. Perhaps, this was the beginning of this so called phantom eye warriors but dray would love to see how ghosty he is. Sekuro.. A name that dray would be sure to remember if this young man impressed him but those who have nothing to offer dont deserve a place in dray's memories. Finally, the middle part of the young man's statement would cause dray to think to himself... I need not test my abilities for I know what I am...

The drums of battle were sounded as dray would stand up from the stone boulder he had been sitting on and place his legs firmly on solid ground. The opponent would call out to dray again as he looked to be the talky type...
"Impress me stranger, let's see what you can do, and don't hold back, I plan on exhausting all of my jutsu and strategies. And i expect no less from my opponents, let's just try to keep the shots above the belt can we? With a calm look on his face, dray would shake his head from left to right because the opponent might probably not get to use even any of his jutsus as he had said. Dray would see his opponent charge forward while weaving some hand seal. This somehow excited dray but he could not wait. Observing his opponent's speed, dray knew he was more faster than this and it would take his opponent some time to cover this distance therefore, dray would help shorten the gap as he himself would spring unto his toes and start towards the opponent. As the opponent would weave his hand seals, dray would see him shoot his lips forward in a blowing motion but dray would not be the victim to an unseen attack as he himself would evade and attack as he would disappear three metres below the ground to evade the opponent's attack, whatsoever it was and then he would travel towards the opponent at his maximum speed which was by far faster than that of his opponent. Dray would reach the opponent in a matter of time, knowing where he would be due to the magnetic forces that dray felt beneath the earth as dray's hands would emerge above the earth and latch unto his opponent's ankles as dray would then drag his opponent into the ground while leaving only his head above the ground before he would pop out of the ground about three metres away from the likely trapped opponent.
WC:850

Sekuro finished weaving his signs and expelling the gas, it seemed too easy. The man in green allowed him to close in by 4 meters before making his move. He began to charge at Sekuro, it seemed all too good to be true, he was going to walk right into the gas, getting into the fibers of his clothing and onto his skin. This would increase the effectiveness of any fire style  jutsu he might wield. He tried to anticipate the battle but knowing nothing of this opponent he was not sure how he would react and it seemed that he was going to take an early advantage in this fight.
Suddenly, He shot his entire body under the ground. This struck Sekuro and for the next few moments so much flew through his mind. He basically stopped his running to analyze his situation, and with what speed he buried himself, Sekuro had really outdone himself this time by challenging this opponent. There were a couple of things he learned from this movement though, it confirmed Sekuro's worry that this ninja far out-classed him in his physical capabilities and it also showed that he could use Earth-style attacks. Earth style. Sekuro used fire and wind styles, they compliment each other perfectly but neither has a major affect on Earth. It had only been a matter of time when Sekuro felt the ground below him start to shake some more, he continued to press the last bit of the gas out of his lips as he felt hands grab his ankles and begin to pull him underneath as well.
Again, an instant of time went by and Sekuro saw himself dragged underground but his head left above ground. His opponent emerged a few meters away from Sekuro's buried body, interestingly enough, Sekuro only cared slightly about his buried body, he knew he could dig himself upward but it would take time and he needed to keep the man in green away from him until he could get atleast his arms out of ground.
He knew what he would do, his opponent might not have sensed the odor of it yet but that cloud of gas was expanding at about 5 m/s and being 10 cubic meters there is enough to spread around in the areas he might try to run off too. Sekuro quickly began to build more chakra up into his mouth to release a Flame Bullet. This bullet would be aimed right at him but not with the intention of hitting him, but with the intention of lighting the gas around him while he tried to dodge, it becomes difficult to dodge an invisible gas that is igniting into an explosion. His goal was to get out of the ground so as he built up his chakra he began to have his arm claw their way out and kick his legs to gain some ground to bringing himself from the ground. There is no way he would lose this easily, but he was worried about what his opponents speed and strength might do next, his attacks become almost unavoidable at this disparity between their skills.
Sekuro had many more tricks up his sleeve, or atleast he believed he did, and as he began to dig himself out he expelled his flame bullet at his opponent and more importantly, hoped to light the gas around them as well.

Flame Bullet:

[125/150 chakra]

[573 words, 1298 total WC]

Being three metres away from his trapped opponent, dray wondered how his opponent would escape such a trap. Dray had not stressed himself too much to attain such as he put it at the back of his mind that his opponent was far below his standard but frankly speaking, nobody was to be underestimated. Dray definetly knew that beneath the earth, the opponent's hands and legs would be struggling to push him out but even that method would take a bit of time. Only if he possesed the lightning element or a much more stronger power, then he could have broken out of such little trap easily.
Just then, dray finally began to nothing the irritating odour that had enveloped the area and had even stuck unto him. Dray wondered where he had contacted this odour from because he knew pretty well that he had taken his bath properly before leaving home. Dray glanced at his opponent as his mind flashed back to the first few scenes. Before he shot under the earth, he had seen his opponent perform some hand seals and shoot his mouth forward like dray's own water trumpet jutsu but instead of water, nothing came out before dray disappeared but now, he connected the odour to the youmg man's action. It definetly had to be some gas or something but there was no way to determine it and neither did dray know why the opponent did it or what he intended on doing with it but one thing dray was sure of was that it was not a blind attack.

Three metres away, dray would see his opponent's cheeks puff.. What was he planning. His attack styles were one that dray was well familiar with. Anything that involved the cheeks puffing or the lips shooting out simply meant that something was coming out of the mouth but what it was was the thing that dray could not decide so he simply waited for it. After the puff which showed that the opponent was building up chakra, dray would have moved back another metre, lengthing the distance between them to four metres but that would probably not matter as this young man would expel fire out of his mouth in dray's direction and as the fire would come out, it would mix with something in the atmosphere which was definately the odourful gas that the young man had earlier spray causing the gas to ignite and make the fire larger but being four metres away and with his maximum speed, dray would not be the one to succumb to such an attack from someone not in his caliber as he himself would expel a second doton chakra into the earth and elevate the earth three metres above him with him atop it. The fire would of course slap against the earth wall but it would do nothing due to the fact that katon was weak against doton and once again, dray would have evaded his opponent's attack.

Dray seemed to be enjoying this as he believed that the opponent could impress him some more. All the while, he had been hoping to cage the opponent in his four wooden pillar prison and make him give up but this battle was much about having fun even though winning it was more paramount. Perhaps, it was time to up his game and check out what more the opponent had to offer. Still atop the mountain which was three metres tall, three metres wide and four metres away from the opponent, dray would perform three simple hand seals as three mud wolves would emerge from the base of the risen earth with their eyes would glow yellow. They were pesky wolves that were difficult to destroy without having lightning. They would snarl and expose their teeth and wait for their master to give the command.
WC:651

Driven to the limit of his jutsu, Sekuro would need to find a way out of this predicament fast. With no more jutsu to use he needed a way out fast, he decided to act quickly, he could feel the dirt around being loosened and as he jumped from the hole he remembered his education.

I've enjoyed this fight so far stranger. If only I were better at this I could probably challenge you a bit more. Sekuro said as he finally found a foothold to escape from.

To Sekuro the biggest thing was that if he could not be the strongest fighter around, he would absolutely aim to be the smartest. He spent much time studying and tying to find the loopholes and flaws to different  elements and many of those flaws lied in the science behind their skill. He knew about the doton element and how even though it is Earth Style, much of the strength lies in the moisture in the ground to keep the earth tightly compacted in its shape. Fire style may not be able to beat doton straight up but it can dry out the area that is burned. He looked around and saw the dirt on top of the ground where the ignited gas had been was loose and dry now and the spot where his Flame bullet hit also had dried up this side of the Earth wall.
He noticed his opponent summon the Mud wolves and Sekuro knew that he had a very limited catalog of jutsu to use so Sekuro had to finish this quickly, he also wondered someone who is so adept in earth style but had no village on his headband. The man in green intrigued Sekuro and he wanted to get to know him more, this would probably be one of his last attempts at dispatching his opponent but he had to do something while he waited for enough chakra to use another flame bullet.
This man sat several meters away and 3 meters off the ground. Sekuro would not be able to reach him using his own speed and athleticism so He devised a plan to use his Wind release stream once he was able to leap from his hole in the ground. While he was leaping he would infuse even more Fuuton chakra into his kunai that he had prepared in order to turn this into a close range battle. Sekuro knew that if his speed was really that much greater than a close range battle was most likely not the answer but he needed to change the pace up in order to keep his opponent from using more ninjutsu that outclassed him even more so.
Sekuro began to break from the dirt and began to infuse chakra into his kunai. Suddenly, he felt the dirt break and leaped up from his whole, now, not even a full foot above ground he used his Wind release jutsu to propel him forward and up to his opponent, extending his chakra infused kunai in front of him. His opponent was 4 meters away and three meters in the air, making the direct distance away about 5 meters from where Sekuro left the dirt, the wind release could propel him up to 10 meters and at 5 m/s. Meaning if Sekuro launched straight at him he would have a mere second to react to his incoming attack. He saw the man in green and aimed for his center mass, not trying to critically injure him but knowing that he would most likely hit atleast an extremity if he tried to dodge to the side.
Even with this attack plan he was still outclassed and it would not be long before his opponent made him look his rank, he would attempt to bypass his opponents mud wolves until he could dispatch of them without interference from their summoner. The was his last attempt to turn the tide of the battle, after this desperate attempt to claim victory from here he would most likely be thrown onto the defensive. There is no control when you are defending yourself and if anything, Sekuro needed to control the pace and tempo of this fight.

Chakra Infusion:

Wind Release:

[110 Chakra left]

[704 words, 2002 total]

Dray stood on his throne of stone that was about three metres above the ground. He looked at the magic that his opponent would perform. On his own part, he knew that the trap would not hold much as it was a mere D ranked earth technique but it still proved useful in this situation.
Dray had gotten a pretty good analysation of the battle. The winner had already been decided and the fate of this opponent had been sealed from the very start but he did not look like he would give up. All he need was a little more persuasion from dray but dray thought of how to do that. Most of his techniques were offensive and defensive. He could not use most of the offensive because they would greatly injure the opponent which he did not want and he could not use most of the defensive for reasons known to him. He only had to wait and see what his opponent would offer but whatever happens, this was what would end the battle.

"I've enjoyed this fight so far stranger. If only I were better at this I could probably challenge you a bit more." Dray would hear the opponent say but he would not respond. He hardly spoke and even when he did, it was probably neccessary. The mud wolves were probably not going to be used in this battle and dray needed not waste any more chakra so he would send them back into the earth. His next move was going to finish this quick.
It was probably about time and this opponent was not yet above the ground. Was he giving up or something?
Just then, the opponent would shoot out of the ground with a propelling force. It was a beautiful act that even dray was almost suprised but he still held his calm look. The only way for this young man to somehow fly at such speed and height was if he was using a wind release jutsu. Dray would not fret for he had even seen more. He would allow the young man to enjoy his flight and hope on whatever he planned on doing. Dray could well see the kunai in his hand but he did not even make a single move..

As the opponent would get to about three metres close to him, the senju king would stretch his right hand forward as the hand would instantly morph into a wooden branch. This hand branch would lock around the target's neck, stopping him in the air but avoiding choking him. From the main branch, one branch would grow out and swiftly wrap both of the target's hands together as another branch would do the same to his two legs.. Dray would have rendered him immobile and there was no escape this time.....
A valiant man knows when to retreat in battle.... Dray would then say to the young male that was held in the air by the superiority of only dray's right arm.
WC:510

Sekuro's last line of attack was pretty solid in his mind, he knew that his speed, with the wind style boost, should give the man in green something to react to. His first step out of the ground had been straight towards him, he noticed the man dispatch his own mud wolves. It struck Sekuro and raised his curiosity, what could he have planned next that he would cast a jutsu then instantly release it?
Half a second had now gone by and his arm and kunai were fully extended towards his opponent, Sekuro was closing the gap and his opponent merely stuck his own arm out towards him, Sekuro thought it might be some earth style defense meant to block the kunai but his fuuton chakra should prove enough to atleast break a jutsu like that.
Sekuro had nearly closed the gap, he was approaching the full time of one second that it would take to reach him when all of the sudden wood began to shoot out of his arm, swallowing his arm and beginning to shoot towards Sekuro. Quickly, Sekuro began slashing at the wood, cutting away any pieces that got too close but it kept coming at a rate he was unable to cut, even with his chakra infused kunai it was becoming a burden. It then split apart and he cut one but the other branch wrapped around his neck.
This was it, if he got caught then that was it, he could choke him out and leave him unconscience. Thanks to his speed the man was able to catch him, but he didnt begin to choke him, merely restrain Sekuro, at the same time more branches sprouted and restrained his hands and feet. This was it, the end of the battle, and Sekuro knew that. The man in green spoke out to him now, "A valiant man knows when to retreat in battle...."
Valiant, that was the word he chose to describe a ninja who was too afraid to continue the fight. Thanksfully, this was merely a practice spar but it bothered Sekuro, those words, they meant nothing to him. Valor was not earned through cowardice, Sekuro had only one thing, to prove himself, and retreating would not be an option but Sekuro knew his limits and the disparity in their skill. As he was hung there by the mans wood jutsu he knew it was over, and he didn't mind losing, especially a match that wasn't even an exhibition.
He also wondered what kind of jutsu wood control was, was it an advanced technique of the doton jutsu he had already been displaying or was this a special jutsu like a Kekkai Genkai. So many questions and so few answers, as the man had uttered merely two statements this whole bout. Sekuro knew it was time to admit defeat.
He dropped his kunai which fell tip first and planted into the ground underneath him. He said to the man, Very well, I concede defeat here today. But Sekuro had so many questions he wanted to ask, he wanted to get to know this ninja and find out how he is able to control wood like one would control doton or katon chakra.
It was a great match stranger, you are actually the first real opponent I've had to spar against since my days in the academy, it was enjoyable all the way through. But before we part ways I have a couple question to ask you. Sekuro said as he could feel the wood branches begin to relax their grip of him. First off, tell me your name, so that I may remember it and challenge you again when I have grown stronger. And second, where are you from and what is that jutsu that allows you to control wood? He hoped he would get answer to his questions as not knowing about such a tremendous power shows that he still lacks much to learn in his own studies. Also, if you have time later on I would like you to join me in this shop in the village. They have great food and your drinks would be on me, there is so much I want to know but that is for a later date, for now tell me who you are. Hopefully one day we can battle again, and then, I will not lose so easily.
Sekuro was completely calm, the bruises he had earned did not bother him since he could not feel physical pain and he probably would not even tend to those wounds as they were not serious. With the skill of his opponent he could have been seriously injured but escaped because of his compassion.

[791 words, 2793 total]

[Exit thread]

Stats trained:

Dray clearly read the look on the young man’s face like someone reading a book. He was definitely that his perfect plan did not work. If he was more experienced, he ought to know that his attack was reckless. Attacking an opponent head on was a move worth it if a fake was employed or if a back up was in place. Dray began lowering his throne of stone slowly as he glared into the dark haired man’s eyes and left the man to glare into his too. Dray dressing was one that conceived so many things therefore, only the region from his eyes upwards could be clearly seen. Dray awaited the man’s response. Was he going to accept defeat, if he did not, then he could be well asking to die. Assessing the battle, it could very well be seen that dray could have easily eliminated his opponent but there were reasons why he did not do so. The first was because he did not want any complications in iwagakure no sato an the second reason was well known to him. One which would surface sooner or later.
“Very well, I concede defeat here today.” The young male would say to dray.”It was a great match stranger, you are actually the first real opponent I’ve had to spar against since my days in the academy, it was enjoyable all the way through but before we part ways, I have a couple questions to ask you”. Finally, something worth hearing. “First off, tell me your name so that I may remember it and challenge you again when I have grown stronger . And second, where are you from and what is that jutsu that allows you to control wood?” The most reason why dray spared him. Through the battle, dray had seen that the young man was not ready to concede defeat and even if dray beat him, he would still come back to fight an interesting battle but name.. name.. dray wondered as he began to release the branches that held the man in place and finally lowered the earth to its normal level. He himself did not know what his name was or even if he had one but he had stuck with something that he had heard in his dream. Zennyo Ryuo meaning the rising dragon. “Name is not something you need to know before you can challenge me but if it means that much, you would not have a problem referring to me as ‘the puppet master with wooden strings’”. Perhaps in their next fight, he would understand why dray asked him to call him so.
“Till we meet again, phantom eye warrior”.

WC;451
EXIT
TOTAL WC;3033 Training suiton:b-a (3000/3033)