Hitoshi would stand just within the insides of the coliseum. Clad in a black short-sleeved shirt and wearing a pear of black pants, though this time going at things without any shoes at all, the blond-haired male would have brought the bare-bones of what he was hoping to train with with him. This would include a black leather pouch that would be on the right side of the back of his waist, which held some of his more standard weapons, the sharper ones of which were dulled down in order to prevent cutting. In his left hand would also be his customized yari, which held a little secret with it that he wished to practice with during his time here. He would look at his weapon for a few moments, admiring it. he had finally collected enough to afford it, and as a result be able to actually be more into his element once more. He knew that the next step would be to get a shamisen, but he would still be in process of drawing it up, let alone affording what he wanted, so that would just have to be step two in beginning his path.

Looking at the burgundy wood, which the weapon would be made out of, he would be thinking about his pride in more than just this. He had spent the remainder of his hard-earned cash in order to afford two little surprises he also wished to practice with, both of which were hidden under the sleeves of his shirt. He thought of the idea, and had hoped he made them correctly, but never has he actually practiced with them, though. These were his first creative pieces, so the special kind of admiration he gave towards them would make him spend more than long enough just standing there, gawking at them. It wasn't out of confidence, of course, but more or less like a parent would at their, except a parent wouldn't swing around a newborn and hit things with it, or at least, a sane parent wouldn't.

He never particularly cared much for the coliseum himself, but considering recent events, such as meeting his squad members and sensei and dealing with more personal family issues, he needed to find someone to try to practice with and, if he can't find anyone, then to practice the more standard forms of fighting with his yari and his two newer weapons. He dulled them down as well, of course, as he didn't want to cut anyone, though generally, just seeing how they worked against someone else that isn't related to him will be the closest he can get to simulating an actual fight, and he already knew that that sort of fight is the most valuable experience he needs at the moment in order to help him grow both in body and in mind.

Walking through the fairly concealed cave, he would press his feet against the ground slightly harder than usual, having them rub against the stone ever so slightly before lifting them up. Before the feet can become rough with callouses, they must first be rubbed raw from the natural environment, and from the hard work. To do this, and to fight with irritated or hurt feet would also help Hitoshi better practice concentration while feeling pain as well. Generally, he was a bit of a crybaby when it came to getting hurt, generally making a hit or two cause an automatic response in him to start tearing up, meaning that it would most certainly help him if he were to better learn to have that poor excuse of a bodily function under control.

Entering the building and, further on, into the cavern and down the stairs within, he would enter the large and expansive portion of the cavern where Shinobi would generally go to train and fight. He would gulp a little, wondering if there would be anyone there that would be able to train with him, or anyone there at all. He wasn't shy by any means, but generally he didn't usually come to the coliseum with his family, let alone by himself. Generally, they either went to the fissure training grounds and even remained inside their home for the weekly fights between them, so this, save for a few other isolated occasions, was a pretty new experience for him.

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A few weeks had passed since Oki had last come to the coliseum for training. In fact, when he had last found himself here, he was injured by a ninja from another village that felt like showing over confident bravado or some such. Fractured leg, and two fractured arms. Still, Oki was determined to not allow that to damper his training, and in fact, the bear chuunin took the injuries in stride, instead seeing it as an opportunity to learn and grow. A grin crossed the bear man’s face as he cracked his knuckles and flexed his arms, checking that his body was ready for training. He was pretty confident in his improvement, and any improvement he would achieve. He reached down to his side, standing just outside the flat rock surface where the genjutsu hid the coliseum, and stroked the head of the bear at his side, Debu the brown bear.

The two both had the forehead protector of Iwagakure around their necks like a collar, the caramel furred bear having that as the only piece of clothing on its figure. Oki meanwhile was clad in a long, white jacket that had a few rips and tears in it, the Kuma clan emblem emblazoned in black starkly on the back. He had a deep grey vest top on beneath that, the mesh the standard attire for training shinobi, and on his legs, were some black shorts made in the same fabric one would expect for jeans. On his feet was, well, nothing, aside from a large amount of hair, the bear chuunin opting to go bare, or perhaps bear, foot. Around his neck and shoulders was a chain, which jiggled with his step and hung like a scarf, and all over his body was thick, black hair. His hair was messy, and almost static, as if he had been struck by lightning, and at the bottom of his chiselled face was a sharp, pointed goatee.

Deciding to get on with the training he had planned, Oki walked forth, seemingly stepping into the stone as he passed the genjutsu in the way that his clan had taught him – by just walking forward. Thus he entered a fairly average room, where a staircase in the ground led down. Debu was soon to follow, and with a shrug, Oki descended with the bear in tow. The stone steps were cold to the touch, and he felt them harsh and flat against the palms of his feet as he went lower and lower, following down to the main area – the coliseum itself.

Oki looked around as he made it to the area proper, the deep olive of his eyes scanning the area. There were a few people in the area, which was great for him, but there was one person that took his interest immediately – a rather small boy with an odd hair style, and more notably, an expression that made him look lost, like he’d taken a wrong turn. Oki smiled to himself softly, shaking his head in a manner for himself before deciding to walk over and meet the person – if they were lost, or new, Oki would feel ashamed of himself to not help. So, feet heavy as he walked over, Oki waved his right hand in greeting, Debu plodding along with him in his general disinterested fashion. With a great big grin, Oki hailed to the person, speaking up in a loud, boisterous voice. “Greetings there! You look like you are lost, friend! Is this your first time in the Coliseum? My name is Oki, of the Kuma clan, and if you need, I can welcome you to the place where many, myself included, train!”

He gestured to the area around him with a wide, sweeping motion. There were a handful of others there, two guys that were sparring, a woman doing countless amounts of push ups, and two people that were in an intense game of boxing chess, where every time they took a piece, they’d punch the other person. Still, it was a lively atmosphere, yet incredibly spaced out, and due to being underground, the area was a lot larger than it would appear from the outside, although this image was perhaps aided most by the genjutsu defence placed upon the entrance.

715

Hitoshi would take notice of an individual waving hsi hand in greeting, approaching him. This person was definitely large in appearance, definitely over six feet tall, and definitely around a foot or so taller than the Genin himself. He would be wearing a long, white jacket that evidently had seen its fair share of work, as there were a few rips and tears in it, and beneath it the giant was wearing some sort of grey vest top, something that Hitoshi had seen some shinobi use during training before. The giant seemingly wear shorts that looked as though they were once apart of a pair of jeans, jorts? Finally he, like the Genin that stood before him, was barefoot, though his feet would be hairy, hairier than a normal person's foot.

Hitoshi himself would almost yelp in surprise though, but not because of the chain that was around his neck and shoulders, and not because of the fact that his body was covered in thick, black hair, and not even because the entirety of this person's head looks like he just made out with a lightning bolt, but because of the large, caramel-furred bear which had plodded on next to him, wearing an Iwagakure forehead protector around its neck, just like its human companion. His look of shock would change to amazement, however, as he would recognize, or a least assume, that this bear was this person's companion, a trained animal to aid the shinobi in battle. He never truly saw anything akin to a ninja pet before, let alone a bear, but it made him amazed to see one now.

Before he could further check the bear out, however, he would hear its companion speak to him, speaking in a loud voice, greeting him while making a semi-accurate assumption that he appears to be lost, and using it as a means to ask if this is his first time in the coliseum. The human shinobi greeted himself as Oki, of the Kuma Clan, which explains the bear. Hitoshi himself had only vaguely heard of the Kuma Clan, though from what he heard, they're people that are almost bear-like in appearance themselves, and kept the fierce animals as companions. He had never met one before, and didn't expect to meet a member of the clan today. "Thanks for the welcome, Oki. I'm Hitoshi Yasuko, of the Hattori Clan. You guessed right, I'm pretty new to here. Usually I go to the Fissure Training Grounds, but I was hoping to train in a newer environment." He would respond as he looked at the giant, smiling in a friendly manner.

"Oh!" He would say out loud to himself as he remembered. Reaching into the black leather pouch that contained his other items, he would pull out his own forehead protector, putting it on, wrapping it around his forehead. "I probably don't look like much at all, but I'm a Genin, and I was hoping to find someone to practice with. I bought some new weapons recently and they're dulled down so they don't cut anyone, so I was wondering if you wouldn't mind If I practiced with you." He would ask, though he would look back towards the bear, wondering if it was really okay asking a complete stranger right away if they could spar with him. "Awesome looking bear, by the way!" He would add on, hoping the compliment could possibly win over this individual. The bear was cool-looking of course, but still, he figured that if he actually Oki that perhaps he would be more open to helping him out here.

He had no interest in practicing in what the others were doing, which included hitting each other whenever they would take a piece during a board game, females doing push-ups, and two people already preoccupied with sparring. He already assumed that most of those people wouldn't be interested in practicing with someone like him, or that they were already too busy practicing with someone else, instead. Oki, however, seemed pretty well free, and considering that the giant shinobi looked strong, Hitoshi figured that he would be the perfect one to make him work up a sweat and hopefully improve himself physically a bit more. He must admit, however, the sheer size alone of this other shinobi intimidated Hitoshi a bit, which in turn probably made him look as nervous as he was feeling at that moment.

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Oki looked down at the smiling boy with odd hair, returning the grin with his usual, happy demeanour. So, his name was Hitoshi Yasuko, and he was from the Hattori clan? The bear man couldn’t say he’d heard of the clan before, but, that mattered little. This person wanted to train, and from what he said, he’d been training recently at the Fissure Grounds. Not a bad place to train, and a lot more open than the Coliseum. Yet the Coliseum was more intense to train at, for where the Fissure Grounds has space, the Coliseum is underground, and thus is warmer than outside. Insulation and all the science which Oki tended to forget in favour for exercise.

Oki watched as, with an exclamation that made Debu put its head up for a moment, he reached into his pouch and put his forehead protector on, revealing his identity as a shinobi of the stone as well – something Oki could guess regardless, given that he was in a coliseum that could only be accessed through a genjutsu. So, this guy was a genin? And he was looking for someone to practice with? Perfect! As he asked if Oki would be ok with being his training partner for the day, the Kuma clan guy stroked at his goatee with a big toothy grin, nodding slowly. Before Oki could say anything however, it seemed the genin was interested in Debu, stating that the bear looked awesome. Oki couldn’t help but laugh, giving a thumbs up, Debu looking up at the person, shrugging, and then slumping down to rest. “You! I like you!” Oki declared, crossing his arms and nodding, before turning and walking a few steps away, the Kuma clan emblem on his back now obvious, before he turned back around, stretching out his arms, before crossing them again, giving a firm nod of his head before speaking up once more, voice booming as always.

“Well, Hitoshi Yasuko! I’m a Chuunin, and a specialist at close quarters! So, I’ll agree to your request for training on a condition! The condition? I don’t fight back, and only block! You saw the emblem on my back, yes? That is my clan symbol, a point of pride for me! You wish to test your new weapons, and how you are with them, right? Then I challenge you, Hitoshi of the Hattori clan! Strike me on the clan symbol! I will block, I will guard, and I will dodge, however I will not strike back! So, do you accept the challenge from the bear?!” he stated with a grin, swinging his arms wide in a gesture of bravado and animalistic posture, curling and tensing his hands up, just generally getting himself ready, Debu deciding to get comfy and watch what was about to happen. If the person said no, Oki’d simply wait to hear his suggestion, but otherwise he would prepare to dodge and block the attacks from the genin.

The olive of his eyes scanned Hitoshi, looking his body up and down, and making mental notes about his physique and posture. He had a lot more leg muscle than arm if Oki had to guess from looks alone, due to the larger definition in his leg muscles than the arms, which looked somewhat weedy by comparison. This wasn’t to say he wouldn’t expect someone’s arms to be thinner than their legs, however, the degree by which it was different, and the definition of the muscles, was what he was focused on. Would this person use his legs to attack, or would they use their legs for higher mobility, and attempt to out manoeuvre the giant chuunin? Oki looked forward to finding out.

616 + 715 = 1331

It seemed the giant male was satisfied with Hitoshi's comment, as he would laugh and give a thumbs up in approval, declaring that he liked him. Meanwhile Debu, the bear, merely shrugged its shoulders, slumping down to rest. Almost directly afterwards Hitoshi would noticed Oki had crossed his arms, turning around and walking away. As he did this, the Genin would take notice of the emblem on the man's back. This emblem looked like a large claw, almost like the bear's claw next to it. It would be then which he saw the man turn around, stretching his arms before crossing them again, speaking once more. He would reveal the he's not only a Chuunin, but a specialist in close quarters, and that he'll agree to his request on a condition.

The condition would be that he doesn't fight back, but instead only blocks. The emblem he saw on his back was the clan symbol, a symbol of pride for him. If the Genin wished to test his new weapons and how he is with them, then he challenges him to strike him on his clan symbol. 'Wouldn't that be a sign of disrespect, though..?' The Genin would wonder to him, giving a slightly confused look to Oki as he told him that he will block, guard, and dodge, but he won't strike back. With a grin and the swinging of his arms in an almost animalistic posture, the giant of a man would ask if he accepted his challenge from the bear. As the Chuunin curled his hands, apparently getting ready, Hitoshi began to have second thoughts about this. Easily, if angered, the man could most likely break him in half, but then again, despite the tinge of fear within him, Hitoshi was never one to really back down from a fight, or to retreat for that matter.

In fact, his heart was pumping and his blood was racing, and his face went from that of confusion and intimidation to one that showed a competitive smirk, his eyelids slightly folded over his now focused eyes. "Get real, I wouldn't be asking you if I didn't accept!" He declared as he prepared himself, his yari, which only revealed a single blade, would be pointing towards the ground in front of the Genin as he took a single step back. With both feet together, nearly touching one another, even, the Genin would keep his weapon before him, allowing for the meter of distance to be made between him and Oki Kuma. He knew he was at a disadvantage in terms of physical abilities, but he also knew that he only ever kept his yari revealed, and not his other tricks. He would have to utilize that, and handle his main weapon until he can gain some sort of opening. His only chance would be some sort of distraction, meaning that he would have to deliver a strong swing from above and let gravity handle his hand. He had just the idea.

"Hey Oki, I'm swinging from above." He would declare as both of his arms would swing around the yari, having it rotate from facing the ground, to coming behind him to, with a single step forward with his right foot, swinging it almost directly downwards from above, though as it swung down, Hitoshi's left hand would be missing from the mix, having gone to behind his back for a few moments as he reached into his back pouch, grabbing a small paper ball. As his weapon made its way towards the Chuunin the Genin would take another step forward, his left foot now in front of him as it slide along the ground, the hard rocks scraping the bottom of his foot, and he, with his right hand, would pull his yari back right away, his left hand throwing what would appear to be a metsubishi directly towards the Chuunin's eyes.

As it flew, Hitoshi himself would have brought the yari down and towards him, his grip allowing for the spearhead of it to be right in front of his torso, the hilt tucked within his armpit as he would, with a sudden flick of the weapon, thrust forwards, the head pushing upwards slightly, allowing for two more two-foot long blades to pop out. The head of the yari would be aiming for it to be right under the Chuunin's armpit, where the two blades would be positioned vertically, allowing the top to attempt to scrape against his armpit. Should this happen, and the weapon is able to move under it, Hitoshi would rotate the yari, pulling it backwards so the left blade will hit Oki's back. Granted, this is under the Chuunin's long coat, but it was a vital means of Hitoshi testing to see how the Chuunin reacts so he can better prepare to make his move.

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1 Metsubishi lost~

Oki watched as the pole arm weapon was pointed down to the ground, nodding as the genin declared he would not have asked if he was not prepared. The genin’s posture was… Well, in Oki’s mind, terrible from a balance stand point. His legs were together, evenly, and Oki felt that were the genin to lean one way or another, it’d cause a slight problem for himself – he’d have to move one of his legs to readjust himself from his posture right now. Were Oki to be fighting him for real, it’d be a tempting target. But, that mattered little. At the moment, all it meant was that Oki had a chance of having the advantage in mobility and manoeuvrability. Still, his focus would shift to the yari, his ears almost twitching as Hitoshi declared his intentions to swing from above. His hands moved to suggest this was true, the yari swirling around for a moment from behind him at first, to appear to come from above. Yet something about such an obvious declaration seemed… Odd.

Oki crouched, preparing to drop as the weapon became coming down. Out of the corner of his eye, something shifted, and it was almost too late by the time he noticed it. As the metsubishi left Hitoshi’s hand, Oki instinctively raised his arm guards in front of his face, blocking his vision and leaving him open to the attack from the yari, the paper unfurling in the air and its contents connecting with Oki’s right arm, most of it getting stuck in his jackets sleeve and causing heavy irritation to his arm, Oki clenching his fist at the burning feeling that quickly rubbed at his hair and skin. Oki was glad that the genin had opted to step forward to do this, the scraping of the rocks being the first sensory indication to him that something was occurring, as well as the withdrawing of the yari.

It wasn’t something he could see due to his adjusted guard, but before he knew it, there was more shifting coming from his opponent, followed by the distinct sound of clicking. What was going on?

The first answer to that was an adjustment to his yari, one that Oki hadn’t expected, which was perhaps the strategy of using the weapon. Soon the bear chuunin felt something smooth, and metallic, against his armpit, soon passing and going inside of his coat. Interesting, and if Oki had to guess, it either meant the blade on the yari was able to curve, or, the weapon had a hidden function with another blade. Still, on one hand, Oki could tell the weapon was inside his coat, thus meaning it was not able to hit the clan emblem as far as he could tell – not an instant threat. But Oki couldn’t allow the Hattori to take the advantage, nor the initiative from getting a quicker strike off. After all, so far the little guy had shown a cunning and strategy that meant Oki would have to keep on his toes.

As he felt the curved part of the blade reaching down his back, Oki leant forwards, adjusting his posture so that his arm pit wrapped tight around the yari, just below the blade, with the palm of his hand facing inwards, keeping his right arm up as a guard, although twitching his hand in irritation at the powdery mix that had hit him. If Oki had to take a guess, this was a jacket that would need intense amounts of washing when he was finished here – if nothing else, to get the damn powder out so that he can wear it without irritation to the arm.

Still, Oki wanted to see how the genin would deal with being disarmed. His hand twisted, gripping the shaft of the pole arm weapon, and simply holding on. He wouldn’t try to force the weapon out of the genin’s hand – that would risk injuring the kid after all. Instead, Oki dropped his weight, down and to the left, pressing the mass of his body into the blade just next to and against the curved blades that had for a moment pressed against his back, causing a small scratch through his vest and against his skin as he ensured he had his other hand free to guard any extra attacks.

Still, Oki knew it wouldn’t be fun to simply keep the genin unarmed, nor would it be fun to stand here in a position of stalemate, and Oki wanted to help the genin grow. A stalemate was not such a chance, for in such a situation, there was no possibility for growth, nor really a chance for Oki to see how this genin would act. It wasn’t super long ago that he himself was a genin after all.

The bear man released his grip of the spear like weapon, leaping up from his crouched position so that his armpit was free from the reach of the hook like nature of the weapon, before Oki twisted his rear most foot behind him further, swivelling around on the spot so that he was facing the genin, side on. Oki couldn’t help but smile wide as he realised the fight would give him some training as well, of both his body and his mind, and if there was one thing Oki loved, it was a challenge. The back was one of the most vulnerable points, and his clan symbol was situated directly down the centre. To this end, Oki would look forward to keeping his guard up, and seeing if this genin could strike at his back. If he could, it would give Oki motivation to better himself, and it would show him how great the genin of Iwagakure truly were. If Hitoshi couldn’t however, then Oki would be fine with it as well. It would give the genin something to strive for, and Oki would no doubt get plenty of exercise from that.

Debu meanwhile, was just sitting down out of the way, taking the time to simply lounge around and enjoy watching, waiting to see who would win or lose, and not getting involved, or looking like it would get involved any time soon.

1035 + 1331 = 2366

Hitoshi would try his best to keep up with the Chuunin's movements visually, attempting to observe how he moved and reacted to this test. He took notice that, while crouching, he was definitely fast enough to defend himself against the metsubishi via his raised arm guards, which in turn kept him open enough for the Genin's next attack to carry through, or at least as he thought. The Genin was pleased that the blade of the weapon was able to pass through, grazing the Chuunin's armpit. He took note that, if the weapon were sharpened and this was a more gloves-off sparring session, he would've been able to land a pretty nasty strike on the Chuunin. He would also feel the soft resistance of the weapon getting caught on the back of the Chuunin's coat, the dulled metal not piercing through, leading to the Genin's secondary attempt to withdraw the weapon.

He would be both surprised and alerted however when the Chuunin adjusted his posture, leaning forwards and wrapping his arm tightly around the pole-arm, stopping his just below the blade, with his right arm continuing to remain up as a guard. Hitoshi took notice of how the Chuunin hadn't directly forced him to let go of the weapon, though would still take a short retreat backwards, leaving his right and left hands on the other end of the yari as he noticed Oki gripping the shaft, continuing to hold on. It surprised him that the Chuunin would adjust himself, making even the Genin lightly feel more pressure than normal be pushed onto the dulled weapon, causing it to possibly even very lightly harm the larger male. He almost apologized for not being able to dull it down enough, as he felt that if he dulled it down any further it may compromise the blades, but he had to stop himself, remembering that this was a spar, a competition, and wounds, even if very light, are still wounds that are earned for the sake of improvement.

Instead of apologizing, the Genin almost considered going to his plan B right away for if he were disarmed, though to his surprise the man released his grip on the boy's weapon, allowing the male to quickly and lightly flick his weapon, causing the two recently appeared blades disappear, leaving the original one. He took notice of Oki swiveling around on the spot, his side facing the Genin, smiling wide. Hitoshi himself pulled the weapon away from the Chuunin, spreading his legs apart this time and also moving his body so his left side would mostly face Oki, the shaft of the yari held between his two hands, with his left closer to the blade and his right a little bit under the middle area. Considering how it was smaller in regards to shaft length, Hitoshi had to hold it this way generally, though he didn't mind at all. He sacrificed range for control, and while he left himself wide open to be disarmed by the Chuunin, he knew the length was small enough that he could've been more likely to get away should the giant attempt to hit him with the shaft than if he had it created to be longer in length.

Hitoshi knew he had to focus on Oki's back, though their positions made it seem pretty easy to do just that, as thanks to the man's swiveling they were both facing the same direction. Honestly, for someone that Hitoshi knew was equally skilled he wouldn't have wasted a moment in gong straight for it, but he assumed that the Chuunin would expect a straight-forward attack, one that aimed for a side strike towards his back. The Genin wished to act on his assumption partially, instead deciding on a feint. He would use his right hand to push the yari's two foot long blade directly towards the Chuunin, attempting to directly stab him in the mid-section, though once more he would have created a feint, an attempt to trigger his opponent to automatically block that area, and hopefully leave a different part of him open.

Having stopped in mid-thrust just as the two other blades fully appeared, changing the single-bladed weapon int a triple-bladed one, Hitoshi would immediately push to the right on his weapon's shaft, spinning around as he took a few steps forwards and to the left, swinging the pole-arm so, as his spin ended the first full rotation, the blades would attempt to strike the Chuunin's back.

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ooc sorry for the wait, I was celebrating my birthday. If I made any mistakes mid-post please feel free to PM!

As Oki released his grip and shifted his position, he took note that the genin did mostly the same, changing his posture and grip on the weapon to adjust for the new stance and position Oki was in. He watched as Hitoshi adjusted his posture, parting his legs, and swivelling around to be in rather the same sort of posture as Oki, although adjusted to face the same direction as Oki, and adjusting the posture for the weapon. He took note that the blades retracted, leaving the yari to its initial state once more – yet Oki knew now that there was a mechanism like that on the weapon, and he had no intention on forgetting it. After all, it’d be a bit embarrassing for himself to be beaten by a genin first try, so soon, no? There was only two ways this fight would end, either Oki’s defeat, or the genin giving up. And even if he were to lose, he’d at least rather it go on long enough to give the younger shinobi a run for his money.

Still, it was interesting to the Kuma the choice in attack the genin went for. As the opposing fighter shifted, the olive eyes of Oki watched, preparing to defend himself but first trying to determine the direction the attack was coming from. As Hitoshi thrust forward with his right hand, causing the long bladed weapon to thrust forwards, Oki shifted as well. Pivoting on his rightmost foot, the bear chuunin spun around so that his left foot would come into equal space with the right, putting him more face on to the weapon and its wielder as he held up his arm, focusing chakra through his body and hardening his skin in an instant to block the attack, expecting the blow to strike him from what was his front and wishing to block the attack with his chakra enhanced skin.

To his surprise however, the attack was a feint, and as the chakra enhancement dropped, and just like he had pivoted on his foot, Hitoshi did as well, spinning his body around and with it, the weapon going with him and aiming to his other arm – where his back was previously. As the weapon swung at him, the chuunin grunted – he didn’t have time to get close enough to block this strike, and he’d already wasted his chakra on the guard that did nothing. So, instead, he figured it was time to get some distance between him and the genin. Unable to strike back without breaking his own rules, there was little he could do in close quarters besides dodge, or block – yet that was undesirable when against someone with a weapon like the yari, and it would be harder to block with his right arm due to the discomfort.

So, as the yari swung around and Hitoshi began spinning, Oki dove out of the way, thrusting all of his weight to the ground and landing on all fours, before running a short distance back, and leaping back onto his two feet, spinning around to face Hitoshi once more and preparing to once more go back to dodging, or seeing how he would respond. Did the Hattori genin have long distance weaponry? Would he simply try to close the distance, and allow the cluster of metal and muscle to continue? Oki dropped to a crouching stance, smiling to himself as he waited, before deciding to… Make things more interesting. Provided the genin didn’t act immediately, he would hold up a hand, speaking loudly in declaration. “Comrade Hitoshi! Let us make things interesting, no? I want to see everything you can do! Please, if you have any techniques, or chakra, do not hesitate to use them! I will do the same! So, once more, come! And let us of the stone be as equals in this arena!” he laughed, smacking his right hand to his chest and nodding, before rolling his shoulders, cracking his neck, and dropping down to all fours, back facing up and exposed. Yet now Oki would wait, and prepare, giving a big old toothy grin.

He was having a great big amount of fun fighting this Hitoshi, and was keen to see the fight develop further – and to test himself ever further.

714 + 2366 = 3080

Chakra: 190/200 (-10 for D rank jutsu)

Jutsu used:

Hitoshi would watch with pleasure as Oki had seemingly fell for his trick, having spun around so he would be face-on with Hitoshi himself, apparently using his right arm to block the attack once more. The feint was indeed a success, and as he spun around, Hitoshi could hear the faint noise of a grunt, though where he expected to get a hit in, his blade would make contact with nothing at all, causing him to end up not able to make contact with anything, the momentum of the yari causing his right arm to keep swinging a little more before he brought it to a halt, seeing the giant Chuunin had been definitely more agile than he looked, as now he would be a short distance away from the Genin, already ready for another go. 'Wow, I definitely would've lost by now if he were on the offensive.' The Genin would think to himself as he observed the Chuunin dropping to a crouched stance, holding up a hand, looking as though he were about to speak, and just in time too, as it gave Hitoshi a chance to consider his next move.

He would listen as the Chuunin suggested they would make things interesting, telling him that he wants to see everything he can do, further granting access to not hesitate to use any techniques or chakra he has. Then however, the Chuunin told him he would do the same, challenging the Genin as equals in this arena. Oki may be laughing at the moment, but this threw off Hitoshi's plans to further poke and prod until he figured out a way to get behind the larger male. His brown eyes watched as the Chuunin would strike his own chest with his right hand, nodding, rolling his shoulders, and finally cracking his neck before dropping to all fours, a large, toothy grin on his face. Something about this terrified the Genin, as he interpreted this as Oki allowing himself to go on the offensive as well, and considering how the Chuunin is acting at the moment, things could end badly. Swallowing, the Genin would shake his head, metaphorically shaking off his fear, instead trying to focus on his own determination to win.

He had to think of something, and quickly. It would be clear that this match is reaching a more hands-on point, where it's not just aimlessly swinging a weapon around and hoping to stick a blow. No, instead Hitoshi would have to start trying even harder so he doesn't end up completely wiped out. "Yes, bear Sensei!" He would respond, proclaiming this out loud as he dropped his yari onto the ground, standing up, glaring towards the Chuunin, though not in contempt, but of complete and total focus. He was definitely out of his league, but he had an idea on what can help him close in, at least. He would inhale deeply, the cool air flowing through his lungs, and as he exhaled, his breath would become water vapor, the faint gas coming out of his mouth as he walked forwards slowly, his right hand in his back pouch, and his left remaining empty, though the fingers would be curled, almost as if it's about to catch something.

Raising his left hand to his mouth, the Genin's fingers would look as though they were playing a trumpet, though his mouth would direct the jet of water that had appeared towards the ground, where it slammed into it hard, forming a puddle as it calmed down, one that would be a little under half a meter in radius. His hands would return together, forming the Tiger hand seal, and out of the puddle would be a figure made of water, which would stand at around Hitoshi's height, and as the shaped formed and the colors set in, it would turn out to be a clone of Hitoshi himself, standing next to him, looking almost identical to the Genin. This clone would take a step off of the puddle, walking towards the dropped yari while Hitoshi himself would reach his right hand back into his pouch, and his left would remain facing downwards. While the clone picked up the pole-arm, the original Hitoshi would remain next to the puddle, standing right behind it. Both versions would nod to one another, with the yari-holding version of the Genin running towards Oki, yari pointed for a straight-foward thrust downwards towards the Chuunin's back.

Casting the Tiger, Boar, Ox, Dog, and Snake hand seals, Hitoshi would continue inhaling and exhaling water vapor, waiting to see how the Chuunin would have moved during this preparation.

wc 796

twc 3879


Prepped a water technique~

Prepped Substitution Jutsu~

105/150(cost for water technique prep will occur in the next post~)

Clone: 15/15 chakra

Spoiler:

Perhaps the most offsetting things in life are the words you don’t expect, not the actions. And for Oki at that moment, it could be no truer. For the first time, the words sensei had been applied to him, and he couldn’t help but smile at the title. It dawned on him, as the promotions grew ever higher and closer, that perhaps one day he himself would have to get used to being a sensei. That was a pleasant thought, and a smile crossed his face as he watched the genin’s intense and focused stair, glancing to the yari as it fell and clattered to the floor, steel and wood hitting the ground. And then…. He’d begin breathing. Oki watched, an eyebrow raised. Was the genin nervous, and simply trying to cool his nerves? He hummed somewhat, hoping he hadn’t said something that was misinterpreted as threatening – he had no intention on fighting back, not wishing to harm a fellow member of the village. Still, he watched as the genin’s right hand reached behind him. Something was about to happen, and Oki looked forward to seeing it.

Next, Oki watched as the genin’s spare hand formed a shape in front of his lips. A ninjutsu? He hoped it was a ninjutsu. He wasn’t in the mood for fighting against one of those fancy illusion specialists right now. They were always so… Tricksy. So, Oki adjusted his posture, putting his weight into his arms so that he was ready to spring backwards with the force of his arms. However, to his surprise, the incoming jutsu was not aimed at him, but instead at the ground. A jet of water erupting forth, leaving a puddle on the ground and disrupting several of the pebbles and stones that lay scattered there. Not a small puddle either. So, this Hitoshi was a suiton user? Interesting. Oki personally wasn’t too skilled with that particular element, so perhaps it would be good to ask for some pointers one day.

But, this was a fight, not a time for admiration of skill. As the genin formed a singular hand seal, Oki watched bemused as the puddle formed into a humanoid form. Slowly but surely, more details became apparent, and soon colour formed in the figure as well, replacing the watery texture with a lifelike replication – a water clone. Still, Oki wouldn’t do nothing while this was happening, pointing to the bear that was still simply lazing around, before whistling with his two fingers to his lips, the bear nodding as it got up and ran over, Oki continuing to look at the happenings of the water clone. The olive eyes of Oki watched as the water clone picked up the Yari, stroking his goatee, and as Debu approached, he rubbed a hand on the bears head, giving the animal a petting on the head, firm yet loving. He knew the yari wielding Hitoshi was the clone, which meant it was the one he could strike back against.

He smirked, focusing chakra through his body and nodding to Debu to do the same as he watched the yari wielding, before closing his eyes, and focusing chakra into his nose as well, taking a step back before leaping forwards, rolling head over heels at a quick rate, Debu doing the same. Rolling at an intense speed, the two moved to meet the water clone, moving from two different sides, one black mass of wheel, one brown, intending to take the clone out, so that the genin would not have the numbers advantage, spinning and moving the long way around to attack the water clone, relying on his sense of smell to know where everyone was, not wanting to injure the real Hitoshi, nor to hit Debu, with his bear companion doing the same.

At this point, the others in the coliseum had stopped what they were doing, instead deciding to take a break to watch the somewhat one sided spar going on – the genin on the attack, the chuunin on the technical defence. Gossip and conversation spread among the onlookers, and a few more people arrived with intentions to train, and instead stopping to watch the kerfuffle. Opinions were split, many rooting for the underdog genin, while others believing the chuunin, who had so loudly declared his intentions to not fight back, would only do so with intentions to win. Only time would tell, and either result, Oki would be comfortable with. But just because he wouldn’t hurt the genin didn’t mean he would take it easy on him. It was, after all, a competitive way of training.

769 + 3080 = 3849

Chakra: 155/200 (-30 for 2 C rank jutsu, -5 for prepping a jutsu)
Debu’s chakra: 20/50 (-30 for 2 C rank jutsu)

Jutsu used:

(OOC: Sorry for the delay! As I'm sure you know, life sort of came up. I'm trying to get back to posting, so, it may take me a while to reply again, but, well, I'm working on it! Thanks for being patient!)

Hitoshi's clone would be surrounded as the giant Chuunin had gone into making his play, this time including the bear in with this fiasco, making Hitoshi himself have to decide against using his lightning attack so he wouldn't end up hurting the bear. He was a lover of nature and animals, and whether it's a fragile bird or an extremely durable bear, he couldn't bring himself to even attempt a move without first considering whether or not Debu would end up in the way at the wrong moment. Instead, he would go to plan B, where he thankfully had already prepped everything for it, what with the clone still be close enough for substitution to be used and the yari still in the clone's hands. He couldn't risk his precious weapon being damaged so early, especially since he needed to bring it with him afterwards to meet with his squad mates.

The clone would continue with his thrusting forwards of the weapon, keeping  from being crushed between the black and brown blurs that would crush him while Hitoshi himself would disappear with a puff off smoke, the weapon doing the same. The male couldn't keep up with his surroundings as he moved extremely fast, switching places with his weapon, the yari falling to the ground while Hitoshi himself would be where the thrusted weapon would have ended up, with him on the ground as the clone would break under the pressure of the two blurs, dispersing into a body of water, one of which scattered everywhere, leaving small drops of water to land on the ground and Hitoshi himself like little drops of rain.

Hitoshi, whom of which was still attempting to regain his perception of the environment around him, would reach into his pouch, pulling out a small, tan ball, one of which had some sort of kanji on it. As he would cover his eyes with his left arm, blocking himself from being able to see, he would throw the object to the ground before himself, creating a bright flash of light thanks to it, revealing itself to be a flash bomb. After this he would lower his left arm, vainly hoping that at least one of the two blurs would be caught within the flash such as some members of the crowd did, whom of which were rubbing and covering their eyes, trying to get their temporary blindness to go away so they can still watch' the fight.

Realizing he's still sitting down, the Genin would scramble to his feet, his left and right bicep flexing. Seemingly, out of his sleeves would fall two small sickles, the handles of both being a foot long, with the blades of both being a foot long as well, fully ready for use. Grabbing the two dangling weapons, Hitoshi would either be looking at the black blur of Oki or Oki himself. If the large male hadn't moved away from his position at this moment the Genin would throw his left sickle over him, seemingly attempting to mask his intentions by tripping over himself mid-throw, making it seem almost as if it were an accident. With his right sickle, he would attempt to scramble back onto his feet, trying to charge at the Chuunin, the right sickle lowered to his left thigh, where he would bring it upwards, trying to slash at Oki while the six meter long chain would be above the Chuunin, beginning to fall with the sickle itself.

Had Oki already moved away beforehand or anything else of the sort, Hitoshi would instead take around two steps backwards, his left leg and arm facing towards Oki while his right leg would be away from him. The left sickle's tip facing towards the Chuunin while the right sickle would more closely guard the Genin's chest, where he would wait there as the water vapor from before, now condensing into around twelve baseball-sized globules, would begin to make its way towards the Genin, attempting to return to their user's side, floating in around a one meter radius around him.

He didn't wish to show it, but the Genin was panicking internally from this little clash. He hadn't expected to have been easily prevented from being able to take advantage of the situation and use Electromagnetic Murder to attempt to even the odds, especially considering how he hadn't considered the fact that Debu would've been included in this in the first place. Looking back it should have been obvious that the pet would've been included, why else would Oki lug him around everywhere? That symbol upon the Chuunin's back seemed all the more farther than before, and Hitoshi would be lying if he said he wasn't worried about being able to hit it. At this point, the serious look he had looked more nervous, as he didn't want to lose at all, but he may have just walked himself into a spot where he would, all because he hadn't considered that Oki would use his bear. Just thinking on this made his eyebrows rise a bit, with the sounds of a light, yet obviously forced laughter coming out of his mouth.

wc 883
twc 4762

Water technique = 10
95/150

Spoiler:

Items Used:

Items In Use Atm:

As soon as the water clone was dispersed, Oki and Debu stopped their rolling, now each facing opposing areas of where they were coming from and having practically swapped places. As the two stopped rolling and seemingly jumped up back onto their feet, Oki looked around, watching as the weapon had suddenly disappeared, and in its place, the genin fighter stood, somewhat dazed. Oh goodness, Oki hadn’t hurt the genin did he?

As the weapon specialising genin pulled out a small spherical object from his pouch, Oki stopped being worried for the safety of the genin – if he could pull out a weapon or tool, he wasn’t hit by the attack. As the object was thrown, Oki only managed to get a brief look at it, seeing the kanji on it for a brief moment as Hitoshi covered his eyes. A brief moment of regret crossed him as he tried to close his eyes and block them once more, this time being too late as the flash bomb connected to the ground and exploded in a bright flash, Oki having managed to shut his eyes, but not cover them enough to stop him from being unable to see, stumbling backwards and rubbing at the discomfort in his eyes.

As he began opening his eyes, still stinging and reeling from the sudden bright light, Oki watched through blurred vision as Hitoshi was now standing, two objects he couldn’t quite identify in the genin’s hands, his eyes too blurry and sore, and the objects in particular too thin. There was a flash of movement, and Oki’s eyes shot up to follow, noticing that the item was a weapon of some form. Yet given the genin’s stumble motion, Oki didn’t intend to do much more in regards to that, looking back at the genin through blurred vision as Hitoshi began moving with the second weapon to strike at Oki, who prepared to block what was in front of him, moving his hands to try stop the weapon that he struggled to see. Several sounds occurred behind him, but Oki was too busy defending himself from the attack to the front.

Suddenly, gravity took its part, and shortly after the feeling of exploding globules of water against his back, making it even harder to see or hear, Oki felt it; the finality of the duel. The sickle that Hitoshi had thrown into the air fell down with its blade towards Oki, tearing down the symbol of the Kuma clan and striking Oki, ripping down the length of his jacket and causing it to split in half, and flutter slowly and gently to the ground, leaving Oki wearing a vest top to cover his chest, hairy arms exposed behind the exploding water globules.

The onlookers cheered, Oki still rubbing at his eyes, growing damp from the exploding suiton technique that was hitting him from behind. He stopped moving for a moment, and provided Hitoshi didn’t continue attacking, he’d step forward to allow the weapon to fall to the ground behind him, then carefully step backwards, still struggling to see but making sure to not damage the weapon beneath him. He gathered chakra in his throat, before roaring out to destroy the jutsu around him, voice booming.

Debu meanwhile would stop moving and just lay down now, watching with slight interest, while the onlookers simply stared in silence, wondering how the large chuunin would respond to defeat. Oki meanwhile simply sighed, thinking for a moment as he stroked at his goatee, still struggling to see. “Well, that was embarrassing.” He’d declare simply, going over to Hitoshi’s sickle that had struck the blow, picking it up, and walking over to Hitoshi, holding it out to him with the handle pointed at Hitoshi.

With a chuckle, Oki offered a smile to the genin, nodding. “I am proud to have been defeated! You outsmarted me, and I’m not afraid to admit that I lost. If the current wave of genin are that strong, I’ll have to watch my toes, or you’ll be able to fight me when I fight back before I know it!” he laughed then, putting a hand on Hitoshi’s shoulder gently, smiling. “Don’t worry about the jacket, the Kuma clan orders them in a material that makes them useful for blankets when damaged, so that we can give them to the growing young bears. I will simply order a new one in a few weeks, after first finding a young one for the jackets remains to keep safe in the cold. You fought well, and I am most impressed with your resourcefulness! Withholding information so that the opposition was unaware, striking from multiple angles, and setting traps planned in advance. I, as a warrior, am very impressed!” he declared with a laugh, taking his hand off the smaller person’s shoulder and stepping back.

Smiling, he turned around, going over to the remains of his jacket and picking it up. “Oh, Debu’ll want to say thank you for the spar. If it’s okay with you, next time we fight, I won’t just defend. You’ve given me a challenge, and beat me fair and square! So, as a promise Hitoshi, next time we fight, I’ll be strong enough that it won’t be so easy!” he declared with a grin, before suddenly disappearing, and in his place, the bear that was lying down, Oki meanwhile standing and watching from the location where Debu was previously prone. And still with a jolly smile struck across his face.

917 + 3849 = 4766

Chakra: 130/200 (-10 for companion safety sub, -15 for bond of bears)

Jutsu used:

'Holy crap, did I seriously just do it?!' Hitoshi would be thinking to himself in confusion as his sickle actually split the jacket in half, the fabric fluttering slowly and gently to the ground, leaving the giant in a vest top with his hairy arms exposed. Any remaining water globules would disperse, the liquid falling to the ground as their audience cheered, and the mighty bear man himself would still be rubbing his eyes. Hitoshi would cease his attack right away. He didn't know if it was over or not, but he's not the type to keep attacking like some animal. This guy is an ally and, despite the Genin seemingly winning this fight, a clear superior to him, and one of which that happily did this challenge and helped him train. Honestly, if Hitoshi felt anything at this moment, it would more he respect for Oki for being willing to do this with him than pride in himself for winning. As he stood there, breathing heavily, he would tug on the weapon he held as Oki stepped forward, allowing the sickle he threw from before to fall onto the ground with a light clang while he focused on the other one he had. Then, flexing his right bicep once more, the sickle would begin to return to the hands of the genin, whom of which would fold it up before allowing it to go back up into his sleeve, resting peacefully alongside its band.

Hitoshi himself would be breathing heavily, struggling to stay on his feet from the rapid exhaustion on chakra he underwent. Honestly, he would have most likely given up in the next few moves, if not by choice then by the simple fact that he wouldn't be able to truly continue without risking complete exhaustion. Suddenly, Oki would roar, a booming sound so loud it silence the crowd and made Hitoshi fall backwards in fear, landing on the ground, where he sat there, almost preparing himself to get attacked in return, only for the Chuunin to sigh, declaring that this was embarrassing being picking up Hitoshi's other sickle, walking over to him and holding it out to him, hand pointed. Taking the weapon like a mother would their child, Hitoshi would begin folding it up as well before flexing his other bicep, the chain dragging it back up into his other sleeve, where it remained hidden once more. Then, he would stand up, only to face a chuckling giant, whom of which was now smiling, nodding his head.

He would state how he's proud to have been defeated, providing a compliment akin to claiming he outsmarted him, and that he's not afraid to admit that he lost. He would express a mentioning about the current wave of Genin; Hitoshi's generation, and how if they're that strong that he'll have to watch his toes, or he'll be able to fight him when he fights back before he knows it. The Genin couldn't help but feel strange inside as he felt a hand on his shoulder and heard laughter. These are compliments.. compliments to the runt of the litter in his family.. but they're compliments, praise on his thinking. Hitoshi didn't know what to say or feel, so instead he stood there, grinning in return as beads of sweat went down the side of his head.

He would do as the Chuunin says and not worry about the jacket, since his clan orders them in a material that makes them useful for blankets when damaged, which they can give to growing young bears. That may have been the most adorable thing he has heard something be used for, and the fact that they're used to keep the younger ones safe in the cold makes it all the more of an adorable picture in the Genin's head. He would nod his head in response to the praise about his resourcefulness, hearing what he had done being repeated back to him, and ending it with a declaration that Oki, as a warrior, was impressed. "To be honest with you, I was chucking ideas and seeing what sticks." He would admit in response. Frankly, as far as the panting Genin was concerned, the water globules were a complete accident, and he intended for the weapon to not actually hit Oki's back until he withdrew it. Honestly, as far as he was concerned, it was more dumb luck than anything else that won him this. He's not good enough to really claim it was skill.

He would watch as the bear Sensei would go to the remains of his jacket, picking it up before being told about how Debu will want to say thank you for the spar, continuing on with assuring that he won't just defend next time. He's given him a challenge and he has beaten him fair and square, so as a promise the next time they fight he'll be strong enough for it to not be so easy. This was easy mode? Even without the bear man attacking it was hard for Hitoshi, but now that this was apparently too easy, the Genin could only imagine what kind of nightmare the Kuma clan member is. Frankly, if he didn't spit out a lot of water, he'd piss himself as that moment. As the Chuunin suddenly disappeared without a trace, Debu, whom of which was lying down, would take his place. Considering how strong Debu's companion was, Hitoshi's respect for Oki's strength would reach out farther than that, including the bear as well. He would look at the lying bear, wondering what to do, exactly. What do bears even like? Reaching towards Debu's head, Hitoshi would carefully attempt to gently pat him, confused on how to treat the lazy-appearing bear. After that, he would look around, trying to find Oki until he had seen that the giant was standing and watching from Debu's previous location. Waving, the Genin would walk over to his yari, picking it up before leaving a lot more tired but happier than when he had entered.

Wc 1039

Twc 5801

[exit thread]

Strength :
E-Rank -> E-2 Rank(225)
Speed :
D-Rank -> D-3 Rank(1175 words)
Endurance :
D-Rank -> D-3 Rank(1175)
Perception :
E-Rank -> D-3 Rank(1925 words)
Reaction Time :
D-Rank -> D-3 Rank(1175)

130 left over, costs 600 ryo total

Oki smiled at the genin’s reply to his long rant, nodding. “Sometimes all you need to do is try figure out what works and what doesn’t.” He stated, allowing his words to sink in, picking up his jacket, and exiting the coliseum, footsteps heavy on the dirt as he left the premises with his bear in tow. With the remnants of his coat draped over his shoulders, Oki couldn’t help but keep a pleased grin across his face as he thought back on how the genin acted and fought. He himself would have to meditate on it, and think of how to improve. Perhaps he could learn something from how the battle went? To Oki, the training revealed that he himself was not good enough at dodging, and was not agile enough.

As he and Debu walked home to the Kuma clan grounds, the bear chuunin stroked at his goatee, lost in thought as he hummed. Perhaps he had to refine and hone his reflexes. Improve himself, and better his mind. Reach a form of clarity he had not previously. The memories went through his mind, but he shook them out for the moment, focusing on the journey home. He wasn’t a multitasker, and if he wasn’t careful, he’d walk into a wall like an idiot. He smiled, reaching down to the bear that walked at his side and petting it on the head. “Well Debu. I think you and I have earned a little treat tonight. You can have a salmon, and I myself will have some nice herbal tea… We can sit out in the garden and watch the birds!” he declared with a grin, continuing to walk on.

Later that day, the duo found themselves sat outside, the sound of water running from a stream at their side, and a small stretch of scattered woodland at their side. Oki sat, cross legged, with a small cup of tea in hand, while Debu sat at his side, gnawing at the remains of a fish he had been eating. Oki let out a sigh, taking a sip of his tea, and continuing to be content and happy with life as he embraced the nature around him. He thought back on how the fight had gone. In claiming his back as the target, it meant Oki would know how best to train himself to defend his rear from attack. “Hm…”

There was little he could grasp of it at first, simply taking away the knowledge that as it was, and he had a weakness to weapon specialists. Yet soon an idea struck him, and he found himself taking yet another sip of his tea as he stared out at the setting sun. “Hey, Debu. If I’m fighting a weapon user, I’m likely to get hurt anyways, right? So, hear me out, what if I focus on disarming when against a weapon specialist? It would pose risk to myself, but, it would, if successful, allow me to even the playing field, right?” the bear, at this rhetorical question, just shrugged, finishing its fish completely and closing its eyes to take a nap. Oki meanwhile, just kept staring as the sun peeked from below the distant mountains, setting beneath the ridges and silhouetting the land, the scent of the evening rolling in and bringing a new refreshing aura to his home. To Oki, life was good, and he was glad to be alive.

571 + 4766 = 5337

[EXIT]

Training: