Sero had found his way back to the docks and set up camp in a covering of rocks. he had changed his bandages. He had no wounds left to speak of but still it concerned him enough to at least take precautions. He spent the day on his own just to the side of the docks to not bother the workers there. Still a man in a white cloak standing on the jagged rocks with the spray of water around him drew attention. For the moment he was contemplating what he had witnessed with the Uchiha doctor. A green aura that heals. Was that the earth element? or Just the natural color of chakra before elements effect it? He had never preformed a jutsu with no element that had visible chakra that he could remember. It was troubling him especially at his rank.

In his tent where piles of books so he turns and heads back in there. The books he had access to immediatly where of the theory of medicine and the study of the human anatomy. He settles cross legged and flips through the books. There was hours of light left so she was bound to be busy at these hours. He had some time. Still the books, while informative shared very little information with him. except one book that suggested fish where a good harmless practice.

It was early afternoon when he moved to the docks and purchased about 17 diffrent kinds of fish. They where already cut open and he intended to try on his own practicing. For now it was to find the level of control to create the green aura without being destructive. He pays for the fish and moves full speed back to his encampment safely behind a screen of rocks from the tide.

His grey eyes focus on the first fish as he observes the wound. a clean cut from tail to head. Good. A decent cut would make the seal easier. He places his hands over the fish and closes his eyes focusing his chakra. Healing the wound in his mind. He focuses on projecting his aura over it and willing the wound to close. However violent tendencies have a chance to leave a mark on ones chakra manipulation.

He opens his eyes when he hears it crackle and looks at the fish. Its flesh was boiling and the flesh around the wound was melting. Fantastic. He had done the opposite of healing. He sighs in frustration and shakes his head Damnitt.

He tries on three more fish all with the same effect or just lighting the last one on fire. Before he admitted to himself he needed instruction. His camp consisted of one tent with a bed mat and a camp fire. He decided he would just study the books and did so until late into the afternoon as he waited for his instructor. His fire in plain sight of the docks. Simple enough for her to see and investigate if she would come tonight.

Spoiler:

It was finally time to relax; or well, sort of anyway. She'd been busy as could be all day long, between one thing and another. But now, her 'day' had ended and it was simply time to do whatever it was she pleased; which would have been to sit back and relax had she not made a commitment to teach Sero Medical Ninjutsu.

She had heard through her wandering travels of someone camping down by the docks who was... burning fish? That had caused an eyebrow to raise, but she couldn't help but smirk as well. He was showing initiative, which was good. It pleased her to know that he decided to try and get a head start on things.

So, without wasting any more time she wandered her way down to the docks, whistling a rather sadistic tune, arms folded across her chest. She was given a pretty wide berth from the sailors and other such people wandering on the docks, especially given her whistling, but she didn't even care to much acknowledge it as she made her way to Sero's campsite, stopping after reaching it. "Hello.", she said as way of announcing her arrival, if the whistling hadn't given it away already.

Sero looks up from his book he was now studying by fire light. The book was labeled Arteries and Muscle tendons. Truly he found enough books to get at least some general knowledge. It was simply something he was used to doing. Studying a subject before practicing it. It usually let some of the most basic flaws of a first attempt at something fade. But he had found truly practice makes perfect.

He had looked up however as he heard a whistle. It had a strange tune to it that he was unfamiliar with but it sounded like a mix of classical music. At the same time he considered Utau was there with her Genjutsu and freezes in his spot. He wasnt prepared yet enough for her. His silver eyes watch as the whistle approaches studying his surroundings intently for anything changing. He shifts his sitting stance as if ready to throw everything he had at his target. his Silver eyes angry and dangerous for once.

It was a surprise then when the person he had been expecting arrives and he breathes. The killing intent and blood lust instantly fled the field and he lets his head drop. He could feel his heart racing and there was this odd feeling of hope that it had been his target. He desired her death so much it took a part of his thoughts constantly.

It was honestly part of why he wanted to learn medical. He wanted to be able to temporarily shut down certain senses to prevent the genjutsu. On others as well as himself. In order to do that he would have to advance quickly through the ranks. Utau still felt beyond him but he knew he was getting closer. For now he had a helpful instructor of the Uchiha clan. Dr. Amaya appeared to be around his age but as was typical with females her mind seemed more mature.

However his grey eyes still look over her as she enters the camp and he rises as was polite. His heartbeat slowing as he calmed and his desire to kill fading as well. It was probably foolish but he didn’t feel threatened by this woman. Instead he felt inspired by her and her knowledge that he needed. And so he would learn and eventually return the favor somehow. He had learned recently though how to respond with facial expressions and chose a smile for the moment as she speaks a single word. a very simple greeting was perhaps best. Match pace with your instructor at least. It was hard to tell if she was interested in talking at all.

While he speaks in reply he looks over her trying to recall everything he had read with little success. multi tasking with fresh knowledge was a fools plan but with practice became useful. He contemplates major arteries and tendons. which he would cut to accomplish the loss of which limb to what extent and where. It was definetly frustrating.

“Good evening.”

Spoiler:

A polite smile filtered across her lips, and she nodded her head in greeting before nodding towards the fire just as she finished her whistling. "We might as well stay here where it's warm... This could take a while, and the more distractions the harder it'll be, at first any way.", her tone was light and polite, as she simply spoke suggestions he could chose to ignore if he saw fit to. She of course wasn't here to try and order him around, she was here to try and help him, and she knew from first hand experience that if someone didn't want to do something they weren't going to.

She herself did sit down, she wasn't about to remain standing in the cold wind longer then she had to. While the temperature didn't out right bother her, she wasn't going to remain in the cold when something as nice and warm as a fire was so readily available. Not being one to beat around the bush or draw things out, she figured she might as well dive right in to the subject at hand. "So, have you ever tried anything as simple as healing someone before? Or calling forth healing chakra at all?" Her intent gaze rested on him, an eyebrow raised as her curiosity caused the emotionless mask she normally wore around strangers to slip ever so slightly.

She rested her right wrist on her knee since she was sitting Indian style, and flipped her hand so it was palm up. The hand gave off the faintest of greenish glows as she concentrated healing chakra to it, though not nearly enough to actually preform any sort of healing or jutsu with, but enough to give an example of what she was speaking of. She knew sometimes having a visual of what one was supposed to do was a lot easier then having to try and picture what it was supposed to look like in your head.

Sero looked around him at the burned fish all around as if contemplating how to explain not knowing the apparent basics of healing. So far he had been attempting to find the balance in the elements of it instead of just a neutral element. He watches her sit down and contemplates on her words before sitting across from her in the same position. Watching her as he was prepared to study on hand learning now.

He nods to her words and remains respectfully quiet. For the moment He was curios to learn of her teaching methods and perhaps utilize them in the future. After all teaching didnt have to be a natural born gift. He watches her flip her hand over and produce a green glow yet again and nods slowly. Before replying to her question in a quiet and calm voice.

“destructive qualities where more valued in my community then the healing arts. I never had the opportunity to learn of them before now.”

He focuses on her hand and how it was positioned and the green color coming our of her palm and positions his hand in much the same way. He began to picture that color. picture the warm comforting feeling for a moment. He focuses his chakra on his hand and tries to tie in those emotions to his efforts. However even now those emotions where foreign to him and his collective thoughts where all trying to find a way to do it without emotion.

It took a moment but as he waited in silence for his attempt a burst of fire erupted from his hand in a brief flash. It was bright and warm but still destructive. he closes his hand as it fades back into the dim light of the camp fire.

He sighs and looks across the fire at her again his eyes shining in his frustration as he indicates the burned fish around him. A bit of a waste but still it was for a better tomorrow and what was a few fish in the grand scheme. About 10 in all of his examples of failure.

“I have been attempting to perfect even the lowest level of the healing arts before you arrived only ending in an abundance of failure.”

He rises from his seat and contemplates as he paces now how to match her ability to perform something with a gentle nature to it. He needed to be able to heal while he rebuilt Kiri. The land..the people.. the community... the politics and the injured. He would have help but it irked him that he could apparently not accomplish the bare minimum of anything.

He needed to be able to do this. If not for himself then for those younger then himself. He needed to be trusted and upheld and accomplishing something during his time with this training would benefit him in multiple ways. He finally takes a seat again as grey eyes look back to the instructor and watch intently for her instructions. even now he intends to accomplish something.

Spoiler:

Amaya's reddish gaze turned to the fish littered around, and she raised a single slender finger, tapping her chin as if in deep thought. She had never had much trouble learning Medical Ninjutsu, it just happened to be one of those things that came naturally to her. She tried and it happened, it was as simple as that. So, for a few moments she was utterly stumped on how to help him. She thought about the different triggers, things that made people react in feats that they otherwise would've been incapable of doing. She also thought about the different ways people calmed themselves, one of which she used herself on almost a daily basis; meditation.

Turning her gaze back to Sero an eyebrow rose as curiosity once more peeked her. "Have you ever tried meditating before? Just completely clearing your head and letting everything vanish? I find when I'm learning something that specifically deals with healing chakra, it comes in handy. It also makes it easier to channel the chakra when I'm not distracting myself with everything else that's rattling off in my head."

It was as good a suggestion as any she was going to have, and as the greenish glow of the healing chakra vanished from her hands for the moment. She turned her attention to the fire, watching it flicker for a moment in the breeze that rolled across the sand. "Or, even distracting yourself with something.. like watching the fire. I know it might seem silly, but when you focus on something else it normally helps. It's a lot easier to kill someone than it is to help them. That much even I know..." It was true, of course, even for her. Killing came a lot easier than healing, and took a lot less focus.

With that said she fell silent, not wanting to bother him if he did decide to try and meditate or focus on something else.

Sero nods slowly acknowledging her words and contemplating whether or not he could truly clear his mind. the idea of it was truly troubling to him. at the moment his mind was attempting to run every possible scenario from most likely to least likely. He was contemplating different strategies for each scenario and considering how to remain unharmed. Escape routes tactical positions and possible weapon availability. on top of that he had to consider possible assassination attempts. It was true that all of this was possible but clearing his mind.. he had never done so before. it was always active and thus even in his sleep calculating out whether or not he should consider other alternatives.

He pauses in his musings and his grey eyes look over her and he nods slowly. she was speaking of meditation. he had heard of it and found that it took time and patience. how long could he keep his mind clear. in a given combat situation could he utilize it with out providing an opening? unlikely but at the very least he could learn the basics and modify it for his own uses. After all he intended to use it in battle to make anyone coming into his area of influence pay for it dearly.

On top of that he had to consider that with the medical if he was wounded he could at least save himself some permanent damage. or even continue the fight. to outlast your opponent was one way to achieve victory. especially if your opponent had to try very hard just to hit you. With this striking him would be a triple threat. First getting through his vision limiting techniques and then remaining unharmed by his area of effect. lastly arriving within his range and avoiding getting an artery split open.

"I can understand needing to clear your mind. Truthfully its something I've never done before. I however believe your well aware of what your talking about and shall attempt it accordingly."

He moves across the fire from her and settles there. His tall frame unmoving except the steady rise and fall of his shoulders as he breathed. still he had to be well aware that he would be defenseless if he truly cleared his mind but he was finding it easier to do. He had forgotten the constant head ache of all his thoughts as he had simply gotten used to it and only now could he feel it ebbing away. He watches the flame and allows it to mesmerize him ever so slowly. the lines on his face fade to peace as he turns his palms upward. He could vision it slowy in his mind as a calm glow. A healing presence of a gentle place. He lets his cold grey eyes reflect the flames as if the rage in his soul burning like eternal harmony. He focuses his chakra then as the glow above his palms slowly turns green. it wasnt very bright but it was an accomplishment in comparison. Though it was taking more time then he liked.

Spoiler:

.oO( Once again, I apologize for the wait. ._. )


Amaya pulled her own healing chakra into her right hand, which began to almost instantly glow green. She turned her reddish gaze from the fire to Sero, watching for for a moment. She mentally chanted to herself over and over again, 'Please let it work, please let it work'. She bit her bottom lip, waiting as still as possible and rather impatiently until she noticed the greenish glow that he was creating. Her lip escaped from between her teeth as her face broke into a small smile, and a rather large bit of pride filling her reddish gaze. "Concentrate on how that feels, it should feel slightly different than any chakra you would use. Once you can feel the difference it'll become easier to call it forth, and you'll be able to call forth more of it."

Her smile turned into a grin. "It'll also make it easier to heal without needing a great deal of concentration on it. This way your focus doesn't have to specifically be on the healing." The greenish glow disappeared from her right hand, and then appeared in the left. She switched it back and forth a few times before folding her hands together in front of her, fingers interlacing. "Practice really does make perfect with medical ninjutsu."

She paused a moment, head tilting a bit as she thought over an idea that had popped into her head. "You might be able to try healing a small cut or something on a fish now, it'll give you a better idea for how much you'll need to heal a wound, especially large ones. It takes a lot of practice to match the right amount of chakra with the wound you're trying to heal.. that's where a lot fail. Though, I've found that if you think of it like you would if you were calling up chakra to cause harm, that exact amount you need... it's kinda like that, only a different chakra." She shrugged a bit like that, falling silent at that point in case he had any questions.

Sero nods slowly contemplating her words. In time he would be able to do these things at will. But for now he watches the green orb in his hand. it was troubling but still he could understand the need for it. He looks at the orb in his hand tilting his head. It felt warm and comfortable.It was odd how he intended to use it as a weapon. To slice into the flesh of his opponent with his bare hands. To Heal himself without really thinking about it. However his eyes stare into the fire then. He felt Invincible for a moment. Soon his speed would match the worst of his enemies. A sick twisted smile plays on his lips and reflects in his eyes as the fire dances within them. Fire was his primary nature and while he helped light the way for his generation. He was also a being of utter destruction. And what a trip that was. He could still see the blood of the fallen on his hands.. his fingernails stained with the blood and his hands sore from choking the breath from them. He was no saint but an efficient killer was at least merciful in a way. He could choose to kill without pain soon. That and there would always be fools. That was just plain fact. No, Fools where needed as examples. Better a fool die here and there to show the masses not to join him. Many said a people will rise behind a fool and call him a martyr. but he knew otherwise. The would look upon the burned corpse with chunks of flesh missing and in either fear or respect they would not rise. That and Kiri was not cruel to its country. There was no real reason for anarchy. Unless it was out of personal greed.

He listens to the first part and contemplates that first. The feel of the chakra. It was indeed different. It had no feeling really. See, Fire had been associated with the feelings of anger and rage while Water had been associated with the feeling of calm and centered. Two opposite emotions. And both lethal in they're own right. For a long time he had walked alone on his path. Endless nights of the rain soaking him to the bone and the calm feelings he received from them. To be honest he had felt centered with the rain running down his face. That feeling in his mind made the green glow slowly grow brighter. More there then before. In a way it was like his connection was solidified instead of wavering. So that emotion was the trigger. Alone and cold. Standing in the wet streets where his sociopath nature was born he had learned the basic emotion for this task. He chuckles coldly in one brief sound. He clenches his fist and dispels the Orb by crushing it. How often had he simply crushed those emotions before. The part of his past he blanked out for the safety of those around him? He shivers for a moment before cold grey eyes look back to her listening to the second part. His words watching her lips move as if memorizing every word. She was good at instructing and knew what she was talking about. He would have to attempt to pay her back for her kindness. If nothing else perhaps he could teach her something in return. After all she seemed a lot like him in more ways then one. That sadistic way she carried herself. He was sure fighting her would end just as badly as fighting him. If not worse.

The Second part was about precision. The right amount of chakra was vital. That in itself was fascinating as So many of his Ninjutsu moves required specific chakra usage. He nods yet again and plucks one of the remaining fish and slicing it open in a small cut in the center. He was used to gutting the fish so he knew where not to cut. Precision and a feeling of giving in. That hopeless feeling and letting himself over to the emotion of loss. He had plenty of that to work with after all. He begins to speak as he prepares himself.

"Medical practice is about precision and triggers then. If nothing else I can at least manage those things. However for now I feel if I am lost to rage then I may not have the control necessarily for this technique."

He frowns a moment at his own words and returns to the focus at hand. He had the cut fish before him on his lap and his intentions where to heal the cut. He closes his eyes a moment now and focuses on the rain. the way it soaked into him the night he realized that in the end relying on others was hopeless. And that feeling of loss washed over him slowly. That hopeless sensation would have been an excellent explanation of why he murdered his enemy in such brutal ways. He focuses on that and filters through barely enough chakra into his palm feeling its warmth as he waits for it to gain in strength before slowly hovering it over the cut fish. Allowing it to do its work with a twisted smile. the cut on the fish slowly stitching back together. Before a few moments pass by and the fish was healed of its affliction. well aside from being dead of course. He sighs in relief and breathes finaly before nodding slowly. Before rising to his feet and letting the dead fish drop. He shakes his head and reaches into his pocket pulling out a cig and lighting it. taking in a deep drag to return to his emotionless state of mind before speaking.

"I think I understand now. I however feel as if a favor has been given here. Would you perhaps like to learn something of me in return? I can teach Ninjutsu if you like."

Spoiler:

She continued to watch him, that mild smile playing once more across her features as she did so. She watched carefully as he made the cut into the fish, and than healed it. That.. was a success. She felt.. proud, to say the least. She had trained people before, but those normally had the basic concepts down, she had never taught someone from scratch before. The idea of that... it was staggering, it was accomplishing. It made her feel like she could do so much more, greater things, and terrible things. That, of course.. would wait until later as she heard his words.

Her mind blanked for a moment. Training? For her? She'd waited for months for that opportunity, hell years if she wanted to be honest with herself. She hadn't even been able to use so many jutsu because of her lacking ninjutsu abilities. This.. this would be the answer to all of her prayers. She had read all the basics, knew the hand seals by heart. Hell, she knew how to manipulate her own chakra, given that chakra flow was one of her specialties. But this.. this would make all those years of waiting, of wanting, all worth while. She could read all the books she could get her hands on, and none of it would help until she got actual training. She had known that all along, had spent many failed hours in secret, trying to train herself, trying to overcome what was so long considered her handicap.

Not to add in that she'd be able to use her clan jutsu if this went well.. sure, she'd have to train more, of that much she was sure. But if only she could grasp a hold of the basics, she could spring board herself as far as she needed to go from there. This, was the answer to her prayers, even the ones she was never subconsciously aware of having prayed.

Determination filled her gaze and she nodded, standing herself up fully in one fluid motion. "That.. is exactly what I need to learn, actually." Her gaze filled with purpose, then. The look that befell her face being one of a student willing to learn, and to go to any means to accomplish that, and a smirk slipped across her face, turning her normal sadistic features into something even darker, and scarier. She wasn't going to forget this offer, even if it did mean they were simply even, a way to repay her for teaching him medical ninjutsu.. it didn't matter to her. This went deeper than that, he was answering someone she'd been hoping for for a very long time, and she was going to try her damnedest to be as good a student as she could.

Spoiler:

Sero would slowly raise his eye brows at the readiness she suddenly showed. He had honestly not expected it. He always pictured Uchiha as either a stern type or a demented type but she molded herself to the situation very well. In fact she was so good at it he wondered if it would actually be hard for her to be a spy. If not for her eyes of course. Still he smiles and moves a short distance away from her and settles back down into a seat. Letting the fire cloak the darkness behind him with its light.

"Very well then. We shall start immediately. Now typically when preforming a Ninjutsu move It is associated with an element. To Utilize this element one must Realize it is a part of them. Personally I placed emotions to my elements and bring them out originally with those. Anger with fire and Cold hatred with Water. I pictured these elements in my mind and envisioned what I want to happen."

He picks up a stick and draws in the dirt a stick figure covering the basics of chakra flow paths taught in the academy. Indicating different chakra flow paths as he continues.

"By focusing the element of your chakra into either your hands or your lung while preforming the proper hand seals most Jutsu can begin. However you must realize that by using too much or to little chakra you will not get your desired effect. Balance is the key to Ninjutsu."

'Hmmm, that sounds a bit like how I handle my chakra flow... especially when I get the odd urge to try and turn myself into a flaming torch..', she mentally rambled to herself before continuing to pay close attention. And, she wasn't about to have any problems with associating her emotions into it. Hell, anger was a deadly weapon when mixed with fire and anything else. Even the lightning she was capable of producing. This.. this was going to be fun, and useful in the end. She just couldn't wait to get to the practicing portion of this. But, information was valuable, that she knew, she she continued to listen to the attention of a A plus student.

Her reddish gaze moved over the stick figure he had drawn, her mind instantly recognizing the diagram, especially given her other specialty, chakra flow. She hoped the experience she had with that would make this a little bit more easier, she at least would have slightly more control over her ninjutsu than the normal beginner, or so she hoped, anyway. Ah yes, she was sure that the hands were going to be easier than the lungs. She already was damn good at pulling chakra into her hands.. lungs, well that was a completely different story. Ah well, wasn't going to hurt to try.. unless of course she gave herself an overly nasty case of heart burn.. that would hurt. That would hurt a hell of a lot, especially if she was playing with fire.

She listened to the rest of his words and an eyebrow rose. That sounded pretty close to what she had just told him when dealing with medical ninjutsu. That should make things a hell of a lot easier in the long run if she could just think of it like that; of course, it wouldn't be the same chakra, but still. The concept was much alike, and that was good enough for her. "That won't be much different than using my medical ninjutsu, then.", she said softly.

She took pause at that point, waiting further instructions, ever the ready and willing student. That twinkle of anticipation alive in her reddish eyes, which, had this been any sort of other situation, probably would've made it look like she was waiting to murder someone, or torture them... she really needed to stop with the sadistic expressions that came all too easily to her. She just couldn't help her excitement, though, and that didn't help with her creepiness in the slightest.

While waiting for his next set of instructions she amused herself by going over the basics in her mind, the flow of chakra, the idea that she had to match the exact amount with the ninjutsu she was trying to preform. She even went over the hand seals in her mind while waiting, mentally picturing each and every one as she went: Bird, Boar, Dog, Dragon, Ox, Tiger, Serpent, Rat, Horse, Monkey, Hare, Ram. She knew hand seals were vital, especially for a beginning like herself, and once satisfied she hadn't missed any she gave herself a great big mental pat on the back.

Spoiler:

Sero nods and rises as he thinks a moment. Which jutsu to demonstrate while explaining. He also wanted her to practice it. Practicing it standing still was a good plan as moving while casting jutsu right off the bat could be trouble some.

"For now Stand still. Focus on the element and preform the hand seals your clan might use for one of they're fire jutsu. regretfully I am not familiar with all your clans techniques."

When she would rise he would direct her to stand facing the sea so theyre camp wasnt in danger. Standing behind her as well. He had a couple of water Jutsu to use if anything lit on fire. But he would prefer not to see it happen.

She turned her form towards the ocean, staring for a moment at the water. Watching the water itself move was almost calming.. but she needed rage for this, to really make her fire strong. She figured she would have to give it her all, and being utterly peaceful was not probably going to work very well. She needed anger.. or annoyance. She focused on the annoyance she felt towards herself, for her lack of ability with ninjutsu. For being as old as she was and incapable of preforming basic Uchiha jutsu. For not driving as far as she should have gone for the honor of her family. Anything that could get her annoyed, or agitated, or pissed off she focused on.

The hand seals she knew. Hell, she knew all of them, honestly. She had studied everything diligently. She had to, because she wanted to preform them. She wanted to make her family proud, her clan proud of her skills. She didn't want to be weak, defenseless... not that she was now, but still. She continued to focus on her rage while debating on the jutsu she wished to try and use. What would be the easiest? What would be the hardest? Out of all this thinking a single, some what random, thought passed through her mind, a thought that she couldn't even begin to care for at the moment; the thought that she was allowing an almost perfect stranger stand behind her and it didn't in any way bother her anymore. God, she was proving she was desperate to let her guard slip so far, and she didn't even care. There was something about the male that clicked with her, maybe it was the fact that he wanted to learn what she had to teach, maybe it was because he was answering her prayers, it didn't matter, all that mattered was she kept her focus on what she was doing.

Ugh, she really had to stop talking to herself, in her head like this. She also had to stop over thinking things... she also needed to focus. Come on Amaya, focus! Thankfully, the whole mental bramble she had going on had only taken seconds, not minutes. A quick thinking brain was a great one. Besides, she knew what jutsu she was going to try for. She had thought about using ones where she needed to use chakra from her hands, but this.. this just seemed easier, it seemed right almost. So, what she was going to aim for was the Great Fireball Technique. Heartburn, here I come! She thought to herself.

Back to focusing on the present, and the fact that she didn't want to waste any more of Sero's time than she had to she took a deep relaxing breath in and out, enjoying the last few moments of breathing without it stinging... The hand signs were short and easy: Tiger, Monkey, Boar, Horse, Tiger. She focused on her fire, of the chakra within her chest, and released it all... And out came a puff of smoke. Impressive... for a first try at least, but no where near the roar of flames she was supposed to be sprouting. She rolled her eyes, more at herself than anyone else. This was going to take some tries.

She thought over it for a moment, mentally assessing what she had done. She had held back, all in all, because she didn't want to end up burning herself in the process. She had allowed her fear to effect what had happened, to control her actions.. and she couldn't keep doing that. She had to let go, to just allow what ever was going to happen to happen. Easier said than done. But, she was going to force herself to do it. No pain, no gain and all that fun stuff. Hell, if she did get burned, she could always let Sero practice healing her if he wanted.. was always better experience to do so on a person than some fish or other wild animal... though she did still hope it didn't come to that.

So, she focused on the kneaded chakra within her as she formed the hand seals once more - Tiger, Monkey, Boar, Horse, Tiger - all while taking a deep breath in. Finished with the hand seals she exhaled once more, and the smallest flicker of a flame shot out from her mouth. At least she hadn't burned her throat like she was thinking she was going to.

"Well... it wasn't as large as it was supposed to be, but at least it was fire and not smoke this time..", she said softly, staring at the spot that the flames had been before they'd extinguished themselves a good few feet in front of her, leaving the air feeling momentarily warm from their presence.


Word Count: 804
Ninjutsu Word Count: 1,699 / 3,000

Sero quietly contemplates watching the attempts. She appeared to know the hand seals very well but what was it she was attempting that made her hold back so much? It troubled him as he taps his chin and slowly paces back and forth behind her. The puff of smoke was a decent hint of her attempts but still.

He contemplates attempting to teach but he was not entirely sure where to start. So he waits and allows her to try again while he packs up his books. It was taking some time and he was nearly packed before the small flame popped up and he paused waiting for more but nothing happened.

He smiles and rises waiting to make sure she wasnt trying again before clearing his throat. Speaking out to her now.

"Your scared of getting burned? dont be. while inside of you it is still chakra and your own chakra is your ally. it will not harm you. Try it again but this time let go of your fear of fire. embrace it as your tool."

She mulled over the idea that her own chakra couldn't harm her. If that was the case then there was absolutely no point in trying to hold back. No point not to go full force, head strong into the whole thing. That gave her confidence a boost, a huge one. She glanced at Sero and than back to the ocean, thinking of it like an enemy she had to destroy.

She thought over the jutsu she was trying to preform, picturing it fully completed in her mind. She had seen others use it time and time again, had witnessed it being trained while she sat diligently on the sidelines, waiting for someone to get harmed in the process so she could heal them. Sero's words made sense; never once did one of those children who were training harm themselves trying to preform the jutsu. Sure, they had harmed each other lots of times, and she had been there to fix burn after burn after burn. Hell, she could recall a time when one child had sent himself flying backwards and ended up with a broken arm after all was said and done. But never once had she witnessed them cause harm to themselves.

She kept trying to picture the jutsu, from the beginning to the end. Playing it in her head like a video several times over. She wanted to get it right this time, especially with her fear gone. She pictured within her mind the stance the kids used to take, knowing that it was more for balance than anything else. The jutsu could be powerful, and poor balance led to the problems mentioned above and then some. Then she picked the build up of chakra, the kneading of it while the hand seals were preformed. Then the finishing of the jutsu, from the moment it would escape from her mouth to the target it would hit in one huge and powerful burst. She played this movie of sorts over and over again in her mind before, with a sigh of determination, she nodded. "Alright, then. Lets try this again...", she said softly, yet with determination filling each and every word she spoke.

She went back to focusing her mind on the ocean, thinking of it like it was some sort of thorn in her side, the bane of her existence. Like it was the barrier she had to get over, get through, to accomplish her goals. Like it was the reason she hadn't been able to do it before. She poured all of her hatred and anger into it, into the fire burning deep within her. She widened her stance slightly, like she had seen practiced hundreds of times over again in front of her, giving herself the edge of perfect balance so she didn't end up flying backwards or worse if she put too much power into it. The hand seals felt more natural this time around as she preformed them - Tiger, Monkey, Boar, Horse, Tiger. Her fingers formed them faster, and more fluid like then her previous attempts with them. They felt, right, complete, this time. Compared to empty and barren like the last few times she had done them. She could feel the kneaded, fire filled, chakra within her chest and focused on that as well. She pushed it upwards, not needing the deep breath she had needed before to produce that wimpy burst of fire. She could feel the chakra rush out of her, but all it was was a gentle warmth, not the intense burn she had been expecting before. The jutsu came forth in a violent wave of fire, roaring into the air and towards the ocean like it was meant to destroy it all along.

With the jutsu finished she swept her long white bangs out of her face, still staring at the ocean. Despite her success she wasn't satisfied. She had seen the devastation this jutsu could cause, she knew she had not got it any where near the full power it was capable of, but at least she had accomplished something. Something far better than what she had produced before. "It's still not good enough," she said after a moments pause, in which time she had just been staring at the same spot she had released the jutsu just like last time. "There needs more power to it... it should be more violent then this.", her voice took on an almost crazed tone to it. But, if crazed was what she needed to be to push this jutsu on, than that was what she was going to let reign.

She had always held this side of herself back, had always stomped on it and kept it at bay because it wasn't useful in the medical field. She couldn't use her burning anger, her deep hatred, her lust to hurt, to torture, to kill, when she was trying to heal someone. It just didn't work. It provided faulty healing chakra, and just as she had explained earlier, that just didn't work. It was broken, a waste, and entirely unusable. But maybe, just maybe, that was the side of her she needed to call on to really put this jutsu to shame. To give it all that she got. To destroy it completely in its being, to turn it into a bigger monster to be feared, a bigger monster than what it was already. To cause utter and complete destruction, no, devastation. This is what she was going to do, she was going to call up this side of her, focus on it, let it control her for however briefly she needed it to. She was going to let it free from its cage, free to cause the pain and anguish it needed to.. at least when it came to the jutsu, and the ocean as her continued target. Along with all of this she allowed the thoughts that used to rule her as a child to come forth, to fuel her anger. All the teasing from the other Uchiha children because she was incapable of preforming a simple clan jutsu. The teasing by her class mates, the way they called her weak. How they picked on her something horrible. How, in the end, it was her brother, even though she knew he probably would never admit it, that had put a stop to all of that. Who had scared those children into silence so they would stop torturing her on a daily basis. How then, and only then she could thrive because she hadn't been able to force herself to do so through all that torture, that sickness she had to endure for so long.

All of this she allowed to come forth, using it all as gasoline for the flame. All of it and then some. Because even now she was angry, angry because she had seen so many get it right the first few tries they took, how they had mastered it quickly after that. But not her, no, she was going to have to take even longer. She wouldn't allow that. She wasn't going to put up with it. She was going to get this right, and she was going to get this right right now. And then she was going to train herself further until her fingers were in so much pain it caused her to black out, until her brain was numb from the lack of sleep. Anything and everything she had to do she was going to do so that she could be perfect, be just like the rest of them, just like every other member of her clan. She was going to do it, and she was going to do it now.

It was an inner battle within her, a rage match that only took about 20 seconds in total to happen, but outwardly her face was emotionless as ever.. at least until it was time to begin, then it turned crazed, evil even. Once more she preformed the hand seals - Tiger, Monkey, Boar, Horse, Tiger - while imagining a huge violent fire ball forming in her chest as she kneaded the fire filled chakra just as she needed to. She took the proper stance once more, and just in time, as the fire roared up and out of her throat, ready to consume and destroy anything and everything in its path. It roared out of her throat, filling the air in its quickness, warming it, burning it even, as it rushed towards the orange, a good ten feet long before it faded into the air, leaving the air wavy from where it had super heated it. That... that was the destruction she had been looking for, even the ground showed signs of it, having a small crater from where it had ran along it in its hugeness. Hell, even she had ended up being pushed backwards a good six inches in the sand, as the marks the sand held proved. "Okay.. even I gotta admit.. that felt good..."

She couldn't held the grin that spread across her face as she once more forced that little violent person deep inside of her back into its cage. Her gaze turned to Sero. "That.. was what it was supposed to look like the first time."



Word Count: 1,552
Ninjutsu Word Count: 3,251 / 3,000