As the sun rose to its highest peak in the sky the smell of putrid oils and death hung in the air as Kreiger traversed through a thick marshy swamp toward an open clearing primarily used for training just outside the kiri walls. His Hoshigaki clan acquaintance he had traveled here with was generous enough to disclose the location of said training ground. Along his short walk to his destination Kreiger couldn't help but notice multiple shiobi training in different locations along the way, most were kiri natives however some were from Konoha due to the exchange much like Kreiger himself.

Upon arrival at the spot disclosed to him by the Hoshigaki, Kreiger couldn't help but admire how usful the location would be for his training. His chosen location consisted of an empty grass clearing stretching about thirty meters in diameter with the forest circling all of its edges. This open space would allow him to practice more openly anf carelessly without needing to worry as much about collateral damage in any form.

Drawing his sword, the soul reaver, Kreiger took a moment to retrieve a small piece of soft cotton cloth from his ninja pouch strapped to his leg. He used this cloth to clean the blade of his weapon and give it a good shiny appearance before his training session was to begin. A few minutes of spit shining and intense cleaning allowed his blade to shine brightly as the sunlight reflected off the unique metal from the sky above. "There much cleaner and much more appropriate looking for a warrior of my caliber. " Kreiger said out loud to himself with a chuckle.

Now wishing to complete his training completely solo Kreiger quickly came up with a simple idea to aid in his training. Forming a small string of handsigns a pillar of fire equal in size to kreiger himself erupted just in front of where he stood. The pillar of fire contorted and after a few moments took on Kreigers form complete with his clothing and weapon of choice. Kreiger had created a fire style shadow clone to aid him in his training, hoping this would allow him to train with an opponent who had the ability to fight back. Kreiger smiled at his fire style counterpart and nodded his head, receiving a similar response in return. Both versions of Kreiger drew their swords and with a quick clashing of two blades, the training begins.

Word Count: 409

Nayoko had not been back in Kirigakure no Sato for very long, but it was quickly becoming apparent to him that he would need to continue his personal training alongside the other goals he had come to the Land of Water to accomplish. Completing missions for the village and preparing himself to return to Ayakashi to complete his Senjutsu mastery was all well and good, but he could not spend every day risking his life on some mission, or worse yet, sitting around hoping to figure out what to do next. He needed to keep himself occupied, and so and old favourite past time of his was the first thing that came to mind: training. He had not had much time to simply train like he used to in his days as a genin. He was always on some sort of assignment, and though those honed his skills, there was something to be said for entering a field of grass with the single goal of improving yourself for a day. It was a feeling that he missed, which I why when he had some time now, he decided to take advantage of it.

He had training quite a but the last time he was in the Land of Water, as he was just a chuunin then. He had lots of time then to simply train before going out on the few missions that were assigned to him, and so he had made sure to find one of the best training spots in the area. Wanting to return to that place, Nayoko found himself hopping form rooftop to rooftop within the village toward the wall surrounding it until he eventually crossed over the edge of the perimeter and found himself in the swamps surrounding the Village Hidden in the Mists. The journey from the walls of the village to the training field was not a long one, but Nayoko took his time, leaping from treetop to treetop and taking in everything around him. The sound of insects buzzing around his head, the smell of the swamp and the abundance of life there within. It was not the most pleasant of places, but it was peaceful, and as he got older Nayoko was learning to enjoy simple peace more and more.

Eventually, the Hattori jounin arrived at the edge of the clearing he had come to know about, only to find that he was not the only one who knew about this training spot. He could hear what sounded like a younger man talking to himself, and as he peaked around the tree that he was standing behind, he noticed that the boy, for it was a boy, was holding a sword in one hand and forming hand seals with the other. Suddenly, a fire clone of the boy leapt into existence, and Nayoko got a good look at him. He was pale, with dark hair streaked with white. He wore white scarves that matched his pale skin and a crimson jacket as well. But the most distinguishing feature of the young man was the tattoo of the third eye in the centre of his forehead. Nayoko had no idea what it meant, but it certainly made him stick out. The jounin waited for a moment to see what the boy was doing and from his position he was able to watch the boy train with his clone. It was clear from the speed and precision that the boy was a genin, but his swordplay was impressive to Nayoko. The Hattori had never been one for weapons other than a simple kunai or a shuriken, so he certainly admired the young man’s skill.

After watching for a short while, Nayoko stepped out from behind the tree with a smile on his face. As he reached up to lower his hood, he began to introduce himself. “I thought I was the only one who knew about this place, but it seems I was mistaken. My name is Nayoko Nozara, and I’m a jounin from the Village Hidden in the leaves. I must admit, I’m impressed with your swordplay. I’ve never been one for weapons apart from my fists, but I can recognize talent when I see it.”

WC:708

The real Kreiger's sword parried each blow attempted by the clone of him made from fire. The sounds of the metal clanking together almost making it seem like a real fight between two skilled swordsmen. Within a quick few moments however, Kreiger quickly overpowered the weaker clone of himself, his sword nearly striking its neck as a voice broke through the otherwise silent forest. “I thought I was the only one who knew about this place, but it seems I was mistaken. My name is Nayoko Nozara, and I’m a jounin from the Village Hidden in the leaves. I must admit, I’m impressed with your swordplay. I’ve never been one for weapons apart from my fists, but I can recognize talent when I see it.”

As the newcomer spoke, the clone turned back into its orignal form, a small fire that Kreiger quickly stamped out. Turning to gaze upon the person whom had appeared, they announced their name to be Nayoko. Nayoko was a high level shinobi of the hidden leaf village, the same village which Kreiger himself also called home. Nayoko was a tall man with visible muscles most likely formed from years of training, he wore a tunic with weird silver symbols stamped acrossed it, these symbols were not recognized by Kreiger right away and he wondered about their importance.

Spinning his sword and once again slamming it into the sheath strapped to his back, Kreiger finally thought of a response to Nayoko. With a smile, Kreiger gave his reply, "Well I certainly didn't find it on my own, one of the native shinobi informed me of this location saying it was a good spot for isolated training, guess he fibbed a little. Anyways its good to meet you Nayoko, Kreiger Fox coolest genin ever, I too also hail from the village hidden in the leaves. As for this old thing, Ive had it for as long as I remember, it almost feels like a part of me, like it has some deeper significance when I wield it."

Holding up his sword into view as he spoke of it, even Kreiger didn't realize what he was really holding. The weapon in his hand had once been used to reap countless souls, sending them to the pure land. It once held a great power within it that trumped any human arms. However its power, along with Kreiger's own true power, had been stipped away with his memories. His memories as a shinigami still having failed to return to him.

Word count: 420

The boy’s clone dissipated into flames as he finished up his training routine and turned toward Nayoko. The tattoo on his forehead was even more prominent now that the Hattori could look at him head on. It was eerie to day the least, but Nayoko was not one to judge when it came to body marking. When he activated his own Sage Mode his body covered itself it markings that many would find eerie or just plain ugly. So instead of looking on it with a frown of disapproval, the jounin merely looked inquisitively as the young man addressed him directly. "Well I certainly didn't find it on my own, one of the native shinobi informed me of this location saying it was a good spot for isolated training, guess he fibbed a little." Nayoko nodded at that, wondering if he himself had ever encountered that very Hoshigaki in this small clearing before. He doubted it, and even if he had, Nayoko had long forgotten the face of such a person. So much had seemed unimportant to him back then, and that man was probably one of those things. Just another passing face on the journey to the fight that had almost killed him. A slight chill ran up his spine as he thought of that day again.

Blinking hard, Nayoko forced himself back into the present and stepped toward the boy. "Anyways its good to meet you Nayoko, Kreiger Fox coolest genin ever, I too also hail from the village hidden in the leaves. As for this old thing, I’ve had it for as long as I remember, it almost feels like a part of me, like it has some deeper significance when I wield it." The Hattori could not help but smirk at that introduction. It reminded him of some of the genin he had fought alongside when he was fresh out of the academy himself. Most of them were still chuunin and special jounin now, but they were certainly capable shinobi and kunoichi. And who was Nayoko to judge? Maybe this boy was actually the coolest genin ever. He certainly seemed cooler than Nayoko did at that age, but he did not want to let him know that. “Well Kreigar, it is a pleasure to meet you. I will say though, I’m not sure about your title. I think I was a pretty cool genin myself back when I first graduated.”

Pausing for a moment, Nayoko felt the perfect opportunity to test the mettle of the boy in front of him, and as an extension the quality of shinobi that were coming out of the academy these days. He had been so distracted of late that training the next generation of Leaf ninja had completely slipped his mind. But as he looked down at the boy before him, he felt like h might be in for a surprise. “In fact,” Nayoko continued, the smile on his face growing ever so slightly. “I think you’ll have to prove it to me.” He then reached into a pouch beneath his cloak and pulled out a simple kunai. He stuck his finger though the ring on the end of it and began to twirl it around, as he continued. “Why don’t you spar a little bit with me? Come at me with that weapon of yours and I’ll be able to see just how cool you really are. Don’t hold back though, because I’ll know if you are.”

With that, the jounin gripped the kunai in a reverse grip in his right hand and stool still with his arms down at his sides, simply waiting with a smile on his face.

WC:620+708=1328

Kreiger couldn't help but smile in response to Nayoko's challenge as he twirled a kunai by its ring on his finger. As the man reversed the kunai to hold it in a backwards grip, Kreiger held his sword down tightly in front of him tensing the muscles in his arms and legs.

"Actually, a little sparring session sounds perfect. Don't worry I never learned how to hold back so full force is what you'll get." A smile showing on Kreigers face as he spoke.

Beneath his cocky headstrong attitude Kreiger was actually quite nervous about fighting this man. After all, he was a jounin level shinobi which meant he was probably tens of times more experienced than Kreiger himself. On top of that fact, Nayoko was also not someone he was familiar with beforehand, meaning Kreiger had no idea what sorts of jutsu his opponent would utilize."Oh well let's give this a shot." Kreiger thought to himself as a single bead of sweat ran down the side of his head before falling from his chin.

He ran through many different strategies of how to approach the oncoming fight within his head. He knew that attacking directly head on without some form of distraction would be suicide being as he lacked the element of surprise in this scenario. He needed a way to take Nayoko's concentration away from him, even if it was for merely a single moment or two. He calculated his plan of action and grasped the handle of his sword just a little bit harder as he prepared to strike.

Finally deciding to make his move, he tilted his blade slightly to one side, reflecting the sunlight off the shiny metal towards Nayoko's eyes in an attempt to distract him with a glare in his vision. Following up with this, he would continue by stepping forward quickly, his foot slamming hard into the ground as he swung his sword downward aiming for Nayoko's shoulder.

word count: 328

The smile on the genin’s face showed an air of bravado that concerned Nayoko, especially after he had claimed to be the ‘coolest genin ever.’ Maybe the boy really was all talk, or maybe he was very strong for his age. Only time would tell, but the way his muscles tensed as Kreiger held his sword tightly caused the Hattori to suspect that he was more nervous than he was letting on. That much was good; at least he didn’t think he had a chance of actually winning the fight.  Nayoko’s eyes darted to the single bead of sweat falling down the forehead of his fellow shinobi, and it was in that moment that he knew the genin understood the difference in their abilities. Nayoko waited patiently for a moment before catching the sight of Kreigar gripping his blade slightly tighter, signalling the beginning of his assault.

The blade in his opponent’s hand tilted slightly, sending sunlight into Nayoko’s eyes that was clearly intended to be a distraction. The corner of the jounin’s mouth turned up into a smirk as he simply closed his eyes to negate the distraction, knowing full well that even with is eyes closed he would know where his opponent was coming from. It was, however, impressive that the boy thought ahead enough to at least try to slow him down a little bit. The Hattori made note to commend the genin for his efforts. The moment he closed his eyes he felt the boy’s movement ahead of his, his foot slamming into the ground in front of him and the blade coming towards his left shoulder. Nayoko waited until the boy would be almost sure to hit him before throwing his right arm across his body and interposing his kunai between the sword and his shoulder. The clang of metal on metal rang out around the pair of shinobi as Nayoko, pushing back against the sword to ensure Kreigar would not move for a moment, opened his eyes.

The boy was slow. Far too slow. Nayoko knew that he had once been just as slow, and if the boy was just a genin then it would make sense. But he had not fought a genin of this level in some time, and the speed at which he fought worried the jounin a great deal. Hopefully he would improve soon enough. But Nayoko did not want to focus on that yet; first he had to comment on the opening strike. “Nice attempt at distracting me. It shows that you’re clever, and also that you know you are outmatched. That’s something that can be more important than any jutsu you can use. Knowing when you will be beaten without some strategy is what leads to many ninja getting themselves killed. It nearly led to my own death once upon a time.” He paused for a moment to let his words sink in before continuing.

“But now I have you locked here, because if you let up, you know I will follow through with a strike. So show me how to get out of this position, young man.”

[Exit Thread]

WC:529+1328=1857

Training Perception from A-1 to A-2 (1150/1150)

unused WC: 707