I rolled out of bed in the morning still quite sore from the previous day's "friendly" training. I groggily walked towards my dresser, throwing on a pretty similar outfit to the one I was wearing yesterday, sans blood.

At least I was able to take a bath last night to scrape that stuff off and relax. Still, that meant I had NO time for practicing sealing jutsu. I'll just practice that new technique while I'm waiting.

I smiled to myself.

Actually, it might be pretty fun to play around with that seal if we're doing archery. In fact, now that I'm thinking about it...

I put three fingers from my right hand on the back of my left hand, channeled my chakra and quickly performed the Rat hand sign. I looked down, seeing the seal on the palm of my right hand form.

I always love watching that. Now, I just have to wait for the right moment during training.

I tightened my headband, grabbed my ninja equipment (including my newly purchased scrolls now hanging at my sides), ate a quick breakfast with my family, and set off. As I walked to our meeting place at a decently leisurely pace, I began thinking once again about my new squad.

I wonder if Kenshin will have a mission for us? I wonder when Iro left the restaurant? I wonder if Gattsu ever got his writing supplies?

Eventually, I reached the rendezvous point, thinking perhaps I might satisfy some of those curiosities sometime today.

Chakra 230/250:

WC: 257

The night was short after yesterdays battle training. He had had time to clean himself and got nearly six hours of sleep before being awoken to chop firewood for the day. Earning his keep wasn't the nicest way to live, but it was worth the effort to have a warm bed to rest on. Log after log, swing after swing, He slowly churned each of the logs into pieces right for burning under the kettles and pots. This wood would feed the inn for the next two or three days, but each time it emptied out, he'd have to spend another morning out here chopping. After three hours or so, the sun began to rise, just as he had finished stocking the last pieces of wood. The morning fog stuck close, clinging to the body heat he had worked up, even for one of the Aisu clan members.

The fog is nearly sticking to me, and i've gotta smell worse than a wet dog right now.

After having cleaned back up and gotten dressed, Gattsu came through the lobby to find a meal and a note from the old lady. He hungrily scarfed it down, practically shoveling the food into his mouth before proceeding to inhale it. When he finished, he gently set the plate in the sink before returning to the note.

"Good work on getting a team Gattsu, I see you have been working hard. I left a couple of things for you under the counter should you need them. keep working hard, and i'm sure you'll make it. Signed, Granny."

What a sweet note. It's good to know you have someone watching over you.

As he finished and checked the cabinet, he saw she had indeed provided him with enough to random supplies to get by. Fishing out a pair of notebooks and a few writing utensils, gattsu crammed them into his knapsack and headed out for the meeting spot. The town was far quieter than it had been the previous days, which indicated today would be long and drawn out. The morning fog nearly halted the towns natural hustle and bustle, and the smoke coming from the buildings was nearly invisible to those not used to dealing with the fog.

Slow morning, Hope it doesn't mean anything bad is about to happen.

After walking for a short while, Gattsu finally found himself at the training area, but didn't see anyone around yet. Finding a rather large tree near the edge of the field, He decided to catch up on the rest he'd missed out on, content he'd be fine when the others arrived.


[WC 447]

Iro didn't really sleep much that night. He was to anxious and his mind was racing. He did a bit of spear training while he waited for time to go meet the squad. He made sure to give himself a rest, as he didn't know how long training would take today. His mind kept flashing back to the night before. He learned his father's location finally. His head was spinning from all the possible reactions his team mates would have about the news. Would they come with him to help? He was going either way, he would just rather have some back up.

Once it was time, Iro jumped in the shower and got ready for his day. A deep blue shirt with the hozuki clan symbol on the back and black pants. He grabbed his spear and headband then walked out the door. He really didn't have an idea of how he was going to say what happened. How would they even understand when they didn't know Strafe and Momaru? He had to push the thoughts out of his head as he approached the training grounds. The first thing he saw was Nobuya standing there. He walked up with a wave. "Hey, you ready?"

He stood in front of the kid with his spear in hand as he looked around for the other two. Kenshin seemed like the late type anyway. Iro looked back to Nobuya with a smile. "I have some news when the other two get here. Something happened after you three left the restaurant." He said it with a happy tone, hoping the kid wouldn't worry. It was actually some good news for a change.

[285]

Kenshin was rolling out of bed late this morning. He flopped over and sighed before getting up to go get clean. He finally got ready, grabbed his bow, quiver, and flakjacket before walking out the door. He could not believe how well the first day went and now day two even had some benefit for him. It seemed this sensei stuff is pretty cool. He smiled as a strolled casually over to the training grounds. Luckily, it wasn't far from where he was currently staying. The sun was back out and the mist was still oddly thick. He would definitely have to get used to that. Kenshin looked for his students for a few minutes. He then saw Iro and Nobuya waiting together. Now where was Gattsu?

He found Gattsu sitting by a tree. He walked up with a whistle to let the guy know he was approaching. He didn't want to scare the kid if he was asleep. "Hey man, time to go meet up wtih Nobuya and Iro. I just saw them a little ways off." He said pointing in their direction. Kenshin would wait a minute to make sure he was up before walking over that way to the other two. He waved as he approached. "Looks like everyone's here." He said calmly before looking at Iro's face which seemed odd. He looked worried or scared.

"You okay there?" Kenshin asked raising an eyebrow. He didn't need a dojutsu to see that something was up with the kid. He figured he would wait till everyone was ready to actually start training, so they had a few minutes to talk.

[277]

I didn't have to wait long for Iro to come along with his familiar spear and a friendly wave. I almost waved back with my right hand, but then remembering the seal I put on it earlier, decided to hold off and just smile towards him.

I want to keep that a surprise, just in case I can actually pull this off.

"Hey, you ready?"

"Hopefully," I responded with a slight chuckle, "If you're ready to put up with trying to teach me how to use a spear, that is."

Iro looked around, presumably trying to see if the other two had arrived.

"Gattsu's taking a nap under a tree a bit that way," I said pointing to the edge of the field I saw him last sitting near, "Or at least he was when I saw him a bit ago. I figured we might as well just let him sleep until Kenshin-sensei comes."

"I have some news when the other two get here. Something happened after you three left the restaurant." Iro mentioned with a happy tone.

After we left the restaurant? Oh no...Did Kenshin-sensei forget to pay the check? Now that I'm thinking about it, I don't remember him paying! Then again, it's kind of a mundane thing, so I usually don't remember stuff like that, but still...a meal to feed eight must've been expensive. If Iro was the last one there, they might have tried to make him pay the bill.

I realized in horror that Iro looked like he hadn't gotten a lot of sleep last night.

What if they made him work off his part of the bill? And his news is that we have to start working for the restaurant to pay off our debts?

Then again, why would he be smiling about that. No, it's gotta be something good, right? What if...he met a rich merchant who promised a great deal of wealth if ninja were to simply accompany him on the road to a nearby land? And he didn't get much sleep because he was acting as a bodyguard last night so he could show the merchant how capable he was?

...Or maybe, the girl that I fought yesterday also came to the restaurant after we left, saw Iro, struck up a conversation, they fell madly in love with each other, and they talked throughout the night! Or maybe it was one of the guys, I don't know Iro's preferences when it comes to that sort of stuff.

I entertained a few more possibilities while we waited for Kenshin and Gattsu to arrive. When they did, Kenshin waved, and this time I decided to wave with my left hand, keeping my right in my pocket for now.

"Looks like everyone's here."

He turned to Iro, noticing the look on Iro's face.

"You okay there?"

Now's the moment of truth! Debt, a merchant, a new love, or something else?

Iro did look a bit more worried than his earlier tone implied, but I was listening with open ears and rapt attention. If this was something that was troubling Iro, I wanted to be sure I could help.

After all, we are a team.

WC: 551
Total WC: 808

The dreams were nice, despite reminding him of the childhood spent working back with the clan. Not many outside of the main family were treated as more than slaves, but he had earned his freedom, and would only ever return to see his mother. Gattsu's mother had always made the best soups and porridge. the food was always just hot enough to eat, and was good enough to make him drool every time he thought about it. About the time he had finally managed to conjure a good memory of his mother, something disturbed his rest.

Sitting in my nice little perch, I almost didn't even hear as I was called out to, having the happy daydreams suffice for reality for a while. when the silence finally broke, it was Kenshin who filled the void of sound.

"Hey man, time to go meet up with Nobuya and Iro. I just saw them a little ways off."

Oh? Had i just missed them entirely? Didn't figure they would all be here so quickly, but who am I to chastise someone for being early?

Wiping the drool from his mouth before dropping from the tree to land onto his feet, Gattsu stirred, and began following Kenshin toward the others. As they arrived, Nobuya looked a little dinged up still, but otherwise okay. Iro on the other hand, looks like he had not gotten even a wing of sleep, but was jittery and nervous, showing the signs of excitement or withheld rage.

"Looks like everyone's here."

He then turned to face the group, as Gattsu finally got into position to stand alongside his teammates.

"You okay there?"

Iro almost seemed to tense up when he was asked, looking as if every moment spent here was pure agony.

I've gotta say something, its creepy if i just stand here and watch the boy.

"You look like someone just handed you your heart on a platter. Is it a girl, or family?Not really my business either way.

Gattsu eyed his ally up and down, Anxious of the story about to unfold.

If it's gonna bother him so bad, maybe we should handle it first today.

[WC 447 + 367 = 814]

Kenshin and Gattsu approached as he and Nobuya spoke. It seemed it was time to tell them about what happened. Kenshin immediately spoke up about it, with Gattsu not far behind.

"You okay there?" "You look like someone just handed you your heart on a platter. Is it a girl, or family?Not really my business either way."

Iro smiled at the concern they both showed. It was nice to be close to people again. "It's not a bad thing, I've just had a lot on my mind all night. Let me explain." He calmed himself taking a deep breathe before beginning. "When everyone left the restaurant, a ninja from the Vllage Hidden in the Snow walked in and approached me. He told me that he had Strafe and Momaru's Location. That is my Dad and his lion if you didn't remember the names. They are sealed and he is currently waiting on me to go unseal him."

He took another breathe as he realized just how excited he was to see his dad and Momaru again. It wasn't the same without them. He looked at all three of his squad mates with a serious expression. "I have to ask to much of you three so early in out time together, but can I have your help? It's a long journey and I'd feel better with an Ice user and a better Sealer with me." He was done talking for a minute as he was sure there were three thousand questions incoming for him. He couldn't blame them, it was all rather sudden.

[271 + 285 = 556]

Kenshin listened carefully as Iro explained the situation that was before him. He could tell from the kid's expression that it was serious whatever it is. He needed to know so he could look after his Genin anyway.

"When everyone left the restaurant, a ninja from the Vllage Hidden in the Snow walked in and approached me. He told me that he had Strafe and Momaru's Location. That is my Dad and his lion if you didn't remember the names. They are sealed and he is currently waiting on me to go unseal him."

Kenshin's face was surprised as it was really sudden news. The Sanin and his lion could return? He didn't even consider that as an option, but he would make a nice sensei to learn from. Kenshin could also tell that Iro wanted to turn and leave to go do it right now, but was forcing himself to tell the squad. The kid was brave for his age. He started to speak again.

"I have to ask to much of you three so early in out time together, but can I have your help? It's a long journey and I'd feel better with an Ice user and a better Sealer with me."

Kenshin nodded at his logic was sound. Plus not all people in every nation were allies of the mist. He could be a target just for wearing the headband. He decided it was time to tell him what was going to happen. "I understand you want to go and save your father and Momaru, but we need to be prepared to actually unseal him. Unless you already have it figured out. Regardless, you know we have your back and will help you. We are a squad, so your business becomes ours too." He spoke confidently knowing that the other two would agree. He would wait for them to add on, as he was sure they had something they wanted to add.

[333 + 277 = 610]

Iro took a large breath before speaking.

"When everyone left the restaurant, a ninja from the Village Hidden in the Snow walked in and approached me. He told me that he had Strafe and Momaru's Location. That is my Dad and his lion if you didn't remember the names. They are sealed and he is currently waiting on me to go unseal him. I have to ask to much of you three so early in out time together, but can I have your help? It's a long journey and I'd feel better with an Ice user and a better Sealer with me."

To me, this was a huge relief. I had been fearing the worst, but it seemed as if things were actually pretty good right now. After all, this meant that he was so much closer to achieving his goal of unsealing his father, and I was honored that he was asking me to help him. Still, something at the back of my mind was bothering me, a small possibility I couldn't ignore. Kenshin was the first to reply, speaking confidently and reassuringly.

"I understand you want to go and save your father and Momaru, but we need to be prepared to actually unseal him. Unless you already have it figured out. Regardless, you know we have your back and will help you. We are a squad, so your business becomes ours too."

I decided to speak up as well.

"Right Iro, you know that if you want me to, I'll spend however long it takes to perfect an unsealing jutsu with you, or at least find someone else who would have that level of skill. We'll practice all day and all night if we have to. But I do admit...I have one small concern..."

My voice trailed off. "What if its just a trap laid by rogue ninja of the Village Hidden in the Snow, or maybe by the Village itself? How can we be sure that your father is actually there? Your kekkei genkai is valuable, Iro, and other villages would love to exploit it!" I wanted to say. But I couldn't. Not now that Iro actually had some hope for saving his father. It was a concern that I decided I would voice to Kenshin later.

I smiled at Iro and said, "It might just be too unfair. After all, what seal could stand a chance against us?"

I can't take this away from him. Not now. Now, he needs my support, and I'll give it to him gladly. We are a team now, and as Kenshin-sensei said, that means that we share each other's troubles.

I just hoped we could handle whatever was in store for us.

WC: 465
Total WC: 1273

Iro smiled before stating the information he had been given.

"It's not a bad thing, I've just had a lot on my mind all night. Let me explain."

"When everyone left the restaurant, a ninja from the Village Hidden in the Snow walked in and approached me. He told me that he had Strafe and Momaru's Location. That is my Dad and his lion if you didn't remember the names. They are sealed and he is currently waiting on me to go unseal him."

Huh, that actually seems pretty important, not to mention, if the legend holds, strafe should be a pretty powerful guy.

Gattsu patiently waited for Iro to finish his statement, watching as Nobuya began to relax a little bit.

"I have to ask to much of you three so early in out time together, but can I have your help? It's a long journey and I'd feel better with an Ice user and a better Sealer with me."

you don't need to ask me that. I'd go just for principle alone.

"I understand you want to go and save your father and Momaru, but we need to be prepared to actually unseal him. Unless you already have it figured out. Regardless, you know we have your back and will help you. We are a squad, so your business becomes ours too."

Nobuya finally seemed to find his nerve, given the conversation.

"Right Iro, you know that if you want me to, I'll spend however long it takes to perfect an unsealing jutsu with you, or at least find someone else who would have that level of skill. We'll practice all day and all night if we have to. But I do admit...I have one small concern..."

He paused slightly, as his voice began to trail, his face clearly showing doubt, but after a few moments, he carried forward with more.

"It might just be too unfair. After all, what seal could stand a chance against us?"

What a happy thing for him to say. Nobu may not be confident, but he's definitely more capable than he lets on.

Having finally found a good chance to speak Gattsu threw in his two cents.

"Iro, of course we'll go. If Kenshin says we should be stronger first, then we get stronger first. The land of snow may be a nice place for some, but I cant imagine that everyone will be their allies. Besides, finding another Aisu member that's free from the head families has got to be a miracle."

Smiling as he spoke his next line, Gattsu stood tall.

"Figure we should probably go ahead and get started?The weapons don't exactly come super naturally.

unable to contain his glee, Gattsu began laughing like a hyena until he finally calmed down and sat to wait on further instructions, chest still heaving from the uncontrollable laughter.


[WC 814 + 492 =1306]

"I understand you want to go and save your father and Momaru, but we need to be prepared to actually unseal him. Unless you already have it figured out. Regardless, you know we have your back and will help you. We are a squad, so your business becomes ours too."

Kenshin was right of course, though Iro wasn't going to admit it out loud. He wasn't fully prepared for what he was trying to do. He did need to prepare, but his heart told him to leave right now. It was about that time when Nobuya chimed in.

"Right Iro, you know that if you want me to, I'll spend however long it takes to perfect an unsealing jutsu with you, or at least find someone else who would have that level of skill. We'll practice all day and all night if we have to. But I do admit...I have one small concern...It might just be too unfair. After all, what seal could stand a chance against us?"

The kid was nice and was doing what he could. There was some doubt at the end, but that was fine. Iro wasn't fooling himself into believing his father and the family didn't have enemies. Of course this could be a trap or a ploy, but he didn't care. He was going to see for himself. Iro nodded towards him in thanks before Gattsu spoke up.

"Iro, of course we'll go. If Kenshin says we should be stronger first, then we get stronger first. The land of snow may be a nice place for some, but I cant imagine that everyone will be their allies. Besides, finding another Aisu member that's free from the head families has got to be a miracle."

Gattsu was a smart man. He spoke the same thing that all of them were thinking. Iro nodded in agreement once again. The Aisu clan....He probably needed to go see Solstice and talk to her, if she wasn't already aware. She was just different these days. He shook his head to clear it as Gattsu spoke again.

"Figure we should probably go ahead and get started?The weapons don't exactly come super naturally.

This was followed by a laughter that was both funny and a bit odd. Iro raised his eyebrow as he looked over at his team mate. "Let's get started before Gattsu burst with excitement." He said with a chuckle as he figured he would go first. Kenshin's weapon was a bit harder to pick up, so the spears was the obvious choice for first. Iro walked over to the three spears Kesnshin borrowed for the training. "I'll go ahead and teach you spear fighting. Everyone come grab a spear. Look at my hands and where they are. You want to replicate that for a firm grip." He spoke calmly as he had been sort of excited to get his mind off of things via teaching.

He waited for everyone to get their weapon before he would continue. "Now spear fighting is unique. I use position and speed to get an angle or I can use power and sweeps to set up an opening. It's versatility is one of the things that I love. It's even a thrown weapon if you want. You need to get used to the weight of the spear and the balance it has. Once you do that, I'll show you three some combat things." He was satisfied with how he explained spears. He realized that he probably sounded like a kid, but he was okay with that.

[614 +556 =1170]

As they all responded, you could feel the genuine concern for Iro and his family. This squad was starting to become close. He listened as Nobuya offered his help and then hesitated on the thing that might be a problem. Kenshin was aware and he was sure he could use some old contacts to see what was going on. Gattsu also backed Kenshin, which made him thankful. His age made him like a second adult to be calm about things. That was what Kenshin thought, but Gattsu changed his mind. He asked about the training and then laughed like he was under a strange Genjutsu. Kenshin had to keep himself from laughing and Iro's comment didn't help. Luckily, it was time for training. Iro had moved to the spears and started to speak.

"I'll go ahead and teach you spear fighting. Everyone come grab a spear. Look at my hands and where they are. You want to replicate that for a firm grip."

Kenshin moved over immediately and grabbed one. He studied Iro's hands and duplicated it, making sure to take mental notes about certain things. Once everyone had their weapon, Iro would start to speak again.

"Now spear fighting is unique. I use position and speed to get an angle or I can use power and sweeps to set up an opening. It's versatility is one of the things that I love. It's even a thrown weapon if you want. You need to get used to the weight of the spear and the balance it has. Once you do that, I'll show you three some combat things."

He chuckled at the last sentence before starting to get adjusted to the weapon in his hands. The fact that was heavier on one side was odd at first, but he felt like he could manage. He really wanted to use a spear on one of his puppets now. He would make sure to see about that when he left. Once he felt he was accustomed to it, he nodded at Iro telling him he was ready.

[352 + 610 = 962]

This...this is nice.
It's nice to have friends that can all support each other like this.

Gattsu expressed his support for Iro's plan as well, advising, "Iro, of course we'll go. If Kenshin says we should be stronger first, then we get stronger first. The land of snow may be a nice place for some, but I cant imagine that everyone will be their allies. Besides, finding another Aisu member that's free from the head families has got to be a miracle."

"Free from the head families?" Now what does that mean?

My parents had spent most of their lives at sea, so in general, the Yomechiro family wasn't nearly as acquainted with the other families of Kirigakure as some of the people whose families traced back generations.

I mean, I had heard mention of the Aisu clan before, but only because they were from the same lineage as Lady Mizukage, their clan's kekkei genkai allowing them to control ice.

Which is super awesome and has so many potential applications. I wonder how it interacts with his taijutsu? I could see how it could help with his medical ninjutsu, being able to...cool people down and slow certain areas of the body, maybe? Is that helpful? I really don't remember anything from biology, but I know ice can help with certain treatments, so there's that.

Off topic, Nobuya. What Gattsu said is more important right now. Why would it be rare to see his family free? And I still have the question of how everyone's related to one another.

"Figure we should probably go ahead and get started? The weapons don't exactly come super naturally."

Ah well, I don't want to bog them down with that stuff right now. I'll ask one of them when we have some free time.

Finishing his thought, Gattsu began unexpectedly cackling while Kenshin tried to suppress some laughter himself and Iro raised an eyebrow.

Gattsu, you never cease to surprise, I'll give ya that.

Iro gave a small chuckle and said, "Let's get started before Gattsu burst with excitement. I'll go ahead and teach you spear fighting. Everyone come grab a spear. Look at my hands and where they are. You want to replicate that for a firm grip," as we grabbed our spears that Kenshin had borrowed for us.

Aww, I was kinda hoping for us to learn bows first. Still, Iro seems really excited, so I wanna make sure I do the best that I can.

The spear was quite a bit heavier than I expected, to the point that when I picked mine up, the spearhead almost immediately dropped to the ground as I struggled to readjust my grip so that my hands were in a more balanced position. I somewhat instinctively looked to our sensei Kenshin for guidance, but then I remembered that Iro was teaching and looked to see how his hands were positioned.

Ok, so his right hand is like this...wait, no, my grip is a bit off. Wait, is that his left hand? Hold on, if I'm looking at him, and my right's on his left, yeah, no, I got it right the first time I think. So how...oh, wait THAT'S how you do it. Duh. Now for the left hand...

As I stared at his hands and readjusted my own as Iro explained some of the theory behind practicing with spears.

You know, it's pretty funny, but also pretty awesome, that our first squad lesson is being taught by one of the students.

"...Once you do that, I'll show you three some combat things."

Wait, once we do what? I wasn't paying attention. Nobuya, why!?! Ok, no worries, this'll be fine. Still, Nobuya, PAY ATTENTION NEXT TIME. Don't be rude to Iro.

Kenshin looked like he had started getting a feel for his spear. I didn't know if that was because that's what he does when he picks up a new weapon or if this was what Iro was expecting us to do. I looked towards Iro. He seemed to be waiting for us, so I decided to just, as nonchalantly as I could, copy whatever Gattsu was doing. I thought there would be a pretty good chance that Gattsu would follow what Iro said, so I hedged my bets and copied.

I'm going to look like a fool just copying him, but whatever. Maybe I'll do something slightly differently. But not too different in case I accidentally fall outside the bounds of what Iro wanted us to do.

This...this'll be interesting.

WC: 788
Total WC: 2061

"Let's get started before Gattsu burst with excitement."

Iro walked over to the three spears Kenshin borrowed for the training.

"I'll go ahead and teach you spear fighting. Everyone come grab a spear. Look at my hands and where they are. You want to replicate that for a firm grip."

Gattsu walked over and grabbed a spear as well, making sure to follow positioning for hand placement. Nobuya seemed to fidget about with his hand placement a bit, but after a moment seemed to have his grip down, following our hands and Iro's. After we all were ready, Iro resumed his speech.

"Now spear fighting is unique. I use position and speed to get an angle or I can use power and sweeps to set up an opening. It's versatility is one of the things that I love. It's even a thrown weapon if you want. You need to get used to the weight of the spear and the balance it has. Once you do that, I'll show you three some combat things."

Gattsu took a step back from his allies to avoid maiming them on accident, and then started moving the spear about to get his movements down. He practiced rotating it around his wrists for swipes mostly, testing a few thrusts in a couple of moments.

The weight on these is pretty good. Fairly easy to flip and spin, but not light enough to bend when you move them quickly. If i practice this spinning, I might be able to pull off some cool attacks.

"All right, I think i'm ready."

Gattsu gave his spear one more twirl, flipping it around his wrist before coming to a rest in his palm, blade shining high and shaft firmly against the ground. Straight faced, Gattsu waited for Iro to continue his orders.


This is gonna be a lot of fun.

[WC 1306 + 317 = 1623]

Iro smiled as each of them grabbed a spear and started to get a feel for the weapon. He watched as Kenshin seemed to prefer a balanced style, while Nobuya and Gattsu's hand positions were more aggressive. Kenshin seemed to be getting the hang of it and Gattsu was already twirling it around with control. The only one that struggled at first was Nobuya, but he seemed to follow Gattsu's lead and it worked. He nodded in approval as they all seemed ready, Gattsu even stating he was.

"Now when you thrust, the angle of your spear and your body placement is everything. You need to be aware that you have the reach advantage in most combat and it can be used to your advantage."

He then walked a few meters away before getting into his normal stance. Using the full length of his body, he made several thrusts forward with the spear, showing them how and where to push from. He then got back into his starting stance before speaking again.

"If your target is agile or you use body seals in conjunction with the spear, you might need faster thrusts. I usual pull those only halfway back, as you get enough power and still retain the speed."

He then demonstrated thrusts that were much faster but lacked the power of the first set. He stopped after a few moments and straightened back up. He then lifted his hand as he pointed to some dummies in the area they were in.

"They will be your targets. I want you to try to replicate what I did accurately. Remember your grip, angles, and body placement. I'll observe and try to give some help."

He spoke like he could do the whole leadership thing. It was a new side of him that he didn't really know about until now. He figured he would sit back and watch their initial strikes to see where improvements could be made. Then he planned on going to each one and giving them some hints. Seemed like this could actually go pretty well.

[351 + 1170 = 1521]

Kenshin watched as Nobuya was a tad awkward at first, but picked it up quick. Gattsu seemed to have a natural talent for it. Kenshin then waited with a bit of excitement as Iro began to teach once more.

"Now when you thrust, the angle of your spear and your body placement is everything. You need to be aware that you have the reach advantage in most combat and it can be used to your advantage."

He thought about the words and they seemed to be correct. Kenshin could see how each part could effect the attack and style of spear fighting. Iro was actually doing a pretty good job of teaching. He knew all about reach advantages, that was something his used to his advantage often. Iro then moved a bit to avoid collisions before he started to demonstrate some of the attacks and the reach they possessed. The angle could pin someone or take them off their feat. He would make sure to use that later. Iro then started to speak again after he stopped moving.

"If your target is agile or you use body seals in conjunction with the spear, you might need faster thrusts. I usual pull those only halfway back, as you get enough power and still retain the speed."

At this point he then showed the difference in the two as he threw a flurry of stabs with his spear. The speed on them was pretty quick and most Genin would have trouble dealing with it. After a few more he stopped, turned and pointed to some dummies that happened to be in this section of the training grounds.

"They will be your targets. I want you to try to replicate what I did accurately. Remember your grip, angles, and body placement. I'll observe and try to give some help."

It seemed it was time to take a shot at it. He moved over to the dummy on the right before getting into stance with a rather serious expression. It wasn't something you see Kenshin doing much. He then started with the long fluid motions. His first attempt was wobbly and he was to close to his target. He was actually underestimating the reach the weapon had. He took a step or two back before trying again. A long stide and a firm grip were things he focused on as his his second attempt was a bit better. He at least hit the part of the target he was aiming for. He still wasn't doing great though, as he could have used more power. The spear barely went in the dummy. Deciding not to get disheartened, Kenshin tried again, Using a bit more force and crouching a little lower. The results were a lot better as the spear manage to pierce as it was supposed to.

He then moved on to the faster strikes. They were much harder to aim and his biceps and triceps were already starting to burn. He didn't prefer close combat as it was, but he had to learn if he was ever going to remove that weakness. He pushed through it as he focused on precise strikes and limiting wasted movement. It was a bit slower this time, but he started to get the hang of it. Maybe he could do this pretty well if he did a bit of training every once in a while.

[571 + 962 = 1533]

I had followed Gattsu's lead in spinning the spear around my wrist, getting a good feel for the balance of it. It still seemed heavy to me, but I was beginning to figure out its balance. The next step of the training involved Iro demonstrating for us some basic thrusts. He started out by explaining the importance of grip and positioning, walking us through what I assumed was a pretty basic thrust.

Even if it is just a standard thrust, that's still a lot of stuff I have to keep track of. Not just in terms of what the moves are, but also what, when, where, and how to push. Just to complete the set, if he teaches us fighting theory, I might have to learn the why as well.

I had my eyes trained on his positioning, not wanting to miss a detail while at the same time trying to absorb and process all the information I was acquiring. He seemed to be using the full reach of the spear in every move he made, utilizing the spear's full potential as a longer melee weapon. I smiled at Iro. He really knew his stuff, and he was pretty good at explaining it too.

"If your target is agile or you use body seals in conjunction with the spear, you might need faster thrusts. I usual pull those only halfway back, as you get enough power and still retain the speed."

Body seals? Those could be interesting for a spear-user. I wonder what kind of seals he has in mind?

He showed us another style of spear-thrusting, one which employed quick thrusts in place of more powerful ones. Once he had run through a few examples of those, he sent us to practice with our spears on a few dummies. As Kenshin approached one of the dummies on the right, I took one of the ones nearer the center. I figured that if Iro was gonna be watching us, I'd rather not be the person he started or ended on. After taking a few moments to try and match my positioning and grip with what I remember Iro doing, I looked over at Kenshin-sensei. He seemed to be doing ok, a little wobbly at times, but I was taken aback by the stark contrast between his skill level and Iro's. I knew it might've been Kenshin's first time with a spear, but it was more just a testament to the fact that Iro's skill with the spear made wielding one seem effortless.

I looked back towards my training dummy, and made a few light stabs at it, getting more of a feel for the shifts in weight. As I grew more confident, I started to thrust the spear more and more quickly, but my accuracy rapidly decreased.

Ok, for now, Nobuya, just focus on form. Then we'll work on speed and power.

Honestly, I thought my form was ok, but actually, I was slightly too close to the dummy, meaning I couldn't fully extend the spear and its power was automatically curtailed. As a result, I was also aiming too high. Had I realized these things, I would've also realized that the reason I was aiming too high was because my upward-facing spear being stopped short gave the indication of a lower ending point than if I had had the correct spacing.

I know this feels off, but I can't figure out why! My grip is the same, my target's the same, but it just feels really awkward to thrust.

Luckily, I knew I had Iro looking out for me. I turned to him with a look in my eyes that pretty clearly spelled out that I had no idea what I was doing.

WC: 641
Total WC: 2702

"Now when you thrust, the angle of your spear and your body placement is everything. You need to be aware that you have the reach advantage in most combat and it can be used to your advantage."

Alright. Longer than average weapons. Check.

"If your target is agile or you use body seals in conjunction with the spear, you might need faster thrusts. I usual pull those only halfway back, as you get enough power and still retain the speed."

So half thrusts are only half power. Makes them better for feinting.

After Iro showed them the difference in the two, he had pointed to some training dummies and spoke his next command aloud.

"They will be your targets. I want you to try to replicate what I did accurately. Remember your grip, angles, and body placement. I'll observe and try to give some help."

Gattsu thought for a moment before placing his feet, taking care to measure the distance of his reach when striking before settling on a distance. His grip tightened, knuckles whitening from the nervous mans hands. After a few moments, Gattsu's eyes narrowed as his arms began to move the blade, striking just off the side of the head so as to allow for the blade to slice cleanly through the material. after a few of the half thrusts, Gattsu reared back and stabbed hard, piercing the dummy through the center of its "chest".

"Whoops, I let go. My bad."

He planted his foot on the dummy as he pulled his weapon free, stepping back to range before noticing the blade had cracked.

"I think i broke it."

Guess im hitting too hard. the blade should be slashing more than piercing, should it not?

Gattsu turned to face his instructor, ready to pay up for having damaged one of his spears.


[WC 1623 + 307 = 1930]

Iro watched as all three of them moved over to their dummies and prepared there selves to try it out. Kenshin seemed to be the first to give it a try. His first try was not great, but the second afterwards corrected quite a bit. The third improved similarly. Knowing Kenshin, he would probably be to lazy to use this in an actual fight, but knowing it couldn't hurt. His form wasn't bad and his grip was especially strong. Bows probably helped with that sort of thing. It was then he moved on to fast strikes. Kenshin's weak point was physical strength and that showed it's head. He seemed to struggle with the weight of the weapon plus the constant motion. It seemed he need to do more work outs to build those arms up. Iro walked beside him and talked calmly. "Working out your arms to train the right muscle will help with burning from it. I also suggest you take a more narrow stance, your feet are a little far apart." He nodded, hoping he was being helpful before moving on to Nobuya.

The youngest member of the squad was trying and the faster he went the more his accuracy went down. Plus he had some spacing and a minor grip tweak. Iro couldn't help but walk up with a smile. "Don't get frustrated, your doing well. Move your grip in a bit, being shorter means you need a smaller grip for control. Also, you could still stand to move back a tad. As for the accuracy, don't start at full speed. gradually speed up until you get used to each level so that accuracy can come naturally." He spoke with a nod before walking over to Gattsu, who Iro guessed would actually be pretty good at spear fighting. He took a more feint and pierce style that was cool. However, his control on the power could use some work. As the Aisu clan member pulled the spear out, he noticed it was chipped and Gattsu spoke.

"Whoops, I let go. My bad. I think i broke it."

"It's not a problem. These are just extra training spears, so it's cool if they break. I sort of expect them all to pretty soon. Since his broke we will have to share for now. Gattsu, I would say control is going to be your problem, as that probably wasn't even all out if I'm guessing correctly. Try building to the power instead at starting at 80%" He spoke with a nod before stepping back to watch them try again. This should be pretty interesting to see how the respond to direction. Of course, it wouldn't be perfect right away, but he expected some quick application and execution from them. They were all smart enough to get this. He waited with a smile for Kenshin to start again.

[490 + 1521 = 2011]

After Kenshin finished trying out the spear for the first time, he walked up with a kind expression as he gave some advice to his sensei.

"Working out your arms to train the right muscle will help with burning from it. I also suggest you take a more narrow stance, your feet are a little far apart."

He wasn't wrong. He had been slacking on his work outs, arms were the worst part. He also agreed with the stance issue now that he looked down. He fixed the problem immediately before getting into stance again. He tried the fast strikes again, noticing the that change in pacing meant less strain for his arms to carry the weight back and forth. Kenshin chuckled a bit as he was impressed with the Genin's ability to teach and understand his student. He probably could learn more than spear fighting from the Hozuki.

He stepped back as he was satisfied with the spear lesson for the day. He watched as Nobuya got a bit frustrated and Gattsu basically broke his weapon. He was interested to see how they would fix their mistakes. He walked over to Gattsu and handed him his spear before returning to his previous spot to watch. Bows were coming soon and Kenshin was actually pretty excited about it. For now, he would be patient until each of the students was ready to move on.

[236 + 1533 = 1769]

"Don't get frustrated, your doing well. Move your grip in a bit, being shorter means you need a smaller grip for control. Also, you could still stand to move back a tad. As for the accuracy, don't start at full speed. gradually speed up until you get used to each level so that accuracy can come naturally."

After shifting my grip and adjusting my footing, Iro nodded at me, and I nodded back.

He's right. I was thinking that everybody's grip should look about the same, but that doesn't make any sense given that we're different physical sizes using the same type of weapon.

As Iro went to go help Gattsu, I slowed back down a bit in striking the dummy, getting more of a hang on the essentials of thrusting. Taking Iro's advice really did help with the control, and now that I was a step back, my accuracy was improving. Still, I kept thing slow and steady until we were ready to move on to learning bows from Kenshin. This had been a productive beginning, but I would need to train a lot more if I was going to be using these in combat.

One everyone was done, I would be sure to put back my spear, go up to Iro, and say, "Thank you very much for offering to teach us this. It's really cool that you know so much about spear fighting. I've never really thought about using weapons much other than just kunai, so this was really cool!"

Ignoring the fact that apparently I didn't have a vocabulary past saying "really cool," I would then smile at Iro while waiting for the next lesson to start.

WC: 291
Total WC: 2993

Gattsu listened carefully as Iro spoke to him, having already missed what he had said to the others while he was flailing his spear about.

"It's not a problem. These are just extra training spears, so it's cool if they break. I sort of expect them all to pretty soon. Since his broke we will have to share for now. Gattsu, I would say control is going to be your problem, as that probably wasn't even all out if I'm guessing correctly. Try building to the power instead at starting at 80%"

Gattsu nodded in response to Iro's words, and calmly waited for the session to end while swinging lighter and aiming for a few less heavy thrusts. His aim was fine, but controlling the power seemed to be quite difficult for him. It was as if he couldn't swing it lightly without feeling like he wasn't going to do anything to it.

After a short while everyone had finished their practicing, and it was Nobuya who spoke first.

"Thank you very much for offering to teach us this. It's really cool that you know so much about spear fighting. I've never really thought about using weapons much other than just kunai, so this was really cool!"

"Really cool indeed. Bows come next right? By the way, what else do you guys have hidden in those training closets?"

Gattsu pondered the different types of weapons they would have, and then wondered about the different types of people who would teach him these things.

I know there is a few different kinds of swords, staff's, and there is an infinite number of types of onojutsu. I can't wait to learn them all.


[WC 1930 + 292 = 2222]