A black-cloaked man walked up to the receptionist at the hot springs. A strange sight? Perhaps. Threatening? Absolutely not. "Admission for one, please. Is there a time limit? "All right.....30 ryo, please. It's a day-long pass for one person, and you just missed our closing mark. Here you go! Enjoy your time here."

Zen gratefully took the slip of paper, nodding to the young woman. He entered the men's changing rooms, which were surprisingly empty at the time. He removed his Black Coat, a rare sight indeed. The young Kyouga did not bother with a towel after undressing; he was completely comfortable with his body, and no one was in there anyway. Zen entered the designated hot springs. The humidity....it felt lovely. Heavenly, really; he hadn't gotten to relax for a long, long time. The springs were just the right way to do that. Right now, they looked empty.... the spring water was lukewarm, and crystal-clear; one could see straight to the bottom of the pool. There wasn't really any steam, only a moisture in the air; still, too bad there weren't any towels or anything to dry with; Zen wished he brought one.

He entered the shallow end, wading a bit, up to his shins, to get more used to the water. It was hot enough to be relaxing, but not so much as to be burning or scalding. There was a bench carved out of the stone over in the deep end, which was nice. Zen walked slowly to the deeper part, wanting peace and quiet as he heard the footsteps of someone else. He then got down from standing on the bench; sat down, closed his eyes, and let pleasure wash over him. The water came about up to his abdominal section, and lapped soothingly. He felt himself floating a bit; pressurized spring water? He didn't know....he opened his right eye, only to see....

[318/3000]

Fuuton D.

God! Such a shitty day! Ara was doing his thing in the toilet, and was then about to go back to his desk and do some more paperwork. The piles were slowly shrinking, as he found a way of doing it all faster. Plus, with the Dengen being dead and all is over, no more papers came in for that. He wanted to go out, maybe train, but in the end decided he'll take care of the paperwork once and for all. He felt deep inside his heart that it was wrong, that the universe wanted him to go out and bail... And then the fire nation attacked the horror took place. Walking to his room Ara... He... HE HIT HIS TOE AGAINST THE BLOODY DESK! It was painful. Very.

So, what could he do? Being a true Nekomotze, Ara's inner rage kind of took over him. Without thought, he kicked the heavy desk with his other foot, launching it high against the wall, shattering it and cracking the wall from the sheer force.
"FUCK YOU FUCKING DESK!!! DIE YOU MOTHERFUCKER!!!"
Ara was rare to swear, but he was in an especially bad mood that day. And hitting his toe did not help. He leaped in the air, and started punching the stupid desk. It cracked and broken, but Ara didn't stop punching; even the wall broke down. With a final 360° kick he launched what remained of the desk out of the building, with enough force to fly out of Iwa. Stupid shit.

With no regret, he jumped out of the building, ignoring the fact that he was over a hundred meters in the air, and overcame his fear of heights. He landed just in front of the Hotsprings. He walked in, slammed some ryo on the desk, and walked inside the pool room where he ripped off all of his clothes, revealing his manyly muscles. It was now obvious how much he trained, but he really didn't care much about muscles and appearances. So, he just sank in the water, not giving a damn about anything and feeling as the water was extracting the anger withing him... Fucking desk.

380/3000

[OOC: Turning this into a training topic...Training Jeet Kune-do here.]

Zen realized that something...big...was coming. Zen had literally felt the earth vibrating for a few seconds. Either a giant had come by...or... oh, there was another one. This time...felt like slamming. And now, there was stomping...just who was out there!? Zen was embracing the steadily increasing annoyance with...whoever was causing this...until he saw Arashi. Arashi Nekomotze, the Tsuchikage, and his best friend. And he was....fully clothed? Zen raised an arm to wave hello, but Ara....Oh my. Wonder what's getting his jimmies all rustled.

The Nanadaime Earth Shadow literally had ripped his clothes off. He supposed that he was just comfortable with his body, as was Zen. Still...nothing that Ara could really wear now, considering there weren't towels or robes.... Speaking of which....whoa. He was really...muscled. It was a physique that one wouldn't really expect from a fourteen-year-old. Well, it had taken him long enough to hit puberty....seems he was doing okay in that department. He was not really...interested... in either gender, but he could see attractiveness when he saw it; lucky girl, if he had one. (it would be a girl, he heard about Ara's....endeavors a while back.) Zen didn't feel too self-conscious....he had a masculine frame. He was toned in muscle, everything was nice....he could thank his accelerated aging disorder, for once; it made him look older than he was, and his training somehow got him more results. But he couldn't help but notice. He wasn't really....good....at anything to do with Taijutsu. Sure, he could throw a punch and it could hurt, a Jounin had to be well-rounded; but he could never keep up with Arashi.

All of these thoughts raced through Zen's head as he stretched a bit, and stood up. He walked over to Arashi, a bit nearer to the shallow end, and sat down next to him again.

"It's been awhile....How are you?" He said in a solemn tone, but friendly and concerned as well. A bit quaint, or odd....it wasn't awkward at all, being next to Ara.

[650/3000]

Ara saw a person stand up and walk towards Ara, and it was no other than Zenchi, his good friend. How did I not notice him when I entered? Oh well. Zen then sat down next to Ara, who nodded as a sign of greeting. Zenchi then proceeded to speak, which Ara didn't cherish very much due to him being utterly and totally pissed off.

"It's been awhile....How are you?"
"Shitty."

Short and direct. As Ara said this, he sunk down in to the water, with even his face being submerged. God, why did he feel so shitty? I mean, he could get it if he was a girl; PMS and all that shit, but he wasn't. So why was he feeling like a pile of crap?

522/3000

[OOC: Edited other posts for training, and typos.]

"Shitty."

Oh. Well. That was.....concise. Ara obviously wasn't in a good mood... but Zen hadn't seen him in quite a long time, considering they were best friends. He was of course glad that he was; Ara was a good person, and hey, who can say they're the Kage's best? Also....this situation would have been awkward beyond repair if he wasn't. If he had to pull that card, so be it....the proverbial 'bro time' was about to start.

"....Arashi. Come up, please." He waited until his superior did. Weird giving orders to someone of higher rank.... "You know I'm your best friend....you can talk to me about anything. Anything. And y'know...there's a reason I came at this particular time. After 5 P.M., they close the springs to new patrons...and the rush already came today. We have this place all to ourselves...so no holds barred: blow off some steam, get stuff off your mind, whatever you want or need to do. Right now, you're not the Tsuchikage, you're not anything or anyone other than Arashi Nekomotze."

The place....was actually pretty big, now that he looked around. The room they were in---there were actually quite a few---consisted of the 15m-wide springs pool, five or six feet deep, and the rest was solid ground. In the corner, there was a bucket of coals with water, probably to provide steam. In another corner was an area with a faucet and soaps; plenty to get wet, but nothing to dry with. And then...there was an amenity that Zen hadn't seen in his previous visits. It was an area, almost as big as the spring pool, that was filled with naturally heated sand; it seemed to go down pretty far, like one was supposed to bury oneself in it. Zen had stepped in the surprisingly smooth sand, and it felt very soothing, much like the water; which he was still enjoying. But that all changed when the fire nation attacked he heard a barely audible click; his attention to detail was useful here, others undoubtedly would've dismissed it as a water drop. Zen couldn't be bothered to get up, though...too relaxed. They had fully closed up for the day....and that was the changing room that they had just locked. No extra towels for them....not that they had any to add to. They would just have to find a way to pass time in the pool room. Wouldn't be polite to knock down their doors after they let the two stay after hours.

[1062/3000]

Ara heard Zen's voice, and he did as he was told. Didn't really make a difference to him really, he just wanted to get his hair wet. It felt pretty good.
"....Arashi. Come up, please. You know I'm your best friend....you can talk to me about anything. Anything. And y'know...there's a reason I came at this particular time. After 5 P.M., they close the springs to new patrons...and the rush already came today. We have this place all to ourselves...so no holds barred: blow off some steam, get stuff off your mind, whatever you want or need to do. Right now, you're not the Tsuchikage, you're not anything or anyone other than Arashi Nekomotze."
This... This was exactly what Ara needed. A talk, a talk friend to friend, where he didn't have to pretend he's something he's not. It was interesting how clever Zenchi was, to plan his coming so well, it took some brains. He took a deep breath, and exhaled loudly, attempting to calm himself.
"They're coming Zenchi, I just know they are. War is coming."
He said that with a pretty flat and straight tone, but in fact he was just trying to hide his emotions; as he was on the verge of exploding right now. He somehow to manage himself, and speak some more, explaining.
"I am sure that they will invade. They see my governing as Iwa's time of weakness, and they will come. And Dengen causing all that hustle in Konoha, attacking the Hokage head on without provocation... They might see it as an attempted assasination. It all makes sense, just think about it. Iwa is disliked by all; war is coming.
He couldn't hold himself anymore, and a tear appeared in his eye. He was still calm, as calm as he could be that is; and somehow kept the tear from leaving his eyelids. After a short pause, he would add anoteher short statement.
"And the elders are retarded as a duck."
He also hit his toe real bad, but if he kept going on (and he really could, there was enough stuff to keep them busy for dozens for minutes) it would probably seem like he's just bitching. So, he laid back, waiting for Zenchi's response.

911/3000

"They're coming Zenchi, I just know they are. War is coming. I am sure that they will invade. They see my governing as Iwa's time of weakness, and they will come. And Dengen causing all that hustle in Konoha, attacking the Hokage head on without provocation... They might see it as an attempted assasination. It all makes sense, just think about it. Iwa is disliked by all; war is coming. And the elders are as retarded as a duck."

Zen was....rather speechless. He was a small bit surprised at how much Arashi had thought about this. He supposed that this could be expected of someone who had become Tsuchikage. Though...he couldn't help but feel sad. Not for Arashi, he wasn't the type to want pity. He was sad that this world of ninja...robbed so many of childhood, and too much of life in general. It was all the fighting....all the strife. So...he vowed to be able to stop it.

"Listen....I trust your judgement. And so, all I'll say is...we have to be ready when they do come. Trapped in this hot spring is better than trapped in your office...I know you're really devoted to training. Care to do some right now?"

[1265/3000]

"Listen....I trust your judgement. And so, all I'll say is...we have to be ready when they do come. Trapped in this hot spring is better than trapped in your office...I know you're really devoted to training. Care to do some right now?"
"Actually... Why not!"
As Ara said that, he stood up, seconds passing before he figured out what he did. He was... Completely nekkid; his... Tools just hanging about. As soon as he realized the awkwardness, he quickly turned around; seeing a towel just a bit in front of him. He picked it up, and quickly tied it around his... Areas. He even blushed a little, before speaking again.
"How you want to do this?

1037/3000

Ara stood up, and.....he was embarrassed? Zen made a snort-ish sigh at his cover-up, and shook his head a little. "It's not awkward, man...not even remotely. Grow up," he said, the last two words halfway sotto voce, with good-intentioned satire. Zen's actions were warranted, but not Ara's; perhaps that was Arashi's problem....confidence. From Ara's earlier tellings, he wasn't too confident in his ability to run the village...which of course was completely unfounded, he was a great leader. So why should he be diffident about this? They were best friends, Zenchi seeing his stuff shouldn't be an issue.

Either way, the Tsuchikage---wait. Not the Tsuchikage. Just Arashi.---agreed to a training session....This would also be good for relaxing, release tense muscles and all that. Still sitting in the soothing water, Zen responded to his friend.

"I was actually going to go to your office after I was done in here...to ask you to train me in Taijutsu. It would be a waste of time to not just do it here...would you? I heard you were a master at all styles... So I was wondering if you'd train me in Jeet Kune-do, an all-around kind. Punching, kicking, grappling; knowledge in all of them would make me more well-rounded, I would think.... Oh. Well...Is there anything in particular you wanted to train or learn? I'm game for anything you want to try, we can do it at the same time. Not like we're short on it."

Zen looked around for a towel of his own, for Ara's sake...but realized that his sight didn't betray him; his friend had grabbed the only wayward towel left in the locked room. Owhell. The fact was there: trying to keep one on was pretty much pointless if he was going to train Taijutsu that incorporated kicking. He kept sitting down, though, to suppress the 'awkwardness' for now.

[1569/3000]

"I was actually going to go to your office after I was done in here...to ask you to train me in Taijutsu. It would be a waste of time to not just do it here...would you? I heard you were a master at all styles... So I was wondering if you'd train me in Jeet Kune-do, an all-around kind. Punching, kicking, grappling; knowledge in all of them would make me more well-rounded, I would think.... Oh. Well...Is there anything in particular you wanted to train or learn? I'm game for anything you want to try, we can do it at the same time. Not like we're short on it."
Ara took a second, before responding. He wants to learn Taijutsu? He definitely needs it. I could teach him, but not sure if we can get it done in like a couple of hours. It takes years and years of practice to get everything right, and become the ultimate master, like well, me. But I'll do it, what the heck. But... What could he teach me? I'm not interested in any of that Ninjutsu or Genjutsu crap... I suck at it, badly. Wouldn't really pay off to learn that when I can learn something other than that... Maybe... Unlock my tertiary element chakra nature? It makes sense... I can perform Doton and Katon, and he Fuuton and Raiton; the chances that he can teach me my tertiary are twice as those of him not being able to, as neither of us can use Suiton as far as I know...
"Yeah, I'll teach you. I was wondering, you could help me unlock my tertiary chakra nature... I can use Doton and Katon full well, but am interested in learning how to use something else, to help me improve my skills even further. We've got a deal?"

1352/3000

Oh....So Arashi wanted to learn how to use a new element. Well, Zen was not one to deny him this, especially as a condition for him being taught Taijutsu....

"All right then....I really am more focused on Fuuton jutsu than Raiton...though even those are overshadowed most of the the time by my Kekkei Genkai. But yeah. Fuuton would probably be best."

Hmm....so, how would he train Arashi in Wind Release...

"So, should we begin? I think...that if we tell each other the basics before doing, it might help. Do you want to go first with Taijutsu, or...?

[1669/3000]

"All right then....I really am more focused on Fuuton jutsu than Raiton...though even those are overshadowed most of the the time by my Kekkei Genkai. But yeah. Fuuton would probably be best. So, should we begin? I think...that if we tell each other the basics before doing, it might help. Do you want to go first with Taijutsu, or...?"
Hmm, how should I say this...
"Alright, if you want so. Alright, so Taijutsu as I know you know basically relates to any body fighting style, without the use of weapons or jutsu, for the most part. It's really important that you're in good shape or there's really no use, as you need physical strength and all that to be able to do anything at all. Watch your opponent, what he's doing and what he might do. When he's attacking you, attack him faster. Kick his ass before he kicks yours, and that's about it. Technique plays a big role in it all, but experience still matters the most out of everything. Now you go, tell me 'bout Fuuton."

1540/3000

"Alright, if you want so. Alright, so Taijutsu as I know you know basically relates to any body fighting style, without the use of weapons or jutsu, for the most part. It's really important that you're in good shape or there's really no use, as you need physical strength and all that to be able to do anything at all. Watch your opponent, what he's doing and what he might do. When he's attacking you, attack him faster. Kick his ass before he kicks yours, and that's about it. Technique plays a big role in it all, but experience still matters the most out of everything. Now you go, tell me 'bout Fuuton."

Okay...so Zen just really needed to amp up his physical training. He was already studying the concept of Jeet Kune-do...so he'd be generally okay in that department. It was the un-style; it didn't adhere to anything strict.

Hmm...Fuuton. It's an element that's usually felt more than seen. For the most part, Wind Release revolves around two basic principles. Either you use the chakra to cut things, or you create a wind. The second is much easier....you basically just blast chakra while changing its nature. Cutting is a bit harder.... It literally sharpens your chakra. It makes two small, opposite-facing air currents... that can then form a cutting edge. That's pretty much it for Fuuton....Want to start some training by experience, then?"

[1905/3000]

"Hmm...Fuuton. It's an element that's usually felt more than seen. For the most part, Wind Release revolves around two basic principles. Either you use the chakra to cut things, or you create a wind. The second is much easier....you basically just blast chakra while changing its nature. Cutting is a bit harder.... It literally sharpens your chakra. It makes two small, opposite-facing air currents... that can then form a cutting edge. That's pretty much it for Fuuton....Want to start some training by experience, then?"

Arashi listened to his friend with great interest, and tried to remember as much as he possibly could, as he thought that at least knowing some of the theory could help in practice. We should start this now. He spoke, with a friendly voice.

"Alrighty then, we should begin. Punch me with your fist."

It was a simple request really, Ara wanted to see Zenchi's current skill with the way of the fist, and general strength. He could surely take anything that he could throw at him, so Ara was pretty good with it. If Zenchi was to hit Ara, he would squeeze his muscles to absorb the force of the hit, before speaking of his opinion of Zenchi.

1761/3000

Okay....so they were going to start with Taijutsu training. Good, good.... Ara wanted Zen to punch him. Just a simple punch. Okay, then...he wanted a punch? He'd get a punch. Zen sprang up from his seat in the water, and landed on the stone floor, a few feet away from Arashi. As per Jeet Kune-do...don't telegraph your attacks. So, he walked up to Ara, and gave a punch that went with the regular swinging of arms. He aimed for Arashi's left pec. And...ow. Pretty sure Arashi was the only person who could say it hurt to attack him... Zen had given that punch a sizable portion of power...and it hurt all the more for it. Arashi literally had muscles of steel...

[2026/3000]

Zenchi didn't say anything, just leaped towards Ara, before punching him with his fist. He punched him at his torso, but it didn't really... Hurt. Like, nearly not at all. An eyebrow rose on Ara's face, as he decided to speak.
"Right... That was... Good /in your dreams)... I guess. But, you didn't hold your fist properly. And I'm sure you can put some more pure power in it than that."
As Ara said that, he held out his hand, showing Zenchi how to squeeze a fist properly.
"First, you simply make a thumbs up with your fingers."
Are turn to this right, so Zenchi could see easily (just like on this pic) He squeezed his fingers, while still holding his thumb straight up. Ara then continued to speak.
"Then, you simply place your thumb on the inside of the fist, so when you punch you don't break it or something by accident."
Ara demonstrates putting his thumb in, before continuing to speak.
"After that, you squeeze it as hard as you can. You need to watch that your fist is completely straight, the angle around your joint being 180°, otherwise your hand might break if you hit hard enough... Or into a hard enough surface."
As he was saying this, Ara turned his fist so Zenchi could see the fists's profile and the perfect angles. He then continued to speak, as he put his arm back down.
"Oh yeah, one more thing. Try to attack more directly, it's both faster and; if done correctly; a lot stronger. You need to hit like an arrow, like a blade; not a hammer. Also, only punch with your first two knuckles. And use your hips as well. Now, try again. "
Ara basically explained everything there was to a simple punch, shortened a lot of course. Now he waited to see.

2098/3000

Okay....so this was essentially all form. Well, of course you needed to be strong. It was freaking Taijutsu. Still....that blow to Zen's ego was just about as strong as he had meant that punch to be....

So he tried again. This time, he did as Arashi said; tucked his thumb, and did a follow-through step with his hip turning. Let's see how it went this time...

"Hah!"

It actually felt like he was punching the 'right' way. The momentum was greater....it seemed more accurate, focused....this time, he delivered an underhand jab to Arashi's abdominals.

[2123/3000]

Zenchi seemed to listen to Ara's advice quite closely, as he followed Ara's advice quite nicely. He made a fist, and attempted an uppercut jab at Ara's abs, the stomach area. It didn't really hurt Ara, but it was generally a lot better. Of course, there was a lot to fix; but Ara would leave Zenchi to discover it all himself, or on some other occasion. They would now need to practice what they know, and Ara... Well, learn Fuuton! He still wasn't sure if it flowed through his blood, but hoped so as he had a generally liking to that nature; more than for Raiton or Suiton at least.
"Much better. After a month or so of practice, you'll kick ass I promise! Now, you have any advice about my Fuuton? How do I start?"

2237/3000

Oh. Well....Arashi said he was getting better. Which was good. He wanted to get a lot better, though....that would be up to him, though. Right now....it was time to teach Arashi how to use Wind Release.

"Okay....I think I have a good technique to demonstrate Wind Release. It's a Ninjutsu, but you should be able to pull it off using Chakra Flow. It's actually quite a similar process.... Okay. I'm going to stand on the other side of the spring. I want to see if your wind can reach all the way over by me." He jumped clear across the spring, and assumed the stance for what was probably his only Fuuton jutsu... Okay. Outstretch your hand at your target....and concentrate your chakra there. You want to really build up pressure at this point, it will assist in picking up wind speed. Once your hand starts to tingle, it's ready. It's because the Fuuton is slightly cutting the outermost layer of skin--it's not damaging, though-- so you know the cutting force is good too. Now...let it go, and put your hand in a cone shape. You want to direct the path of the wind as it's leaving you, because it's hard to control after that. Now...You can try it a couple times, then you'll try it against mine."

[2343/3000]

Oh. Well....Arashi said he was getting better. Which was good. He wanted to get a lot better, though....that would be up to him, though. Right now....it was time to teach Arashi how to use Wind Release.

"Okay....I think I have a good technique to demonstrate Wind Release. It's a Ninjutsu, but you should be able to pull it off using Chakra Flow. It's actually quite a similar process.... Okay. I'm going to stand on the other side of the spring. I want to see if your wind can reach all the way over by me." He jumped clear across the spring, and assumed the stance for what was probably his only Fuuton jutsu... Okay. Outstretch your hand at your target....and concentrate your chakra there. You want to really build up pressure at this point, it will assist in picking up wind speed. Once your hand starts to tingle, it's ready. It's because the Fuuton is slightly cutting the outermost layer of skin--it's not damaging, though-- so you know the cutting force is good too. Now...let it go, and put your hand in a cone shape. You want to direct the path of the wind as it's leaving you, because it's hard to control after that. Now...You can try it a couple times, then you'll try it against mine."

[2343/3000]

"Okay....I think I have a good technique to demonstrate Wind Release. It's a Ninjutsu, but you should be able to pull it off using Chakra Flow. It's actually quite a similar process.... Okay. I'm going to stand on the other side of the spring. I want to see if your wind can reach all the way over by me." Zen jumped across the spring, and assumed a stance. "Okay. Outstretch your hand at your target....and concentrate your chakra there. You want to really build up pressure at this point, it will assist in picking up wind speed. Once your hand starts to tingle, it's ready. It's because the Fuuton is slightly cutting the outermost layer of skin--it's not damaging, though-- so you know the cutting force is good too. Now...let it go, and put your hand in a cone shape. You want to direct the path of the wind as it's leaving you, because it's hard to control after that. Now...You can try it a couple times, then you'll try it against mine."
Hmm? Oh, I remember the technique he probably means to use... That Fuuton blast, which knockes you back a couple of feet. And it raises quite the dust as well... It kind of seems a bit hard for somebody learning how to use Fuuton for the first time. Ara did as Zenchi told him, but he turned around first; he didn't want to shoot a tornado at Zenchi in his first try, no matter how impossible it seemed Ara was quite confident of himself... And he definitely didn't want to kick his friend's ass. So, Ara held out his hand, and grabbed the joint with his other hand just to be sure. Let's get this started... Ara tried flowing the chakra through his hand, concentrating it on his palm. It was no difficulty to him, as he was an expert in Chakra Flow, and he used it all the time. Though, this would be harder. He concentrated his chakra, but only the "different" one... And he fired it! He didn't get the tingly feeling, and what happened next probably surprised Ara more than it did Zenchi; Ara shot a small flame. Damn... Must've picked the wrong nature.

So, Ara tried once again, being careful not to use the normal chakra, OR the Katon chakra; and shot! But, it still wasn't right; what flew out were small pebbles. Damn! This is harder then I thought! Then, on Ara's 3rd try; he didn't concentrate Katon, Doton, OR the normal chakra; but something... Other. Something he never touched before... He actually felt the tingling, but very very light. Ready... Set... Release! Pow! Ara released the chakra, and felt the air. It pretty much exploded in all drections, and was nothing more than a breeze... But well, it's something. Ara tried a couple of more times, each time a bit stronger and a bit more precise, until around his 7th attempt he was sure he got it right, as his gust even picked up small traces of dust. Let's do this Ara... It was still pretty puny compared to Zenchi, but it WAS working. He wiped a droplet of sweat from his forehead, before turning back to Zenchi and speaking.
"Alright, I'm ready to try."

2829/3000

This....was hilarious. Zen snickered at Arashi's several attempts at the chakra flow version of the Gale of Severance technique. Fire, Earth....typical of Arashi. But then he got it. Not very well, but he got it. Zen watched as Ara shot another, and kept repeating it, tightening his focus. What Zen wanted to know was....could Ara do it as well as he could? This would be interesting.

"All right, then. Don't hold anything back. You may want to brace your arm like the first time. If you want, do hand seals before-hand to focus. Get ready.... Ten seconds."

Zen prepared himself....frankly, he still felt a little embarrassed at how Ara reacted to his Taijutsu attacks. So, he would return the favor here.... This jutsu didn't require hand seals, but Zen knew the ones that helped him focus the most. Ox, Tiger, Monkey. After making those seals, he stuck out his hand, and braced himself. Once the ten seconds had elapsed, he shot as much chakra as he could out of his hand. Zen made a wind shoot out at Arashi that was fierce enough to carry a small surge of water over the edge of the pool. He concentrated too much on power, though, and probably couldn't make the blades of wind stop. The wind, though, did not waver from him. It would blow everything even remotely near Ara, away from him. Flimsier materials, fabric or such, would probably be ripped to shreds....the wind left cuts in the wall behind him to prove the power of Fuuton.

He opened his eyes after the dust of the Gale had settled. "Well....that's your first lesson."

[2618/3000]

Alright, Ara, get ready...
All right, then. Don't hold anything back. You may want to brace your arm like the first time. If you want, do hand seals before-hand to focus. Get ready.... Ten seconds."
Ara saw Zenchi making some handseals, Ox, Tiger, and then Monkey. Ara really hated handseals, the way they mold your chakra... It feels really unnatural to him. It's just that he doesn't know the way each handseal molds his chakra, so he's left in expectation the entire time he's performing them. He can feel his chakra twisting and swirling, but has absolutely no control over it; it all depends on the handseals, which he doesn't know either. So he's usually better of not making any handseals at all, and relying strictly on his manual precision of Chakra flow; though at some time it may even be slower than performing handseals would be. Oddly enough, this time Ara decided that he would repeat after Zenchi. Ox, Tiger, Monkey! His hands and fingers twirled around, as he was a little slow with the handseals; he needed more practice. Though, it was true that the handseals DID help; his chakra flowed through the palm of his hand, only the Fuuton one to be precise! It didn't even need any of his manual help, and he actuall liked it. He spent the last five seconds in bracing himself, and encreasing the flow until he simply released it, as a gust of wind blew towards Zenchi. Zenny shot his out too, but it was a lot stronger than Ara's, that was for sure. The gusts collided, Zenchi's winning with ease; the gust blew strong, though the part that hit Ara was reduced by his own gust as well, so it wasn't all that bad; enough for him to get out with no more than a scratch or two. When it was over, Ara opened his eyes.
"Well....that's your first lesson."
"I think I like this Fuuton already..."
Ara mumbled to himself, before speaking back to Zenny.
"Want to practice Taijutsu some more?"

3000/3000 197/????

"Want to practice Taijutsu some more?"

Joy. Lovely... He needed just a little more practice before he was ready to train on his own.

"I thought you'd never...ask. By the last word, Zen was already behind Ara (or what was behind at the moment, by the wall he had slashed earlier). High-speed movement jutsu were the best....agility and speed were treasured by this Kyouga above all else. Kousoku no Jutsu, the Light Speed Technique, was a marvel of Zen's ingenuity.

Enough of that, though....Zen quickly performed a kick to Arashi's lower-hip area. "You don't have to just sit there and be a punching bag...retaliate a little." Even Zen accepted that if Ara went all-out on Zen, it just would not end well. For the Kyouga, that was.

The heat, combined with the--rather unexpected--workout he was getting, made Zen sweat. Which was wonderful, of course; sweat meant you were working. Sweat meant that the impurities are getting out of your body. Zen was happy he was getting some exercise, though; this would only make him better in the long run. He decided that, since he trained on his punching skill before, he would focus on kicking for now.

A swift combo of high and low kicks, and finally an attempt at a trip. After their exchange, whatever Zen might have suffered, he said: "You know...I don't think we have much to worry about. I have sparred with quite a few of the shinobi of Iwagakure no Sato....and they are all quite formidable. Takumi, Raishi....even my own students. They all are beyond expectations.... I believe that even if we get attacked, the Will of Stone would let us hold against others. Anyway... we're stuck in here for the rest of the night. I'm going to rest off that training... Oh, did you know that you remember things you learn more accurately if you learn or study them right before you go to sleep? Interesting."
He went over to the semi-enclosed steam room, and sat down on one of two benches, both facing each other, with hot rocks in the center. He sprawled...and went to sleep. His muscles ached a little, partially from the strenuous work, and partially from the hard bench, but he felt good. A well-rounded shinobi...that's what he must be.
[3001/3000]
[Zen mentally exited the thread. don't do anything naughty while I'm asleep, Ara]