Chibas eyes flew open. his oppononet! he tried to sit up swiftly, but a pain trhough the left side of his abdomen stoped him. laying back down, he took stock of the room he occupied. (sterile air, white walls, abnormally quiet; hospital)
it barely took him a glance to recognise his settings, he was used to hosiptals. nearly every defeat he'd ever suffered had placed him in one. taking stock of the pain in his chest, he diagnosed himself almost expertly. (sharp pain with mule movement, latent pain with breathing, both resultant from crystal impact to chest;cracked ribs, two. possibly broken?)
moving slowly, Chiba sat up and visually explored his room. he found what he was looking for, his shirt was close by, now he only had to reach out for it. gritting his teeth through his pain, he finally managed to grab the shirt and sit back into his cot, trying not to breathe hard.
reaching into the sleave, he had slight difficulty findhing his journal and stylus, never having grabbed at them from the outside before. finally, though, he had his prize. opening it up, he spent the next hour analyzing each step of the battle and where he'd gone wrong.
at the end of the hour, the crystal sphere was what it came down to. he needed stronger jutsu to overcome defenses like that. if he could devise something that could work using his specialties, then he would assuredly win a rematch.


First, he decided, was a way to stop those bolts. if he could only speed up his Chakra Threads so that he could reliably bactch oncoming projectiles, he could deal with an onslaught from the shards. he looked around the hospital roof. they hadn't yet discharged him, saying they typically keep their patients until they are healed. despite his protests that they wouldnt be able to heal him, they kept him confined to premises.
he'd spent the previous day devising his training for the new jutsu he'd developed, now he had to simply execute it. he started by creating his chakra threads. taking care to watch where they emerged from and the speed with which he was able to extend them. pausing a moment to jingle the ryo he'd threaded on the strings in the morning air, he withdrew them, catching the ryo in his right palm.
now for step two. flipping one of the coins in the air, Chiba gathered as much chakra in his fingertips as he could as he watched the coin fly through the air. he finally saw the opening he'd been watching for. releasing the chakra he'd stored up, he speared it towards the airborn coin.

460/3375

It was a busy day in the town of Iwagakure, the busy-with-mission's Kazu had taken a personal request from Lilith herself to assist a fellow genin in training. It would be good for you to get to know the fellow genin's in the village. The thought disgusted him, the tone of her nasally voice branded into his mind only gave him ill thought's about her. Kazu would make his way to the meeting spot, the crimson eyed genin would scuffle through his pocket's till his right hand pulled out a note stating the address. "Look's like I'm nearly there."

Arriving at his destination, to his surprise the meeting spot was the Iwagakure hospital. How Bazaar. His body would open the firm metal handles of the door only to rip them open, letting himself into the complex. Kazu would shake his head at the bad feeling of what he was getting himself into. Is this guy apart of the mental ward? Could this guy be a killer? Heck if that were the case this will be fun." His fist would clench as he made his way up a flight of stairs only to arrive to the rooftop entrance, a metal door would sit in his way to the rooftop. His left hand would venture to the knob only to turn and push the door open. The open blue sky was clear from the rooftop, a wire fence would surround the edge, with giant white tiles paved on the ground.

Already moving briskly would be the fellow genin he was supposed to meet. Kazu would watch as the young man would be catching and releasing pieces of ryo and coins through chakra threads near invisible. Kazu was impressed, to be honest puppetry was barely seen in Iwagakure, so to see a genin with these standards was impressive. Kazu would walk up to the boy before speaking. "Hey I'm Kazu, I'm here to train with a Shin Uzumaki?"

Chiba's concentration was thrown by an unexpected voice. the thread he'd uraveled disolved before catching the coin. quick to react, he unleashed a second quickthread, catching the coin before it his the smooth white tiles of the hospital roof.
"Shin...Uzumaki?" the name didnt sound famililar, but, then again, Chiba wasn't from Iwa, and most names didn't sound familiar to him. as of yet, he'd met four iwa-nin, and one had beaten him without saying a word.
"my name is Chiba Shogo. i apologize for not being the one you are in search of Kazu-san." Chiba pauses a moment, before adding on, "however, i am in the midst of training that could use some assistance from an outside source. i have devised two new techniques and two new jutsu that i need to establich and perfect. perhaps you could assist me?"
it was unlike Chiba to ask for assisatnce, but he had yet to devise a meathod of launching kunai at himself to practice his new quickthreads technique. and, in the meantime, he was sure he could devise a way for Kazu to assist him with his other training.

656/3375

Chiba Shogo. A name Kazu had never heard before, but neither did he care. To his usual doing's Kazu was seen as an outright 'prick' who only cared about himself. But what the heck.... This could be fun. Kazu would listen to the boy in front of him, analyzing his body features and the way he spoke to generate an overview of who he was in his mind. Someone who is willing to ask for help for jutsu training? It was evident his resolve was strong to be training even when admitted to the hospital (Kazu would notice the hospital garments).

Kazu would nod in a vertical manor, accepting his invitation to train with his. Kazu was ready to be of any use whilst have some fun. "So, what would you have me do? Chiba Shogo." His crimson eyes would gaze directly into the boy in front of him. "I'm assuming you'll have me help you with those chakra threads?"

Chiba was stunned that a genin had seen his chakra strings despite it not showing on his stoic face. he'd made a good choice in asking Kazu for assistance. since the young man in front of him accepted his plea for help, it would do to understand what he was capable of. Chiba thought for a moment as he analyzed his partner. (red eyes; Uchiha. no, hair is blonde, and no tomoe, Uchiha eyes are black without Sharingan. stance; Ninjutsu. singes on clothing; Katon style. 2 weapons pouches; kunai and shiruken.)
his analysis complete, Chiba finally anseres the question hangning in the air. "the first technique i wish to practice is using my threads to quickly stop an incoming projectile." chiba explained. "so perhaps you throwing your kunai or shiruken at me would facilitate that. training."
Chiba wanted to go further into the other trainings he had planned, but seeing Kazu in motion would definately assist him with devising how he could help with the later training.

824/3375

It had seemed as thought the fellow genin would pan around at Kazu analyzing who he was. "The first technique i wish to practice is using my threads to quickly stop an incoming projectile." Stopping a projectile hey? And this area isn't bad for this type of training. Kazu had a plan, he wasn't going to wait for him to start the training, Kazu would start it off himself. Dashing to his right, landing atop of the wire fence Kazu would reach for his weapon pouch only to flick a kunai aiming from his right arm. He'd then begin sprinting along the fence and throw a second kunai aimed at his torso. Kazu would smile as he spoke out viciously"Think quick!" If this guy were to improve his chakra thread reaction time it was to do it this way.

Kunai used 2/10.

Kazu started moving almost as soon as the words were out of his mouth. Chiba liked that he got down to business quick. pouring chakra into his fingertips, Chiba prepared for what he knew was going to happen next.
right on cue the first kunai came at him, aiming for his shoulder. Chiba released the first thread, predicting the course of the kunai with slight dificulty. the string passed in front of the kunai, the quicktread technique being faster than expected. Chiba reacted quickly, turning the thread into a spiral, and hoping Kazu hadn't put any chakra into the throw.
Chiba had almost missed the second kunai being thrown. adjusting for the extreme speed of the quickthread technique, he loosed his chakra, catching the projectile clean through the hole at the rear.
Chiba felt a small bit of pride welling up at his quick success, but then berated himself. he couldnt afford to befome overconfident. the training was far from over, after all. as he dropped the two kunai at his feet, Chiba realized that he'd never tried more than one coin at a time. satisfied that he could catch two kunai, he had to wonder what his limit would be.

1017/3375

As expected both kunai were successfully caught. Kazu would smile before yelling out his verdict. "Oh? Catching both very nice." His body would come to a standstill with one foot planted on the fence, and the other atop the other foot. "Catching both kunai with ease? Let's ante this up." A wide grin would grow on his face as he leapt off the fence revealing four shuriken (two in each hand) which he would then flick at Chiba, aiming two at his torso, one to his left arm, and one to the right. As Kazu would hit the ground Kazu would slide a kunai from his pouch to his right hand. "Let's try some defence now?" He'd kick of his left foot leaping at the genin puppeteer, slashing his kunai in a diagonal fashion hoping Chiba would counter in some way.

Weapons used: 3/10 kunai (still using 1) 4/10 shuriken

Shirukens this time. Chiba noted that any error would mean the weapons would hit. releasing four quickthreads, one at the centre of each shiruken. catching all four of them took some effort, Chiba noted. he knew he was closing in on the limit of projectiles he could catch.
Chiba saw Kazu charging with a kunai in hand. thinking quickly, he dropped the shiruken, and did a one-handed backflip to buy him some time. as his hand was on the ground, he loosed two more strings, collecting the two kunai form the ground, and bringing them up to catch Kazu's swipe in the cross of their blades.
it was all good playing total defence, but if Kazu pushed too much harder, Chiba wouldnt be able to catch all the projectiles Kazu could throw. Chiba knew it was time to push onwards with the list he'd written up the day before now that he knew his limit with the quickthreads.
"thank you for the help, but i know this techniques' limits now. the next one i need help training is avoiding the ground. do you have anything that could help with that?" Chiba asked, prepared for another immediate onslaught like with the last training.

1222/3375

After the acrobatic ability and the chakra thread display, it was evident to the least to say that Chiba's shinobi skills were more advanced than the norm. He not only dodged all incoming attack's but have a counter attack with the shuriken Kazu had previously thrown. It had seemed this training exercise would end as Chiba suggested their next form of training. "Thank you for the help, but i know this techniques' limits now. the next one i need help training is avoiding the ground. do you have anything that could help with that?" Kazu would smirk as it was a match made in heaven. Kazu had the perfect jutsu to utilize. "I sure do." He'd smirk as his body twisted before tunneling into the ground. Unlucky for Kazu they were training atop a hospital so when he tunneled into the ground, his presence would arrive on the fifth floor of the east wing, crashing onto a chair next to an elderly woman. "Oh. my. god." He couldn't believe his own stupidity. His hands would flick him off the seat only to grab 2 kunai and jump back out the hole he came from throwing 2 kunai at Chiba before landing back in the same room.

Kazu would step outside the room and walk down the hall only to arrive to another room except this one was empty. Utilizing the same jutsu, Kazu would dig his way up and shoot himself out of the ground throwing two more shuriken at Chiba from a different angle. All shuriken were aimed at his lower torso.


Chakra 130/150

Chiba watches in shock as Kazu dives unterground, opening his mouth to warn him too late before the shriek of the occupent of the room below. a smirk on his face, Chiba couldnt help but say "well, not everyone can be as smart as i am" before reacting to the first two shiruken with his quickthreads. hearing the ground crumble in a different direction, Chiba let the first two suriken fly in that direction, using them to stop the two incoming shiruken from hitting home.
realizing that the ground was going to start crumbling away if Kazu continued tunneling, Chiba grabed a hold of the fencing with his strings, concentrating on pushing the fence down, he felt himself slowly rise into the air an inch at a time.
a few inches up, and the threads snapped under the pressure. "not bad for a first attempt, though." he said to himself, trying to recall the layout of the hospital to find where Kazu would pop up next.

1388/3375

The response of Chiba's evasions and reactions where ideal for his skills to improve. From the extending chakra threads to the hearing the sounds of Kazu digging, it was evident Chiba was using his extensive knowledge to counter Kazu's attempts of breaking his defense. Kazu was ready for a counter attack. He would pop back into the whole and prepare hand signals before expelling a gas from his mouth, blowing it upward out the small hole and onto the rooftop. Kazu would the run to the other hole down the hall only to leap out whilst prepping hand signs. "Fire Style, phoenix fire jutsu!" A flurry(10) of fire balls would expel from his mouth aiming toward Chiba whilst coming from the side trying to force him to go toward the gas. Once the fireballs would reach the gas a large fireball would erupt thus creating a minor explosion. Kazu's goal was for Chiba to see through the plan and come out for a counter.

Chiba's memory was impecable. the only two rooms on the east wing were the two that Kazu was already hopping out of like a prarie dog. as soon as the mist started flowing from one of the holes, Chiba dashed to the second, laying an explosive seal at the enterance before leaping behind it. there was no time to attempt one of his newer seals, as they were both only theorized at the moment. Chiba was happy with his positioning, with both of Kazu's entry points werein his line of vision. reaching behind himself with his threads, he condensed them as best he could and focused on lifting himself upwars, out of harms way. after a shaky start, Chiba had a stroke of inspiration. weaving the threads together, he attached them to his ankles and wrists. with those four points controled, he figured, he could control them like he would a puppet, had he access to one. testing his theory, he found it remarkably easy to lit himself up into the air. gaining confidence as he rose higher, he found the maximum height he could reach was about three metres. that was more than plenty to give him a vantage point, though. Chiba did not have long to enjoy the view, however. Kazu quicky emerged from the second hole, casting his prepared jutsu.
perfect! Kazu was facing the wrong way when he emerged from the hole, the phoenix fire igniting the gas far from Chiba's location. as Kazu descended back into his hole, Chiba released his exploding seal, intending on knocking his trainer away from his hiding spaces.

1659/3375

The countermeasures that Chiba had taken to oppose the strikes Kazu had initiated had surprised the crimson eyed genin. Not spotting the tag till last minute and initiating a replacement jutsu, Kazu just manage to scrape through the hole to safety unharmed. The explosions from the paper bomb and the katon jutsu's Kazu had utilized would send the rooftop in a think black smoke. Kazu would scream out from the room. "Perfect let's see how what you can do with your line of sight obscured." Kazu would giggle as he reached for his pouch to reveal six shuriken (three in each hand). Looking up from the hole, Kazu would wait till the smoke began to clear slowly till he caught a glimpse of the puppeteer. Catching his gaze Kazu would kick of the ground spinning clock wise throwing 2 shuriken, changing it up, Kazu would leap back onto the fence and throw four shuriken from above Chiba, before landing back on the fence.

Chiba frowned as he saw the substitution log roll across the roof in the wake of the exploding seal. it was a clever move from his opponent, but it gave him an oportunity with the thick black smoke now covering the rooftop.
Chiba made an opportunity out of Kazu's hesitation. licking the sleave of his hospital gown, he dove into the thick black smoke, using the moist material as a rudimentary filter so he could breathe slowly and without coughing.
his ribs were starting to throb with the over exertion, but he knew he had to keep going. he was only halfway through his training. while in the safety of the thick smike, Chiba had to prioritize training, defence, and attack.
calculating the smoke's dispersal rate, he figured he still had time to try the first of his new jutsu. he concentrated on what he knew had to be done.he had sepnt much time yesterday contemplating what this jutsu would require. first, he had to blend his yin and yang chakra together. next, he made the seals he would for his explosion and flash seals, ending them with a fuuton hand sign, then pouring his wind chakra into the mixture. hoping for success, Chiba slammed his hand down on the ground, and felt the seal take form. now, he only had to wait and see what kind of effect it would have. the anticipation for this and his next jutsu, and earthen seal, was welling up within Chiba. it was something that, not only did he not know, but he COULD not know. as far as his reading had informed him, nobody had done such a jutsu before. for all he knew the results would be volitile and dangerous for him as well as his opponent. good thing they were at a hospital, then.
the smoke was begining to dissipate. it was time for his other tactic. Chiba placed a simple exploding seal before activating the clone jutsu and a transformation jutsu.
Kazu's attack came as the smoke had cleared to half density. two shiruken to take out the first two clones, four more to clear out the other four. with the pop of the last one dissipating, a kunai flew out of the thinning smoke, aiming past Kazu's left shoulder.
Chiba's calculations had been correct. as soon as he was three feet behind Kazu, he dispelled the transformation, and used his Revers Puppetry strings to catch himself in the air. Kazu had yet to see him airbourne, and there was no reason for him to suspect Chiba to be in the air six stories high behind him. with any luck, he'd think the kunai was just a bad throw from the midst of the smoke.


2122/3375

Kazu would juke and dodge the few kunai thrown by Chiba. But due to the obscurity of the thick black smoke, Kazu had a feeling something was up. His feet would sprint across the wire fence only to watch as a kunai whipped pass Kazu's face left shoulder. Something just didn't sit with Kazu, since when did throwing a kunai be part of a new jutsu training? It was evident it was a decoy. Kazu would keep calm as he complete hand seals before creating a clone to his left. The clone and himself would dive into the thick smoke. A short few seconds would allow the smoke to dissipate displaying no Chiba to be found. "Well, you tricked me huh?" His eyes would fiddle around unable to see the young puppeteer.

Chiba watched in anticipation as the two Kazus dove into the dissipating smoke. he heard Kazu admit to being tricked, which brought a smile to his face. the only probelem was that one of the two Kazus in the smoke should have triggered the seal he'd set. he was definately eager to see the effects of the jutsu he'd created.
the seconds seemed to take ages as Chiba waited in anticipation for the fuuton seal to go off. he couldn't name it, after all, until he'd seen its effect. suspended over the street, and out of sight from the Kazus thanks to their smoke, Chiba took the opportunity to analyze what he may have done wrong in setting the seal. (wrong balance of chakra types? could be too much yin; no, that would most likely result in a flash seal. too much yang would result in another exploding seal. or simply not enough wind chakra, and the other two are canceling each other out without having an effect. perhaps a higher level of wind and yang chakra next time he made the seal would have an effect.)
Chiba decided to attempt this new ratio of the three chakras, making the needed calculations in his head as he prepared himself for his next move. carefully preparing the hand signs he would need, he mimiced them with his hands. horse. dog. rabbit. tiger.
as Chiba mimed the tiger sign, the seal errupted into a three meter tall cyclone of whirling blades of wind chakra. the resultant typhoon quicky blew away the remaining smoke, but it also gathered up the loose shiruken, kunai, and other debris that had been littered about the rooftop in the course of the training session between the two young genin.
Chiba looked in awe at the potential devostation swirling in front of him, and its effect on the battlefield. he quickly noticed that its base was centered precicely where he had placed the seal, and was not moving from the spot as one might expect of a typical whirlwind. he also noticed the cutting power of his wind chakra slicing some of the debris into smaller pieces. he devised a name quickly. calling out his new jutsu's name, he felt an overwheling sence of satisfaction and pride. he, as a genin, had devised and implimented this new jutsu, this jutsu, named...
"Futon: Razor Cyclone Seal!" he cried out triumphantly, finishing with the word "release!" to cause Kazu worry about if there might be others littered about from Chiba's time in the smoke.
unfortunately, the cyclone had caught neither of the Kazus in its grasp, and Chiba could tell that it was not a long-lived effect, the cyclone was already growing unstable, and would collapse at any moment. Chiba, in his pride and excitement, hadn't given a thought to the items scattered within the tornado. as it suddenly ceased, the shiruken and kunai within found themselves thrown violently in random directions.
Chiba, reacting quickly, used his new Quickthreads technique to stop one kunai and four shiruken that came in his direction, but one last kunai managed to hit him in his shoulder, burying itself deep enough to stay in.
Dissapointed in himself, Chiba's determination was not calmed by any degree. in fact, he was now even more determined to master these new techniques so he might be able to control them better.

2694/3375

The training battle was looking one sided as Chiba was just outsmarting the well adjusted Kazu. Dodging left and right, whilst throwing the iron projectiles was only a means to an end to stay out of harms way. Kazu and clone would stand where the black smoke had been cleared. With nothing but two holes on the ground and metal projectiles placed on the ground, Kazu and his clone would be puzzled by the sheer fact of Chiba being nowhere to be seen. As Kazu eyes would pan around, searching for Chiba, his clone would step on a hidden seal triggering a small gush of wind sending it on it's ass and dissipating into a small cloud of smoke. A second later, and Kazu's crimson gaze caught his fellow genin's position, floating mid air as if he could fly. He would wait and watch as a new seal Chiba had prepared would erupt into a long cyclone. Kazu already amidst the cyclone itself would begin to be taken in by the strong winds. Thinking quick Kazu would prep seals before expelling 3 apple size lava globs in the air which would instantly harden. (Lava style: Lava globs Jutsu). Kazu now in mid air would kick off the hardened molten rock sending himself down the hole he had made previously to keep himself out of harms way.

Hidden inside the hospital floors itself, Kazu couldn't help but notice the small cut's around his arm's. It had seemed some of his thrown shuriken had been taken be the strong wind and had added cutting power. The small hurricane would cease, which would allow Kazu to get back out only to see a shuriken lodged in Chiba's shoulder. "Wow, for an incomplete jutsu, that seemed to do alot." His scarlet eyes would pan around noticing the large amount of debris. What raw destructive power.

Kazu would look back at Chiba. "How about we exchange one last time. Even though your shoulder is practically useless, lets finish off strong." It was evident that Chiba wasn't going to give up due to the minor injury. He could see it in his eyes. A determination that would allow his to succeed and push forward.

384/600 (D Rank Jutsu Training) 110/150 Chakra

Chiba was still grining with pride at his newly invented technique. its raw power seemed so dangerous. reaching up with his good hand, he pulled the kunai wedged there out. yes, he must be more careful about what other objects might be loosed when he releases the seal, however the aparent benefits still outweighted the risks as far as his calulations were concerned.
"Wow, for an incomplete jutsu, that seemed to do alot." Kazu said, apparently as surprised by the razor cyclones power as was Chiba. "How about we exchange one last time. Even though your shoulder is practically useless, lets finish off strong." Kazu made direct eye contanct with Chaba, making the challenge clear.
Chiba knew that he could not back down now. despite the pain in his shoulder and ribs, he had to push on. not only to train his Doton seal, but to prove that he could finaly achieve a victory with his superior inteligence. "i still have one more techinique to execute properly before my training is over, Kazu-samma. i can not back down until it is complete."
given the success that Chiba had accomplished with his fuuton seal, he was exhilerated by the thought of what his doton seal might accomplish. diving into the miniature arena, Chiuba calulated his next move. (only one good hand, not enough for more than five threads simultaneously, Kazu has used three jutsu, Kazu is in the centre of the stage so an attack against me would be easy no matter where i land. solution; clear landing area with weapon assault, execute doton seal, lay final trap.) satisfied with his final plan, Chiba set himself in motion.
once he cleared the fence, he stopped his Reverse Puppetry, throwing the kunai in his hand before using his quickstrings to launch a few shiruken from the ground. all he needed was to force Kazu to focus on dodging instead of attacking so that Chiba could try to place his last seal.
with his initial volley launched, Chiba started making the hind signs for his final seal. (first the shared hindsigns from Flash and Exploding seals, finishing off with the sign to form my doton chakra.) blending his yin and yang according to his new calculations, and adding in the essential doton chakra, chiba landed, slapping his good hand on the floor at his feet.
all he had to do now is wait for Kazu to land on the seal and trip its effect.

3112/3375

"I still have one more techinique to execute properly before my training is over, Kazu-samma. i can not back down until it is complete." Chiba spoke in great respect which tended to piss Kazu off, the use of word's like 'sama' and 'kun' gave his name and elderly vibe, or so he thought. It was now time for a jutsu, one he'd been thinking about. A second jutsu for his lava style, but before he began his train of thought Kazu would sum up a plan to be able to counter Chiba with it. Kazu's eyes would flicker pin-pointing the key aspects of this fight. Seals, he seems to be using them as traps, puppetry, which he's able to counter projectiles thrown and revert their trajectory with chakra string, and the ability to practically fly, probably using a form of puppetry. A plan cleared through his head. Play defensively, look for an opening, mold chakra and counter-attack. His teeth would grit as the excitement of the pairing.

Kazu would wait as a shuriken began dancing to Kazu's direction. Kazu would see Chiba's fingers move melodically thus allowing Kazu to realise it was done via chakra strings. Movement had to be cut down due to Chiba loving seals/traps. Kazu reached for his pouch, revealing a kunai in his right hand. Before looking around at Chiba and notice him making hand signs before slamming his hand on the ground. It was evident it was another seal. Kazu would create hand signs before creating another clone to his right. His right hand with the kunai knife would parry the left over incoming shuriken by attacking behind them, severing the chakra strings that allowed them mobility. Kazu's clone walk towards the seal onto set it off. "Perfect." A wide grin would appear on Kazu's face. Chakra began to pour from his wrists before it began transmuting into lava, the lava would change form, altering into four kunai (two in each hand) before hardening into molten rock. But this jutsu was simple, on impact the kunai knives would dissolve back into lava. For he could do the same with his other lava jutsu, the jutsu made sense theoretically.

It was time to test the waters, Kazu would throw all four kunai directly behind his clone. Hoping the tornado (which he hoped was about to emerge) would send the lava kunai at Chiba.

800/600 (D Rank Jutsu Training) 105/150 Chakra

Chiba watched as Kazu paried his decoy projectiles intead of dodging. he even tried to sever the Chakra strings. Kazu clearly had some idea of what he was doing, but didnt realize that it took a chakra-infused weapon to cut the strings through. Kazu also hadn't counted on the doton chakra within the strings, which were now slowing his movements slightly.
Kazu created a clone, which then then walked towards Chiba's seal, obviously intending to set the seal off. Chiba flipped backwards, unsure of what would happen when the seal was triggered. at the end of his backflip, he yanked the shiruken back arround Kazu, fighting the urge to switch to using his futon: razor threads. he had to remind himself that he didnt want the both of them to be hospitalized from this training session.
as the Kazu clone touched the seal, Chiba was releaved to see the timing was more precice, with the seal activating upon contact. he made a mental note regarding the proper chakra balances to execute the proper timing, assuming that the same balance would apply to his new razor cyclone seal. as the glow of the activated seal faded, a cone of earth rapidly erupted from the pcentre mark. spearing the clone, and causing it to dissapate, the spike had a one foot wide base, and was two metres tall.
it wasnt until the clone dissapated that Chiba noticed the four kunai traveling through the air at him. without proper time to react, Chiba formed the handsigns that were at the top of his head, and attempted another backflip, both hands hitting the ground and setting a seal. in the excitement of the heated training, however, Chiba had forgotten his shoulder, which promply gave way as he'd put pressure on it, causing him to fall to the ground. his concentration faltering, the shiruken on their return trip lost the guidance of his Chakra Threads, and fell as well.
Chiba watched gratefully as the kunai flew overhead, his falling clearly not a part of Kazu's plan. nevertheless, Chiba lay helpless, in pain, and virtually drained of chakra. his only hope was in his one last trick. it was all dependant on Kazu's next move as to who would be victorious.

3075/3375

As their fight progressed Kazu could see the toll of Chiba's injuries take effect, a body was only a tool for the mind, but if not taken care of, the healing process would take longer. If Kazu were to keep him in the hospital a heavy guilt would sit on his shoulders. His fist would clench as crimson gaze caught sight of Chiba falling onto his face, unintentionally dodging the lava kunai he had thrown. Kazu would keep his eyes on the kunai only to see them hit the wire fence, reverting into lava which would burn one meter holes. It had seemed his jutsu was a success. Kazu would regain his posture before yelling out to his fellow genin. "Ah, I'm done. Catchya." His words were simple yet elegant. He'd form a hand seal before disappearing into thin air. (Shadow Flicker)

Chiba gathered his remaining strength, making his way to his feet. Kazu's abrupt departure combined with this casual attitude only aggravated Chiba's frustration. Another obvious defeat. Chiba stood with difficulty, light headed at the chakra drain. Leaning against the fence for support, Chiba noticed the melted fence links resulting from Kazus last volley. Chiba had already noticed that Kazu was a user of the Lava style, but he was impressed by its versatility and power.
Cautiously, Chiba released the final two seals he'd set. He would have hated for someone to trigger them accidentally and be hurt at the wrong time. He watched as the two earthen pillars grew to their full height in under a second.
Scanning his memory to ensure that there were no more dangerous seals laying about the roof, Chiba satisfies himself that there were no more.
Chiba opens the door leading to the hospitals stairwell, heading inside, amazed that it had been untouched by the training that had gotten carried away. Closing it behind him carefully made his way down the stairs, and back into his room.
Chiba pulled his journal from its pocket, and opened it to the first page of his notes regarding his new techniques. Carefully, he made all of the proper adjustments that he had calculated in the midst of the vigorous training. He adjusted the method by which one could control themselves by the reverse puppetry technique; by weaving threads together and connecting them to the feet or ankles and the wrists. He made the adjustments to the page regarding the Razor Cyclone Seal; adding the name at the top of the page, editing the chakra balance requirements for instant contact activation , and making a note of the postponed activation time with the alternate chakra balance. He flipped to the Doton Erupting Pilar Seal page as well; editing the page in much the same way as he had his futon seal page.
Reviewing his notes, Chiba nodded to himself, satisfied at the progress he'd made that day. He knew that making the notes was pointless. He forgot nothing. But, it made him feel better to think that others might benefit from what he was learning each day. Even if he were to continue to lose his entire life, some day these notes might just help some other ninja score a win.
With that thought in his head, he set aside the notebook, and let himself fall asleep, vaguely curious as to his attendants' reaction when she finds the damage to his shoulder that the kunai had made

TRAINING COMPLETE! 3475+/3375