Ukiyo sat upon a branch of her tree, swinging her legs and looking below. She sighed, somewhat bored by the monotony of recent days. She was to see the Hokage soon about changing her position within the village. She was sent on missions frequently and when she wasn't on them she was left doing busy work for the Hokage. It was obnoxious and a waste of her abilities, which is why she ditched most days to spend time at home. Today was a day off for her, and while it was beautiful out, she felt somewhat bored. It's been a while since I've seen a predator around here. They've wised up to my territory, but I have to say, it does make things somewhat dull. She hopped down from the tree and landed in a crouch on the ground, flattening a patch of grass which she lightly brushed with her hand while crouching. She stood up and looked around. There were no clear trails anywhere within eyesight, so she'd have to enlist some help. We're going to find someone to train with. Oh? Is that really necessary? We won't kill them, obviously. I'm just tired of training by myself. Fair enough. I'm guessing you need our help? You already know I do, what's the point of asking. Please return control when you find one. Ukiyo closed her eyes and tilted her head, and soon a wave of release washed over her. Her mind slipped away as her plants took over control of her muscles, catching her stance before her limp legs let out below her. She stiffened her body and cracked her neck, then "looked" around. Grass began growing on every possible surface in a 100m radius, coating every branch, leaf, shrub, and animal. She couldn't feel anything at first, so she decided to start moving. Ukiyo headed North for a few minutes before detecting something. It was a large creature moving slowly through some brush, searching for something it seemed. She headed in its direction until she was only about 10 meters away, then released control again for Ukiyo. Thank you. She was staring at a 350 lb black bear trying to fight its way through a raspberry bush, but getting hopelessly caught up in it. When Ukiyo took a step forward, purposely stepping on a twig to make some noise, the beast pulled itself out and faced her. The bear seemed a bit hesitant, but growled. Ukiyo smiled and stepped her right foot back, crouching and letting her arms out to the side in a defensive stance.

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The bear stepped forward and let out another growl, displaying its jowls. Saliva seeped from its gums and dripped to the grass below as Ukiyo licked her lips. You're bigger than they usually are. Hope you have some fight in ya to match. The bear launched forward, but Ukiyo stood perfectly still. Halfway between them the bear stopped short and began walking calmly to the side. It was a false charge, something Ukiyo was used to and at this point just snickered at. Come on now, none of that coy stuff. I want a real dance. The bear turned around and began walking away, if only to put a little distance between the two of them to reassess the situation. With its back turned, however, Ukiyo immediately launched off her forward foot. She flung off each of her feet as they made contact with the ground, gracefully flying along the surface towards the bear at an alarming pace. The bear could hear this and was on guard right away, turning around with its mouth dropped open and letting out a fierce roar. Ukiyo had just made herself out to be prey, though in her mind, she revealed herself as the predator.

As Ukiyo ran up to him, the bear prepared its head to chomp down on any limb that might head its way. Ukiyo leaped up about a meter away from the bear, spinning overhead as she threw out her hands over its back. The bear wasn't about to let its prey out of sight, however, and quickly swung its claw overhead. Ukiyo's skin thickened dramatically and was quickly replaced by bark, taking the bears claw to her arms and chest with a loud thump. Ukiyo landed on the other side of the bear as it turned around to face her, standing up on its hind legs now to tower over her. Its arms were in the air with claws wielded, and quickly came down on top of Ukiyo with all of its weight. Ukiyo brought her arms up above her head horizontally, catching the the bear's arms on top of them in a lock, and held firm as it bore down on her. Her feet dug into the earth below them as the bear pushed harder, confused by the fact that this insignificant animal could be holding it back. Ukiyo made a hand sign with each hand as she stood, holding the bear's weight up with her strength. Her breath was choppy with every muscle tensing to keep her body from collapsing on itself. Suddenly two gigantic vines grew out from the bear's back and wrapped around its legs, while at the same time two identical vines grew forth from Ukiyo's wrists. These wrapped up the beast's arms and head, and together with the other two vines, completely immobilized it. Ukiyo panted as she broke off the vines from her wrists and retracted her bark. She bent over and held her knees as she caught her breath, then looked over to the bear and smiled at the helpless creature.

Always so tough, but never too bright. Not too bad though for a quick workout, wouldn't you say? Ukiyo closed her eyes and displayed her teeth with a smile to the bear, who thrashed around violently trying to escape the vines.

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As Ukiyo giggled, she heard a feint snapping noise. She opened her eyes and looked up to see some of the top layers of the vine snapping back. Her smile shifted to a grin as she took a step back. Looks like you're not done, huh? She continued walking back as the vines began loosening. She put her hands flat together in front of herself. Soon, one broke over the bear's back and gave it enough room to snap off two others. It steadily got back up, snapping its jaw every which way. It snarled and grunted, growled and roared as its incredible claws thumped the ground below it, ready to charge Ukiyo. She stepped back in a defensive pose yet again, ready for it to lunge. It didn't take long; the bear was off and traveling much faster than before. Ukiyo crouched down and pressed her palms together, readying herself for the right time to strike. The bear would be upon her in an instant, yet Ukiyo could already see its path. She knew exactly how it would attack, exactly how to evade it, and exactly how to counter. Its form was like any other bear she's fought before; nothing special, no surprises. She could see its gallop revealing the right underside of its belly. They rely so much on their strength and their momentum that they barrel into each attack haphazardly. Their weight is all over the place, and their path of attack is obvious. Worse yet, its highly vulnerable. For a creature that prides itself in hand to hand combat, their technique sure does leave a lot to be desired. Just as the bear was on top of her, about to take a nasty slash out of her head, Ukiyo crouched even lower and shot her hands outward. They were each flat and facing the revealed portion of the bear's belly as she channeled all of her melded chakra into them. Suddenly, a tree began spawning out of her palms. It grew to 20 meters tall and its canopy lifted the bear effortlessly. As it blossomed, the tree threw the bear off its branches and into some brush. A loud thump sounded and the cracks of branches sounded from a large bush the bear fell through. At the same time, a louder thump sounded between the two of them; the tree falling to the ground. It smashed into the floor and cracked in several spots along the trunk. Ukiyo giggled at how small the tree was compared to what she had trained to make. The bears truly didn't challenge her anymore, unfortunately. Unless she stuck strictly to Taijutsu, her Mokuton would overpower them in an instant. Ukiyo sighed at the realization, though smiled widely at what it meant. She was getting stronger, just what she needed. Besides, they're kind of fun to play with. And with the sound of the bear rising to its feet and walking away, if not limping away, Ukiyo stood up and wiped herself off. She began heading back to her tree, wondering what she could do next.

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