Silence. The crisp morning air felt comfortable on Yuuma’s exposed chest and arms, and the dew dappled grass tickled at his bare feet. Adjusting his grey cloth pants, Yuuma took a deep breath and centered himself, preparing for the training to come. He listened intently, just making out the subtle sounds of the morning: the distant chirping of birds, the gentle breeze rustling the leaves, the flowing water of the river not too far away. It was peaceful. He was home.

He was also out of shape.

6 years of travel had given Yuuma many gifts, but without the strict training regime of the shinobi academy Yuuma had someone fallen behind the curve when it came to his physical abilities and fighting experience. It was time to kick his mind and body back into gear, and today was the day he would start. It was a perfect morning, and quiet; A great atmosphere for some good old fashion exercise.  What better way to start than with some classic strength training?

After a few minutes of stretching (you wouldn’t want to pull something, would you?), Yuuma dropped prone, placing his hands underneath his chest shoulder-width apart. He spaced his feet about five inches apart, and he was ready for some push-ups.

”One.” Yuuma called out, pushing against the earth to bring his rigid body up and his arms straight. He dropped back down steadily, his chest tickled by the soft grass and his elbows bent at a 90 degree angle. ”Two.” He chanted in a quiet yet determined voice, hoisting his body up once again. His training had begun, and it would only get harder from here.

Yuuma lost count somewhere around 100 but kept going for a while before collapsing onto the ground, gasping for breath. It felt good to be training like this again, but his arms felt like they were going to fall off. He allowed himself a minute of rest before flipping onto his back. Scooting up to a tree, he placed his feet underneath one of the exposed roots, anchoring himself in place. With his hands on his chest and his legs bent he took a deep breath and then lifted himself up with his abdominal muscles, rising to the sitting position. This time not bothering with counting, he lowered his body until his shoulder blades hit the ground before rising once again. The sit-ups were a bit easier than the push ups thanks to Yuuma’s smaller frame, and he definitely did more of them before he was reduced to a supine lump of quivering flesh, unable to even pull itself off of the ground. He was going to be sore tomorrow, that was for sure.

After a much needed rest, Yuuma was on his feet again. He was still underneath the tree, and could look up and see a fairly low hanging branch about 6 feet above his head. Stepping back a few meters, Yuuma gave himself a running start and leapt up, kicking off the trunk of the tree to give himself more height. This proved to be plenty, and he sailed into the air to latch onto the branch easily. He hung there for a moment, then pulled his body up, bringing his chin over the branch. Rather than pull himself the rest of the way up, however, he simply lowered himself back down until his arms were straight. The young Genin then repeated the motion, pulling his body up and down. He was still fatigued from the push-ups, but he refused to quit, pushing his muscles to the limits and eventually slipping from the branch when his arms could hold him no more. He landed on his feet, but promptly stumbled, only barely steadying himself on the trunk of the tree with faceplanting.

Yuuma leaned against the tree for a few minutes, letting his aching arms recover from their punishment.After he felt comfortable with continuing he strolled around the forest, eventually finding what he was looking for: a fallen tree. Lying on his back and positioning himself under the tree, Yuuma placed his feet firmly on its trunk. With a mighty heave, he pushed against it, forcing the tree to tilt up. The weight was incredible, but the job was made easier by the fact that he didn’t have lift the entire weight of the tree, just tilt it upwards. After bending his legs and lowering the tree back down, Yuuma gave a grunt and pushed it up again. This exercise was the most strength-intensive one so far, as it dealt with real weight and not just body weight. He soon reached muscle failure the tree jamming his legs painfully into his chest, legs to weak to move the tree away. Thankfully he merely had to turn his body to the side, rolling the tree off of his body with his arms.

Yuuma’s entire body was sore, muscles twitching and skin covered in a sheen of sweat. Despite the pain he had a smile plastered on his face, content with the knowledge that this pain was merely proof that his body was becoming stronger and tougher. He was ready to stop... But he wasn’t going to. He was only getting started. Turing over onto his stomach he once again positioned himself for push ups. It was time for his second set.

And so Yuuma continued, pulverizing his body for several hours before calling it quits for the day. By the time the training was over his muscles were screaming in protest, arms, legs, chest, back, and abdominals all agreeing that he was pretty much the worst person ever. They would have their revenge the following day, however.  Yuuma knew he had an unholy retribution of soreness coming his way, but he didn’t care. He knew that he taken the first steps to bringing his conditioning up to a comfortable level, and he looked forward continuuing his training. For now he was focused on protein and carbohydrates, stuffing his face with all the beef, pork, and chicken ramen he could get his hands on.

Ichiraku Ramen had some of the best noodles Yuuma had ever tasted, which was saying a lot considering his background of traveling and gourmet cooking. After scarfing down his last bowl, he bid the owner farewell and left, ready for a good night’s sleep and a day of excercise to follow. As he stepped out onto the street, however, he was grabbed by the scruff of the neck and drug roughly back into the shop. "Your bill" The owner growled, shoving a slip of paper into Yuuma’s hands. Yuuma’s body went cold, the color draining from his face. He coughed awkwardly.

”I, uh... I don’t have any money sir." Yuuma admitted, kicking himself for being so stupid. On the road he usually cooked for his master and vice versa. Even when they ate from towns it was usually on the house thanks to his sensei’s connections. He never had the need for money, and now it was coming back to bite him.

The owner swelled up with rage, and Yuuma thought the man might literally explode, but after a moment of tension, the angry owner merely exhaled with frustration and pointed a finger into Yuuma’s face. ”Tomorrow. Here. 5 o’clock sharp." he grumbled. With that he shooed Yuuma out of his store and slammed the door in his face. Yuuma stood stunned for a few minutes. He was happy that the man didn’t try to murder him or get him arrested, but looked like there was a catch. It seemed the young Genin had a job.

1268 Words

Training Strength E to D:

Training Endurance E to E-3:

A full moon illuminated the open field, casting vision on what would otherwise be a pitch black night. The field was strewn with bodies and destroyed equiment, evidence of the ongoing battle. There had been dozens of shinobi here, but now there were but two. Yuuma surveyed the ruins of the battlefield, a sad but determined look in his eye. His gaze wandered until it finally met with opposition. Across the field a shadowy figure could be seen. A foe. This beast would not be fazed by the weaker weapons of Yuuma’s arsenal. The culinary ninja would have to draw deep and channel his ultimate jutsu. With an inhuman growl, the monster bounded forward, dashing at impossible speeds toward Yuuma. Calmly Yuuma clapped his hands together, forming the necessary seals. the creature is 100 yards away... As he formed the final seal, his right hand began to glow with an almost divine chakra energy. 50 yards... ”Secret Recipe:" He called out, rearing his arm back in preparation for a strike. 20 yards... ”FEAST OF THE DIVINE CREATOR!” He swung his arm down, slamming his hand into the ground. 10 yards..A shockwave rippled across the field.  5 yards... Yuuma could see the bloodlust in the beast's eyes. It's too late. The beast opened its maw. It was so close that Yuuma could smell the gore on its shadowy fur and  feel the warmth of it’s breath on his face. Yuuma’s vision flashed red.

---

RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING~ Yuuma’s eyes fluttered open. Am I dead? He wondered, making an attempt to sit up. This proved to be a mistake, for as soon as he forced his muscles to work he was greeted with a combined “Fuck You” from his entire body. ”Definitely not dead...” He croaked, his voice froggy and rasped from soreness and early-morning exhaustion. He lied there for a few more moments, the ringing of his alarm clock drilling a hole into his brain, and tried to muster up enough strength crawl out of bed.  A halfhearted roll put him a bit closer to the clock on his nightstand, but stretching out with his protesting arm wasn’t enough to reach it. He tried with all his might to touch the clock without moving anymore, stretching and stretching out with his extended arm. Then with a mighty push he jerked himself forward... Promptly rolling off the bed and straight onto his face. Meanwhile the alarm rang away, laughing at the poor genin’s plight.

It took almost half an hour for Yuuma to finally shut off the alarm clock and stretch most of the soreness out of his body. He wondered what this day would bring: His first day of work. Though admittedly, it was less like a job and more like indentured servitude. Not that Yuuma minded. He had wronged the poor man and was nothing but eager to repay his debt with service. Gearing up in his signature suit (black pants, white dress shirt and apron, black vest and bow tie), he set out into the village ready for a day of hard work.

Yuuma arrived to Ichiraku Ramen about 15 minutes early. As he approached he noticed the owner setting out several cans of different colored paints and an assortment of paintbrushes outside the door. As the man saw Yuuma coming, he gave the genin a nod of acknowledgement then pointed at the paint, then the building. He then spoke, ”You’re going to repaint it.” He declared, ”The old paint is chipping and fading. Just put on a coat in the same style, nothing fancy.”

Yuuma was going to respond with a nod and a “yes sir,” but before he could even move his head the man was turned around and heading back into the shop. Ignoring the owner’s rude behavior, he simply rubbed his hands together and gathered the supplies. He donned an artisan’s protective apron to guard his suit from errant paint drops and rolled up his white sleeves.  Dipping a brush into a can of paint matching the base color of the building, he began what would surely be a long, long day.

Stroke after stroke Yuuma repainted the building, making the facade look fresh and new. The sun was beating down, pummeling him with unrelenting heat. In addition the process was going relatively slowly, as Yuuma was painting carefully to avoid getting paint everywhere. Seconds turned to minutes turned to hours, and Yuuma’s already sore body did not appreciate his refusal to rest. He felt as if he wasn’t making any progress, each stroke of the brush seeming more and more insignificant. He wondered internally whether he would ever be free of this chore, and was sure that painting the face of the shop would consume his life until natural death by paint fumes. Despite his pessimistic thoughts, he was over halfway done by luchtime.

As Yuuma sat on the curb, enjoying his break with an ice cold glass of lemonade, the owner approached.  ”I’m just on my luchbreak, sir” Yuuma assured him, ”I’ll be right back to work afterwards” As he said this, however, the man shoved a bowl of ramen into his hands.

”Here,” He said gruffly, ”Bring it back when you’re done, then get back to work." With that he returned to the restaurant. Yuuma couldn’t help but smile, somewhat moved by the man’s act of kindness. He wasn’t really a mean person, just frustrated. Yuuma ate quickly and returned the bowl, continuing his task with renewed vigor.

Yuuma placed the finishing touches on the building as the sun began to set. It had been a long day, but he felt good about his hard work. ”What do you think?"  He asked the owner, who had left the shop in order to check on Yuuma’s progress.

”It’s fine,” he responded, eyeing the young genin’s work up and down. ”You’re done for the day. Be back tomorrow, same time" Once again without waiting for an answer, he walked off, leaving Yuuma alone to ponder the his situation.

Yuuma had no idea how long he was expected to work in the shop. He had no idea what kind of schedule the owner had planned for him, or what kind of work he would be tasked with. With a sigh and a shrug, he decided that thinking about it wouldn’t help anything. He would just have to wait and see. ”Good night, sir!” He called out into the shop with a bow. And with that he headed home, looking forward to a good night’s rest to prepare for the early day tomorrow.

1095 words

Training Perception E to D:

Training Endurance E-3 to D:

RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING~ The alarm once again forced Yuuma from his sleep. Tonight's dream was already fading from his head... Something about drowning in a sea of paint? Whatever, he had work to do. Getting freshened up and dressed didn't take as long as it did the previous day (it helped that he wasn’t nearly as sore), so he decided to use the extra time to walk the long way to Ichiraku Ramen. A lot of things can change in 6 years, so Yuuma still had to get used to the new ins and outs of the streets, buildings, and alleyways. He came to realize that a few of the shortcuts he had relied on as a child were no longer viable, boarded up or blocked by new buildings. For example, one lot used to hold an unfinished building who’s construction had been canceled. Yuuma and his friends would always use that to cut between streets because going around it would add an extra couple of minutes to their walk. That building was now actually finished. It seemed the construction had picked up while Yuuma was gone.

It wasn’t all bad news, however. He found a handful of out-of-the-way nooks and crannies that could make useful hiding spots. One kind homeless man who Yuuma had given a meal decided to show him a hidden gem: a false sewer that was actually just a underground passageway to a few other streets. This passageway bypassed several buildings, allowing one to cut major time off of a journey through the city. Yuuma thanked the homeless man and decided that he had done enough exploring for the day. He set off to Ichiraku Ramen.

This time when Yuuma arrived, the owner wasn’t outside. As Yuuma entered the building he was immediately greeted with a rag and a bucket of water/cleaning solution. Wipe down the counter and the tables.” The owner said as Yuuma took the materials from his hands. "When you’re done sweep the place up, and any time someone leaves make sure you clean up after them."

Yuuma smiled. Once again it was straight to work with this guy. Not a single word of pleasantries. Yuuma decided he would try to inatiate something with the man before he went away, so he spoke up. ”Good morning, sir.” He greeted him, earnestly.

”Good morning. Get to work." With that he returned to his place behind the counter. Yuuma was happy, he had at least gotten a “good morning” from the guy.  There might be hope for the relationship yet. Dunking the rag in the bucket and then squeezing the excess liquid out, Yuuma began to clean the counter. He wiped in small circles, paying attention to detail. It was important for the shop to look clean and inviting, as the customer deserves the most appetizing atmosphere possible. Yuuma had finished the tables and was sweeping the floor when the first customer walked in.  ”Morning!” The owner called out boisterously. Yuuma raised an eyebrow in surprise but said nothing. The two men talked for a while as the owner fixed him up a bowl of breakfast ramen. It seemed the two were friends. When the man left, Yuuma brought his bowl to the sink in the back and wiped down the area had been eating in. He then went back to wash the dish and place it among the clean ones.

The day continued in this way for a few hours. The morning was relatively slow and easy, with not many people eating at the same time unless they came in together. Yuuma cleaned and washed dishes, only rarely being forced to rush. As the morning ended, however, he was called over by the owner and given a bowl of ramen. ”The lunch rush is coming.” The man stated as Yuuma ate. ”Eat fast and clean up. It’s going to be a tough day.” Taking the advice to heart, Yuuma quickly downed his meal washed his dish, wiping down the counter and tables once more.

The lunch crowded started with a small group of teenagers. They barged in laughing and joking around, and sat at a table in the back. Then came a trickle of people coming in ones and twos. It wasn’t much at first, but soon the shop was packed. It was when people started leaving that Yuma was really swamped with work. He had to clean up after them with extreme speed in order to make the table ready for the next customer, and then when he brought the dishes back to be washed he would have to leave again to clean up another table. He couldn’t just let the dishes pile up, however, so any moment of free time had to be spent fighting the growing monster that was the dirty dishes. All of the rushing, running and wiping Yuuma had to do put him on autopilot. What felt like a few minutes was actually more like hours. Everything happened so fast that he didn’t even have time to think. Finally things began to slow as lunch winded down. Yuuma even managed to catch the owner looking at him approvingly, though he was immediately told to get back to work.

As the lunch rush ended, the shop went back to a calm and relaxed environment. There were still more people than there were in the morning, but Yuuma was able to catch up with the dishes and then give everything a good wipe-down. Another friend of the owner was eating at the counter, so the two were talking. There was also a couple laughing and feeding each other at one of the tables, a rotund man sleeping with his head in his bowl, and young teen eating by the door. Yuuma decided now would be a good time to grab the broom and sweep up the floor, but as he went to broom closet he heard the owner roar: ”Dine and dasher!” slamming his fist into the table. Yuuma turned to see the young teen’s back disappearing down the street. Without another thought he took off in pursuit.

The kid had a head start, but he didn’t know if anyone was chasing him, so he wouldn’t be as evasive until he noticed Yuuma. Yuuma sprinted in the direction that he saw the kid heading to, keeping an eye out for movement. There was a crowd of people out, but the dine-and-dasher made the fatal mistake of trying to push his way through. Yuuma could see the crowd parting and hear the protests as people were being shoved aside. He made his way toward the sounds and could see the thieving teen breaking free of the crowd and running deeper into the village. Yuuma followed his path and bolted after him, now hot on his tail.

At this point the kid turned around and saw he was definitely being chased. His eyes widened and he put on a burst of speed, trying to lose his pursuer. Yuuma wouldn’t be outdone, however, and was able to close the gap. ”Stop!” Yuuma yelled when he was close enough for the teen to hear. In response the kid grabbed a trash can and threw down into Yuuma’s path. Thinking fast, the Yuuma was able to leap over the can and continue the chase, but the thief wasn’t done yet. The race brought the two into a narrow street filled with stands of people peddling goods. In an impressive display of agility, the kid vaulted over a fruit stand, pushed off the face of a building, and landed on the roof across the street. Yuuma emulated the action, but his foot slipped when he tried to kick off of the building, and he fell short of the roof. Luckily, his flailing arms caught the edge of the roof, and he quickly pulled himself up.

As soon as his feet were on the roof, however, he was met with the sight of a pipe heading straight toward his head! Acting purely on instinct, Yuuma dropped to the floor, the pipe sailing harmlessly over him. His attacker dropped the pipe and set off in a sprint again, this time leaping from rooftop to rooftop. Yuuma bolted after him once again, but he knew there was no way he would be able to catch the kid like this. He was already tired, and the teen obviously knew what he was doing. Before Yuuma gave up, however, he realized that he recognized  where he was. He had been here this morning. He could see the teens path, and knew that there was only one way he could go.  He also knew a way to get there faster. Changing directions, Yuuma dropped off of the building and rolled to break his fall. He then made a beeline toward the nearest false sewer entrance he was shown earlier. Putting on a burst of intense speed, Yuuma sprinted down the passageway. He leaped out of the appropriate exit and came face-to face with the wide eyes of his running prey.

The teen yelped in surprise as the two crashed into eachother, and before Yuuma could say anything he cried out. ”Okay, Okay! I’ll pay, I’ll pay!” Yuuma extracted the owed money, as well as a generous tip, from the teen and let him go. He then returned to Ichiraku Ramen. He placed the money on the counter with a smile, and the owner couldn’t help laugh.

”Jesus, kid, what did you do?” He asked, impressed and amused by how hard Yuuma had worked for such an insignificant bill. He chucked and shook his head. ”Good job... Now get back to work."Yuuma picked up right where he left off, and the rest of the day went without incident. Dinnertime was just as rushed as lunch, but now that he had a little bit of experience things went a bit smoother. At the end of the day, the owner sent Yuuma home with a “good night.”

”Same time tomorrow?” Yuuma inquired as he prepared to head home.

”How about you take the day off, kid? You’ve earned it." The owner replied. That was when Yuuma knew that he had finally earned the man’s respect. He smiled and nodded, then set off for a good night’s sleep.

1711 words

Training Speed E to D:

Training Reaction Time E to D: