The blazing hot sun beat down on Okami. "Why is it soooo hot? who decided this would be a good place for the training grounds? WHO!?!?" she said as she sat on the building near the training grounds her legs dangling over the side as she looked out at all of the genin and chunin over at the grounds each in there own personal little area, each by themselves. this was how she trained. she found it useless to do repetitive tasks over and over and over again. she never thought that she made much progress in her training doing that. However, studying what other genin were doing at the time felt like it broaden her horizons and helped her learn more about people and how they worked. so this is how she spent most of her time, looking over the edge and watching genin practice in the heat. she didn't understand how they did it. she was just sitting here watching them, and she was dying of heat. that is what she would do. she needed something to do and she just figured it out.

Okami hopped down from the roof she was sitting on and landed on the ground gracefully. then quickly stood up and brushed herself off. as she did so a tumbleweed hit her in the leg. she figured she would rather be safe than sorry and infused some chakra into it for substitution. in case some fight broke out for some unforeseen reason, Okami didn't want to be stuck without a get-away, in which case she had that tumbleweed. just to be sure Okami picked up the tumbleweed, got back up on the roof and put it in a corner, so a part of it was visible from the ground, but so it wouldn't blow around, then she hopped back down once more and walked into the grounds, searching for the nearest person that was training that she could find. she would then walk up to them, but not closer then 7 meter away, and stand there for a bit, and if they didn't acknowledge her after a little bit she would clear her throat, and then whether or not they recognized her standing there she would say "Excuse me? but why do you train in this heat? i couldn't stand it, and so i got curious as to why you were standing out here doing exercise." she would say and then she would patiently await a reply. that was of course, unless something else happened.

---

WC:427
Total WC:427

It was just another new day of the new normal. Nothing was new for Taede, per se...just his accustomedness to his new venue and occupation needing to take root a bit more. His katas were very much muscle memory by this point, and the training that he put himself through here was very much to the point of exceeding his own limits. There was nowhere to go as a genin except up. Even failures, he thought, at this point were naught but minor lags in a simple eventuality.

The harsh desert heat had punished Taede for far too long. Even his breathable, light-retardant clothing hadn't prepared him for something like this. He found that even in something as menial kata training and memorization, he got to learn a bit more about himself. The same rang true externally as well; if he got to train with someone, he allowed himself to glean information about who that person was as well. Fighting, even outside the macabre setting that the shinobi world held, allowed one to see to the heart of a person.

He mused on this subject as he went through his motions. These specific dummies were on axels, so they were excellent for Taede to be able to attack and dodge at the same time....or at the very least learn to. A few light bruises were scattered across the body of the Koizumi family's only son. His shirt soaked with sweat, even those on his chest and back could be apparent.

Though, he broke out of his internal monologuing to check the time. He was getting just a tad exhausted, he found. It couldn't have been that long, could it....?

But it could have, and it was. As he squinted up towards the sun, the heavenly globe of flame told him very much otherwise. It was his guess that he was....what, 2 or 3 hours past his expected finishing date.

He noted the tranquility of the area....very little seemed to disturb the monotonous movements that constituted the Tsumi Sand Grounds at this hour. Only those familiar Suna-nin that he had seen time and again commuting to and from this place of training. Most certainly, Taede kept his senses open for any sudden movements or sounds.

At any rate, the Genin was well-versed in what this area was supposed to look like. And, at least to his own senses, nothing seemed too out-of-the-ordinary. Though....he always needed work, for that matter. There was no doubt in Taede's mind that improvement was necessary, even if it didn't get him promoted.

But then there was one. A sound of feet hitting the ground from a small height....he chose to try and observe the approach from his other senses. Smell helped little here, as naught but sweat and sand permeated the place. Hearing and the feel of sand that most to all steps kicked up told him where she was. A relatively slow approach, this was. Though perhaps that was just Taede's fast-paced training talking?

"Excuse me? but why do you train in this heat? i couldn't stand it, and so i got curious as to why you were standing out here doing exercise."

"It's only because it's the best place to strengthen oneself directly. I can only study so much before I need to put something into practice, after all. The young man replied with little more than a glance, continuing his methodical punches, kicks, and other katas. Nothing he did, seemingly, was set in stone, except his concentration. All of his movements seemed new when executed, and his focus was apparent in how he gave the girl that had approached him a few glances and little more. He was, however, somewhat good at multitasking, so it was rather simple to hold conversation. It was also simplicity itself to keep himself on-guard for anything she might pull. People around here were notorious for needing sparring partners.....badly.

[675]
D-rank jutsu trained.

"It's only because it's the best place to strengthen oneself directly. I can only study so much before I need to put something into practice, after all. the awnser to okami's question. the man didn't even turn around to awnser it he just did. only he gave a bit more. he can only study so much before he needed to put it into practice. that idea felt like a tidal wave against okami. you can only study so much before you need to practice. meaning she could acquire all of the information in the world, and it only meant so much until she applied it and put it to use. she needed to put her knowledge into practice. Okami gave a small nod of reassurance to herself. so. how did she go about applying her knowledge of people to get better? Okami could only think of one way. she would spar.

Okami didn't have much battle practice at all, and she had always been told that sparing would be good for her. as it was for most ninja. however, she didn't consider her self to be most ninja. but, she supposed that sparing might hold something in it for her as well and so she might as well try it out. she knew she could get hurt and that scared her, but she if there was a chance she could get better, than she might as well go for it. besides they were both of the same village, and if it was a spar then okami didn't think she would get hurt very much. she cleared her throat again, and though spoke, although her voice this time was a little bit more shy and timid. "U-umm.. w-would you mind sparring with me? i'm a new ninja and so i don't have much experience, and i think, sparing might help me out a little bit. you said applying your knowledge was how you got better, and so i want too see if the same applied for me. but like i said, i'm a new ninja and have never sparred before... so would you mind sparring with me?" she said giving a slight pause for the man to answer, until another thought came into her head. "I'm also sorry if this isn't the proper etiquette. like i said, I've never done this before." with that she gave a slight bow to the man and stood back, and drew her kunai for her kunai pouch. she wanted to be prepared for anything whether he had yes or no. however if he said no she would stand there for a minute to make sure he didn't just try to get a surprise attack on her, and then she would sheathe the kunai, and go find someone else to spar. butterflies also took flight in her stomach. she was nervous. she hadn't really sparred any one outside of the academy of it before, and then there was someone to monitor it to make sure no one went too far. here there wasn't. plus she had no idea of her opponents abilities, and that factor of uncertainty always gave her an eerie feeling.

As okami stood there waiting for the man to answer she looked him over, just to try and pull as much information from him as she could. based on the series of movements he was practicing when she walked up and his well toned body Okami made a guess he was a practitioner of taijustu, above the basic academy level. the bruises on his body suggest he wasn't the most fluid of dodgers, maybe more of a blocker type then? that mixed with taijutsu could be a problem for okami seeing as she wasn't well suited to fighting off taijutsu users, especially ones who didn't mind taking a hit every now and again. but Okami did have one thing over him at least. he had been training most of the day, and she hadn't done anything of the sort. she gripped her kunai tighter in a reverse grip style. this would certainly be interesting to say the least if he decided to accept her challenge. but other than those three things that she noticed, and it was only a percentage that is was accurate, she had nothing else on her opponent. she would need to watch him carefully if she planned on actually winning this fight. but she had to remember not to focus too much on what he was capable of, and remember to actually focus on what he was doing. so okami stood there awaiting his reply. her sharp eyes already taking note of every little thing about the man already. she was gathering and mentally storing information about him. she took a deep breathe. she was ready for this.

---

WC:821
Total WC:1248

Taede kept performing the most random of katas on the dummy, without cease. Of course, he would never leave himself quite so defenseless. His senses were wide open the entire time he was practicing. That was the essence of his craft, after all. He abruptly desisted his forms when he heard a single sentence.

"U-umm.. w-would you mind sparring with me?

His leg was in the middle of a spinning side kick, and it almost seemed stuck to the dummy; that is, before he slowly removed the crook of his ankle used for the round-house/esque attack. As he lowered his leg, he pivoted on the one he was using for standing, in order to face the girl that had - if only very politely - challenged him. Or was it rather a request?

I'm a new ninja and so i don't have much experience, and i think, sparing might help me out a little bit. you said applying your knowledge was how you got better, and so i want too see if the same applied for me. but like i said, i'm a new ninja and have never sparred before... so would you mind sparring with me?"

The explanation was rather....long-winded. The second sentence would have done just fine to get her point across....he didn't understand why people thought that....well, that they couldn't understand each other. At any rate...


The older Genin took a nonchalant glance at his would-be opponent. His partner for sparring, rather. She wasn't very well-equipped for battle, it'd seem....no armor, and a Kunai to her name. She was being honest, it seemed, when she said that she was new to being a ninja. Taede also considered himself new, but....he supposed he still had a bit of experience on her, if only by seniority. It didn't matter to him, of course; he didn't pull punches, especially for his peers. If anything, he normally considered himself the lesser of other Genin. It was a trait he wasn't proud of, his more-than-humility (almost self-deprecation, really), but it was something that he could live with. Whether or not he was better than his peers....he could only try.

He noticed that he was panting slightly. He needed to stop that....the first thing that he learned from the scrolls he collected all those years ago. Breathing was your center, and thus was central to being able to stand up to an opponent. It was practically the oldest rule in the proverbial book(s). At any rate, he didn't need to close his eyes any more in order to clear his thoughts and focus only on his ins-and-outs, his breaths. It probably outwardly appeared like Taede was relaxed, of sorts. On the border of being unnaturally so for being awake and conscious, in fact. His smile faded not into a frown, not into something deadpan, but an expression that was all at once every other and yet none of the emotions. It was a focused peace that graced his face, even for the slightest of moments. Once he had regained control of his breathing, he did a couple of stretches. He touched his toes once or twice with a simple, orthodox back-bend, and laterally stretched his shoulders by pressing them lightly across the front of his chest, in the direction opposite they were attached. (That is to say, he stretched his right arm to the left across his chest, and then his left arm to the right.) After this, a simple knee-and-legs crouching stretch would do to loosen him up. All of these were nothing a normal exercise-minded would think out of the question before a strenuous workout. His just happened to be a bit more thorough, as he was attempting to toughen his body. It naturally made him more than a bit sore at this time. it was a consequence he was willing to face, though, for such a gift. he just hoped the scrolls were not in error.

The ninja that was his peer and obviously his junior - by four years? Five? - had drawn a kunai since he had started, and was rather hesitant as to what to do, seemingly. She did not seem poised to strike, nor did she seem inclined to flee. Perhaps just a readiness for what was to come, then? Taede supposed the latter-most option, and prepared himself like-wise. Never too careful, hm.

The young man crouched his legs slightly, acute to everything that was going on about the area....at least to the best of his ability. He didn't adopt any stance, per se, just something that let him hold his ground. In Sunagakure, he had to learn to do this on the gritty, shifty surface that they called "floor", the hard way.

One hand was outstretched towards the girl, two fingers extended. It would follow her, as would the "front" of his psuedo-stance, as she moved. His other hand, along with his forearm up to the elbow, seemed to be clutching his upper-middle abdomen. He had a plan.

Okami almost jumped in excitement when the man agreed to have a spar with her. yes. she would finally get to apply all of the studying she did in a an actual battle. she gripped her kunai tightly and raised it so it aligned with her eye, the tip pointing at her opponent. her eyes narrowed as she took a deep breathe. she was ready for this. she could do this. even if she wouldn't win she could at least try. but as soon as the battle began it would end. okami caught sight of the setting sun and knew that she had to leave. she had a curfew, and her mother would be mad if she didn't get home. she twirled her kunai around and put it in it's pouch, and she bowed "gomen nasai! i need to leave. my mother will be mad if i don't get home before dark.... maybe we can do this some other time?" and with that apology she turned and ran home as fast as she could.
[exit thread]
OOC: so if you post again it should count as a social thread for you. sorry about this :/

Taede stood there, ready for battle. His stance was perfect, unyielding to any potential advances. Completely armed both physically and mentally for this spar, the Genin was confident that he could at the very least hold his own.

And stand he did. That was all that happened for a short while....it was a tad awkward. The two just faced each other, until the girl finally spoke up. It was a relief to the Koizumi's lad-of-the-house, since he had a bad track record for breaking up silences.

"gomen nasai! i need to leave. my mother will be mad if i don't get home before dark.... maybe we can do this some other time?"

It was a rather anticlimactic finish to their friendly confrontation.... but if that was what things had to turn out to be, it was little to think on. A curfew....another silly structure created by people. But it was something that was deemed necessary, and Taede saw little sense in attempting to stop it.

He saw the girl off, as he had to go in a different direction across the desert paths. Meandering, wandering to and fro, only in the direction of 'yon' from 'hither'. This young man was rather mature enough to not have a curfew set. Why, he recalled just a few days ago, he did a mission that required an all-nighter. Granted, it was still within the village, but still. Strip clubs were not his thing.

Shuddering at his memory, Taede made his way back to the village, at West Gate. Not that a West Gate really existed, but he had his own ways. Secret passages that only a few knew of. He was sure the ANBU were in on it, but what would it matter if he utilized them as well?

It was already dusk. The genin hurried back to his house, located in a small corner of the village. It was not quite in the Sand Dune Slums, but it was nearing....the edge of 'nice' areas. He didn't mind. There was nothing to fear.

The Koizumi household was safe at night so long as he was there.

[Exit Thread]


363+325= 688/675 (this post). One Natural Armor trained.
675/675 (post 2): One Natural Armor trained.
675/675 (post 1): One Natural Armor trained.