'Stop lingering in the past, and step into the here and now...', Nana found herself thinking as she went through her morning routine of stretches: the past always threatened to over-take her mind in these moments of silence and she often had to beat it back with whatever was handy - this time just happened to be a nice little quote. She always tried to take good care of her body - at least now anyway that she had long stopped using drugs along with the other less than healthy habits she had had going on - and stretching was part of that routine. A healthy breakfast had gone along with that, too, but she wasn't all that big of an eater in the morning so it would wait a bit more.

When she was finished stretching out her legs in every way she could imagine she stood up, the upper half of her body already done, and glanced down at herself. She wore a gray sports bra beneath of a white tank top. White shorts and tennis shoes matched her work out outfit. She had had every intention of spending the morning on a long run - building up both speed and stamina as well as strength in her legs, so she was dressed for the occasion. However, that didn't stop her from pausing next to her dresser and grabbing her weapons pouch which was then securely attached to her right leg, as well as her Konoha headband which she used to push her bangs out of her face after quickly pulling her white hair back into a neat ponytail.

She walked out of the bedroom of her one bedroom apartment, skipping a trip to the kitchen since she figured she would just eat after she got done, and headed out the door after locking it behind herself. She glanced left and then right, wondering where it was she wanted to start. She rather liked to avoid the populated areas because it slowed her down, preferring to run through the forest since nature itself provided natural obstacles for her to maneuver herself around, as well as the random bumps and hills adding their own perfection for her self training. So, that was exactly where she headed at a slow jog.

Given her apartment was closer to the edge of the village it didn't take her long to reach the forest and really be able to let go - something she never allowed herself to do while in the village for fear of harming someone who got in her way accidentally. Now though, she pushed herself as fast as she could go - which really wasn't all that fast just yet. She moved around trees, took a leap over a rather large tree root sticking out of the soil, and then hurdled a bush, all without slowing or breaking her stride. As she went she worked on getting her breathing properly tuned to her movement: she didn't want to stop because she ended up out of breath after all. No, for her to see the improvement she wanted she was going to have to run long and hard for quite a while - in fact, a few tips and pointers probably wouldn't have been so bad either. Or a sensei appearing out of thin air to take her under their wing despite her ranking. Sadly, she didn't see the latter happening since most turned their noses at her the moment they found out about her rather rebellious and stupid past: they didn't like to or want to believe that she had changed from that and had no intentions of going back.

Wordies: 608

"Now Hiroyuki, you've got to remember to block sometimes. You can't just dodge forever, not unless you plan on getting to be a walking tank and can handle taking the hits like your sisters. I know you want to be me, but even I can take a hit or two before I drop."

"I don't like physically fighting..."

"I know this, son, but there's a time and place for mental and physical fighting. You need to be schooled in both." He'd dragged the boy out into the woods for some one on one time with him; after the... incident a few weeks prior they hadn't been alone together once, and there was a need to clear the air as it where. Hiroyuki was terrified of being alone with Kenta for fear of hurting him again, and Kenta was in dire need of fresh air and exercise. Why not kill two birds, yeah? He could train his son, work on calming the boy's fears, and get some air. Michizuka had the girls for the day, he understood Kenta's need to do this, so there was no worry about Temaki or Yuki getting in the way. This was good, as Yuki would try to hard to help and Temaki would just mercilessly tease her brother by way of attempting to help. She had a good heart, but not the best ideas for going about that helping.

"Try again, Hiroyuki. You don't have to repel me, just block the attacks." Kenta was moving slow as cold molasses, for him anyway, making to where Hiroyuki would have to work a bit, but well within the child's abilities to perceive and react. Hiro was taking after him in aspects of speed and reaction, while is perceptive abilities where off the charts for a Genin; that was his Dad's blood alright. He'd be a fine psychic one day, and if Kenta could get in early enough still, he could be a lithe little fighter as well. A solid mix of the two, maybe even with more physical power then Kenta could ever have, if he could just motivate him into training his body. There was nothing holding Hiroyuki back as there as Kenta after all, so the potential was there, locked away behind a wall of apathy and fear, hidden in the heart of the Inuzuka that he carried, even if it still slumbered within him.

Neither male was paying much attention to the outside world, however; the little clearing they where training in was moderately sized and open enough; little more than grass and brush and a fall tree trunk to distinguish it from the next clearing in the trees. It was a quiet spot, even with them training in it there where still little mammals roaming around, birds chirping and singing; two Inuzuka didn't disturb the forest, they were part of it as it was them, so there was nothing making the animals spook and run away. Not yet, anyway.

WC: 511

"I know this, son, but there's a time and place for mental and physical fighting. You need to be schooled in both." He'd dragged the boy out into the woods for some one on one time with him; after the... incident a few weeks prior they hadn't been alone together once, and there was a need to clear the air as it where. Hiroyuki was terrified of being alone with Kenta for fear of hurting him again, and Kenta was in dire need of fresh air and exercise. Why not kill two birds, yeah? He could train his son, work on calming the boy's fears, and get some air. Michizuka had the girls for the day, he understood Kenta's need to do this, so there was no worry about Temaki or Yuki getting in the way. This was good, as Yuki would try to hard to help and Temaki would just mercilessly tease her brother by way of attempting to help. She had a good heart, but not the best ideas for going about that helping.

"Try again, Hiroyuki. You don't have to repel me, just block the attacks."

He hated this, this physical work that made his chest hurt and his muscles ache. He was a psychic wasn't he, he didn't need to fight with his body. His sisters where the physical fighters, not him; Temaki rubbed it in his face all the time that he was weaker than her or Yuki, so why bother? Even Da' didn't push him to physically train, so why was Dad doing it now? He wasn't even sure he should be here; being alone with anyone was a bad idea for him and he was scared. Scared he'd hurt Dad again, like last time when he found him in the forest that first time and he... he...

Nearly killed Dad.

He'd nearly destroyed his own father, and now the same father was teaching him to be more dangerous? What was the thinking there, he couldn't figure it out. Just... why?

"What's the point of me getting physically stronger...? I'm so small as it is... I can't grow..." He was struggling as it was, and he knew his father was limiting himself by a massive degree to even allow for that. Kenta was just on another level, a God among mortals in Hiroyuki's mind. Michizuka was too, the power of his Dad's mind... it was horrifying when he thought about it. He could never compete with that. He couldn't compete with any of them, not now. Maybe not ever. It was... depressing. Even having his Da' back didn't help that depression. Especially not after what happened.

Sudden, fist coming for face. Right... should... do something about that.

He knew the forms, he knew what to do, but making his body actually do it was a different story. In his mind he could image train with the best of them, but that was his mental power boosting his ability into the stratosphere. Physically... it was like he had concrete weights wrapped around his arms and legs, and was trying to move through jello. It just didn't work the way Da' wanted. So of course, the blow slipped right over his attempt at a block and landed square on his jaw. Yeah, he was going to be tasting blood for a few days. Weeeeeee.

He took the hit and let the kinetic energy transference send him flying backwards a bit, landing on the firm earth with a dull thud and a groan that was more a 'frick me' than pain. The punch was pulled last possible second, so the impact, which strong, wasn't that damaging overall, he was just physically frail, like spin glass he was easily damaged and bruised. Some Genin he was.

"Can we stop, Da'. I'm not going to get this..."

WC: 670

It took several long strides, likely longer than it should have, for Nana to get her breathing to match her running pace so that she wasn't risking ending up out of breath. This allowed her to simply focus fully on her run, allowing her mind to empty, and simply just enjoying the greenery that was going flying past her with every step. The feeling of running, the pure joy of watching the world go by without a care in the world, coursed through her very mind and veins. She liked this, hell she loved it. She just couldn't understand why she hadn't bothered with it before?

No point in bringing me off that high.

It was a good high, a respectable one, not like what she used to do - not like how she used to destroy her body, fall victim to various offenses simply for the next fix -- no, no point in thinking about those things. Now was the time for running, for enjoying the freedom she had, for just letting herself go and even for a little bit becoming just another creature moving through the forest enjoying themselves.

It was these thoughts that brought her to the clearing that was by no means empty, hurtling another tree branch, feet touching the ground and ready to spring forward to keep going. Only she didn't, she couldn't... she had arrived just in time to see a full grown man punch a small and rather frail looking child in the face. Rage pure in its form, hot like fresh lightning, coursed through her suddenly as she watched the kid get sent backward a ways and hit the ground. Memories assaulted her mind of the constant bullying she used to endure: being pushed again, forced into things she didn't want to do, being hit and struck and too weak to fight back and defend herself. She couldn't just walk away, it would have killed her to try at this point.

"Oi... the hell you do that for?", she called out, standing from the crouch she had landed in when she had hurtled the overly large tree root. She was soaked in sweat, bangs sticking to her forehead and various strands of lose hair clinging to her neck, so she was likely a sight to see but she didn't care. You did not hit someone smaller than you in front of Nana and expect her to go on about her business. Nana placed her hands on her hips - she doubted she could make herself look threatening given she wasn't all that bit herself, but if it helped to make her look serious or intimidating then she was going to give it a try.

As Nana waited for a response, waited for some sort of explanation, or hell even waited to get her ass beat next - though she wouldn't care if it meant the child could get away - she glared at the adult, while feeling bad for the kid who had been knocked on his ass. She really didn't care that the individual in front of her was stronger than her or not, or likely more skilled then her, she was going to stand up for what she believed in and at the moment she was pretty sure he had just been bullying the kid - not knowing the truth given her arrival timing.

Wordcount: 562 | 1,170

"What's the point of me getting physically stronger...? I'm so small as it is... I can't grow... ... Can we stop, Da'. I'm not going to get this..."

Kenta only gave the boy a look that said 'Really? Seriously?' before shifting into a different stance which had him dropping into a ginga, the initial base stance of his prefered fighting style, the dance-fighting art of Capoeira. He would have begun to dance around and basically force the boy into acting had they not been interrupted. A voice, unknown and strange to him, rang out and broke his concentration and focus enough for him to stand up and turn toward her, head cocking to the right as he fixated on her and focused hard. Huh... disheveled and sweating up a storm, a slight wheeze to the breath. Runner, maybe. Novice, by the sound of the breathing, anyway. That ache of non-fitness, someone pushing through those early hurdles and adapting to the effort needed to run distances. Huh.

"Oi... the hell you do that for?"

He almost, almost responded with 'the hell do you care?', but he held back, merely shifting to his full height and moving toward his son, reaching down a hand to help him stand up so he could check the damage before they got back to working out. "Fairly obvious that we're training. Also fairly obvious that this is my son, given he's a carbon copy of me; or nearly so. What's your story, eh? Just stumbled in here, or is someone looking for us?"

If Hiroyuki took his hand, he'd help the boy to stand before moving back a few paces to reset the distance between them before they started again. If he didn't take it, then the elder would still back away to a proper distance and ready for the next attack.

WC: 326

326 + 511 = 837

Well, this was just great. Old man wasn't backing off, was he? Hell, he was dropping into a ginga, which meant he was about to get serious. Well, Auntie was going to have a field day healing him later, and chewing Kenta out. Wonderful.

Or not?

Huh, new person. Random new person. Asking... very obvious questions. If anything, it bought him a few moments to recover, since it broke his father out of his revere and made him stop before he could get going with his capoeira. Maybe he wouldn't be spending the night at Auntie's house getting healed. Woo, comfortable bed for him tonight! The offered hand was stared at for a moment, it could well be a trap, but given that there was a witness here... he risked taking it; using the stabilizing point to pull himself up and to his feet. The instant he was up however, he retreated a few feet away and turned toward the newcomer, unconsciously copying his father in mirror-fashion; while he dad cocked to the right, he cocked to the left. It made for a disconcerting sight, likely.

"Physical training. Da' is making me do it. Says I have to get stronger physically. I missed the block."

Of course, this was all said via his mind, using his telepathy; which was always disconcerting to people not used to it; but his voluntary mutism ran strong; he refused to verbalize unless it was absolutely necessary, or if he was alone with just family he liked. This situation was neither, and that meant he'd rather spook someone else than use his voice. "He's not abusing me, if that's what you're worried about. This is pretty standard training actually. If it was Dad here, you'd just see us standing there until one of us dropped with a nosebleed or something because we'd be image training, or mentally fighting. Psychic stuff, it's hard to explain."

WC: 332

332 + 670 = 1002

Nana watched as the older of the two moved toward the boy on the ground. Nana was about ready to spring into motion when she noticed him do nothing more than stick his hand out to the kid as a clear gesture of offering to help him up. She watched the kid take the offered hand before using it to held get him back onto his feet. The words that the older of the two males spoke meant nothing to her - abuse was normally hidden behind lies, and just because you were related to someone didn't mean you wouldn't harm them.

But, the words of the younger male confirmed it, and thus Nana relaxed. She grinned a bit sheepishly, a tad embarassed for having jumped to the way wrong conclusion, and scratched at the back of her head a bit as she thought how to answer the older males question. "Haha.. sorry. Guess I got the wrong impression. I was just jogging through... saw you hit him and figured I'd see what was up. Sorry about that..." She didn't really know what else to say: clearly she had taken that situation way out of context.

Nana was contemplating just walking away when suddenly she heard someone else talking - and by heard she meant speaking without them having to move their mouth. Nana jumped, startled. What the frick?! The kid went on to speak again, and his words made it all make more sense - though... that didn't make it any less strange. Not weird, just different. She had heard of such an ability, but she had never thought it was real. Then again, she had been on the recieving end of some nasty Genjutsu attacks back during the 'bad times' of her life, so she shouldn't have been all that surprised. "Oh... um... wow." Okay, Nana... focus. Make your brain work, let's go.

"Sorry... I just... I didn't expect you to speak... with your mind? I didn't think such an ability really existed. Anyway... I guess that was kind of the conclusion I jumped too, sorry about that. You said your physically training? I guess that was part of what I was supposed to be doing today... only, by myself. Don't really have anyone else to train with, so I just kind of read the stuff in books and try it myself." She didn't bother mentioning that she didn't really get far doing it that way - but what other choice did she have?

Wordcount: 416 | 1,586

"Pffft. You're not wrong to be concerned. How many people randomly train this far out like this anymore? Let alone as hard as I push myself and anyone I train. Granted, if I was really pushing him, he'd be flying through the air and getting hurt, but I don't enjoy the idea of physically assaulting my son like that. The point is to train, not to destroy." Kenta was calm about this whole situation, he wasn't upset about being interrupted, nor much bothered by it either. It was a moment to catch his breath, and to let Hiroyuki get his bearings back. He was pretty sure he'd knocked them clear out of the boy's head with that punch, really. Might as well give him the chance to properly recover.

"Hiroyuki, you know the rules. You speak to strangers; you don't think at them." Michizuka had instituted the rule years ago, while Kenta was gone; trying to force the boy to actually verbalize before he lost his voice to disuse. It was a modified form of exposure therapy; forcing him to face the thing that made him anxious, but in a controlled (or semi-controlled anyway) setting, so that it became less uncomfortable and more normal. The mutism was voluntary, so it was a coping mechanic the boy was using for... something. It was also a massive shock to non-family that didn't understand the Kamizuki blood the boy carried; it had caused problems before where people violently responded because they didn't understand that he was only projecting his thoughts, not reading their minds or anything like that. That, among other reasons, meant that it was in Hiroyuki's best interests to make him verbalize to strangers.

WC: 300 + 837 = 1137

"Hiroyuki, you know the rules. You speak to strangers; you don't think at them."

Gah, that... he didn't want to do that. He really didn't. He wasn't even sure why he hated his voice so much anymore; the memory of why was lost in the depths of the dark zone in his mind where he hid away painful and scary memories and such; the place that only his Dad could access and even then only when Hiro was sedated and relaxed to the point that he didn't react with explosive violence on a subconscious level because someone was trying to access that dark place.

"Y-yes, Father..." His physical voice sounded exactly like his mental voice, only so much softer and with that rusty hesitance that a voice only took on when it wasn't used. There was a tinge of fear there, anxious worry that something bad was going to happen if he spoke that kept him from doing so; why bother risking bad things when his mental voice was stronger and safer and couldn't be hidden away. He could convey so much more using his mind as well, his physical voice was inefficient and made things take so much longer than they had to. His attention went back to the new female, eyes seeming to take on an almost glow as he focused on her. he was sort of reading her body language and such, using physical clue to fill in blanks that he could have gotten via his telepathy if he didn't absolutely respect the sanctity of the individual and refused to violate the minds of other beings without reason. "You are ninja, yes? Like us, I mean. How do you not have a squad...?" Normal ninja had squad, or they should. He and his sisters worked with their fathers, that was best for them, but others... they had assigned sensei. Or they should. Why didn't she?

WC: 333

333 + 1002 = 1335

The older individual mentioned that she wasn't exactly wrong to be concerned which made her feel a tad bit better about her clearly misunderstood assumption she had jumped to when she had seen him hit the younger male. The older man then told the younger to use his mouth to speak compared to his mind (telepathy? Really? She still couldn't get over that). Nana wouldn't have minded either way now that the initial shock was over and done with. She hadn't expected such a talent to be a real thing, but now that she knew it was she wondered what else people could really do.

The younger male's question brought her down from her thoughts and darkness filled her eyes; the happy glow vanishing to be returned with a sort of frightened coldness as she remembered the past and the things she had done and which had been done to her. "Uh... most sensei refuse to take me as a student. Eventually, they just kind of quit trying to pair me with people. I don't have the best reputation... When I was younger and stupider, I let someone I thought I was in love with rope me into some stuff I shouldn't have... and ended up with a pretty nasty addiction to drugs. When my parents died it was a wake up call, I had to take care of my younger brother since I was all he had left, and it was enough to get me over my old vices. But, they still won't accept me because of it... they're afraid I'll just slip back into my old ways I guess." She didn't mention the fact that that kind of judgmental behavior would turn a lesser person, a weaker person, right back to their old ways. But not Nana. Her brother was the world to her now, and she his: she would be lost without him and wasn't willing to risk going back to her old stupid ways again and doing just that.

She scratched the back of her head with a frown, she hadn't wanted to say so much but figured they deserved the truth - besides, they'd hear a worse version with likely more details if they were to ask anyone else. "It's given me time to open up a tattoo shop though... but it still kind of sucks I can't get further than I am. There's only so much someone can do on their own... Anyway, suppose I should get going. I need to finish up my run."

Wordies: 424 | 2,010

"Uh... most sensei refuse to take me as a student. Eventually, they just kind of quit trying to pair me with people. I don't have the best reputation... When I was younger and stupider, I let someone I thought I was in love with rope me into some stuff I shouldn't have... and ended up with a pretty nasty addiction to drugs. When my parents died it was a wake up call, I had to take care of my younger brother since I was all he had left, and it was enough to get me over my old vices. But, they still won't accept me because of it... they're afraid I'll just slip back into my old ways I guess."

Aaaaand queue several seconds of the ambient temperature dropping low enough to frost the leaves on the mighty oaks around them, for the humid wind to turn to a light fog, and everyone to start shivering uncontrollably. Seriously? This is what his village had fallen to in the years he'd been gone? Not a single sensei in the entire village would take a single child that wanted to be a soldier for the village just because they made some mistakes in the past? How many of them had clean records? Fucking hypocrites. "Well now, we can't have that, can we. I've been looking to take a real squad lately. Good way to tell those fucks to suck it, having a Kage teaching you now." Yeah, frick it; he just didn't give a damn anymore. Most people figured it out after a few minutes, or a day or so later, anyway; so there was no reason to pretend he was anything but /that/ Inuzuka.

"You'd be sharing space with my kids and godkids, but you'd be officially on my squad, versus them just being here because I teach my kids and no one else but their Dad or Aunt or Uncle are allowed to train them. Naota and Amaya are my Sannin for a reason, afterall; and it's not just because they're Uchiha." The offer was made, and he wasn't going to go on and on about how it was a glorious golden ticket or some bullshit like that. It was exactly what it was, a simple offer to take a spot on his team; or at least a chance for some free training if she didn't want to commit to a full time gig. He understood the pull of taking care of family all too well, so he wasn't going to fault her.

WC: 445

445 + 1137 = 1582

"Uh... most sensei refuse to take me as a student. Eventually, they just kind of quit trying to pair me with people. I don't have the best reputation... When I was younger and stupider, I let someone I thought I was in love with rope me into some stuff I shouldn't have... and ended up with a pretty nasty addiction to drugs. When my parents died it was a wake up call, I had to take care of my younger brother since I was all he had left, and it was enough to get me over my old vices. But, they still won't accept me because of it... they're afraid I'll just slip back into my old ways I guess."

Yep, time to cov-.. there it was. The world was freezing around him, and he knew exactly what his father was thinking that had him so instantly worked up to the point that his chakra was freezing the world around them. Ice release be damned, his father's chakra was unbelievably cold when he was worked up, and it showed when his Wind Chakra flared like it was doing in those moments. It passed quick enough, the elder was good at not killing people off the power of his emotions alone, so outside of being chilled, no one should have been hurt by that. It did still get a meep of almost pain out of the boy, he wasn't equipped for cold in general, being as scrawny as he was he had zero protection from the cold, and he wasn't exactly dressed for a romp through the snow and icy winds; what with his normal training attire being little more than monk pants and a sleeveless tunic, both of which hung off his frame like a tent even though they where 'proper' sized for him.

"I... would agree with Father. That is rather... shortsighted." He was choosing words carefully, using the minimum to get his point across. He was rather verbose when using his telepathy, but his verbal voice was a treasure of sorts, according to his sisters anyway, and he was stingy when it came to handing that treasure out. The offer to take the girl on made Hiroyuki smile inside, the more Kenta had to focus on, the less time he'd have to torment train him. Win-win, all around.

WC: 404

404 + 1335 = 1739

Suddenly cold. Cold enough to have her worrying about how little she had covering her and the very apparent female reaction she was having: so, arms folded across her chest in a hurry? Yes please. Too many male's around for that shit. In fact, worry about revealing a little too much of herself had her more pre-occupied for that exact moment of time then the fact that it had suddenly gotten cold enough to frost. How the fuckle? She didn't know. It was just happening.

Before she could turn and walk away like she had been planning on to so that she could continue her run the older male was speaking and his words made her remain planted exactly where she was standing: she could have been a tree for fucks sake at how rooted to the spot she currently was. He had been looking for a squad, and wanted to take her on as a student? Even after she had admitted what she used to do to him. Further more, he was that Inuzuka, which had she been paying more attention she would have noticed given the single Inuzuka fang mark on his face where there should have been two.

Nana, you are an absolute moron if you do not accept his offer right here, right now... A kage? Who the hell has that kind of luck?, Nana thought to herself while her head nodded in an automatic yes. Speak you moron, instead of just standing there like a dumb struck idiot.

"That'd... be amazing! Sure!" A grin spread across the female's face, and she was having to restrain herself from bouncing in place like an excited child, or a too happy puppy. "When do we start?" She knew her brother was expecting her later on for dinner, but even he'd be willing to understand what kept her so late once he found out about not only the fact that she was now on a squad, but just who exactly was her sensei. He'd be as thrilled as she was.

Wordies: 347 | 2,357

The smirk said it all, he was pleased by this. He was going to be having some... talks, with people over this information soon enough, but that was for later, when he was ready to be that administrative leader in the limelight once more; for now he was a shadow in the darkness behind the scenes pushing buttons and shaking things up until people acted in response. Fun times. "Well, the enthusiasm will certainly help you survive. I don't half ass, nor hold back; up to a point anyway. As you saw, I'm not trying to kill, necessarily, when I train someone, but I push them to their limits and beyond as a proof of point; most limits are mental, not physical; this is doubly so for ninja whose physical potential is nearly infinite with the right conditions and mindset. While yes, some ninja start 'better' than others, those prodigies and clan ninja with all the advantages are lucky; many of the greatest shinobi to ever live were clanless no-names at birth. It just takes the right push, and a bit of luck, to be the best." Kenta shifted from his position, moving away from his son and toward the open space of the larger clearing. He needed room to work, with two people to train. Or show off. Either or.

"Tell me, what are your abilities, then? How do you fight, and what do you know. All of it, no matter how small a detail. The more I know, the more I can teach you."

WC: 260

260 + 1582 = 1842

Hiroyuki tilted his head in the opposite direction; he was listening to her emotions and her thought, not purposefully, but she was projecting them without even realizing it, something many did unconsciously because no one else could hear, so why bother protecting them? He was confused by what he sensed, it was beyond his understanding on a personal level to feel the things that she did, and while he knew of those things, and could conceptualize them on an academic level, at a personal level he was... lost. Confused. There was no context he could use to frame things, so he was struggling to index the information in a way that made sense.

"You... are worried. You fear... no, not fear... idolize? He scares you, but not in a bad way. It's not quite respect... not as I understand it. Excitement yes, lots of that; but there is more... I don't understand." Now he was spending his words freely; it was in the boy's nature to understand everything; he had to learn how to understand emotions and the worldview of others so that he could control his own mind and the reactions his untrained empathy forced on him. It was safer that way, and while he was focusing on it his mind was centered and controlled, so there was no chance of accidental outbursts and the like.

But then his father was moving and break time was over, it would seem. Now was the time to get ready to be smashed around in less time than it would take to blink an eye, or for the heart to beat once, or anything his young form could manifest physically. His mind was faster, sort of, but his physical reactions where weak and slow, so that didn't much matter. Kenta was far superior in all manner of physical to his children; age and many more years of intensive training saw fit to that; but that didn't mean he could predict and be ready.

WC: 336

336 + 1739 = 2075

"Well, the enthusiasm will certainly help you survive. I don't half ass, nor hold back; up to a point anyway. As you saw, I'm not trying to kill, necessarily, when I train someone, but I push them to their limits and beyond as a proof of point; most limits are mental, not physical; this is doubly so for ninja whose physical potential is nearly infinite with the right conditions and mindset. While yes, some ninja start 'better' than others, those prodigies and clan ninja with all the advantages are lucky; many of the greatest shinobi to ever live were clanless no-names at birth. It just takes the right push, and a bit of luck, to be the best. Tell me, what are your abilities, then? How do you fight, and what do you know. All of it, no matter how small a detail. The more I know, the more I can teach you."

"I primarily use Buki to fight; my preferred weapon, a reaper scythe, is currently being repaired. I also can use basic Ninjutsu. I can utiilize both air and lightning when I fight as well. Of course, when worse comes to worse, I have no problem head butting someone's nose into oblivion to win a fight." Nana's intuition was firing; the idea that she was about to get her ass handed to her bouncing around her mind. Of course, there would be a method behind all of this, some kind of lesson to be taken from it, or some other reasoning that would 'toughen' her up or some such, of that much she was sure. But that didn't mean it wasn't going to hurt. Still, she was no stranger to pain, so she wasn't going to back out now.

"You... are worried. You fear... no, not fear... idolize? He scares you, but not in a bad way. It's not quite respect... not as I understand it. Excitement yes, lots of that; but there is more... I don't understand."

Nana turned her attention then to Hiroyuki, smiling a bit. "You're really perceptive... reminds me of my little brother. He always seems to know what I'm feeling, a lot of the time before I know. I don't know how to explain it though; I'm... not so good with emotions. I spent so much time being numb and raw to it all that sometimes things get jumbled. Excitement triggers fear. Fear triggers giddyness. It's a... work in progress in my head I guess." It was as best an explanation as she could give; she was broken in some ways still despite all fo the healing she had done.

She then focusd her attention back onto Kenta, wondering what was about to be coming her way. If he'd punch his own kid in the face? She had no delusions of what he'd do to a complete stranger during training. Still, she wasn't leaving. She wanted this, and she finally got it, so she'd be a fool to give it up.

Wordies: 504 | 2,861

"I primarily use Buki to fight; my preferred weapon, a reaper scythe, is currently being repaired. I also can use basic Ninjutsu. I can utilize both air and lightning when I fight as well. Of course, when worse comes to worse, I have no problem head butting someone's nose into oblivion to win a fight."

"Good, good. I'm not much for most weapons, although I do carry kunai blades and the like on occasion, but there is a fair bit of overlap between Taijutsu and Bukijutsu. At least on some levels. I can Taijutsu training styles to enhance your physical abilities, which will help with your Bukijutsu by making you better able to physically handle the weapons. Lightning and I aren't the closest friends, but that is because I am primarily a water god of sorts; or so my husband used to say. We share wind, so that will make things... interesting. You express willingness to do what is needed when it is needed as well, so you should survive my training rather nicely, then. That is one thing I require of my students, be ready to do what you must to survive; Inuzuka are very big on survival and survival style training, so expect to get very intimate with nature eventually."

In an instant he seemed to disappear from existence; this was his natural raw speed brought to bare; even without using Quickstep or Void Step he was supremely fast, far more so than any normal shinobi of any rank could visually track. He gave the Sharingan a run for it's money, and that was saying something, as he was routinely fooling three tomoe Sharingan. He flashed from where he stood originally to a spot roughly 25 meters behind her and a solid 20 feet above, into a tree where he idly leaned against the trunk in a position that was both comfortable and left him perfectly on guard. "You must learn to anticipate the unexpected around me. Learn to predict and react twenty and thirty steps ahead of everyone, up to and including yourself. Always analyze, always think more and deeper into the situation. All this while never forgetting to trust your instincts..." He was gone again, now standing perfectly atop the child's head, balanced so that he was taking his weight in the air around her, so that his larger bulk wouldn't damage her neck, but still allowing him perfect balance and a way to move without harming her. "Expect the unexpected, expect things to never go as planned." He was gone again, this time appearing behind Hiroyuki, who'd been snapping his head around and watching the spots he thought his father would appear at; years of practice gave him an edge of sorts. Kenta might have been gone for a long time, but his other father was well experienced with usage of Quickstep, which gave him speed in the ballpark of Kenta's base, so Hiroyuki had a shot in hell of getting it right fairly often. Before the boy could even begin to start reacting properly, Kenta was above them both by nearly 100 meters and throwing his body into a spin that was classic Inuzuka, Tsuuga, Tunneling Fang; the thing that all his clan was known for using. However, this was slightly... different. There was a sense of air moving different, and a sound like a sonic scream. This was his mother's speciality, and his own, now; Sonic Tunneling Fang. He was aiming to impact the earth in the dead center of the space between Hiroyuki and Nana; moving so as to give them an instant to process and think before they'd have to move, or risk being damaged by the impact.

WC: 630

630 +1842 = 2472

Chakra and Jutsu:

"You're really perceptive... reminds me of my little brother. He always seems to know what I'm feeling, a lot of the time before I know. I don't know how to explain it though; I'm... not so good with emotions. I spent so much time being numb and raw to it all that sometimes things get jumbled. Excitement triggers fear. Fear triggers giddyness. It's a... work in progress in my head I guess."

He had a feeling from what his father was saying as he responded to her that he was about to start showing off, so he waited until he was moving around the clearing before he spoke again. He was moving his head as he tried to track the elder male, doing a decent enough job of it, maybe 3 correct guesses, which wasn't bad given he'd trained with his other father, so he was having to really work to guess even those. In the moments when his father was flashing about, he spoke in response to her words regarding his perception skills, "In a sense, yes. You... project your emotions and thoughts, more so. I don't have to try to read your thoughts to sense what you are feeling and thinking, right now. Most people don't realize that they do that; but anyone with any sort of telepathic or empathic training can pick up on those things and use them against you." Suddenly, his father was behind him, and he was waiting for the blow that never came; finally flinching away just in time to realize that Kenta wasn't there anymore, but above them, and oh shit, he knew what that was. That sound, he'd never forgotten it, not since the time before he could actively remember what it meant.

"Get back!"

He was scrambling away; he was fast for his age and rank, inherited from the father currently attempting to kill them without actually doing so; the jutsu was devastating when he used it, but overall not the most powerful around. He had Genjutsu that did more physical damage, and he was only a child. This was a show, more than anything. He also reaLized what his father wanted, and it was a retaliation. It didn't have to be extreme or even successful, just something beyond a dodge and a cower in the corner. To that end, the instant he'd dodged out of the damage range of the jutsu, he was on his knees with his right arm raised in an odd position, almost like an archer that was aiming a shot; his fingers held in a strange configuration that could have been a custom hand sign. Around him the scent of ozone strengthened and then the tips of his outstretched index and middle fingers began to glow with a bright flash of white light as he followed the path of the falling vortex surrounded his father. After another instant of aiming, balls of what appeared to be lightning fired from the fingertips one after the other, moving at a decent speed, but still slow enough to follow with the eye without much effort. The bullets, as that's what they where in all technicality, flew toward where his father would be, not where he was the instant they where fired, and each began to impact the vortex around the elder male; almost all repelled, but the last three or so managed to break through enough to be noticed, he hoped. If not, well, the ozone gave away that he'd acted, at least.

WC: 602

602 + 2075 = 2677

Jutsu and Chakra:

"Good, good. I'm not much for most weapons, although I do carry kunai blades and the like on occasion, but there is a fair bit of overlap between Taijutsu and Bukijutsu. At least on some levels. I can Taijutsu training styles to enhance your physical abilities, which will help with your Bukijutsu by making you better able to physically handle the weapons. Lightning and I aren't the closest friends, but that is because I am primarily a water god of sorts; or so my husband used to say. We share wind, so that will make things... interesting. You express willingness to do what is needed when it is needed as well, so you should survive my training rather nicely, then. That is one thing I require of my students, be ready to do what you must to survive; Inuzuka are very big on survival and survival style training, so expect to get very intimate with nature eventually."

Well, this was certainly the kind of thing she was looking for. Spending time in nature was absolutely no problem for her, neither was animals - honestly, both were preferred. She preferred nature becasue it was so much better in her opinion than being surrounded by throngs of people. Animals were preferred over people because... well, they were honest. if an animal doesn't like you? It lets you know. If it does? It lets you know that, too. There was no guessing when it came to animals, no sense of betrayal simply because they could or because of outside influence. The only way you got an animal to hate you was by doing it wrong, and Nana just wasn't that kind of person.

Before Nana could respond, however, Kenta was moving. And by moving? She meant moving. She had never seen anyone move that fast - to be able to disappear from one place to appear in another. It was... amazing. And yet she knew to be on her guard. She was sure this raw show of speed was not for nothing. Nana almost jumped out of her skin when Kenta appeared on top of her head - all without harming her no less which just showed off quite easily the amount of control he had over his abilities. She could only hope to one day be that good.

"In a sense, yes. You... project your emotions and thoughts, more so. I don't have to try to read your thoughts to sense what you are feeling and thinking, right now. Most people don't realize that they do that; but anyone with any sort of telepathic or empathic training can pick up on those things and use them against you."

Nana's attention was torn between Kenta who was appearing and disappearing in different locations, causing Nana to look around as she tried to guess and choose where it was he would appear next, and between what Hiroyuki was saying to her. What the younger male was saying was just as interesting as what Kenta was doing. He was projecting her thoughts and emotions? She hadn't even been aware of it, and it made her wonder how much more control she would have to get over herself before she would be able to control such a thing. Not that she minded right now; Hiroyuki didn't seem so bad, and it certainly was making things easier to /explain/ in a way when he could feel what she was saying as well.

However... now was not the time to think about that because apparently Kenta was preparing an attack. She didn't even need Hiroyuki yelling to get back to realize that if she didn't do something, and fast, this was going to hurt and quite a lot. Kenta was fast, which meant that Nana had to be fast too, therefore it was time to put one of her favorite jutsu into play - Fleet Feet - which would increase her speed a tad bit more. She began to move as this jutsu activated, seeing out of the corner of her eye as Hiroyuki began to shoot bullets, raiton ones, at Kenta; most of which seemed to be deflected which would make her throwing one of the few shuriken or kunai at Kenta that she had a waste of weapons. Nana put a great deal of distance between herself and Kenta and hoped it would be enough. Without her scythe she was greatly handicapped, she also had no idea what she was dealing with, so for now she watched and waited to see - Inuzuka fought differently than most shinobi, so she knew she was likely in for a surprise. For now she wanted the chance to anaylze and size up her opponent, while also quickly calculating how she was going to make up for being as handicapped as she was without her weapon.

Jutsu and Chakra:

Wordcount: 804 | 3,665

Well, at least they could both move. He had no reason to expect Hiroyuki to freeze and take that hit, the boy knew well enough what would have happened, so he'd do everything he could to get away. The ozone in the air told him enough, he had done something, so the lesson was seeming to stick a bit finally. It was a bit, well, dumb to use lightning against Sonic Heavenly Fang, the wind would just block it entirely, even when they where likely using roughly the same power of jutsu overall. Kenta was just on a different level entirely, so there wan't too much the boy could do. However, the point was to make him do something, even ineffective. As for the new child? Well, it seemed she had some sort of movement boosting skills. Excellent. That was his shtick as well, or had been at her age; he'd moved passed actually needing to boost his movements, but that didn't stop him from doing it. All the more reason that whispers of him being the second coming of Konoha's Yellow Flash had started up over the years. He wasn't super happy with being compared to the Legend that was Minato Namikaze, but it was flattering all the same. He'd have to do something about it, though; if the people kept pushing that moniker he'd push to adjust it; his chakra didn't manifest as a yellow like the Yondaime Hokage's had; his was a clean blue-white like pure sea ice; but his movement was pure speed, not a teleport, so he flashed across the world (at least to eyes that could see him) in a wave of gold, thanks to his hair. Maybe Konoha's Golden Flash. Similar, but different enough to be respectful of the original.

He was standing in the center of the crater now, looking around and smirking that devious smirk of his. The ground was buckled and depressed for meters in both directions, leaving him in what would be a tiny pond in a few days time when the ground water was done seeping in and filling it. A nice spot for frog to spawn and birds to rest and drink. He might even seed it with some algae and fish later, make it a stable bit of the ecosystem. Well, that was for later.

Now?

Now was the time to rise from the earth like a levitating monster.

Or rather, skate upward on air; since that's basically what he was doing. Air Skating, his pride and joy. I mean really, how many people did you know that could f; let alone dog-men. Tee Hee. He moved upwards at a rather leisurely pace, his feet moving in what could be confused for the motion that one made when treading water, it was all that was needed to have him moving upward at that pace, anyway. Once he was high enough he shifted to an ambling walk; all he had to do was keep his feet moving and he'd move in response, maintaining altitude and speed as he wanted. He had the fine, pinpoint control over this that allowed him to outright hover when he wanted to, however he hadn't quiet worked out how to do so when absolutely still. No matter, he was content with this, and if he ever got around to perfecting it, he likely would without much effort. Now that he was airborne, he went back into teacher mode for a bit; "So, Hiroyuki. Raiton Bullets I'm guessing? Well, you work with what you have, at least. I can't fault you for that, since you don't have a wide variety of Ninjutsu to pick from yet, and we both know where a Genjutsu would get you right now." his tone as he said that wasn't mean or offensive in any way, it spoke of the shared knowledge that they had. Kenta was all but immune to Kamizuki Genjutsu, years of being married to the clan's heir had done tha to him, so Hiroyuki trying to use any of those skills would be a wasted effort, and wasting effort was a no-no here. Using the ineffective Raiton Bullet technique was wasn't wasted however, as in another situation it would have worked fairly well. There was a subtle different between wasted and ineffective, and Hiroyuki was at the point of almost properly understanding that. Nana would have to catch up, but that was for later. "Nana, movement booster jutsu? I have those myself, I'm pleased with your idea to use it; although I do wish you had done more. However, this is your first lesson, and you're learning faster than most would. Not many are willing to accept instantly that their teacher would actually hurt them. The fallacy of young Genin, and all that noise. Is your scythe the only weapon you own, child? Do you not use others, even the basic weapons of the ninja?" A leading question, one he hoped would spark a train of thought in her mind.

WC: 865

865 + 2472 = 3337

jutsu and chakra:

"So, Hiroyuki. Raiton Bullets I'm guessing? Well, you work with what you have, at least. I can't fault you for that, since you don't have a wide variety of Ninjutsu to pick from yet, and we both know where a Genjutsu would get you right now."

That they did, and that's why he hadn't bothered at all. Not that a Genjutsu would have worked either way, with his father spinning that hard no Genjutsu trigger would have reached him; not one that he knew of anyway. That was one of the great things about Inuzuka abilities, and one that not many people realized; while using Tsuuga or Gatenga the Inuzuka was moving to fast to properly see, hear, or smell, the amount of chakra surrounding them blocked out the chakra of the Genjutsu and made them functionally immune to all but the most intense Genjutsu. His father rising into the air like some miracle saint from some of the random tribal lores of the outlands didn't effect him, he was used to see it happen, and Kenta had taken him along for 'flying lessons' when he was younger; so the very concept was completely comfortable and normal to him now. "Thank you, Father..." Outside of the family, no one would have caught the complement in that; but he did, and it made him feel a bit better about himself, for the moment.

It also enforced that he really needed to start training his ninjutsu skills up a bit. Da and Dad could help with that, sure; but Da was a fire user, and while he had Dad's water... he needed someone to help with his lightning. He liked lightning for jutsu more than water for some reason; it just felt like it worked with his genjutsu better. That audiovisual triggering, maybe? He might have to send a messenger hawk off to an old family friend...

But that was for later. He turned toward Nana for a second, he wanted to see her reaction to his father's flying, as well as her responses to his other words; that question... it was obvious to him, and he was betting it would be to Nana as well. She struck him as someone that was far more intelligent than she was letting on, or than she even realized herself; so a bit of prodding and encouragement would do her good. She would learn quick enough not to hide her abilities, anyway; Kenta was a master at ferreting them out, and he didn't enjoy it when he was being deceived in those ways. It was all fine and dandy to have secrets and secret abilities or jutsu saved as a trump card; but he wanted to know the basics of what you could do, and if you couldn't even give him that, then he wouldn't give you anything at all. A sort of reciprocal trust was needed to work with him; as was the ability to realize that the world wasn't black and white, and that the shade of grey where infinitely complex and fine. Once you understood that, you where golden.

WC: 531

531 + 2677 = 3208

Well, Nana was certainly glad that she had moved out of the way when she did instead of trying to utilize her clan's jutsu and just take the hit - the damage that had been done was a bit worse than she had originally thought it would be after all. Definitely glad she had moved. Of course, Kenta went from doing one interesting manuever to another - flying? Or.. was it something else? She wasn't entirely sure what to call it as he raised up into the air and seemed to be levitating or hovering in place. She had certainly never seen a jutsu like it in all of her life - but then again he was the previous Hokage, so he likely had a lot of tricks up his sleeve to use.

Kenta sensei spoke first to Hiroyuki, commenting on what he did - the words didn't exactly seem to be scolding, though she couldn't nessecarily call it a full compliment either. When Kenta sensei turned his attention onto her she kept the same rapt attention she had since arriving. "Nana, movement booster jutsu? I have those myself, I'm pleased with your idea to use it; although I do wish you had done more. However, this is your first lesson, and you're learning faster than most would. Not many are willing to accept instantly that their teacher would actually hurt them. The fallacy of young Genin, and all that noise. Is your scythe the only weapon you own, child? Do you not use others, even the basic weapons of the ninja?"

Well, that was certainly an interesting question, and one she should have seen coming - she hadn't exactly attacked him back, though she figured that had been what he was looking for considering HIroyuki had. Still, she had had her reasons, and figured it best to explain them. "I couldn't exactly count on my actual speed being enough to get out of the way so I figured the jutsu would help... While I was pretty sure you wouldn't intend on killing us, there's nothing to be learned from being babied either. Personally, I prefer learning this way - rather than having to wait to go up against an actual enemy who would kill me the second they got the chance to to really get used to the idea of having to fight in such a manner. I guess my preference was enough to keep me from feeling any sort of shock about it..."

She then nodded her head about, remembering the last question that sounded very much like a leading question. "I do have other weapons - a few kunai and shuriken, and I thought of using them though with how few they are I didn't feel the risk nessecary. Considering how you were moving, and the wind picking up around you, my weapons would have been deflected - likely lost - and that would have left me with nothing. But yes, I do primarily rely on my scythe - which I see now gives me a very big disadvantage when I don't have it." She was being honest - she had no reason not to. She realized at that point just how much she had come to rely on her scythe, to the point to where she was handicapped without it. If things continued as they were she was going to have to learn to adapt fast - she couldn't just keep dodging out of the way for the rest of the day. No, she would have to think of something, or hope for a miracle to drop her scythe out of the sky.

Wordcount: 606 | 4,271

"I couldn't exactly count on my actual speed being enough to get out of the way so I figured the jutsu would help... While I was pretty sure you wouldn't intend on killing us, there's nothing to be learned from being babied either. Personally, I prefer learning this way - rather than having to wait to go up against an actual enemy who would kill me the second they got the chance to to really get used to the idea of having to fight in such a manner. I guess my preference was enough to keep me from feeling any sort of shock about it... ... "I do have other weapons - a few kunai and shuriken, and I thought of using them though with how few they are I didn't feel the risk necessary. Considering how you were moving, and the wind picking up around you, my weapons would have been deflected - likely lost - and that would have left me with nothing. But yes, I do primarily rely on my scythe - which I see now gives me a very big disadvantage when I don't have it."

Ah, so the typical genin problem of over specialization without understanding how to properly do it. Specializing wasn't going to give an edge if one made themselves so useless otherwise that they couldn't adapt and grow. However, he didn't have to be disappointed over this, the child instantly grasped the problem, and was able to analyse where she needed to work to correct it. She was also able to clearly give her reasoning for not attacking using what she did have by way of weaponry; putting her one major leg up over the usual Genin her age. For this, he was able to bring himself to smirk at the pair of them, Hiroyuki was trying, even under duress it was an attempt and that was what he was trying to get from the boy; and it seems he'd finally found a student outside of his own family that was able to comprehend what he was trying to teach without needing to be broken down and rebuilt entirely. This pleased the golden hair Inuzuka mightily, so he was now in a rather awesome mood. "Excellent. You've correctly discovered and realized the biggest handicap you currently have, and are willing to take the steps to correct that. Most specialists are twice your age and a fair bit higher up the food chain before they hit that point; so you're going to go into the next part of your life and career as a shinobi with a rather pointed advantage."

He shifted in his movements, allowing himself to drift gently to the ground level while still moving to land outside of the giant crater, his attention turning momentarily toward his young son, "Hiro, head home. Your Dad's going to kill me if you're late for dinner. We'll continue your one on one training tomorrow with your Endurance trials." He wasn't even joking about the getting his ass handed to him part, Michizuka might not be a physical match for him (which was debatable, really, Michi had come a loooong way in the years he'd been gone), but he had him licked mentally. One burst of mental power and Kenta would be croaking like a frog on the floor or something equally stupid. Ah, Psychics. Kenta loved his, even if Michi had a temper and liked to be a jerk about it sometimes.

"Nana, if you have the time, we can start working on some close quarters training. I can show you how to not 'waste' those few kunai and such that you have; and later on will go get you more. It's always a good idea to have plenty of the basics on you; I never travel without at least ten kunai and shuriken on me at all times, and I've usually got a scroll or two with significantly more stored in it with me."

WC: 676

676 + 3337 = 4013

"Hiro, head home. Your Dad's going to kill me if you're late for dinner. We'll continue your one on one training tomorrow with your Endurance trials."

Okay, that he didn't mind. Endurance trials was a lot of standing around with huge weights on his arms and legs just attempting to stand. Or else jogging forever with smaller weights around his limbs that slowed him down, but also had the added benefit of pushing his natural speed upwards into levels that made his father proud. He found that he often rather enjoyed that particular batch of training, just for the smile it gave the elder blonde when the weights came off and Hiroyuki was zipping around the area so fast that he was blurring. He'd match his father's speed one day if it killed him. Maybe he'd even match his dad's physical abilities otherwise; he would match Michi's mental capabilities with enough time and effort, of which he was more than happy to spend. "Yes, Father." He moved to begin dusting the dirt and such from his clothing while he had a moment, moving toward the female he'd just met so that he could offer a proper and polite goodbye of sorts. The Kamizuki had a strict policy of formality and manners, one that his family didn't follow entirely, they found it (as did much of the younger Kamizuki) to be stupid that the clan held themselves to a higher standard than even then 'Noble Clans' of the Hyuuga and such, but that was just how the Elders where, and some parts of that rubbed off on the youth even if they didn't want it to.

"It was nice to meet you, Nana. I look forward to training with you." He was bowing his head slightly as he said it, standing a bit awkwardly as the formality never sat well with him, but he looked at it as just another thing to master in life, one that would be useful later on. Which his natural abilities leaning him toward a life as an ambassador or diplomat more so than a warrior (or so Michizuka thought. Kenta was still a bit in denial over that.), he'd need to get things like this down on a level that it became natural and perfect. Eventually. For now he was still an awkward voluntary mute of a child with issues that needed working on before he'd ever get that far. With that done, he flashed toward his father, using the same sort of movement boosting skills that Kenta had and had taught him years ago; taking a split instant while the world had to catch up with him to give his father a hug before he was gone into the woods and heading back toward the house his family shared on the edge of the woodlands.

WC: 487

487 + 3208 = 3695

-EXIT-