Shigeki hadn't gone out to the bars like he usually did the night before, and he hadn't stayed up particularly late with Kensai either, the two of them having a fairly quiet night. He generally had to have some kind of activity, but simply being near someone seemed to do it for him now that he was back at work. He was kind of enjoying living the shinobi lifestyle again, and he had fallen asleep fairly easily. When he awoke naturally, he managed to beat Kensai up for the first time since...well he couldn't remember the last time that had happened. He brushed some hair away from Kensai's face and got out of bed, deciding he would leave the man to sleep as he got ready to take on his day. It was a fairly quick shower this morning followed by the usual grooming regime, brushing out his medium length blonde and pink hair, cleaning each of his three lip rings, putting on the black mesh shirt, the black jeans, knee high platform boots, knee length leather overcoat, black fingerless gloves, collar with the Iwagakure symbol and wristbands with studs on them. It had become pretty systematic to adorn himself in clothing a little bit more befitting of a shinobi than what he was used to wearing, and it kind of felt good at the same time. He grabbed an apple and a banana on his way out the door, and smiled as he left, one of very few genuine smiles.

The sun was quite lovely today, and the young Kanetsu had decided that he would take a trip up to the waterfall point. He was asked to meet a young genin there who apparently was looking to learn chakra flow, which as a genjutsu user Shigeki was particularly skilled in. He figured if nothing else, he would hopefully be able to help the student there a little bit more, but ideally he would be able to take a little bit more away from the encounter. As he made the trip he noticed the change in temperature fairly instantly between the hot inner rings of the residential area of the village and the much cooler area around the waterfall. The mist from the falls was fairly nice, even though it did make Shigeki a little bit colder than he generally liked to be. As a Kanetsu he liked things hot, much past a point where people would generally be comfortable. His clan's home was in the base of a volcano, and most people found it absolutely unbearable to even go near there, let alone live and train in that location. To be perfectly honest, it was a little bit warmer than Shigeki himself found comfortable, but he still didn't particularly have any issue with it.

When he got towards the top of the falls he looked down and sighed. He wasn't super comfortable around water, and never particularly had been. A shower was one thing, as there was no way you were going to fall into a shower and drown from the current of the water dragging you under, but being at the top of this waterfall made him fairly nervous. There was a good chance of falling in and plummeting to a rocky death at the bottom, a death that would be most unfitting for a shinobi like himself. When he was younger he had actually thought of throwing himself from the falls, but his fear of not only water, but also heights, had prevented him from doing so. If he was going to take his life, he was going to find a better way to do it than that. He would rather throw himself into an active volcano than throw himself off of the falls, as at least it would be warm. He decided that it probably wasn't a good time to think of this, and he leaned with both arms wrapped over and around the guard rail behind his back, his right leg in front of his left, and his tongue absentmindedly running over his three lip rings. He scanned the area, watching for signs of a shinobi approaching him, and hoping he wouldn't miss the boy he was supposed to meet...

715

Kokai had been assigned someone again it seemed. For the moment he layed on his back in his bed with the dim light just before sunrise streaming through his one room apartment. All it was really was a kitchen, a bathroom and a main room. Simplistic budget meant simplistic living. His apartment was the only one that would let someone with his aura reside there for so cheap but he was still a little disgruntled about it all. Either way he had taken the mat and tossed it to the side and dragged in two mattresses even though it took up half the space and stacked them. Clothes tossed to the side in two hampers. One clean with significantly less and one dirty that was overflowing. His attention wasn't on any of that though. After the fight in the market he had been on his best behavior and only now the village reached out a limb to him. Yet it wasn't with Harichimo but a stranger. Luckily he had found an interesting game to occupy himself. He had his crimson eyes watching the kunai in the ceiling tile as it slipped little by little. Waiting until the moment it fell he would reach out his right hand and snatch it out of the air by the handle before it could stab him. He had been playing this game repeatedly for the last hour just laying in his boxers. Truth be told since he had caught it every time it had lost its appeal.

With a sigh this time he tossed the kunai and stuck it in the door with a little accuracy. His chakra wasn't his strong suit but his physical ability had been used to make up for it. Slowly he sat up in the dark room and ran a hand through his hair. Brushing it out of his face as he glanced at the clock on the oven. It was time to get ready. He needed to overcome this weakness but some part couldn't get passed his pride enough to make a decent impression on first meeting someone. A deep part of him wanted this person to save him but his pride squashed that. He growled before hopping out of bed. His bare feet took him to the clothes for fresh boxers and a pair of blue jeans with a white tank top. He slipped on a pair of black socks before tying on his boots and grabbing his golden hued hoody. Leaving it unzipped down the front. His house keys still in the pocket. He yanked the kunai out of the door and pushed it into the sheath stitched into the sleeve of his hoody on the inside before opening the door and heading out into the hall. Closing it and locking it behind him before heading out of the hall and down the stairs. His neighbors likely ran the heat so they might notice when he was gone. Well there was a funny thought...at least someone might.

He would move down the street towards the assigned meeting place. Top of the waterfall at waterfall point. He kept it at a brisk jog as he moved from street to street. His eyes caught sight of a clock outside a bank and he realized he was running early. He clicked his teeth as he considered looking eager for anything and decided to slow to a walk. Shoving his hands in his pockets as he wished he brought his MP3. Still his crimson eyes took in everything. Only stopping once to pick up an egg and bacon breakfast sandwich for a couple dozen ryo from a food shack near the waterfall. Scarfing it down with plenty of time to go. He didn't know anything about who he was meeting there but he knew they likely had a file on him. Just a fallen member of a clan of assassins that had joined the village officially. Useless as a shinobi because he was afraid of chakra. Specifically his own. Some Ptsd from his training. Either way he jogged the last of the way with a grimace at the thought of someone he didn't know knowing so much about him. A couple was jogging together on the same path but down the hill leading up to the waterfall itself. They shivered as they neared him and glared as if knowing it was his fault. It was freaking winter by a waterfall but they could still feel the difference around him. He bared his teeth in a low growl as crimson eyes looked at them and they quickened pace appropriately. He looked back at them until they were out of sight with disdain before turning and heading the rest of the way up. Reaching the top to find a lone...man? up there. He couldn't tell for sure but he thought the person was male. Not that he was going to be respectful with a sir or Ma'am anyway. Instead he stopped a few paces back and clicked his teeth. No headband on him yet matching the description. This person however had the symbol around their neck. One word to set the mood for the meeting escaped his lips.

"Sup."

877

Shigeki saw the boy approach him, and he watched him with a quizzical look. He was interested to see how he would attempt to leave an impression on him, as well as a few other things, but he certainly didn't expect what he would get. Shigeki noted that he wasn't dressed in the kind of clothing most shinobi wear, which of course didn't bother him at all as he always felt restricted in that stuff. He couldn't help but notice, as well, that the boy had crimson eyes that matched his own. This was an extremely rare thing to see, outside of perhaps the Uchiha and that was only because of their Sharingan. Other than all of that he seemed to be in fairly good shape, which made sense as Shigeki had been told he knew his way around physical combat. His demeanor wasn't anything particularly impressive however, he looked as though he might be a bit...lazy perhaps? Shigeki wasn't sure what it was, but there was something about him that he simply wasn't sure about. He would eventually hear something that would deeply bother him when the boy greeted his new sensei with an extremely simple and somewhat disrespectful "Sup"

Sup? SUP? Who the fuck thinks that that is an acceptable way to greet someone who is going to be their sensei? Shigeki might have been noticeably annoyed at the blatant disrespect, his fists balling up, teeth clenching and eyes narrowing at the boy. He could feel irritation washing over him and he attempted to allow it to leave his system before he decided to speak. He managed to get most of it under control before his mouth began to get ahead of his brain, speaking when he didn't mean too. "Well, boy, I'll tell you 'sup'..." His voice was sharp, generally fairly flighty and soft but not right now. "I am Shigeki Kanetsu, a member of the famed Kanetsu clan. I have been asked by the Tsuchikage to train you in the art of chakra control, and I have accepted wanting to help out the next generation of Shinobi. I, however, was not told that the person I would be meeting would be so disrespectful to his betters." He hadn't meant to say that last part, but he was mad, and it had been a long time since he had taught anyone anything. He wasn't necessarily the most patient person.

"I expect when we meet again you will greet me with 'Hello Sensei,' or at least 'Sup, Sensei?' to be a little more respectful. You are  here to learn from me, and I'm not sure if that means you're lucky, or there was simply nobody available other than me and you're actually quite unlucky. I haven't taught anyone in a few years, but I'm planning on putting my all into this." His voice mellowed out a bit, finally calming down. He looked the boy over once more, pursing his lips as he released the fists that he had formed, instead preparing to use his mind with this one. "I'm sorry, I'm not the most patient person. I expect you to tell me what you want to learn from me, why you're here, who you are. I have basic information, but I won't train anyone without knowing them. So fill me in, boy."

1290

Kokai would approach but stop a mere couple meters away. Standing there after he spoke and watching the...mans reaction in front of him. He had decided despite how pretty the man was he would identify him as a man. Should that change as per the others will later he would adjust his classification of the the individual. The gender didn't matter in the slightest to him anyway. The way the man clenched his fists however put Kokai on the defensive. His shoulders stiffened and his eyes narrowed as he prepared for some sort of a lashing. His own mentors in hand to hand combat had not been so gentle with him. When he spoke out a beating followed and he would learn pain was associated with individuality. However his stubborn nature had only made him force himself through that pain to become more of an individual than the others. It was how he stood out in the clans training program and progressed. His crimson eyes had seen a great deal of men with fists clenched looking at him and he had not wavered before. Even though he needed something the village claimed this man could offer, his nature would prevail even now.

The man began to speak and Kokai listened. His eyes never shifting from the mans as he ridiculed his behavior. Speaking in irritation as he had said something the man deemed disrespectful. So it was mannerism and behavior this one valued. For a moment he considered switching personalities and putting on a mask that would serve him as he was trained to do. The Kanetsu clan was so focused on tradition that the man would likely accept the mask even if it was a lie. However there was a part of him that was unwilling to part with the pride and stubbornness he held on to when people tried so hard to beat it out of him. The man speaking of himself being one of Kokai's betters was perhaps the key to that little statement. Rank meant so much to this village when only one in the clan led the others. Each was an individual assassin trained for a single purpose. Ranks were for those who needed middle management. That wasn't to say the individual before him wasn't a highly capable man. He was familiar with the structure of the village as it had been part of his tactical studies. They didn't promote weaklings when it came to power. Character and honor ignored but that was yet to be determined with this one.

As the man finished speaking Kokai would take a breath and move to walk passed him. Standing now at the railing of the waterfall and removing his hands from his pockets to rest them on the railing. His hood falling back to reveal short hair with a set of spikes at the front. He would speak with the man next to him as he looked out over the park and water. The warm day failing to reach him due to his aura. The sun still warmed his face but barely a counter to the freezing air around him. When he spoke it was calm and cold. "What determines who is my better? Strength? Jutsu capabilities? Office? Should I bow before a politician I know nothing of? Respect may be a tradition for you Mister Shigeki and yet within my clan it was earned. A difference in structures. Lets go ahead and shift from one thing though. My name is Kokai Tsumi. Feel free to call me Kokai. My clan is no longer mine as a loss of control removed my honor and so I too was removed. As for the village sending you to teach me chakra control. I have tapped into my clan bloodline and it is too dangerous to let out freely. If I can not control it....people could die. So I ask you, will you stand on tradition and refuse me or help me for the sake of your village?"

1552

It was funny; most people Shigeki knew hated it when someone was cocky, considering someone who spoke back to them to be worthy of punishment. He listened to the boys words, and while he was not impressed, and he didn't agree with him, he was slightly impressed that he stood up to the more experienced shinobi. Shigeki ran his tongue over the three rings in his lip, sighing softly as he did and pressing his hands together. He looked the boy up and down once more, not sure how exactly he was supposed to assist him, but he was ready to try to figure it out. He bit his lip and then released it, shaking his head slightly.

"Of course I'm going to help you, it's my job to do so. But as I have a job and duty as a sensei, you have a job and duty as a student. I understand where you're coming from, but there is an important thing to remember at all times. I am your sensei, and while you might not think that means much, it means I am in a position of power over you. You don't have to like me, but you have to respect me. It is important to respect those in power above you, and in that situation I don't need to earn your respect, you must give it to me. I will treat you with respect as well, or try to, as it is who I am, but I expect the same from you." He smiled softly. He wasn't sure how he felt about Kokai, but he knew that he didn't want to fight him. Shigeki wasn't a physical fighter at all, but Kokai was, and therefore it stood to reason that were he to hit Shigeki, he would be able to hurt him fairly easily.

Shigeki allowed chakra to flow through him, preparing to show off some of the prowess that he was being asked to train the boy with. As a Kanetsu, it was very easy for him to simply allow heat to radiate off of himself, their chakra itself keeping them warm at all times. His heat flared up and he considered what ways to show the boy chakra control. He himself, of course, was a master of Genjutsu, which would be a good way to show it off. He knew a few abilities that wouldn't cause the boy any serious harm, but he wasn't sure he wanted to use them on a student.

"So, Chakra control eh? Interesting that they sent you to me for that. I know a bit about it of course, being a Genjutsu user, but your type of fighting is a little bit difference. Meditation was one of the ways that I was taught to control my chakra, focusing on the different chakra points in the body." He breathed in deeply and cleared his mind, relaxing and holding his hands out in front of him. "Different hand signs are what we use to focus that chakra" His voice was calm and gentle for the first time since meeting the boy, as he formed a couple of hand signs and then held his hand out in front of his mouth. He faced away from Kokai and exhaled, forcing chakra out of his mouth and forming several small lava bubbles, while simultaneously breathing in through his nose. They floated in the air in front of him and Shigeki relaxed, smiling as he motioned towards them.

"This technique forces me to knead the chakra in my stomach before bringing it out of my mouth. There are several different chakra points in your body, and meditation helps you learn to access those. I guess this would be like chakra one oh one. If this is too simple let me know, and we can move on. Always good to start with the basics though." He felt much more at ease, the teaching process seeming to calm him down considerably, and using his yoton chakra again for the first time in a long time seemed to help. He had almost forgotten how good it felt, buit he never forgot how to do it. He hoped that this boy could get something out of these lessons.

2009

Chakra 285/300:

"Of course I'm going to help you, it's my job to do so. But as I have a job and duty as a sensei, you have a job and duty as a student. I understand where you're coming from, but there is an important thing to remember at all times. I am your sensei, and while you might not think that means much, it means I am in a position of power over you. You don't have to like me, but you have to respect me. It is important to respect those in power above you, and in that situation I don't need to earn your respect, you must give it to me. I will treat you with respect as well, or try to, as it is who I am, but I expect the same from you."

It was a lengthy explanation but one which he was sure he had heard before. Back when many demanded he respect his elders. Even those who had done nothing with their life. It was true that the man had been placed in a precarious position over him as a sensei which dictated power over him and yet Kokai felt his rebellious nature in full. He would turn and lean back against the railing with an arm lazed on either side of him. The wood creaked at the weight but it held all the same. His crimson eyes taking in the man before him as he contemplated how to work this out without surrender. For now silence seemed the better option though it took some effort not to scoff at the explanation. The teacher would offer respect so long as he too was respected. Still he would go on with his explanation as he relaxed his hands out in front of himself.

"So, Chakra control eh? Interesting that they sent you to me for that. I know a bit about it of course, being a Genjutsu user, but your type of fighting is a little bit difference. Meditation was one of the ways that I was taught to control my chakra, focusing on the different chakra points in the body. Different hand signs are what we use to focus that chakra"

Kokai would watch with interest as the man explained chakra points and hand signs to him. Physical combat had been the focus of his training as a youth in his clan and they had never covered much in how chakra functioned. Repeated attempts at basic jutsu were all they had been taught before he was banished for loss of honor. Still he would straighten and snap back from memories of the clan compound as little orbs began to emerge from the mans mouth. His eyes focusing on them as he could feel their heat from where he stood. Each bubble marvelous in color and radiating in heat. Should this man choose to burn him he would do so easily. He felt like a child before a master of chakra and understood how they would of paired them. His eyes focused on the man as he spoke once again.

"This technique forces me to knead the chakra in my stomach before bringing it out of my mouth. There are several different chakra points in your body, and meditation helps you learn to access those. I guess this would be like chakra one oh one. If this is too simple let me know, and we can move on. Always good to start with the basics though."

Kokai would shake his head and straighten for the first time. Moving in a circle around the hovering orbs as he contemplated the lesson of chakra points and kneeding chakra as per purpose. Hand signs were a helpful tool it seemed but he wondered how the chakra was so well controlled as to hover there. Still he would seem nervous as he kept at least a meter distance from any orb before lifting his own hand and looking it over. His voice spoke to Shigeki though he did not meet his eyes. Revealing his shame was not something someone as proud as himself was used to doing. Nor did he care to see any pity in the eyes of another. However in order to teach the man would need to know.

"Chakra points, Within our combat training chakra is pushed to be more of a reflex. We cover all the same academy techniques as your academy but they are made into things of instinct. The longer we put thought into our chakra the more time it takes. I had never before had to kneed my chakra into a form before my advanced blood release was...found. Now it pulses within my chakra and like oil feels like a corrupting nature. I feel it surging forward at each jutsu I use wanting to corrupt it. How do you keep your advanced element from influencing all your jutsu?"

2374

"Chakra points, Within our combat training chakra is pushed to be more of a reflex. We cover all the same academy techniques as your academy but they are made into things of instinct. The longer we put thought into our chakra the more time it takes. I had never before had to kneed my chakra into a form before my advanced blood release was...found. Now it pulses within my chakra and like oil feels like a corrupting nature. I feel it surging forward at each jutsu I use wanting to corrupt it. How do you keep your advanced element from influencing all your jutsu?"

Shigeki smiled softly. It seemed like he was getting through to the boy after all. He seemed completely focused on what he was doing with the bubbles, and it made him quite happy to see they had found a place where he would actually listen. His question was a curious one, however. He allowed the bubbles to dissipate, and instead reached into another technique in his arsenal, forming the Tiger hand symbol and breathing in, molding the chakra in his throat and lungs this time. He would exhale a large torrent of flame in front of him, showing off something that wasn't attached to his kekkai genkai. It was quick, simple and somewhat impressive to anyone who had never seen such a thing. He looked towards the boy once more. "I have never really thought of that question, to be honest. While I have a natural affinity to my Yoton chakra, I've never found an issue learning anything in either the katon or doton elements. Because of my affinity, however, I will never be able to master, say, water or wind. I an kind of stuck with what I have."

He reached into a pouch and pulled out a pair of water balloons, holding one in his hand in front of him and handing the other one to Kokai.. This was an old training technique that he had picked up when he was starting out by the masters of his clan. They had showed him this one, which was an ancient technique taught to students over the past hundred years. Shigeki held the water baloon stretched out in his hand in front of him and focused on it, concentrating his chakra to spin the water inside of the balloon. The sound of the water moving was audible and the balloon itself showed signs of the liquid moving inside of it, Shigeki smiling as he watched it go. "This is a classic way of training one's chakra. It seems like a very simple exercise with an easy enough goal. That is a lie. Your goal is to make the water rotate within the balloon. You must focus your chakra from your core into your hand, and then out through without destroying the balloon."

"Learning meditation will help with this, also having a lot of balloons and some patience." He pulled a box of water balloons out from behind him, pushing the box between the two of them. "I don't expect you to master this right away, but this is one of my favorite exorcises. Once you figure this one out you move to the next level, a balloon with air instead of water. From what I've read of you, you should be able to figure that out relatively easily. You have to remember it's not the wind you want to move, it's simply rotating your chakra in the space." He hoped that this was sinking in. Kokai actually seemed quite eager and it was happy to be teaching someone who wanted to learn like this.

2625

Chakra 270/300:

Kokai would watch with interest as the bubbles floated for a moment before they seemed to peel away like ashes in the breeze. Almost as if the balls simply burned out and faded away. So it was possible to sustain such a focused ability and release it without unwanted results. He almost wished to reach out in the air to feel where the faded ball just was. A dim light still in his eyes from where each stood burning hot in the air. However his attention was brought back to the man once more as he formed a tiger hand seal and inhaled. Whatever was to come it would be something of note. For a moment Kokai wondered if the only techniques this man had were breath techniques and considered the possibility of limiting him by either targeting the hands or the throat should he ever have to target this individual. However a burst of brilliant flame lit up the sky above the waterfall and its heat seemed to flatten the grass around them. Even though it wasn't directed at Kokai his hoody still fluttered from the burst of hot air that came from it and his arms rose across his face as he closed one eye. The heat from the technique was intense. He knew immediately he had no way to counter it. As it faded from vision he opened his other eye and lowered his arms slowly. The heat fading quickly from the air but his skin still tingling with warmth. He would need to learn that technique one day. Still he would listen now in silence as the man spoke. His attention held by the displays of jutsu prowess and sheer heat. The fact that the grass wasn't blackened almost surprised him but he accepted that the fire was not meant to harm anything or anyone.

"I have never really thought of that question, to be honest. While I have a natural affinity to my Yoton chakra, I've never found an issue learning anything in either the katon or doton elements. Because of my affinity, however, I will never be able to master, say, water or wind. I an kind of stuck with what I have."

So this man had never had difficulty grasping his bloodline. It was a pity that he couldn't relate to Kokai but still he was obviously sure of his chakra use. Fire was not something just anyone played with. Not without scars. Still he reached into his pouch and handed Kokai a water balloon which raised an eyebrow. Were they to play some game or another? He watched with suspicion and curiosity mixed in his eyes as the man swirled the water within his balloon without moving. Kokai would listen again now and attempt to actually learn something. It would be pointless if he gained nothing from this meeting.

"This is a classic way of training one's chakra. It seems like a very simple exercise with an easy enough goal. That is a lie. Your goal is to make the water rotate within the balloon. You must focus your chakra from your core into your hand, and then out through without destroying the balloon. Learning meditation will help with this, also having a lot of balloons and some patience." He pulled a box of water balloons out from behind him, pushing the box between the two of them. "I don't expect you to master this right away, but this is one of my favorite exorcises. Once you figure this one out you move to the next level, a balloon with air instead of water. From what I've read of you, you should be able to figure that out relatively easily. You have to remember it's not the wind you want to move, it's simply rotating your chakra in the space."

Kokai would smirk with confidence. It looked easy enough. Just swirl his chakra in his palm. His red eyes focused on the balloon in his hand as he focused his breathing. Slowly he would surge chakra from his chakra points down his right arm into his hand. Careful to be gentle with it and imagine it swirling. The moment chakra met balloon however it burst and soaked his sleeve. In disbelief he grabbed another from the bucket and tried again. Focusing on a calm spinning moti...Damn it the damned thing popped again! With a growl and a grit of his teeth Kokai would sit next to the bucket on his heels and begin picking up balloon after balloon. Each time his chakra touched the outside of the balloon though it popped and soaked him more. It was obvious Kokai was loosing his calm as it progressed to the fifth balloon. As it popped he chucked the remains back into the bucket violently and spat to the side. Looking at the balloons with a venom like they were laughing at him.

"Fuck! Meditation should be easy. Ya just let go and think about nothing. Why the shit do these keep popping!?"

3222

The young Kanetsu watched as the man in front of him seemed amazed at what he was doing. It was a good feeling to have a student who was so eager to learn from you, so much so that Shigeki didn't even think of what he was going to tell him when he inevitably failed at the task that he had for him. There was no way he was going to be able to master the chakra control it took to swirl the water inside the balloon quickly, and as he started to do it, Shigeki could see frustration beginning to mount on the young man's face. Shigeki himself kept calm the entire time, he knew that this wasn't an easy task to do for anyone, let alone someone who had never tried anything like this before and had no control over their own chakra. He was watching the balloon each time to see what seemed to be happening, and it became fairly clear pretty quickly. Shigeki could see the bottom of the balloon being pushed in before the balloons would explode each time, essentially like he was trying to slam chakra through the balloon, which wasn't how this exercise worked.

"Fuck! Meditation should be easy. Ya just let go and think about nothing. Why the shit do these keep popping!?"

Shigeki bit his lip as he watched time and time again before speaking to the boy, his voice calm and reassuring as it could be. "Meditation as a concept seems easy, but it is actually quite difficult to clear one's mind. As a matter of fact, it took me an extremely long time to figure it out. This isn't going to make much sense right now, but from what I can tell you are trying to force chakra through the balloon, and that is causing your issues. You need to try to not push the chakra out of yourself, but instead concentrate on it being in that point. If you have anger, like I do, it is an extremely difficult task. It took me a very long time to master this exercise, and I was shown it as a way to help me master my emotions." He walked over to Kokai and touched a few of the places where he himself knew that his chakra would gather. "These are the important places to focus on when trying to figure this out. Clearing your mind is the first step...Try to focus on something that calms you first perhaps? Music, books, leaves, routine maybe? Everyone achieves this calm differently. For me it is a person who grounds me..." He looked off into the distance briefly as he began to think about how his roommate had pulled him out of his darkness and set his mind straight once more. He appreciated that man more than anything else in his life, and he had been his path to calm.

Shigeki looked at the ground and picked up a small flat rock, placing it in Kokai's hand. "Okay, try this as well. Once you find the thing you want to focus on I want to you focus on the inside of the balloon for your chakra. If you attempt to push it, this rock will stop you and it will not work. You need to not think of the chakra as pushing out of you, but instead as a separate entity. I know that makes no sense, but stuff like this rarely does." He chuckled softly and took a step back once more. The rock wouldn't stop the chakra, it would simply fall off of the boys hand or, if Shigeki was unlucky, launch itself which could potentially be dangerous for them both. He was putting a lot of faith in this boy though, and he was curious to see if he could figure it out.

3276

Kokai would almost snarl at this ridiculously vulnerable thing in his hands as it popped again and his hands felt the wet moisture of the water it contained once more. The grass in front of him was soaked and had a little puddle hidden among the blades of grass now. A little bit had soaked the knee's of his jeans. His crimson eyes took in the destroyed remains that littered the ground around him and for a moment he considered if all he was good for was destruction. Still his eyes shifted to his would be mentor as he spoke. Watching him closely and unsure how long it would be before he lost patience with this too. "Meditation as a concept seems easy, but it is actually quite difficult to clear one's mind. As a matter of fact, it took me an extremely long time to figure it out. This isn't going to make much sense right now, but from what I can tell you are trying to force chakra through the balloon, and that is causing your issues. You need to try to not push the chakra out of yourself, but instead concentrate on it being in that point. If you have anger, like I do, it is an extremely difficult task. It took me a very long time to master this exercise, and I was shown it as a way to help me master my emotions." He walked over to Kokai and touched a few of the places where he himself knew that his chakra would gather. "These are the important places to focus on when trying to figure this out. Clearing your mind is the first step...Try to focus on something that calms you first perhaps? Music, books, leaves, routine maybe? Everyone achieves this calm differently. For me it is a person who grounds me..."

Kokai would nod as he watched the man touch each spot on the balloon and memorized them. He had grown accustomed to it in his time training to be a servant of his clan. A shadow in the dark with a blade. They had been considered ghosts but that came with a lot of training and a lot of repetition. He could deal with routine as a focus. Still he would look up again as his mentor continued speaking. Placing a rock in his hand under the balloon as he did. "Okay, try this as well. Once you find the thing you want to focus on I want to you focus on the inside of the balloon for your chakra. If you attempt to push it, this rock will stop you and it will not work. You need to not think of the chakra as pushing out of you, but instead as a separate entity. I know that makes no sense, but stuff like this rarely does." he wasn't sure just what would happen but still he would take a deep controlling breath and focus on the idea of putting the chakra into the balloon instead of pushing it in. He would slowly take his time and imagine the chakra within already. He could feel the rock in his palm as slowly it began to get warmer. He would let out his breath and close his eyes and try again as he let himself flow the chakra where he pictured it. The water in the balloon stirred but the rock became hotter again. Finally he pushed a little more through and the water spun once before the rock suddenly sizzled skin and the balloon popped. With a wince Kokai dropped the rock and rubbed the little round spot on his palm.

"Damn it...I couldn't do it....I just burned myself instead" He said unaware the water had responded.

3855

Shigeki watched as the boy concentrated on the balloon, the act of getting past the rock something that Shigeki knew would be quite difficult. He saw as the balloon moved, shaking slightly before he would stop, Shigeki assumed due to the heat. He tried it again and Shigeki noticed that the balloon continued to move before he stopped and tried it a third time. He couldn't help but smile as he watched the water begin to rotate within the balloon, the young student having figured it out in such a short amount of time. This was an extremely difficult thing to achieve, and he was extremely impressed with Kokai at getting it to work for even a short amount of time. He watched the balloon pop when it came into contact with the hot rock, something that Shigeki knew was a possibility, but he wasn't overly concerned about that. He had actually taught somebody how to do something, and he was quite proud of that fact.

"Damn it...I couldn't do it....I just burned myself instead"

Shigeki shook his head and moved to put a hand on Kokai's shoulder, smiling as he did. "Kokai, this is an extremely difficult thing to learn how to do. It takes most people months of training to get to be able to swirl the water within the balloon. It is one of the most frustrating things I have ever learned how to do, and trust me when I saw I was not happy for a single second while I did it. But in such a short amount of time of training, you actually managed to do what it took me so long to do. You didn't even see it, you were too focused on the rock, but you managed to cause the water inside the balloon to rotate. You figured it out. I want you to keep practicing this, don't use the rock as I realise it wasn't the best idea, as it seems to have burned you. Keep going until you are able to consistently rotate the water for a period of time, and then come and find me again for the second part of this lesson."

He chuckled softly and removed his hand from Kokai's shoulder, beginning to walk away. "Well I guess I've done what I came here for...But I do have one request of you. The Tsuchikage has assigned me to me the leader of a squad of genin, all of them are fairly green and a couple of them are a little too cowardly for my likes. I am looking for someone to give them a bit of training, have a spar with them, and really push them to their limits. I'm told you are a fighter and a medic, so I believe you would be well suited to that. Fight them full force, and heal them up afterwards. I want them to experience what it is like to be in a situation where you stand no chance. I'd do it myself, but if it's from another genin they will at least try." He nodded, waiting for the confirmation of his request before taking his leave of the place that he was in. He had done a good thing today, and he was proud of Kokai, and of himself, for accomplishing that thing.

{Exit Thread}

3844

End E-C 2450
Str E-D1 1075
319 words discarded

Kokai would stare at the rock as if it mocked him for the moment as the water soaking him now felt soothing. Still he wasn't one to take failure even with a slight hint of success lightly. He was always determined to pick up any of his training faster than the others. Always meant to be better than the others. For his clan he would be the best....for his parents memory he would have honor. That was his drive and he refused to acknowledge all he had inherited from them was the weakness that let them perish. Still a hand on his shoulder surprised him as his new mentor spoke. "Kokai, this is an extremely difficult thing to learn how to do. It takes most people months of training to get to be able to swirl the water within the balloon. It is one of the most frustrating things I have ever learned how to do, and trust me when I saw I was not happy for a single second while I did it. But in such a short amount of time of training, you actually managed to do what it took me so long to do. You didn't even see it, you were too focused on the rock, but you managed to cause the water inside the balloon to rotate. You figured it out. I want you to keep practicing this, don't use the rock as I realize it wasn't the best idea, as it seems to have burned you. Keep going until you are able to consistently rotate the water for a period of time, and then come and find me again for the second part of this lesson."

The words rang out in his mind. It took others months and he was already discovering its secrets in a single days worth of training. He could feel chakra exhaustion setting in but he didn't care. Some part of all this was wonderful. His biggest fault was chakra control and now...now he was going to be given the chance to progress passed that. This pain in his hand and the lack of hope was fading. Roughly at the same pace. He would rise soon and with this simple practice he would rise beyond hand to hand. He didn't mind adding it to his training regiment in the slightest. Meditation was a funny word for him to consider. However he would be using a bowl since he wouldn't be monitored. Balloons were simply too expensive. Still he felt the hand remove from his shoulder and crimson eyes glanced up to watch his mentor starting to walk away. Speaking over his shoulder as he did so. "Well I guess I've done what I came here for...But I do have one request of you. The Tsuchikage has assigned me to me the leader of a squad of genin, all of them are fairly green and a couple of them are a little too cowardly for my likes. I am looking for someone to give them a bit of training, have a spar with them, and really push them to their limits. I'm told you are a fighter and a medic, so I believe you would be well suited to that. Fight them full force, and heal them up afterwards. I want them to experience what it is like to be in a situation where you stand no chance. I'd do it myself, but if it's from another genin they will at least try."

Kokai would raise an eyebrow at the request but nod all the same. He wasn't sure how he was to take on a full squad openly but at the same time he was confident in his abilities and trained in actual combat. Going up against some academy students would be good for him. Compare the training of the village youth against the training of his clan. That said there was little honor in taking on cowards. He had hopes they would at least fight back. He needed to gear up for it though. He was about to head to a weapons shop when he realized the mess was left with him. Cursing under his breath Kokai spent the next hour cleaning up before heading down the road dumping the trash in a waste bin. He would take on this squad and they would know what battle was. He was looking forward to it.

Exit thread
4604
Quick learner perk. 10% wc reduction on jutsu training
Fire Release: Raging Contagion C rank 900/900
Death Wind, God Cutter C rank 900/900
Decadence Finger / Manslaughter Solution C rank 900/900
Decadence Finger / Manslaughter Solution D rank 675/675
Decadence Finger / Manslaughter Solution E rank 450/450
Tempest Style - Rising Wind Strike D rank 675/675

104 wc remaining