Yugen was livid, absolutely livid. "'Additional Training' my ass, sure my body is shit but I doesn't mean anything!" The teen grumbled loudly as he placed the room, drawing a few stares from ongoing passerbys. Parents frantically covering their kid's ears from his profanities. He really didn't care at the moment. He graduated from the academy, shouldn't he be cleared for missions already? D-rank missions weren't even all that dangerous, literally it was just chores around the village mostly, but the administrative office felt it be best to "send him to a personal trainer who knew his struggles", please, where else was he going to find another ninja like him in the village? According to his instructions he was going to meet up with a guy named Honnari. Yugen vaguely remembered a name like that, but he couldn't draw any face to match it. Well either way, he was gonna find out soon.

Waiting patiently, as much as he could, he slumped down into one of the chairs in the waiting room he was in. Dragging a hand through his unkempt hair. Sighing into the palm of your hand, scowling at the sunlight filling the room.

Jeez, why can't I seem to get a little bit of recognition here? It seems like everyone has been looking down at me lately. Yugen let his hand fall down to his silently fall down to his side. Well, doesn't matter, they're all gonna bow down to me, one of these days.

All his life his body has held him back immeasurably. In the pursuit of trying to overcome it he lost himself within the constant training sessions and breathless afternoons recovering from extensive exercise. Where did all of that blood and thoose tear get him? Kidnapped by a genocidal maniac and a great deal of trauma for a tiny boy who can't do shit to fight back. Honestly, he was really pathetic, it was starting to become apparent why the administration decided to get him a personal trainer, albeit a temporary one to clear him for missions. "Let's see if they know what they're doing." He wondered aloud.

Another meeting with the light-eyes and big teeth of the administration's courier boy was always a fun ruse. A quick debriefing, and Honnari was off to find a boy named Yuugen who couldn't be too far off from the main hall. He would act as an intermission of low-ranking missions and the boy's supposed ailments, until he could get them under control. A trip down the narrow corridor, and Honnari began to hear shouting echo off the walls.

Muffled from the corridor's thick walls, and pencil structure, but still ample enough to make out what was being said, "Additional Training' my ass, sure my body is shit but it doesn't mean anything!" 


"What?" Honnari narrowed his eyes as he approached the opposite room. He'd been warned of his silver tongue and daggered eyes. He'd hoped that, that outburst did not come from this supposed Yugen, but the answer was obvious. Perhaps he bit off more than he could chew. But it could be worse, he imagined; he could be nicking arrows and forcibly taking down more contrarians. 


"You've quite the attitude." Honnari said, entering the room. That's when it hit him. This attraction. Not the kind that warrants affection, but static almost. Like something was amok in the ether. That crackling in the air that's always happened whenever the two things that are same come too close.

Honnari felt like if he got any closer, he'd be electocuted.

It was as if, Yugen could be at the ends of the earth and still, Honnari would feel pulled towards him. There is something about he and Honnari that matches. So though it is his eyes, his skin, his face that Honnari may look upon, there was that the attraction runs deep to the core. In no way was it superficial. He could feel it.

...Something around him, was perhaps pulling his own essence towards him. 'Something resides around him. One like mine?


"...Well, what a fated meeting." Honnari cast aside his incredulity. He was practically beaming. "It's like your chakra is-- singing to me!"

WC: 357/357

"Yea, so what of it?" He challenged. Yūgen casually turned around at the sound of a new voice. Eyes traced the new person up and down. He nodded to himself. Either I'm dealing with a deeper voice toned girl or a very feminine dude. White hair, same as his though much longer. Their form was slim and fragile looking, almost like a fleshy twig of a person. Their outfit was dull and flowing like a dress but they reminded him of old priest's robes. The teen let out a pained moan as he dragged his hand across his face. 'Oh God, a preacher came all this way just to piss him, wow, wasn't this a great day?' Yūgen unconsciously loosed a low growl, a rough sounding rumble, as he narrowed his eyes. Bored and unimpressed. Yūgen's had enough self righteous soap boxes, trying to tell him what to do with his life, in the past. He didn't need any more. Though what they said next made his nerves pop. The nerve this guy had to be looking down on me. Almost jumping to his feet as he exploded.

"Alright lookie here Rapunzel-" He started. "I get it, you're an 'actual' ninja and I'm just a green leafed genin, but that's no reason to be rubbing in the fact that you can sense chakra!" He huffed. Jabbing an accusing finger towards the albino. Geez, just because he wasn't really in tune with his chakra yet he was already getting all kinds of shit. 'Give me a break already, I didn't even enroll into the academy until a few years ago.' How was he supposed to deal with all of this? Ugh, this is not the time for a life evaluation right now.

Biting the insides of his lips he snapped his hand back, crossing his arms. "Now skip to past the daisies and buttercups. Who are ya and what do ya want? I'm waiting for someone important I can't afford talking to some stranger like you." Yūgen declared. "So unless you got business here shove off I got training to get to." With his threats finished he slumped back into his seat, arms crossed.

"Yea, so what of it?" The boy sat stiffly in his furred coat, smoothing out the lace ruffle that ran the length of it's opal buttons with one gloved hand. His eyes darted to the corner of the waiting room to where Honnari was.

Honnari's eyes widened. First it had been the dreadful screaming down the corridor and now the audacious, the inept tone and diction, every violated phrase; his ears to full to take anymore in. With his face harder than drying cement, approached the boy closer.

Goodness! He was being so rude to him. And here he thought they could both sense the nature energy!

"Now skip to past the daisies and buttercups. Who are ya and what do ya want? I'm waiting for someone important I can't afford talking to some stranger like you." Yūgen declared. "So unless you got business here shove off I got training to get to."

Honnari had lithe limbs a little bandy from the exertion of his offended thoughts. He watches the boy for a moment, the shape of his eyes hardening, mouth a thin line; "You said you were waiting for someone important. I'm sorry to say this," he says, his head giving an involuntary to shake, "but you are rude. I am Honnari. If I might kindly add."

Honnari stops, moves backward just a little, any reminiscence of kindness washed clean away, stomach tight. He cast his eyes at Yūgen  just long enough to catch his red-rimmed eyes and downcast expression. Honnari bristled. "Do you regularly speak to people like this?"

WC: 269/626

Yūgen blinked twice at the Albino's declaration that they were Honnari. Tilting his head he gave them a once over. He supposed he could see where they were coming from, the administration, with the decision to elect this person as he 'tutor'. They held a similar thin, pale frame as he did, almost feminine. Delicate. But if they were comparing him to this doll then he was going to have words with whoever set this up! Yūgen sucked in a breath, ready to tell Honnari off when they asked about his vocal habits. Fury lurched forward from within him and he was going to scream at them, eyes already glaring daggers, when the anger died in his throat and he relaxed. He looked down at his hands, puzzled at his lack of reaction at something he'd normally be pissed at. He was pissed actually, but it's like when he tried to actually direct it to Honnari, instead of just the general situation, all his negativity just vanished. He tried to remember the anger that flowed through him not moments ago but nothing came up. It was as if his heart literally couldn't bring it up to hate this person standing in front of him.

"What the..." Yūgen whispered.

He shook his head. Right, they had a question. Might as well answer it, it's not like I'm going figure this thing out soon. The trouble child shrugged nonchalantly, "Only to the people who are going to treat me like shit, I don't need any other people giving me a harder time than I have already." He sent a weak hearted glare at his trainer. "Alright, so what do you have planned for me today, sensei?" He asked, not quite pleased but definitely much more calm and anger free.

Honnari watched Yugen's eyes trace his lanky frame. He was presenting himself ramrod straight, dignified. Robes and all. He expected any retort to made in light of that. He was due respect where it was earned. And Honnari had been nothing short of polite.

Yugen seemed to dither with himself for a bit. And Honnari would not be sure he could contain himself if his trilling tone was met with harsh retribution. At first he would swallow his retort and just do it, smile and move on. But that only made it worse. Yugen seemed like the archetype that felt empowered to micromanage every little aspect of one's life, everything done his way. One day he'd just snapped. All that rage coming out faster than magma and just as destructive. It consumed all that one was, so delicate under a carefully ordered world. One would probably shrivel before him and he would keep on going, stopping short of physical violence but doing far more damage with his words.

Which was why Honnari wondered curiously, when Yugen's shoulders slacked, eyes faltered. It looked like his breath had been taken away. Or he'd seen a ghost. Honnari heard him whisper something under his breathe. Like something had gone amidst.

"Only to the people who are going to treat me like shit, I don't need any other people giving me a harder time than I have already." He sent a weak hearted glare at Honnari. "Alright, so what do you have planned for me today, sensei?"

Honnari pretended to pluck some dust off of his form. His eyes melting into his garbs. He couldn't careless at this point.

Except he could...

Emotions swam through him like waves. Like a bright star that illuminated a hopelessly dark universe. 

Something was keep Honnari from pivoting on his foot, and walking out the same door he came in. As offended as he may have been, it seemed petty to stay mad at him. He'd only reacted the way he was used to. 

"I don't know what would give you that impression?" Honnari's lips drew a small, jaded grinned, a bit sympathetic. But also a little pissed for having to brook his defensive outburst.

 At least his new acquaintance seemed less ticked than when they started. "Accompany me to Third Training Grounds, and we can go from there."

He'd better be lucky. If it weren't for the existential rope pulling at him, he would have turned heel and left. But he couldn't shake the familiar feeling. The breathe of energy that was practically singing to him.

WC: 442/1088

Yūgen shrugged and stepped out of the chair and followed behind his sensei. He stared at the back of their pain locks of hair, thinking to himself in the time between. Despite himself his tutor's words kept swimming back into his head.

"I don't know what would give you that impression."

Agh! What was he thinking!? Was there anything that did give him a reason to think that, this tiny fellow, was just any other person from the academy, or on the street. It was just kind of expected though. Anyone who could truthfully sense chakra could tell you, there was something wrong with Yūgen. The chakra he produced was warped, unnatural. Then they would all turn away, and he'd never see them again. Now he teachers were another story, but he wouldn't entertain those particular scars with mindless details. However, it seemed that Honnari was the kind of person who could tolerate him, at least a little bit. Yūgen wasn't quite ready to trust this doll of a person, but maybe that could change at the end of the day.

"What a fated meeting, it's like your chakra is- singing to me!"

Yūgen didn't bother to hide the light flush on his face. Jeez, don't go saying such embarrassing things, sensei, flattery isn't going to get you any points. He pouted mentally. Not getting anywhere with that train of thought Yūgen turned his thoughts at the destination Honnari was taking him. Was it outdoors, indoors. He didn't have much free time outside, what with the extensive strengthening exercises, the studying he had to catch up on, and being knocked out; yea, Yūgen's schedule was pretty full. Wherever his sensei was taking them, he hoped it would be up soon, the Konohagakure sun wasn't very forgiving to his complexion even on a good day.

The countryside stretched before Honnari like a great quilt of golden, brown and green squares held together by the thick green stitching of the hedgerows. It rose and fell like giant waves on a gentle ocean and was dotted with animals. Occasionally there was a wood that separated the fields, or a target dummy or fence. Honnari could see their whole day mapped out before them, rambling through pastures and over stiles, he hitched his quiver over his shoulder and felt at peace with the world. What could possibly go wrong today?

He looked at Yugen. 'Oh...wait.'

Today was a day of sunshine and rambling, with way too many arrows packing out his bag. The sunshine was brilliant but not yet with the heat of late spring. The fields were no longer swathes of rutted mud, each one was softly verdant, the new stems ruffled by the light breeze. The hills rolled like a casually laid eiderdown quilt, rising and falling in soft waves. The air had more warmth and more fragrance. Many trees ordained the woodland/prairie and the river just out of frame beyond the tall tree babbled like a brook.

Which to no wonder. It was a waterfall. The area showed signs of wear and tear. Honnari did not frequent this place much, but others did. He made it apparent to pick a shady spot. "This area is very standard."

"I would have never imagined, that I would be assigned a 'partner' of sorts. But if they truly feel that I am lacking, then by all means." Honnari mused with himself for a bit. He dithered for a second, before looking back at Yugen. He was reminded that it was he who was teaching him.

How--wonderful. What could Honnari possibly teach someone else?-- Well, if Yugen was as fresh as they came, then he doubted he knew any basic ninjutsu. Near the tall shady oak, and in one graceful bounds, he cleared the 9 meters between himself, and the tree.

He caught his balance, and his feet adhered to the tree. Now meandering the oak vertically upright, as if it were a catwalk, Honnari turned heel carefully and stared at Yugen, gauging for a reaction.

"It is a most curious feat. At least, that was my initial reaction. How's about we give this techinque a go?"

---

Chakra[145/150]:

---

WC: 392/1480

They were walking, and walking, and walking; still walking... In fact, they had walked for so long that they had entered the country side. Yūgen was sweaty, and tired already. Geez, I had never had to walk for this long before. The teen glanced to the cloaked figure leading him, there was no slump or slow in their step that indicated that they were anything other that in perfect condition. Dang that figure was misleading. Yūgen has been training for years to build up his frail body's strength, but it apparently never occurred to him or his grandfather to train him for endurance. Something he was lacking at the time they made this trek.

Finally, after what seemed like hours they stopped near a waterfall. Honnari made the point to mention that this was a frequent training spot for Konohagakure ninja, Yūgen simply hummed in response. Not particularly caring of the tidbit of information, not quite sure where to go with it and just dropped it. The young white haired man looked towards the waterfall, seeing it calmly deposit water into the pool under it. His attention was brought back to the purpose of this trip when an unnatural breeze swept through. When he looked back to where Honnari was he was surprised to find them right to a tree a fair distance away. For a moment he thought he simply didn't hear them, but that seemed unlikely.

Perhaps there is something to this teacher of mine than I previously thought.

Then they started walking up the tree.

Yeah, how did I not see this before. Yūgen thought guiltily.

When they beckoned him to do the same he legit snorted. Yea right, like he could make it up the tree like that. As much as he wanted to laugh it off, Honnari was his teacher now. He couldn't simply just say no now could he?

Yūgen sighed softly as he walked towards the tree. Already getting a bad feeling about this.. he thought worriedly. Yūgen stopped at the base of the tree next to his teacher, glancing at them worriedly, before focusing on his task.

He had some experience with the wall climbing technique, but hasn't had much success with it. Maybe it will be different this time. He hoped.

Closing his eyes he focused his chakra into the bottom of his feet. Gingerly he placed on foot on the tree, around his hip level. "One foot.." Slowly positioning the second foot right next to the first, his chakra held up at least for now. However when he went to move his foot higher he immediately fell to the ground. With a tired, "I knew it." Yūgen falling flat towards the ground. Reacting instinctually to the familiar nausea of falling his chakra activated, projecting a thin field around him that snuggly absorbed the brunt of the fall. So when the back of his head hit the ground he simply grunted tiredly in response and he slipped both of his hands in his pockets.

So where did I go wrong? He wondered. Yugen already knew the answer to that. Unconsciously, when he had both feet planted at the same time he weakened the chakra pumped into his feet. So while it could hold him with both feet, he can't hold himself up with one. He tried strengthening the chakra input before, however that always ended up with him losing control of the jutsu. Yūgen continued to stare up at the tree line, thinking on his mistakes. Until the dripping of the waterfall caught his attention.

"Ah, so that's how you do it." He whistled.

Pushing off the tree the pale teen tucked into a back roll and into a standing position facing the wooden bark of the aged tree once more. This time he dashed up the tree. One foot at a time. Pushing off with his left foot, his right foot made contact with the bark, holding him in place, allowing him to push off with his left, then his right again.

Instead of trying to change the flow and alter and change the concentration of chakra all at once, for now Yūgen simply concentrated a set amount of chakra into one foot, and then concentrating the same amount into the other foot right after he pushed off. For a while it was working.

Until it wasn't and Yūgen was falling towards the ground again. The young albino flipped so that he was facing the ground. It seemed that while he had succeeded in climbing higher, about half way up the tree this time, he had failed to take into account how he was going to get down. Sighing once more he twisted so his back was facing the ground.

His barrier was still in effect thankfully and soaked up the hit gracefully. It was by all standards, an improvement. But once again he was staring back up the tree line, wondering where he went wrong.

Honnari was watching from a stump under shade nearby. His stupor rest in a palm on his knee. His expression was of one being forced to endure an unpleasant odor. His gaze was unwavering and unabashed. Those pink eyes behind a gunmetal helm did not travel up to Yugen's face or down to his boots, but they followed him as if he was really focusing on something a couple of feet further away. Perhaps his introspective nature lead him to be locked in thought as he observed, it was hard to know. But he made no gesture of recognition, no raised hand or stiff nod.

His rosy lips broke into a grin. He felt like a parent who was letting their child run amok.

Cicadas hissed when the clouds broke, letting the sun light illuminate the area around the shade. When the light peaked, so did the cicadas, before another roaming cumulus eclipsed it. Honnari noticed that Yugen did have some experience with then Supernatural Walking Technique. Yet it was hardly refined or even impressive. He didn't harbour any thoughts that were pejorative towards the boy. He remembered a time when the Academy Techniques were the bane of his exsitence. Hell, there were still some he didn't bother to learn. He wanted to move on, no less.

He was glad they were in the relieving shade. In this heat, one can barely formulate a thought. There is no cooling breeze or cloud to block the high Leaf sun. Honnari curled his fingers around the thin fabric of his top, waving it in and out to create just a little air flow. It wouldn't be enough if he was in the sun no doubt; it'd be like an ice cube into hot soup.

Honnari gracefully unseats himself from the severed stump, heading over to Yugen who's found himself on the ground, arms and legs sprawled; and eyes set on the horizon.

"What's wrong--" Honnari crossed his arms, leaning on the oak." "--something troubling you?" The oak tree was fleckered with gashes and lesions. They were inflicted by kunai and what looked like blunt trauma. And the most recent, foot bruises.

Honnari ambled away from the frustrated boy, He was clearly annoyed, it was written all over his face. He glided across the graveled ground like a slinking panther. His footfalls made no sound at all. Honnari had a very royal gait. It was very focused as he went, perhaps he was walking with squared shoulders, it was hard to tell. It had the effect of making him stand out in a crowd. When he came from under the shade, he braced the sun with his forearm and looked into the distance.

He looked Yugen over once more. Honnari didn't know why he found himself laughing so hard, but all of a sudden, he couldn't stop. His breath came in quick gasps between unstopable giggles. Tears gathered in the corners of his eyes, threatening to spill over from under his helm. Usually he a sort of astute grimness for a countenance. But Yugen's resolve to simply lay on the ground, defeated, seemed to melt that icy-calm of his.

WC: 537/2017

Yūgen was relaxing on the ground, stone faced with his legs flat against the tree and back on the ground. Still reviewing how he was supposed to successfully use this jutsu, when Honnari came gliding over. Their aetherial presence noted before returning back to his objective. He blinked in surprise at the sound of Honnari laughing.

"You enjoying my failure? Getting a kick outta this?" He asked accusingly, a bit bored. "I'd join ya but I'm a bit busy training." He huffed.

Pushing his legs he thrust his hips out while he pushed with his palms flat on the ground. A strange flip but it got the job done. Yūgen ended up two meters from the tree, landing in a sprinter's position before dashing up the tree. Yūgen suddenly much more determined to escape the embarrassing situation than learn the jutsu. Without even thinking of it he ran up to one of the highest branches above the first layer of leaves and branch trunks. Plopping down against the main trunk of the tree and simply relaxed against the wood.

The young teen wiped the sweat from his face. A bit bothered how easily his body could give out after such a small amount of exertion after the amount of training he went through. The walk here wasn't any easier on his frail frame. Yūgen elected to stay up here for a little. Might as well stay and get some rest up here, it wasn't like he was going to be able to do too much physical training after that.

The back of his head hit the bark with a soft 'thud'. Thinking back to his actions a few moments before, perhaps he may have under-reacted a bit. He regretted not going up their backwards while flipping off his teacher. They could take it, he knew that, but Yūgen didn't want to strain his new teacher too much in one day.

Perhaps when they were closer.... If that happened.

"I'd join ya but I'm a bit busy training." He huffed.  


It stunted his giggling. Honnari was starting to notice that Yugen had a particularly sharp tongue. It was quick and potent. Each word, though witty, was laced with venom that lingered. Most likely, he'd do it in poor taste. But there was something about his bravado that Honnari could respect.

Honnari never gave much thought to the notion of respect before, he simply poured out love and hoped to get some back. He supposed that's why people saw him as simple, a target for aggression, a ready victim. Despite his repose, deep down he wanted to appear tough on the surface. Someone whom anyone would think twice before saying violating words. He wasn't not that little boy anymore and now he knew the different versions of respect. There is the respect someone gives because they find you attractive. There is the respect of someone who wants something from you without giving anything in return - flattery. Then there is the respect of a person who truly understands what you bring to the situation, that you are worthy and worthwhile.

Honnari often found himself in the third kind of respect - expect a cool reception. Just because he's emotionally open, it doesn't make him dumb.

Was there a way that he could possibly attain the same level of confidence, without coming off too gaudy?

Honnari looked overhead, just where Yugen's peaked from a branch, high in the canopy. He lingered a bit as he stared after the boy. Honnari found him to be slightly transparent. Perhaps, even in the same regard of himself. So far he'd seen how he toiled each minute, work harder than anyone, keep his head down and get on with what must be done. He saw him suffer--

"--Stoic isn't quite the word for you," Honnari said, reading into his thoughts.  "You're more than that, yet I wish for your own sake you'd find a safe way to let those feelings out. Rather than hold them to your breast."

Staring isn't quite the word for what Honnari does, though he'd fit the dictionary definition to a tee. His eyes rest, not unblinking but slowed; yet the effect is soft and inviting instead of harsh. Perhaps it is his lips that give away his intention, not quite smiling but tilting as if they mean to. And they did so. Followed by his voice, "Did you--want to cut things a bit short? There is no shame in needing a moment of intermission, you know?"

WC: 439/2456

Yugen much to his surprise, didn't immediately want to bash in his sensei's head when they tried to critique him. Perhaps- well, he wasn't going to read too much into it, but for a moment it seemed like Honnari actually cared about him. The thought sent a warm shiver up his spine and the clan-less boy shrugged his jacket closer to his body, suddenly feeling vulnerable. He didn't know how to respond to Honnari's concern. The idea of cutting their training early though, that was obvious.

Nonchalantly Yugen rolled to the side, off the branch and fell towards the ground, crashing to the grassy floor was the most passive of looks on his face. "Nope, nope. You don't get to drag your only student out of the village only to stop halfway into training." He scolded. Gradually he picked himself off the ground and dusted himself off. Yugen wasn't anywhere near finished, not until he actually got something useful out of this practice. He was going to be a real ninja soon, which meant fighting people much stronger, body in body and technique, than a nobody like him. He didn't have the luxury of being lax in his training. Which meant his teacher shouldn't either. If he wanted to be taken seriously in the village then he had to take everything he learned to heart and engrave it into his being. It sounded like hard work, but Yugen didn't mind too much. This was nothing compared to some of the other sessions he's seen.

Sliding his hands into his pockets, Yugen questioned stiffly. Rolling his shoulders. "So, what's next, sensei?"


282 (T_T)

Robe flowing over the man-cut grass, he meandered near Yugen and forcibly removed the arrow. A new wound for the immortal tree to sport. In the unrelenting glare of midday the only shadow is that which pools at their feet. The strong sun on my Honnari's white hair will burn him in minutes if he doesn't get back under the shade.  At midday everything seems to shuts down. The market holders have gone, the streets are bare. Until three the heat will rain down in such oppressiveness. He remembers his father's favorite and only sensible thing to do is sleep it off in the coolness of a subterranean basement amongst his liquor. Even the chuunin are gone, back the station. Who's going to rob now? Running at these temperatures would just bake one's lungs.

518/2974

Yugen didn’t bat an eye at the other white haired man’s outburst, unimpressed by Honnari’s rebuttal of their responsibilities. Though it seemed they would be picking them back up regardless, despite the short bout of outrage. Yugen nervously flexed his shoulders when Honnari pulled out an arrow. Strangely they immediately sealed it, moving to draw their bow’s string before unsealing the arrow and letting the string go. The arrow flew and impale the tree with it’s presence. Yūgen would be a liar if he didn't say he was a tiny bit impressed with that display.




He would have been more impressed with the technique had he already not been working on it recently. Fuinjutsu was a second skill he learned, since it was obvious that he wouldn't do much physically. Beside his physical training he became familiar with the chakra based arsenal of the ninja. Demonstrating a slow affinity with Ninjutsu at first but steadily improving, fuinjutsu following behind it. 




Now unlike Honnari he didn't have anything to work with. Or so he thought. 'Well, that that wasn't exactly true…' 




“So you mean something like this?” Yūgen placed a solid hand on his chest. A sealing formula briefly expanding across his shirt from the contact, disappearing into the seal with a poof and a breath of playful smoke as it was sealed. Yūgen looked carefully at his teacher, "Easy." He huffed proudly. Placing the same hand on his bare chest, before attempting the reverse this time. Reaching into the reservoir of chakra inside him Yūgen pulled forth from the storage locker he had set aside for practice, a new clean shirt. 


Another puff of smoke enveloped him before revealing his new choice of clothing. It was a simple sleeveless black form conforming shirt he used for physical training, he would have brought one of his other jackets but he didn't want to end up ruining any of them like his last one. It would be hell trying to clean off all the dirt from it. This one would be much easier to wash. Now... What did Honnari think of his top notch performance?

"Curious." He mouthed to himself, as he stared longingly at the boy. He suddenly realized his naked gaze, and quickly averted his eyes. Looking after some imagined insect--or something. He was determined to figure out this anomaly. Had he not had a gut feeling that there was something intrinsic about this, Honnari would have dropped it by now. But when there eyes touched, it was so famliar. To him, a sign from god was posting itself front and center. And nothing was clearer than not! Honnari's frail body was beginning to feel just a but tired. Encouraged by the sun that was begininng to drop to the east, in which cooler breezes roamed and whistled freely. He thought that maybe he would slip out of unconsciousness if he stood there, and then back out. The world was slightly irritable to him when he got sleepy, and random images seemed to float aimlessly around in the pool of his thoughts, as though they were being blown about viciously by a hurricane. A close breeze on his shoulder brings him me back to the outside world. He could feel Yugen's eyes trying to look at him, staring dead in his closed eyes. the world was becoming a low resolution to Honnari.




"If that's the case, then maybe I can show you--just one more thing." Honnari's petite hands were quickly woven to form a traditional Ram hand-sign. And, following a humorous puff of white, billowing smoke, an exact replica of himself was created. Identical to his likeness in every way. Hands poised, sitting above his waist, intermingled. The clone giggled in a thin voice before vanishing as quickly as it had appeared. 


"Shadow Clones. Utilized by every shinobi and kunoichi of the leaf. Their versatility is remarkable. But optimal control over one's energies is key to manifesting one in your own shape and likeness." He gestured for Yugen to give it a try. Time in the Academy undoublty had exposed him to this technique. But performing it oneself, as Honnari relived, was something different entirely.


"What do you say?" Honnari's voice trilled, eyes smiling, "Can you give this a try for me?"

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Yūgen gaze hardened a bit at the sight of the smoke. 'Oh great.' It's not a sight he was not used to. He had tried many a time to try a clone jutsu of any type. Anything to get him out of the harsh training sessions or get him water when he was thirsty. But he was met with disappointment each time. He couldn't seem to get the right concentration of chakra, or the right ratio. It was a struggle. Though maybe, with Honnari here, he can finally get this over with. He has seen it in action, whether demonstrated at the academy or by his grandfather while they trained, so he knew how it was supposed to go. Now if only he can get it to work.

"This will be easy." Yūgen huffed indignantly. With a slide of the shoulders he snapped his hands into a Ram hand seal. The white haired ninja tapped into the energy inside of it. Bending and twisting it. He drew from the reservoir of chakra inside of him, focused by the hand seal and his will. His thoughts shifted to the other man beside him, before focusing back on to the task at hand.

It was an almost tranquil experience, for a moment Yūgen could almost feel the things around him. Like, he was part of something... Nearly alive.

With a surge of chakra through his systems he produced a cloud of smoke. The white clouds engulfing the nearby area around the two young ninja. Thick white surrounded them, leaving little to be seen by the naked eye. Little by little the smoke cleared out of the area. Leaving the three figures to be standing, watching each other. Yūgen looked to his right, his own gaze mirrored by a complete look alike.

"Huh." They mimicked each other.

Yūgen just kinda stood there, looking on his work. Everything seemed in order. The eyes were the same eyes he sees in the mirror. Same clothes, build, height. Everything seemed normal. The perfectionist in him was briefly tempted to cup his mirror image to check if everything really was the same but definitely not when Honnari was here watching the two of them.

He was still in shock, he actually did it. Finally, getting a break through. Proud of his accomplishment the young ninja sent Honnari sharp toothed grin. "Told ya, easy." He went to pay his clone on the back. But as soon as soon as his hand made contact with the clone it passed through. It was like slow motion. The chilling cold that went up his spine when he realized that this wasn't a clone, but a doppleganger.

As soon as his hand fully passed through the chest of the, just as surprised, 'clone', they dissappated into nothingness once more. For a moment his hand just hung there, surprised.. and angry. Inside him all the pent up emotions he had just exploded, and there wasn't much stopping it.

"AHHHHH!" the wrathful young man screeched through the trees. With all that focus and chakra, all he managed was a semi-corporeal doppleganger!? He took a deep breathe again, eyes still bulging, before forming the ram seal with more determination than before. "HAAAAA!" Yūgen screamed into the forest air. His chakra system pumping energy through his entire body with twice the force than before. Once more he released the stored chakra in a burst. When the resulting smoke cleared another pitch perfect reflection of him was produced two meters away the pulsing vein on its forehead and the glaring stare they had was spot on too. However looks didn't mean anything, so he leapt towards them arms outstretched. Tackling the 'clone' or doppleganger, whatever they were to the ground. However just like the first attempt Yūgen passed straight through them, dissappating the intangible look-alike.

He rolled on the ground, coming up in a crouch. Wasting no time here Yūgen jumped up to his feet, ram sigh already produced. Another deep breath and build up. But this time his anger was tempered deadly focus, allowing him to more precisely mold his chakra. This time when the smoke cleared another clone was produced. Slightly disheveled and looking half dead with exhaustion but seemingly tangible so far.

Yūgen in the meantime had wasting a bit too much chakra in the flash of rage from before. His head was beginning to ache and his legs were struggling to hold himself upright. His clone however was probably even lower on chakra than the real counterpart and fell towards Yūgen, leaning on their shoulder for support. The white haired ninja's instant reaction was to shove them off, but it was then he realized that these was a solid, breathing clone.

Sadly though not a very durable one apparently, as only after a few moments on leaning on him it broke out in a puff of white smoke, leaving the real Yūgen to choke on the remains. "Pfft. Gah, ha... Ha... Told ya, easy." Yūgen heaved, not bothering to censor his heavy breathing. "I totally told ya."


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[Exit]

~Training Reaction Time and Perception to D-3, and Endurance to E-2~