The young genin glanced around at the small training field he now stood it. It was overgrown to the point where Hebiyachi did not believe he was in the right place. The man reached into his pocket with a sign and pulled out the small note that had been given to him directing him to his current location. He had followed every direction to the letter, so he knew that he was in the right place. But nobody else had arrived yet, and Hebiyachi was more confused than anything else. At the very least, he assumed the person he was meeting would be wasting their time with him. And yet right now it was his time that was being wasted. With a short grunt Yachi shoved the paper back into his pocket before resting his left hand on the hilt of his katana that was strapped to his waist. Maybe he wouldn’t learn anything today after all…

---

The incessant buzzing of Hebiyachi’s alarm clock brought him out of sleep and back into the land of the waking. His room was still pitch black; the shades had been pulled the night before for a reason. But the numbers on his alarm clock were flashing a time that he knew was before sunrise anyway. As he blinked bleary eyes and tried to adjust to his waking state, he made a mental note of how useless it was to close the blinds when he knew he would have to be up this early anyway. Finally, the Ouroboros reached out a weary hand and smacked the clock, plunging the room back into a pleasing silence. Hebiyachi let out a loud yawn and stretched under his covers before slowly slipping out of bed. As his bare feet hit the cold floor he shivered slightly but managed to press on and stand up out of his bed. His tattoo covered body strode across the room to his closet where he began to look through his clothes for something to wear for the day. Feeling the need for comfort, the young man reached for his grey tank top and a wrap sweater along with his black harem pants and sandals. Once he was dressed, Yachi put on his black necklace as well. Looking at him self in the mirror, the young man gave a satisfied smile to his reflection and turned toward his closet once more. In the back he could see hos inherited sword mounted on the back wall. There was a moment that he thought about strapping it to his waist, but it quickly passed as he shrugged and made his way down out of his room and down stairs.

As he walked into the kitchen, Yachi was surprised to find it empty. Usually his mother would wake up before him and get prepared for the day ahead, but today she was not up yet. Shrugging, the genin pulled out two frying pans and turned on the stove. As it heated up, he turned toward the fridge and opened it up, pulling out a couple of eggs, butter, cheese, a tomato, some basil, and some mushrooms. With a smile on his face the young man cracked the four eggs two in each hand before letting them fall into the frying pans and start cooking. Over the course of the next few minutes, Hebiyachi allowed his artistic side to take over as he created two beautiful omelettes for himself and his mother. He hummed to himself as he continued cooking the meal and heard his mother getting ready on the floor above. It was not long before the food was ready and Yachi set his own on a plate for himself. He took a moment to appreciate his creation before digging in happily. Just about that time his mother came down the stairs.

She seemed to be in a hurry as she scooped up the omelette and threw it on a plate. The presentation of the dis was completely ruined in an instant, but Yachi did not really mind. He had his own omelette to be proud of. “Thanks Yachi,” his mother said hastily as she started scarfing down the egg. Yachi simply smiled in return, offering a “No problem” as they finished up their breakfasts. Hebiyachi stood to collect the plates while his mom rushed out of the kitchen and could be heard dragging something across the floor of the front hallway. Raising an eyebrow, the genin placed the plates in the sink and stepped out toward the front door to see his mother pushing a couple of boxes along the floor. He smirked at the sight. “Do you need some help there, Mom?” He offered genuinely while also teasing her a little bit. She huffed jokingly as she stood up and replied. “You know full well that I don’t need your help...I would just prefer to have it.” They both let out a quiet laugh and Yachi bent down to pick up the boxes and pushed the front door open. “I’ll clean up later. Let’s get to the clinic before people start showing up.” And with that, the duo departed from their home and made their way into he Village proper.

A faint fog hung over the Village named for that specific phenomenon. The Hidden Mists were certainly doing their best to conceal the great ninja village that morning. As he sun filtered down through the mist Yachi could not help but blink. The sun had just started to rise over the Land of Water which signaled the start for the day for many people who lived here. As Yachi and his mother moved through the town, the Ouroboros boy noticed shop keeps and trade workers opening up their shops and smithys as well as any other number of places of business. The buildings were simple when they first started walking, but the farther they got from their home, the more complex the structures became; Kirigakure no Sato was a marvel to behold even after living there for so long. Before too long, the pair came to a small, two story grey brick building marked with a red cross and a symbol of the Mist. Their clinic was a simple one, but many people came to seek assistance from them each and every day. His mother was gifted with medical ninjutsu and Yachi was good at minding the inventory most of the time. That was part of the reason he was with her that day. As they stepped into the shop, Hebiyachi immediately set down the boxes close to one of the shelves and started unpacking it to fill up the products. He hoped it would not take too long, but he wasn’t about to leave his mother to do all that lifting. Instead she cleaned up the examination room and prepared some of the books for that day.

The two of them had not been working very long when the bell on door rang, signalling that somebody had come in. Both of the Ouroboros turned to the door to see a young chuunin that Yachi knew quite well. His left hand was wrapped in bandages and the blood was seeping through, but he was smiling. “Hey guys! Long time no see.” The truth was that Hebiyachi had seen him around the village getting ready for missions, but the chuunin had paid Yachi little mind in return. It did not bother the genin too much, but he remembered it. Regardless, the young man smiled and greeted him in return. “Hey, welcome back. Is it about time for mom to swap that bandage?” “It sure is,” he chuckled as he moved into a chair that had been set out for patients. Yachi’s mother quickly moved to be beside him and started unwrapping his arm. She said very little for the next little while, but the chuunin spoke up. “So Yachi, you participating in the Chuunin exams this year?” Yachi’s smile faded for a moment. He had heard about the exams a while ago, but a few things were preventing him from going. The first of which was the fact that he had barely started into his official training, and the second being the fact that they were taking place in Konohagakure no Sato and the Land of Fire. He did not want to do back there…not yet at least. He had no problem telling the chuunin the same thing, “Honesty, I don’t want to go back to a place where everyone just hates me for a reason that is no fault of our own. It doesn’t matter who my blood is; they should know that. Not just that but I don’t know if I’m even physically capable.”

He paused at that, not sure what else to say on the matter. The man had come in and out of the clinic enough to have heard the story of they’re journey to the Land of Water. Konhagakure no Sato and it’s residents had given up of the Ouroboros long ago, even if they did not care to admit it.  After one of the legendary Sanin, Orochimaru, had betrayed the leaf and killed the Third Hokage, there was no coming back from that dark stain. Much like the Uchiha, though not to quite the obvious extent, his clan had been branded as villains. There was a bit of an awkward silence for a while until the chuunin called him closer and gave him a smile. “Listen Yachi, because you don’t want to do it, you really should. I know that doesn’t make much sense, but you feel screwed by them because they said you would never be good enough. Well, why don’t you go walk into Konohagakure no Sato, and show them just how strong you are? That’ll teach them to treat you like garbage.” Yachi was about to open his mouth to protest, but the idea actually seemed like it could be fun. On top of that, he had been training a lot lately, and there was a chance that this would be the only chance he would get for a long time to show up the Leaf ninja. The smile on his face grew as he stood there, planning exactly how it could win the exams. He had been practicing some new jutsu that might just help him out. But there was one thing he still needed to get better at. “I….you might just be right…” With a quick blink, Yachi turned to his mother and said, “I have to go get something and then I better go train if I really want to do this. Good luck. I’ll be home for dinner.” His mother returned the farewell with a smile and wave as her son ran off.

As the young man made his way back through the village, he found himself moving faster than he usually would. Hebiyachi had always been the type to show off exactly who he is and take his time doing it. His attire was enough of a show to prove that point. But today he did not really care if people saw the art on his body, or the colour he had made his eyes. Instead, he was just focused on getting home quickly so tat he could get what he needed. The village seemed to be in a new light to the young man. Instead of seeming dark, dreary, and shrouded by fog, everything seemed bright with opportunity. It was a good day. Eventually, Yachi made it back to his home and wasted no time walking upstairs to his room. Once inside he made his way straight to the closet which he then threw open. He hastily pushed aside his clothes to see what he had returned home for. His blade, Mizuchi, hung on the wall in it’s sheathe. It was a gift to him from his mother, and it had been in the family for years. Just by looking at it he could recall the day that he and his mother left Konoha. She had debated leaving it behind for some time, but in the end she had taken it without a word. When they had arrived in Kiri and Hebiyachi joined the shinobi forces there, she gave it to him. He swore to become a master swordsman that day, but he had yet to even start achieving that goal. After reminiscing for a moment or two, the genin reached out and took the sword off of the wall and turned away. On his way out the door he grabbed the rest of his ninja tools before heading to the closest training ground.

With the Chunin Exams fast approaching, Hebiyachi was not surprised by the number of people in the area. Every single training dummy had somebody near it, punching and kicking to practice their strike placement. Other people were running around the track while others still were actually sparring with one another. There was not much space to work, so Yachi walked over to the nearest tree and took a deep breath. As he released his breath, the young genin slowly drew the sword, taking in it’s features a she did so. It was a beautiful weapon, and he was excited to get to using it. But he had no idea where to start. He took a stance that he had been taught at the academy when they did basic weapon training, but the sword felt awkward in his hand. He swung it left and right, then up and down trying to get used to the weight of it in his hand. He looked like a fool compared to the other people in the area who were practicing with weapons. Turning his back to them, Yachi started swinging at the tree near him in hopes of getting the hand of it if he had something to strike. It was going very poorly when he heard a voice call from behind him. Turning around, Yachi let out a sigh and let a clearly disappointed look cross his face. It was Yandin.

Yandin had been a student when Hebiyachi arrived in Kirigakure no Sato, and when Yachi was taking his equivalency test to become a genin, Yandin was also taking his test. He was a couple of years younger than Yachi, but he was just as capable, if not more so. Though Hebiyachi would never admit that to the boy. He was an arrogant prick who had his own hang ups about Yachi. But he was far more bearable than the kids back in the Land of Fire. “What do you want, Yandin?” The dark haired boy scoffed as he and his two friends approached the Ouroboros. In Yandin’s hand was a katana not nearly as decorative as Yachi’s but probably equally as effective. “Why don’t you chill out snake boy,” Yandin sneered. Yachi could only roll his eyes in response. Yandin was part of the Yuki clan, and thus was granted an advanced elemental release by his bloodline: ice. His puns about it were awful, but none of his posse would dare tell him that. They were happy to just jeer and play along. “Leave me alone Yandin. I’m busy.” His words were instantly answered with a laugh. “Ha! Busy sucking I guess. Though I’m not surprised. After all, you’re not really a Kiri shinobi. You’re just a Leaf wannabe.” Yachi tensed up at that, turning to face Yandin properly with a furrowed brow and an annoyed from. “Take it back Yandin.” “Or what?” he replied incredulously. “What are you gonna do about it?”

Hebiyachi ran forward then with his katana raised high above his head. He was no slower than the other boy, but Yandin was actually skilled with a blade. As Yachi swung down clumsily with Mizuchi, Yandin deftly turned it to the side. Yachi’s eyes went ide for a moment as Yandin wasted no time stepping forward and slamming his shoulder into the Ouroboros. Yachi let out a grunt as he fell backwards, landing on his back and dropping his sword. “What a frickin’ LOSER!” Yandin yelled out at the top of his lungs. “Maybe you should go cool off before you try something like that. Like I said before bud, you’ll never be as good as me, or any real shinobi of the Village Hidden in the Mists. You’ll always be playing catch up.” With that, Yandin turned on his heels and left with his friends. They called out some obscenities as they departed, but Hebiyachi’s pride was already too hurt to care. He really was garbage with that sword. For a while Yachi simply laid on his back, hoping that he would wake up from the horrible dream he was having. But it didn’t happen. Instead, Hebiyachi stood up slowly, picked up his sword, and turned toward the Academy. He needed to learn from someone, and what better place to learn than school?

The halls of the academy where as plain as they used to be when he was just a student here. Though his time was brief in the academy of the Land of Water, it was overall a much better experience than hi time in Konoha. When he was still in the leaf, the other children treated him life garbage because of his heritage. It drove him to a depression or a time, and eventually it led to Hebiyachi becoming who he was meant to be. He was never afraid of showing off who he was after how badly he was treated. It’s why he got all of his tattoos and piercings so young in life. He wanted people to remember him so that when he did become a great ninja someday, they would remember exactly who they had messed with. In Kiri they had been far more accepting, besides Yandin. For the most part he had been treated as an equal and when he had shown his aptitude, he was given the rank he deserved. He was a genin – a full fledged ninja of the mist. But he needed to be able to show that to people like Yandin, to the shinobi of the leaf, and of course, to himself. After wandering the halls for some time, he finally found the man he had been looking for.

Yachi’s homeroom teacher was an older man who specialize din fuuinjutsu, but never to the point where he passed the rank of chuunin. Instead of advancing further than that, he had decided to teach the younger generation about being a ninja in the academy. He was a smart, wise man who was not without skill, and Hebiyachi knew that he knew anybody who matter. As Yachi stepped into the office where he was working on some paperwork, the teacher smiled. “Hebiyachi! It has been a while. How are you, son?” Yachi smiled at the man’s kindness, the contrast with the teachers of the Leaf was plain to see just by his greeting. “Hey sir. I’m doing alright. But I actually came here looking for some help. You see, the Chunin Exams are coming up in Konohagakure no Sato, and I’d like to participate.” The man smiled again and gave Yachi a pat on the back. “Well then what are you waiting for? You should probably hit the road!” Yachi chuckled at that. “Well, I don’t need to leave just yet. But what I do need is for someone to show me how to use this.” Yachi set the sheathed blade on the teacher’s desk and waiting for a response. The chuunin took the blade out of its sheathe for a moment and examined it. “It’s a beautiful blade,” he said as his voice trailed off. Eventually he put it away and set it down. “I know just the young man who can help you. He’s a little on the harsh side, but he will make you ready for these exams in a heartbeat if you’re willing to put the work in.” Yachi smiled and reassured the man as he handed the Ouroboros a small note with directions on it saying that he would get in contact with the man and send him to that location. With the direction in had, Hebiyachi headed back out into he village and toward the rendezvous point.

---

Hebiyachi Ouroboros shivered slightly as the wind blew through the small clearing once again. He was getting impatient, and his teacher had said that the man he was supposed to meet was a jounin. Yachi could not fathom a jounin being so late for his own training session. But after all, he probably had much better things to do. He thought he had heard of the guy he was supposed to be meeting before. If he was not mistaken, his name had been brought up as one of the greatest genjutsu users of the Village Hidden in the Mist. With a shrug, Hebiyachi leaned up against a nearby tree and waited for the jounin, the man who was called Maigo.

WC:3545

Maigo walked down the busy lane of the market, pulling at the katana on its side as it felt like it was sliding downwards, towards falling off from the fact of his belt not being on too tight. It was mid day, probably? Maigo's yawned drowned out his own ability to think on what was happening and instead, the scent of lunch or an early dinner began to tantalize his senses. The spices that filled the air with smoke and steam from dishes that sizzled in hot pans, walking by it almost made him start drooling all the same and while...

Well yes, he'd found it. Long blonde hair that flowed evenly just above her shoulder blades and symmetry as he could ask for it from a beautiful face. She sat talking meekly with the girl behind the counter as she walked to and fro doing various tasks for their restaurant. And to his own surprise there was no one else really around! An empty shop and on her hand... yeah, there was no ring. A devious thought crossed his mind to kill two birds with one stone, enjoying his life while he could! He was still so young and full of energy and all the while it was necessary to eat before he was off for the day for his various tasks.

He'd forgot completely about the sliding katana as he sat down quickly next to her, almost a little too close for comfort and breaking her attention with the clinking of metal from his ninja pouch. In the short trip from the middle of the street into the shop and a few more feet to the bench itelf, he had managed to pull his headband out of his pouch, tie it to his forehead, rough himself up a bit and pull away his shirt so that his normal vest was the only thing there. Offering short angles and glimpses to the scars and marks that lined across himself from a variety of blades and damage he'd taken over the years.

"I hope you don't mind if I join you? I'm absolutely starving and I feel like I've been gone ages..." Maigo led on a bit exaggerated and dramatically while he leaned he adjusted himself then turned to the girl and quickly rattled off his order quietly and without much distraction before trying to turn his attention back to the woman on his left. She blinked, almost confused at what was happening before shifting subtly away a few inches while Maigo made his order.

She didn't say much at first, instead pulled her hair back and leaned forward to take some of the noodles in front of her while she kept her eyes down.

"How is it? If it's anywhere near as good as it looks then I'm pretty excited." he would end with a slight chuckle and a reassuring smile as she glanced from the side towards him again. "Can't really get good noodles or... really good food at all, when you're out going through missions in the wilderness for three weeks..." he would chuckle a bit louder and place his hand towards his stomach and felt the slight rumbling within.

---

Really, the only truth to it was that he was hungry. He was completing missions in the wilderness for a long time not too long ago but it was only a week. And that week happened almost three weeks ago. Truthfully, he'd slept in that morning as late as he could, needing to help an old friend train someone up for the chuunin exams, a simple enough task for sure but he was already late! And at this very moment paying no attention to time in any sort, where he needed to be, what he'd done, or even what was happening in front of him. The bed head he carried betrayed him and the yawn he was fighting back made his story so much harder to believe on top of that.

---

Maigo immediately broke the conversation by pointing to his headband, "A ninja you see! That's why I was... out, doing missions... a jounin actually! Elite ninja, lots of missions and all else keeping me busy, putting me in danger, saving lives... you know?"

The women was almost in disbelief as Maigo rattled on and watched her carefully for any change in expression. It was a breakthrough though! The first words came as she hardly moved, still holding a bundle of noodles in front of her as she spoke up,

"You're a ninja?" she spoke with a tone to challenge the very essence of the idea that he was a ninja and should be taken seriously. It was almost insulting! If Maigo hadn't been distracted by the very focus of flirting and taking his chance.

"Of course I am! I'm a jounin, an elite ninja of the village! Master of genjutsu!" Maigo held up a hand, almost pointing a finger in an indignated way as he waited for her response. Boisterous and proud of the facts about himself, as much as he could stretch them anyways.

"You don't seem like a ninja..." she offered before bring the noodles she held onto for so long to eat them, slurping them up before swallowing them.

Maigo's vein almost pulsed above his forehead, his demeanor dropped to a more neutral expression as he felt insulted by the notion. "And what makes you the expert on this matter?" Maigo would leave off, furrowing his brow lightly while keeping his attention on her tightly.

"Well, it's because I'm a ninja too..." she would leave off and turn her body so that her far shoulder would show towards him. Showing off the Kirigakure headband that had been worn around her arm just underneath the sleeve of her shirt. "I'm a chuunin in this village and I know you're not a jounin because only genin wear their headbands on their foreheads anymore! It's a bit silly and old-fashioned..." she smirked at him as if she had caught Maigo even further in his lies but he'd just played himself.

"But I normally don't even wear the headband at all? What's that make me, Mizukage then?" he would mumble under his breath as a cup of water and a plate of food would be dropped in front of him.

"I'll have you know that I am too a jounin!" Maigo would say and instantly pull the headband from his head using a single hand. Pulling it off his head from the knot that held it behind him and quickly tucking into the pouch at his side before he continued on, "Besides, would a genin have eyes like these?!" he was almost yelling at this point as the golden color of his eyes would be taken over with hues of red and black, his own Mangekyo Sharingan spinning into life before her. His stare would be mesmerizing but it would flicker, intensity for an instant as he felt fire stirring up within him. His inner self was about to mistake his embarrassment for true anger.

Maigo would blink as the pattern in his eyes would spin for a moment before he would blink, clutching his right eye and closing it intently before the sharingan would fade completely. The fire that grew within him would fade quickly, not being around long enough to kindle but instead focused on the light fading from his eyes. The stinging pain before he leaned back and kept to himself, painful, he could feel a trickle of blood from his eye even as he wiped it away quickly and hopefully without her noticing.

She was almost in disbelief at the show before her, but then she tilted her head and spoke out, "Hey!" her words caught Maigo's attention again as he turned to focus on her again.

"You said you use genjutsu,right? That's a dirty trick! You'd better be careful doing that! Imitating Maigo, the jounin in this village! He's got a reputation, if he catches you he probably won't like you pretending to be him just to try to flirt with people!" her face was mostly of anger as she ruffled around in her pouch and pulled out a handful or ryo to use and left it on the table for the shop.

Then, with a sudden turn, she pushed a finger into his chest and began to lecture him again, "Just remember that! You can't fool a chuunin and if you get caught doing that, he might even kill you!"

Maigo was watching almost in disbelief, small bursts of statement like, "Wait!" or, "Hang on," were interrupted as she continued on. His reputation and name had proceeded him in some way but apparently he wasn't actually known? Or rather, he found a person who knew of him but didn't know his face. It was a tragic ending that left with her storming off from the shop, with a highly negative opinion of Maigo for... pretending to be Maigo.

Now slumped over in his seat, he sighed deeply as the shop owner handed him his check and he lazily took it while sipping some of the water from the glass. A sudden burst, literally of him nearly spitting the drink out as he realized he was even later now to help out an old friend of his!

He quickly took the plate in one hand and with the other, used the chopsticks to funnel and shove food into his mouth while chewing violently and then standing up suddenly at the table as he finished the water as well. Reaching to his pouch, he took a wad of ryo, literally large bills crumbled up and with a mouth full threw it out and mumbled something along the lines of, "Keep the change!" as he sprinted out the door and dashed on the rooftops as quickly as he could, hoping his speed would help make up some of the time lost. Each step almost running someone over, he passed by the blonde haired girl again as he jumped up to a rooftop at nearly blinding speed to the average person before turning back and smirking with a wink.

Distracted nearly crashing into a pole that stood above a house, he used his hands and threw himself around it before he continued on to the spot he was supposed to meet the boy. Give him a bit of help with his sword work, get him prepared for the Chuunin exams and all of that nonsense! Oh, it was such a drag but he desperately closed the distance with all the energy he had in his body.

---

Finally closing in on the clearing, Maigo would use every fiber in his body to dash the last few hundred meters, burning energy in his muscles as he used a dash of speed to close the distance before jumping over the separating treeline of the clearing and aimed to land in the center of the ground with a bit of theatrics on his side. In his right hand he pulled out a simple smokebomb and intended to throw it to shroud his descent but instead his sandal caught on a branch and now he rotated forward, aiming to faceplant in the ground instead, he used his chest to break the fall.

The smoke bomb itself would fly away as the sudden body of Maigo would crash into the ground with a thud, turn a bit as he rolled and then slide nearly 15 meters to the otherside of the clearing where he would lay there for a second. Groaning and feeling the pain in his body as his arms fell out to his side and he was left staring upwards into a partially cloudy sky, a nice cool breeze ran over him as he hesitated as long as he could before starting to stand up. Creaking bones and aches as got to his feet and stretched out every angle of his body while feeling the joints crack under the pressure and his muscles lock up and fight against him.

With a final turn, he would look around the clearing to see if the boy he was supposed to train was there, instead finding a very interesting person instead, he would speak up towards him, looking him over and each tattoo as he was distracted by the appearance that was nowhere near what he expected,

"So... uhhh, you're the one that needs help with... something or other?"


[2117 words]

The waiting had gone on for a while now and Yachi was growing very impatient. He continued to lean against the tree and let the breeze roll though the small clearing as pondered just what the jounin must be doing to be so late for their meeting. He could very well be on an important assassination mission for the Mizukage herself at his rank. Being a jounin was impressive in and of itself, but Maigo had become known as a master of genjutsu in his time with the village as well. It was a specialization that not many people trained in and even fewer executed effectively. Hebiyachi himself had not been very impressive with the skill in the academy and so he had left it behind almost immediately after graduating. All he knew how to do was to get out of an illusion if he realized he was in one. It was something he needed to work on for sure, but for now he had other fish to fry. Though unfortunately for the young genin, he could not even start frying those fish until his teacher arrived. Growing annoyed by Maigo not showing up, Hebiyachi unsheathed hi sword and glanced down at it, carefully looking over the design.

The blade itself was a shining steel that was impressively forged. It appeared to have virtually no flaws to the naked eye, though Hebiyachi was sure it was not perfect. The hilt was the truly impressive part of the weapon. The guard alone was not a usual part of a weapon. Instead of a basic guard, this one was fashioned into the shape of a golden serpent, coiling around the place where the blade and hilt met. Then came the hilt itself, where an emerald green snake wrapped itself around the length of it, swirling around it and creating grooves to increase the grip. The head of this snake appeared to be poised to strike at the end of the hilt, hanging off if it and curling back onto itself. The green and gold art on the weapon were only accented further by the crimson stones that were set in the head of the snake. Additionally, the weapons sheathe was also adorned with snake motifs. The serpents were coiled and twisted around the otherwise black sheathe. It was impressive to say the least; Hebiyachi was glad that his mother had brought it. Thinking back on that moment for the second time that day, Yachi could remember her hesitation…

---

Hebiyachi stood in the doorway to his mother’s bedroom. His arms were crossed, and his brow was furrowed. A small frown sat on his face as he leaned against the door frame. His mother, conversely, was rushing around the room. She was opening up drawers and throwing clothes into a suitcase on the floor. Yachi’s own luggage was already full and sitting on the ground beside him. He glanced down at it as he addressed his mother. “Mom, we don’t have to leave just because the other students here are idiots. This is our home. I can get over a couple of kids poking fun at me.” The look his mother gave him as she glared up from her packing was a serious one that cut straight through Yachi’s doubts. They were certainly leaving. “This isn’t all about you Yachi. I’m done being treated like dirt, and I won’t have my son treated the same way. We are leaving everything behind and letting this village go on without us. We don’t need them.” The conversation stalled there, and Yachi simply let out a sigh and began helping his mother pack the few things that she wanted. It was not long before the young man came to the spot on the wall where the blade Mizuchi sat in its sheathe. He stared at it for a moment in silence before speaking up. “And what about this mom? Are we bringing the sword?” His mother did not answer right away. Instead, she stood before it silently, looking it over without so much as reaching out to touch it. Hebiyachi knew better than to interrupt her when she was contemplating something that seriously, so he just waited. Finally, the woman reached out and took it off the wall. “This is the last thing we take. Everything else is behind us now. We’re making our own future.”

---

Hebiyachi swung the sword around a couple of times as he remembered the moment in his mind’s eye. He had not known it then, but that sword would later become his graduation gift when he became a genin of Kirigakure no Sato. He had come home that day with his forehead protector in its intended position, despite the fact that it made him look like a dork. Ever since then he just carried it around in his pocket in case he ever needed to identify himself. But when he had shown the symbol to his mother, she had wasted no time going into he house and coming out with the blade. It was then that she gave it o him and told him to wield it in a way to make himself proud, not the village. Hebiyachi had taken those words to heart, but in the following months he had almost completely neglected the weapon and what it stood for. It had just hung from his wall, day after day without purpose. He had been so focused on ninjutsu and fuinjutsu which cam e a lot more naturally that he had let the blade gather dust. His mother had not said anything, but as he held it now, Yachi knew she must have been at least a little disappointed. But that was all supposed to change today. And yet even though he was ready to learn, it seemed like his teacher was not ready to teach.

The sound was so sudden that Hebiyachi almost dropped the blade in his hand. Something flew past his head and slammed into a tree behind him, detonating into a burst of smoke. Following that was the sound of crashing through the trees that was accompanied by a person flying through the air into he clearing. There was a look of surprise on the black haired man’s face as he did his best to rotate mid air. Unfortunately for him, he only succeeded at saving his face from the impact and instead slammed into the earth below with his chest. There was a thud and a grunt as the body hit the ground and continued to travel forward. Bouncing, rolling, and sliding for an entire fifteen metres, the man traveled past Yachi and forced him to take a small step to his left. When he finally came to a stop, Hebiyachi’s eyes went wide as he realized just who the groaning person on the ground before him. The jounin stared up at the sky for a moment before slowly rising to his feet and turning toward the genin. Maigo’s eyes traced over Hebiyachi as he opened his mouth to speak. "So... uhhh, you're the one that needs help with... something or other?"

Hebiyachi blinked and did not respond. He did not know how to. Here was this man before him that was supposed to be a legendary jounin of the Mist, and yet he had just come crashing though the trees with reckless abandon. Yachi could only blink again for a moment as he slowly shook his head in disbelief. This was certainly he man he was to meet, judging by the question he asked and the appearance that had been described to the Ouroboros before he had come out to the location. Finally, after staring for far longer than he should have, Yachi replied to the question. “I um…yeah. Yeah I was told to meet you here because you could help me. I’m trying to get into he chunin exams you see, but I lack a particular skill that I think would give me an advantage.” Hebiyachi closed the distance between them and reached out with his sword so that Maigo could better see it. “I was told that you’re an expert swordsman, and I would really like to learn how to use them. Do you think you could help me get ready for the exams?”

WC:1398+3545=4943

The pause between the two left Maigo the chance to look away, patting across his legs, chest, and anyone else he could find lingering dirt or splotches of grass across his clothing to wipe away with violent pats. Before long, the boy... man in front of him would speak up and begin to verify that he was the one who needed help and with his swordsmanship before the chuunin exams. Maigo looked up and stretched his back out a bit more before looking down at the sword. A quick blink as he waited for something to happen before he would reach for the held out sword and take two of his fingers to tip it over to one side, pushing it so the handle would move upwards and he would be forced to grab it.

"Go ahead and draw it... I need to see what you know." Maigo would say as he would step back and hold up the same two fingers while putting an arm behind his back, holding it there as almost a taunt.

"Go on then, show me everything you know, all the moves you have and everything you think you know."

He would hesitate but keep his feet wide and Maigo would rest into the balls of heels while waiting for him to step up. He remembered the name he had been given for him, to help out Hebiyachi, a favor for an old friend and squadmate from a time before. Maigo would lean slightly, almost ducking his shoulder, waiting for the first move to come before him.

If Hebiyachi would slash at Maigo, he would focus on his footing, finding every fault in it that he could. With a quick step, Maigo would try to lean back away from the slash, using his commanding speed and swordplay knowledge to dip underneath it while stepping behind him with a single foot, placing him in the center of Maigo's body. Then, with a movement that would be just quick enough for Hebiyachi to follow but not counter, knowing his movement speed from the slash, he would turn the foot behind him and kick forward, aiming to trip him up and bring him to the ground on his face. Hoping he would taste a bit of the dirt and snap up, Maigo would take a step back and begin to talk before his next maneuver.

"Weak footing, don't step so far forward and don't let your opponent behind you. I know you're only a genin but your opponents could be just as quick or strong as I am or more. With better skills and all else, your footing needs to be quick and light, yet strong enough to seem like you're built into the very ground itself!" he would finish off while motioning for him to come again, and try again.

---

Should Hebiyachi try a stabbing motion at Maigo, he would make a very similar maneuver, weaving away by bending his back but instead of stepping behind him, he would position himself square in the center of his mass before stepping back. With the two fingers he would jab quickly into the soft spot of his wrist, an inch or two below where his palm started in order to bruise the muscle and break his grip. Should Hebiyachi drop the sword from the strike, Maigo would make a similar lecture,

"How are you going to be a good swordsmen if you can't hold onto your sword? Hold it tightly but loose enough that it can move in your hand and apply pressure in different directions. Anything that hits you should be null, as if you didn't feel it, the sword as an extension of your body. Nothing should break your grip..."


[630 words, 2747 words total]

Hebiyachi watched on as Maigo looked down at the weapon in his hand. He was a little nervous that the jounin would not be satisfied with the quality of the weapon because of its decorative portions. It did not look like a very function sword at first glance. It looked more like a sword that someone would hang up in their home as a memento from a war of some kind. But Hebiyachi knew the sword itself was sharp and effective. However, he needed Maigo to know that as well. The genin half expected him to take the blade form him and to pull it out himself. It would have certainly given Maigo a sense of what exactly he was working with. But instead, the jounin simply reached out with two fingers and began lifting up one side of the sword. Naturally, the weapon began to tilt, and for a moment, Yachi expecting some kind of big flip of the blade or an elegant way of drawing it from its sheath. But instead, the man simply lifted the blade tip over and forced Hebiyachi to grip into the handle tightly to prevent it from falling. The genin raised a confused eyebrow as he looked up at the jounin, waiting for some sort of explanation of the maneuver.

But Hebiyachi did not get an answer to his question. Instead, Maigo stepped back while holding up those same two fingers. As his other arm went behind his back, the jounin asked something that Yachi had not expected so soon. "Go ahead and draw it... I need to see what you know." Yachi paused at that for a moment, unsure of how to proceed. The truth was, he knew next to nothing about how to properly swing the sword. Judging by how the mood around the pair had shifted so quickly and so dramatically, Hebiyachi began to believe very quickly that this man was truly a jounin, despite his ridiculous entrance. And if that was the case, that meant that whatever was about to come next would more likely than not be brutal. "Go on then, show me everything you know, all the moves you have and everything you think you know." Hebiyachi breathed in deep at the urging of his new teacher. He reattached the sheathe of the weapon to his waist before slowly drawing the sword. As it glistened in the sunlight, the genin set his legs a shoulder’s width apart and griped his blade in two hands, holding it out in front of him.

With the easy part out of the way, Yachi found himself overthinking his every move already. The jounin ahead of him would obviously be ready for anything that the genin would try with the blade. But even so, Hebiyachi found himself trying to think about the best way to approach the fight. From his current stance he could try slashing or stabbing at his opponent, but either one of those attacks carried a risk. Additionally, the strike was bound to be slow because of how unfamiliar he was with the sword in his hands. There was no way that he would be able to even cause Maigo to exert himself in any way, shape or form. But today was not about impressing the jounin teacher. Today was about learning. As that thought ran through his mind, Yachi took a look up at Maigo and took a deep breath. The man was waiting for him; he was resting on his heels and was ready to move at a moment’s notice. But Hebiyachi could not let the knowledge of inevitable failure hold him back, In fact, it should have been what was driving him onward. And so, with a burst of courage, Hebiyachi took a step toward Maigo and attacked.

The first way that Hebiyachi tried to attack was with a horizontal slash. With the sword in two hands, Yachi stepped forward with his right leg and swung the katana from his right across to his left toward Maigo’s midsection. If his target had been slow and hostile, that hit could have possible cut open his stomach pretty badly. But in this case, the blade swung at nothing but air. Maigo stepped back deftly and leaned away from the blade. Dipping underneath it with ease, the jounin followed up by stepping behind Hebiyachi. The Ouroboros’ eyes went wide as he realized far too late that he would not be able to stop the counter attack. Instead, he felt the kick hit his legs and before too long, he was on the ground, his face down in the dirt. Yachi sprung up as quickly as he could, grunting slightly as he did so, but not so loud that he could not hear his teacher’s advice. "Weak footing, don't step so far forward and don't let your opponent behind you. I know you're only a genin but your opponents could be just as quick or strong as I am or more. With better skills and all else, your footing needs to be quick and light, yet strong enough to seem like you're built into the very ground itself!" Hebiyachi nodded in response once he was on his feet before resetting to their original positions.

Taking Maigo’s advice to heart, Yachi tried to sit in a lower stance with his legs positioned better bother forward and backward, as well as to his left and right. He felt more stable already, but he was not sure how to properly attack from this position. Pulling the sword back for a moment, Yachi held it near his head before stabbing out toward Maigo. This time, the movement was similar bit not exactly the same. Maigo still moved out of the way without an issue, but that was to be expected. What happened after that is what completely threw Yachi off. It was as if he simply stepped around the sword before staking a step forward and squaring himself up with the genin. Then, almost too fast for Yachi to see, Maigo struck at him with those two fingers. They his him right on his wrist, causing him to flinch and let go of his sword. The blade fell to the ground and Hebiyachi looked down, horrified. Maigo was clearly not impressed once again. [i][color=#ff0000]"How are you going to be a good swordsman if you can't hold onto your sword? Hold it tightly but loose enough that it can move in your hand and apply pressure in different directions. Anything that hits you should be null, as if you didn't feel it, the sword as an extension of your body. Nothing should break your grip..."

Hebiyachi bent down nervously and picked up the blade from where it was resting on the ground. He nodded along to Maigo’s instruction and did his best to take it to heart, though he was not sure how to verbally indicate that he was actually listening. So instead of saying anything, Hebiyachi simply nodded to Maigo as if to say “Understood” before trying one again. This time, Yachi took a similar stance as he had the second time, but he adjusted his grip on the sword so that it would not be so easy for him to drop it whenever his wrist was hit. He tested his grip for a moment as he stood there, his stance lower than before but the sword still out in front of him. “Alright,” he muttered to himself quietly before springing into action. First, Yachi took a step forward with his left foot and brought the blade down from his top left diagonally towards the bottom right. He did not stop though. He then followed up by continuing his walk forward with his right leg and making an identical slight, but from the right shoulder to the left thigh. Lastly, he would stay in place and bring the sword over his target’s head to the opposite side of his body before making a horizontal swing from his left side to his right in hopes of at least catching him a little off guard.


WC:1365+4943=6308

Tenacity was a respectable trait, after being knocked around a second time, Maigo had made his point, focusing on how he handled the weapon. A simple alright and a reconfiguration of his stance and focus left him ready to go but there was no hesitation, the first smart thing he'd done. Stepping in quickly and making his attack, Maigo would watch carefully while weaving around and behind like he would, not even drawing his own weapon yet. Maigo would shout his instruction between each attack as he found each and every flaw,

"Don't step so far forward, maintain your balance."

"Quicker attacks, short and fast, that katana is meant to cut several times in many places, not to cut your opponent in half in one swing..."

"Move by watching my eyes, they tell everything, looking at my feet, body, or hands does nothing for you!"

"Come on, keep it up!"

A plethora of different phrases would lash out even past his combinations, urging him to continue on to exhaustion. Maigo would of course strike where he could, step back, or even try to disrupt him as much as he could but no longer using the speed, strength, or skill difference to do so, but only using those things to dodge and make sure he couldn't hit him. The frustration would set in no doubt, or at least Maigo would hope for it do so. Even his first combination after resetting wouldn't be enough, he would aim to drive him further and further beyond his comfort level.

It was simple, everyone knew how to use a sword, having seen it as a premier weapon in the ninja world for so long but not many were experts. There were few even, who weren't like children swinging their swords around like sticks they found in the forest. With every missed attack, every missed step, and every retorted mistake, Maigo would aim to get into his head until he could no longer. It would be the sum total of what he could do in this, testing him on every maneuver and every ounce of his skill from engaging to how he would fight at the peak of exhaustion.

Eventually, his simple test would come to an end, hopefully with Hebiyachi exhausted from the test itself, he would focus a bit and put it to an end. Truthfully, Maigo had seen far worse try to use it but he held a trait that most others didn't have. He hadn't given up so easily, being knocked down and tested had so many people storming off angry that they weren't being trained and were being bullied or pushed around for his own sadism. With a final recompense Maigo would clear his throat and look over the genin in front of him,

"Alright, I'll train you. You're not bad to start but we might just make an incredible swordsman out of you yet..." he would smirk a bit, almost chuckling at the notion of it, how ridiculous he sounded but wanting to copy how other masters had been, even thinking briefly back to his own master... who beat him senslessly and then belittled him throughout. Maybe it would be better to avoid that approach, but still Maigo couldn't help but feel a pange of eagerness towards the proposition of having a worthy student on the ballot.

"The chuunin exams are gonna be rough, I don't think you have much time but we can probably get you close to being ready. At least ready enough that you won't die in the process..." he would finish off and rotate his head around his neck, ready to break down everything that this genin could need in the near future.


[631 words, 3378 words total]
[Exit Thread]

Training:

Those three swings were not the final attacks made towards Maigo. Instead, Maigo did not stop the fighting this time. He kept Hebiyachi moving, and after each strike, the man would shout out a pointer or lesson of some kind that would cause Yachi too adjust. With each and every swing, Yachi was learning something new.
"Don't step so far forward, maintain your balance."

"Quicker attacks, short and fast, that katana is meant to cut several times in many places, not to cut your opponent in half in one swing..."

"Move by watching my eyes, they tell everything, looking at my feet, body, or hands does nothing for you!"

"Come on, keep it up!"

It was an effective way of training, at least to get the basic down. Though before too long, Yachi found himself overwhelmed with the amount of information hat he was taking in. He was doing his best to focus on each and every point that was being made, but with each swing he had something new to worry about. It was exhausting, but Yachi could already tell that he was improving. He had held the word with two hands exclusively at first, but then he started changing it up. He swung with one hand, then two, then back to one, even trying to switch hands sometimes. Those maneuvers were less than effective, but he could have sworn that he got close to catching his teacher on a couple of his attacks.

It felt like they had been practicing for hour sbyt he time that Maigo called the practice session over. Hebiyachi sheathed his weapon and found himself huffing and puffing for breath. He was absolutely exhausted, but he had made it through the session. He anxiously waited for any word from Maigo who simply stood there, looking him up and down for a moment. Finally, the jounin agreed to teach him. Hebiyachi smiled a grateful smile and bowed in thanks. He was finally going to have a teacher. The last words that Maigo left him with cased a small shiver to run down his spine, but he was ready for whatever would come next. "The chuunin exams are gonna be rough, I don't think you have much time but we can probably get you close to being ready. At least ready enough that you won't die in the process..." Hebiyachi nodded in agreement. He was going to go to Konoha and show them just how strong he was, and how he did not need them.

[Exit Thread]
WC:422+6308=6730

Training

All stats form D-Rnak to D-3 (5875-15% for Sensei training=4994/4994)
Katana weapon style (1000-15% for sensei training=850/850)
D-Rank jutsu (750-15% for sensei training=638/638)

Unused WC:248