Makoto was walking around feeling a bit lost in the market area of the village as he was not sure how to feel about things as they were, then he came across a shop similar to the one in his village as he stared for a while he saw quite a large assortment of things as he began to look around the shopping staring at the shuriken section of the shop it seems.

He noticed an assortment of shuriken, the standard three inch shuriken with a hole in the middle for spinning, however he noticed some shuriken that were not the usual four pointed stars as he looked and noticed a five pointed star shuriken with jagged edges and when he looked closer it was a dark black as he was not sure whether this was made of coal or just a variation of the usual iron as he wondered if this was made of sandy iron or iron like sand as he looked around the shop keeper was a nice girl who kept a decent smile on her face. He noticed that there was also a three pointed shuriken as he wondered whether the different number of points made a difference and even saw an amazing eight pointed shuriken and then there was the massive and colossal windmill shuriken that  was nearly as big as him as it made him feel a bit curious as he looked intensely the girl smiled.

"If you want you can test them out in the practice range at the back"

Makoto was a bit taken by surprise as he thought about it he became a bit shy as the girl noticed she was scaring away her customer as she pulled back a bit.

"Take your time, let me know if you need any help"

As she said this he seemed to calm down and nodded his head as he began to look at the kunai in the counter just next to the shuriken section of the shop.

Words = 334

The benefit of being a mountain hermit in Iwagakure is mostly the lack of responsibilities towards others, granting them all the time in the world to do as they pleased. Like indulging themselves in very mundane activities. Strolling through the streets of Konohagakure once more, this time not as the diplomat on a mission but as a simple commoner bearing a tattered brown kimono with golden trimming under a cloak of varying shades of white, grey and brown, Suzume was of a mind to let her eyes linger on the goods behind the window displays. Months of living in seclusion to live from the land itself was not as easy as many made it out to be, and like every healthy young woman of twenty three years old would do when given the opportunity, a break from such a sober lifestyle was quite welcomed.

Navigating through the flow of tourists and shinobi and mostly tending to herself by avoiding eye contact, Suzume strolled leisurely through the commercial district, eyes wandering on the goods. Native fruit of Konoha, fresh vegetables, caged chickens ready to be sold for this eve's dinner or perhaps the local butcher chopping up a fresh piece of pork in front of its customers. The smell of ramen in the distance, the steam of a warmed bun nearby. Suzume eventually bought herself a yakitori as her eyes wandered further from foods to items. Trinkets and charms sold by smaller vendors were huddled around the bigger salesman trying to bargain their weapons and armours for a weighty pouch of ryo. And near one of them, she spotted a familiar face - Makoto.

It had been a while since she spotted her former student in the arts of the katana. Seeing him now browse a selection of shuriken seemed like the best opportunity to greet him and gauge to what extend the boy had continued his practise. After all, what point was there in learning the Way of the Blade if one would not continue its discipline? Walking up to him, she'd move passed an unknown clan member, Suzume's unusual calm aura hinting at a quietude before a brewing storm. Serene peace was expressed from the total control over her own storm chakra, the immediate vicinity of the woman strangely sobering and peaceful compared to the noise of the market district. Just for a brief moment. Then it would be gone as the hermit completely passed the nearby Raiu and reached the young boy with the shuriken.

"Hello, Makoto. What a surprise to see you here. How have you been doing?"

She'd halt before him, observing his skill with the shuriken if he decided to actually pick it up, waiting for his reply.

---

456

Kanamora had been in the Leaf Village since the start of the festivities associated with the chunin exams. While many of her peers had arrived to view the chunin exams and see its participants clash, Kanamora's interests lay elsewhere. Held tightly to her body was a roughly six foot long, pastel pink, body pillow. It matched the sleepy eyes that had slowly scanned this shelf, straining to stay open as it had with the last shelf and the shelf before that. Her index finger lifelessly traced over the the objects, as lazy, but keen eyes, meticulously categorized into the useless, dull, and generic categories. That's not to say that there weren't fine, well crafted weapons in this store, but everything Kanamora had set her eyes upon was mass-produced or uninteresting. She continued to follow the wall scanning its shelves for a hidden gem as she saw, in her peripherals and over the shelves, more people begin to enter the store. Unlike her none of the people she'd noticed were wearing forehead protectors, though given she wasn't actively looking that'd be an easy detail for her to miss. Next to the very last shelf in the corner of the store there was a wooden rack with a glass door. Inside was a most precious jewel whose luster glistened like the stars in the sky to her. Her eyes began to widen with excitement at the sight of a potential new toy.


"Hello, Makoto. What a surprise to see you here. How have you been doing?"

That voice! Kanamora's instincts told her that that voice meant something important, and being one to trust her instincts blindly she made two mistakes in the following moments. The first was a simple mistake that anyone could make. "Mi-!" Kana's voice would come to a jarring stop."... and this fan were meant to be together." Kanamora would begin to shout a name as the thought popped into her head. A feeling not dissimilar to when you think you see an old classmate while traveling rushed through her body. The jarring motion with which she snapped around to scan the room, realizing only now that not only had she not realized how many people were actually in the room, but that the voice that triggered the reaction didn't belong to anyone she recognized. Kanamora's face would go beet red as she'd turn to face the rack again burying her head in her pillow. Of course that wasn't the Kumo's missing ambassador, even if it was she'd only heard her speak briefly before this. No matter how good her memory was it was simply impossible. Her subconscious had only been searching for some way to prove Kozai-sensei wrong, but for all she knew the Raiu-nin could've returned in Kanamora's absence. She forced herself to push away those thoughts, a task made easier by the beautiful weapon in front of her.

[WC= 501]

Makoto was still viewing some of the shuriken among other things, while the lady that was assisting him on the one end was rather helpful, the guy on the other end seemed to be more noisy and asked some poor girl a bunch of questions about love interests and discounts, only for the girl to ask her sword to be sharpened as he remembered he wanted to get himself his first real katana, as he motioned around as he was also still looking at the shuriken and then began to think back again to that time with Suzume-sensei as she had taught him the way of the sword. He began to think back to that time as he was lost in a day dream.

Makoto had been exploring the valley of mountains in his home of Iwagakure when he met a beautiful woman with the sword skills to make short work of some troubling bandits. His curiosity back then was even more dangerous then it was now, as he approached her very carefully he was so excited while at the same time he felt like his life was in her hands as he made the mistake of trusting her, but at the same time was rather lucky that she chose to allow him a moment of her time.

He took to her instruction in order to acquire the skills needed to use a sword, her first bit of training was the holding of the weapon which was something that he had to say was not his favorite part of the training, but soon after she showed him the four kata which he had not managed to expand upon and found more often than not that he simply did not have the physical ability to beat his opponents even if his weapon skills were superior to theirs. He was still training to this day and he also remembered her appearance as she stood out to him in a way only she could. There was a moment when some strange girl shouted out 'Mi!!' which was a bit startling to say the least as he only glanced that way slightly then turned back to face what he was doing.

As he was still lost in thought looking around at a new katana for a moment there was a familiar voice that said his name as his hair seemed to rise up for a moment, his hair was longer now and he lost some weight due to his training which did not focus much on strength. She was dressed in a tattered brown kimono which seemed so common, so calm and so peaceful. However her true beauty was in her elegant form that spoke volumes as the girl who said she was surprised to see him, but he was in so much shock as his eyes looked to her their was a glint of water in his eye as he blinked it away as he felt a rush of fear at not knowing what to say, but he calmed himself in a mere moment as he turned to bow his head slightly in greeting, "Hi, Suzume-sensei" as he spoke this he took another look at her, seeing her now was so emotional right now as he did not have many friends, but in the end he had to shrug off his emotions as he tried to think of something to say.

"How did you know I was getting myself a new katana" as he looked to the side there was some slight pinkish blush in his face showing embarrassment as the coincidence may have been a bit much. The coincidence of her timing was a just his luck as the girl at the counter was looking as the store had only the girl at the counter and the guy on the other side and two or three other staff who seemed to be watching that no one steals any goods more then guiding them.

Words = 334 + 663 = 997
Total Thread = 334 + 541 + 456 + 663 = 1994 (0 EP)

For a brief moment, Suzume's attention would be called as someone shouted "Mi!" out of the blue. Like many other people in the building, she'd turn her head to see what just had happened. Curiosity would cross her face as she saw a girl with an oversized pink pillow stare in her direction. For a moment, the hermit was confused as to why a girl would be so randomly looking at her but understanding came within the moment the genin herself suddenly doubted her judgement and mumbled something about deserving each other. Had she imagined the girl looking at her? It almost felt like someone had recognised her but at the same time, the hermit had a hard time discovering who it was. Travelling the world, fighting a siege, low had been the amount of youngsters she had met and kept in touch as either duty or inner turmoil had pulled her away from society.

Looking back to Makoto since he greeted her, he'd proceed to ask her how she knew he was looking for a katana. She hardly knew but the humour of maintaining the illusion hermits were wise people was not one she'd pass on. The later she had to reveal her true identity, the better, for the plans that were being put together in her mind would not quite be as successful if someone knew who she was.

"Hermits know a lot of things, Makoto.", she said with a sage nod. "For instance, they know you'll get a better sword from the smith crafting it personally for you than one of the many that have been mass manufactured for shops. A good blade is worth the wait, the coin and the effort."

A man would look dourly at the hermit as he picked up some of the conversation, disliking how someone dressed like a beggar was tarnishing the good reputation of the shop. Were it not for him being mainly out to look for pick-pockets he'd come over and tell her how wrong she was in believing the shop's quality was anything less than that of a born and bred blacksmith.

"However, it's better to start with a simple blade as you practise your skill. A good katana is an investment you should not decide on lightly. That said, why don't you try... this one for a while.", she'd pick out a simple, steel katana. By the looks of it, it was nothing out of the ordinary but the trained eye of the kenjutsu specialist knew sufficiently about the weapon to know what she was looking for. While others were cleaned up or adorned, the one she held was better balanced if not slightly on the heavier side to her liking. Excellent for someone who had yet to train their swordarm, the weight could probably better endure a beating or failed parry than the prettier ones this store had to offer. "This one is quite well balanced, and should do for a budding swordsman. Why don't you try it out in the practise area and see for yourself?."

She had spotted the other girl with the blade moving in the training area and would proceed to enter it as well, wondering if Makato would follow and glancing briefly in the back to see if the shouting girl had any intention of following her as well, seeking a hint if she had dreamt the recognition on her part or not.

---

584
Total: 1040
Thread WC: 3179

'Play it cool Kanamora. Play it cool.' Kanamora could  feel the temperature of her face begin to lower. In between herself and the shelf, she'd raise up some iron sand and shape it into a small,, palm sized mirror so she could confirm that the blush had faded from her face. Thin calloused fingers would work their way across the forehead of the young Kumo-nin as she slightly lift up her headband. If it were possible to massage stress lines out of existence that was precisely what Kanamora was attempting. With a deep inhale she'd finally refocused on the Mikaboshi fan before her. There were very few clans known for their weapons, but the Mikaboshi were one of them. After the fall of Suna these things had basically become novelty items, and there were basically none left on the market. She could almost feel the weight of it in her hands, the resistance against the air, its mighty display of force. She'd extend her hand slightly and the iron sand would return to her hand and don her sleeve. It was then that her eyes slowly grew from nearly closed to cartoonishly large 00's. Her face would go gaunt as her jaw dropped. It was then that she saw the price tag: 20k ryo. This one fan ended up being worth more than everything she'd owned in the world put together.

A girl could dream, couldn't she? Slowly, sleepily, disappointedly Kana mosied on over to the counter where a cashier of the shop was. On her way her mostly closed eyes would quickly dart over the pillow she hugged tightly to herself in Suzume's direction before looking back at the shop keeper. How she'd made such a mistake was seriously beyond her. She looked nothing like what Kozai-sensei had said she looked like. Upon arriving at the counter she'd already have a small bag with money in it. The man who worked the counter had a glimmer in his eyes. He'd noticed ho Kanamora had been googly eyeing fan. He was looking forward to selling that piece, as it would fetch him a pretty penny. She knew better though. After a very brief argument Kanamora would get a few shuriken from the glass shelving that was being used as a counter space to separate employees and customers. Someone else Kana hadn't been paying attention to flared her chakra slightly catching Kana's attention. She wanted to see that swordsman in action.

[WC= 424/925]
[TWC= 3603]

It seemed that the strange shout had also distracted the rather calm and beautiful master that was Suzume-sensei as the curiosity of this disturbance even got hold of her, not to mention some other girl seemed to pass them bye who seemed to resemble Suzume-sensei. However he shrugged it off as that girl and some others also went to the training area, it seemed everyone was here for the secret training area rather then the actual items.

As he looked at Suzume-sensei with some intense curiosity and this look that said he was excited and expecting some intense wisdom from her, though he did not show a smile on his face due to the training and his general bad mood he always seemed to be in these days, even around the festival he never seemed excited at all. However the truth was that he liked jutsu more and he just had trouble with showing his emotions since he was usually all alone most of the time on his own, he was like a little hermit especially since he nearly finished making his waterfall home in iwagakure near the falls.

She told him that hermits knew a lot of things as he began to wonder what a hermit was as he felt that it must be the title you gave to a sage of the jutsu arts or techniques in general as her nod was so convincing as he began thinking she must be a lot older then she looked. She told him he could get a better katana if it was personally crafted which made sense, but it was also more expensive to get it custom made and he had an idea to make a sword with a compartment for items inside the blade itself as he was listening still paying close attention to the wisdom of the wise old lady known as Suzume-sensei, he began to wonder if he should call her Suzume-bachan, but he decided against that since he was not sure but sensei was probably more honorable or something along those lines. He definitely agreed with her and even though what she said was generally common knowledge for any skilled weapon user she made it sound like the most secret of information as his mind was blinded by the fact that she taught him how to use the sword.

She then told him it was better to start with a simple blade to practice his skill as she picked out a nice steel katana, though he was taken by surprise as it was a bit heavier then it looked. However there was this strange feeling he felt deep down inside, he noticed it was not the cleanest katana and it did not look that fancy at all, but he noticed the most important detail as his eyes lit up for a moment as he held it in his hand before holding it with both as they both headed to the practice area.

Some girls were throwing shuriken and for some reason there were a lot of girls in this shop as he only blushed for a short moment before blinking as he shook his head slightly as his hair flailed from left to right before settling back in the middle again as he held his sword at a center in the way he was taught before as he nearly looked like he would smile as he spoke.

"Suzume-sensei is a genius, this katana felt really heavy when you gave it to me, but it really is balanced. Suzume-sensei is the best"

As he said that he raised the blade up just slightly higher then his height and then he swung straight down as there seemed to be a bit of force that was released from the blade itself as this was a large difference from when she first taught him to swing the blade. It was also thanks to the sword itself being so well balanced that he figured it would be best to have Suzume-sensei help him get his first sword, even if it was not a strong sword if it was chosen by her he knew the balance and quality would be guaranteed as his faith in her grew leaps and bounds as he had this proud look on his face, only thing missing was a smile to put an end to the mystery as he swung the blade a few more times as he felt like there were people watching them as he knew Suzume-sensei must be watching as he would stop after ten warm up strikes.

"Is my form okay, I feel like I might be over doing it a bit..." as he did feel he was releasing more pressure from his swing then normal, he did not quite get it that he was actually getting stronger and that all this time he spent training had begun to bare fruit, though it was clear he was not able to build up much muscle however there seemed to be no hindering of his movements that came with people who tended to build up too much muscle in their arms themselves.

Some of the people who were practicing stopped because of the sword play, while others stopped to see the beauty that was the beggar girl who looked like she could be a real natural beauty as their gazes were intensifying slightly, while the more experienced shinobi or adventurers either hid their interest or knew to focus on why they were here which was to shop for items and to train their use as Makoto began feeling it would be good to get a chance to train under Suzume-sensei again.

Words = 1994 + 955 = 2949
Total Thread Words = 3603 + 955 = 4558 (1 EP)

Stepping inside the courtyard with her student, making sure she didn't disturb the surrounding people, Suzume observed Makoto's form with the blade in silence. It seemed like the boy hadn't practised all that much in comparison to what she had expected, his form revealing he was out of practise compared to what he had been taught in the beginning. However, rather than to scold the boy the hermit wondered where she had gone wrong. The Way of the Blade was not one of fun and games, the discipline and precision required to master it was a tedious path which easily took a lifetime to perfection. She personally had enjoyed that control over her own form, but it seemed her student held other interests.

"It could do with more lessons.", the woman spoke, clapping her hands together to let her chakra flow between them. A bright light would form between her hands and as she pulled out of each other, water and lightning danced between them until they had been shaped into the form of a katana. The blade emitted a faint white glow, betraying the nature of her advanced release, and looked like a simple blade despite its elegance. "The best way to learn the blade is through sparring. You'll learn much faster and experience easier where your form needs work in this way."

Wielding the chakra katana with one hand and keeping a rather loose form so as not to intimidate her trainee too much, the hermit would allow Makoto to give it his all. Her katana would lightly touch his to parry, maintaining an easy C-rank equivalent strength to hold the upper hand, while gently retaliating there where he left openings. A prod at his hands if they were unprotected, a push towards imbalance if his feet were not well positioned, an easy feint to show an opening in his defences. The subtle guidance of a sensei forcing her student to pay attention to their own flaws, while providing the insight they needed to improve upon a variety of aspects. Grip, blade positioning, swing, stance, breathing control, even the tension in their muscles restricting their ability to let out the full potential of their moves.

All the while, her attention would be caught by the bright purple light of a nearby youngster, spotting the loose suiton and raiton nature being combined until it became a well-known element. Storm Release. Even the colour was not that far off her own, the hermit having an ability of her own that turned her blade purple as it changed her weapon's damage from metallic cuts into chakra burns. It was not often she met a Storm user outside of Kumogakure, and where the hermit knew most of her clan members this girl was an unfamiliar face. Granted, not all Storm users hailed from Kumogakure, the rare few developing talent for the advanced nature elsewhere, but it was a rare occurrence.

As the hermit continued to teach Makoto, she'd subtly pull him closer to the girl practising her storm control until the point they'd be in hearing distance, where she dropped a, "I like your blade's colour, dear. How did you do that?", in between two parries. The woman knew the answer to her own question, but it was more a matter of luring the girl's attention and picking up a conversation all the while.

And who knew... Perhaps the pillow girl having mistaken the hermit for a friend of Raphael would even reconsider her thoughts and join as well as she came to observe all these hard training youngsters.

---

608
Total: 1655
Thread WC: 6184

375/390:

Kanamora would place her newly purchased shuriken into the pouch located on her belt at the small of her back. They would be the holster's only residents at the moment. She would tightly squeeze her pillow as the other customers made their way to the area out back. Her curiosity was completely peaked. She decided that she would follow them outside. Kanamora Would move to one of the benches in the area and begin watching people train.

The first to catch her eye was a bowman, she herself had never had much skill with any weapons, but she was always pretty impressed by those who mastered Kyujutsu techniques, despite them being so far out of her skill set.The large amounts of physical strength and endurance that came with mastering any weapon were well beyond what she believed herself to be capable of without direct assistance from her kekkei genkai, which she relied heavily on. The strain it put on her body was just a little too taxing for her to bare. The bowman's strikes were rhythmic and ordered, much different from Kana's own style. She was much more improvisational due to her lack of formal training, which is in part one of the reasons she liked watching others practice.

One of the other onlookers sitting at the bench, would rise drawing her own blade, and in doing so catching Kanamora's full attention. The way she held the blade implied that she had at least a modicum of competence with it, though Kanamora couldn't gleam more with just this precursory glance. A small smile would form on Kana's face as she watched the swordsman approach the velveteen training dummy, Kana's mental image transformed the landscape slightly, transposing herself in front of the swordsman. The more experienced swordsman took a much more formal stance than Kana would have the swordsman was in a forward facing, slightly aggressive seeming stance. Kana imagined herself in a natural stance, with her body angled to the side, and Sekigahara interposed between the two of them, a little closer to her body at a 30 degree angle.

When the swordsman's kata began, Kana imagined each parry she would have used to defend against her, though she wasn't quite sure if she'd actually be able to manage such feats in practice. The swordsman's movements were on par with Kana's mental image of herself, which implied to her she'd be much faster in an actual fight. The projected Kana would defend against most of the strikes by sidestepping and letting her opponents weapon slide down her much larger weapon. This style that Masu was executing was something Kana wouldn't know how to deal with. Having both long limbs and a larger weapon, for her this super close quarters fighting style would be incredibly difficult to deal with. An opponent within her range was a problem she had no answers for.

When Masu's eyes ventured over towards the training Makoto's, Kana's would subconsciously follow. Her focus now trained on the utterly astounding swordplay of the person sparring with him. She could feel the force behind each swing just from the vibrations it created as it parted the air. It seemed each strike was expertly and accurately aimed to deliver a lesson or to expose each oversight in her partner's defenses and training. It wasn't until the stranger spoke to the other swordsman, who was now practicing flowing chakra through her blade, that Kana had realized she'd been staring. The dance between the two so entrancing that she hadn't realized how hard she'd been gripping her body pillow. It was interesting to note though what kind of chakra the swordsman, no shinobi, was flowing through her blade. It was Ranton, Storm Release, which meant she was from the same clan as the woman Kozai-sensei had mentioned.

She was a Raiu.

[WC= 660/155]
[TWC= 6844]

Makoto did not have the best form, though part of it might seem like he was lacking, but there were other reasons for that to say the least. Before he could say much more she said it could do more with extra lessons as he looked down his hair seemed to drop down his face more even though it was already there to begin with. The moment she did that he remembered what he had forgotten to complete, the techniques that he was unable to master before the exams as he had already begun work on another future technique at the time and part of him was still a bit tired from training that technique. He realized the moment she suggested a spar his muscles tensed up as he remembered the last time she instructed him and the memories of pain and exhaustion seemed to flood his mind nearly drowning out the voices that told him to try out his new jutsu.

She was definitely holding back as he looked towards her and towards the blade and back at her again he new he could not run away anymore. He took a deep breathe raising the blade slightly higher, he then prepared to spar as his stance changed his one foot was slid forward slightly as the other foot pressed backward at around forty degrees away from the body in order for him not to lose too much speed he had altered his stance from the original he was taught. Though his form was clearly looking a bit different for the spar.

Makoto suddenly dropped his stance to the correct forty five degree stance and then dashed forward as the higher stance at start was to allow for a spring in his step, he trusted her not to kill him, but he also felt if he held back she would probably punish him, or even worse look at him with disappointment as those eyes were haunting him in the mirror as he began with a jabbing stab straight for her chest, confident in her ability to avoid the attack as she parried it easily he nearly did not make it as she struck back he managed to block it with a side ways slash as he nearly fell over and then she advanced as if to test his balance.

Attempting to cut off her advance her performed something he had seen from someone else releasing a massive upward slash while getting his feet back into his best stance only for her to parry it with ease as he felt panicked. If she had struck with her full force he would have been taken out right at the first kata already and it was clear she was testing him. The upward slash he performed was inspired by someone who he gained an advantage on in combat by knocking them back, who countered with an upward forceful slash to regain their stance.

He immediately attempted the first kata again trying a jab to her arm, she just moved her wrist skillfully and parried his strike again, but unlike last time his clash on the sideways slash went a bit better since he pulled back faster realizing the gap in their abilities as a few people stopped to watch. He immediately switched stances as Suzume would realize straight away that this was in preparation of the next kata as the blade was set dead in the center as he seemed to be channeling all his focus into this.

However he went back into the first kata thrusting again as she parried his blade dropped low and he followed up with an L-shaped strike as she parried it with ease as he lost balance he was not sure he even saw her next swing that nearly knocked the blade from his hands as he spun while falling to slash back only for her to strike so hard he fell hard on his back, hitting the back of his head against the ground. Since Makoto did not have much strength he had to find a better way to impress her, as he got up and regained his stance as his hair was now in a mess.

Even with light touches she was pushing him around and while it might be educational, it was frustrating as he noticed her moving further in another direction as he began to dash forward with a jab and then added a third slash to the first kata after she parried the jab and the slash he dropped lower for a slash to her legs and she seemed to be looking elsewhere and just lifted up her leg to evade it as he got bothered by this. She was not even fully focused on him, was he really that weak as he performed the upward slash for her gut she would parry it easily as she seemed to be letting him go all out on the offensive now.

However he made one wide swing and it seemed like she glared at him for a moment, or maybe it was his imagination, however he just barely evaded as he pulled back getting a slight cut on his left hand as he flinched for a moment as she seemed to not take advantage as he took the time to recover as it was not a deep cut and simply a light graze but it still hurt to be cut on the hand. It was clear this was a serious lesson and he just happened to be too weak to get more of her undivided attention as he took a deep breathe to focus on the next attack as he engaged she seemed to be deflecting though the parries were not too much to handle as he simple struck once backed away as she looked away as her sword already positioned to parry his usual combination as he switched to a side stance followed by a sideways strike that seemed more firm as she parried it he followed with another strike higher up towards her chest and then a third strike to her gut and then her feet as she parried all of them as if it was instinct as he would not give up he kept using the flurry as she managed to block all of them as he began slowing down at the twentieth strike as then used a powerful parry and positioned closer to others as he thought he heard a girl discuss the color of a blade, but he blinked and knew he had to focus.

He could not stand that this was the limit to his power and strength as he new deep down he needed more training and more instruction, however his form did get better as the spar continued as he was able to react better to her return parries then earlier able to lower their effect, but there was no way he was breaking her defense as he thought about it for a while.

Her katana would lightly touch his to parry, maintaining an easy C-rank equivalent strength to hold the upper hand, while gently retaliating there where he left openings. A prod at his hands if they were unprotected, a push towards imbalance if his feet were not well positioned, an easy feint to show an opening in his defences. The subtle guidance of a sensei forcing her student to pay attention to their own flaws, while providing the insight they needed to improve upon a variety of aspects. Grip, blade positioning, swing, stance, breathing control, even the tension in their muscles restricting their ability to let out the full potential of their moves.

At that moment there was some silence from Makoto who was a bit frustrated by his own weakness, as he whispered softly. "Can I really become stronger", as he gripped his katana tighter he thrust forward, but then he fell to one knee as there was the smell of blood as stabbed the katana into the ground as his t-shirt was red in the back as the wound hand managed to open up as he got too into the fight.

Makoto had an injury that had partially healed, however he was already told not to exert himself too much as he felt he had to show her what he could do. However he was not in the position to be able to show off all his strength as he looked down at the ground hiding the look in his eyes as it appeared as if some water dripped from his eyes. The pent up emotions he had kept in had finally exploded as he silently cried as his back was bleeding it appeared like a sword completely slashed his back, which was partially true as he took deep breathes as some people were confused as to what had just happened. Suzume-sensei, would she be upset with him, or would she just leave him behind for being weak.

Words = 2949 + 1500 = 4449
Total Thread Words = 6844 + 1500 = 8344 (3 EP)

Seeing her student put in everything he had was heart-warming if not foolish. It was clear he was trying his hard to put everything he knew to good use and were it not for her superior skill he might have executed a couple of well-aimed strikes that would have pushed someone of his own rank back. Unfortunately, the boy was either too focused or inexperienced to realise this. At the end of the spar, out of breath and seemingly tired of the persistent assault he had delivered, he questioned himself. Could he truly become stronger? Of course he could.

Her ranton katana would disappear in a fizzle of energy as she ceased channelling chakra, picking up on the stranger's name and clan at the same time. Masu Raiu. It was pleasant news to hear someone of her own clan having travelled abroad but there was truth to the girl's words - the hermit couldn't say she was all that familiar with the name. She had been away from Kumogakure for too long, travelling the world as diplomat or war captain, and had therefore been granted little opportunities to track the growth of her own clan. As Suzume moved to meet Makoto, eyes fixated on the small cuts and burns caused by the ranton chakra, she'd reply to the bewildered girl who already worried for the boy's well-being.

"A pleasure to meet you, Masu Raiu. I'm Suzume, a mountain hermit. It's true that I have not heard much about you but I'm more than familiar with your clan. Much like you, the Storm is inherent to my blood so we may well be family. Are you participating in the Chuunin Exams, Masu?"

Kneeling before Makoto, Suzume's hands would light up with Yang-rich energy, the brightness inherent to her own Storm chakra giving her hand an almost divine shine as she allowed her energy to flow over the wounds the boy had suffered. Though the process was slow as Suzume's healing abilities were far from perfect, the burns dissipated and the cuts slowly closed until naught but soft pink remained as a last reminder. Then, she ruffled his hair with a free hand and give Makoto a warm smile.

"Don't sell yourself short, Makoto. Growth comes in time and skill comes with practise. You're already doing good, now all you need to do is to keep improving.". When she finished patching up the boy with her chakra she'd rise to her feet again, eyes meeting the girl that had been observing them. A faint smile would play on her lips as she understood the girl had been watching them, and so Suzume would walk over to the girl with the body pillow. Was she the shy sort, staying at a distance as she mustered courage? Or just a person interested to see some action what with all these shinobi around and battles being organised?

"Hello, dear. Are you interested in practising too? There's plenty of room for you to join."

Calm and peacefully she'd await the third youngster's answer, wondering if there would be an opportunity to help out her fellow Raiu with chakra control or help her out improving her skill with the blade. And who knew, perhaps this curious girl might just as much be interested in a little spar with others of her own age, for while she seemed to act reserved she certainly held a certain confidence about her few of her age would imitate.

---

596
Total: 2251
Thread Total: 9593

With a now loosened grip on the massive pillow, Kana rested her head on it as she continued watching the younger swordsman practice against, who she perceived to be, his elegant master. Maybe there were flaws in his technique, Kana certainly wasn't skilled enough to critique the intricacies of his kata, but he was certainly a determined fighter. The rabid look in his eye that determination to win. It could have been her projecting a shadow of herself onto him, but it sure looked like a reflection cast into her eyes. She could see the pain caused by and hindering the pupils movements, symptoms she knew very well. As the blood from a recent wound began to show up on his back, her brow would furrow slightly. He was getting better with every swing though despite the pain he must have been in. He would make minute and subtle adjustments his grip as he maneuvered through each phase of his kata into its successor. Doubtlessly this was a swordsman who'd either progress continuously with the assistance and support of his own pride or fall into despair if he could not match pace with his own expectation. Pride has a duality as all things did, being both blessing and burden.

"Can I really become stronger, sensei? With this frail body of mine?"

The boy's sentence merged with a fear deep within. Words too familiar to her own heart had Kana daydreaming once more as her consciousness distanced itself from the land of the lucid, voyaging through her subconscious. Her eyes sustained their gaze watching Makoto's back, yet her eyes were unfocused, barely perceiving the blurry figure. There was a sign missed by the absent minded ninja because the boy propping himself up with a sword resonated with her at least in this transient moment. Did he know her struggle? Could he possibly-

"Hello, dear. Are you interested in practicing too? There's plenty of room for you to join."

Kanamora would snap back to the land of the living. Her eyes growing wide and a blush would push its way up from her neck to her forehead slowly, like a mercury thermometer in an oven. She looked for words for a second as her synapses bombarded her with all the tell tale signs of anxiety. Small beads of sweat would form on Kana's brow. My mouth is dry. was it this dry a second ago. Raikage guide me, did she see me staring. It's ok. Be cool Kana. Be cool. Kana would stand with confidence feigned or otherwise now that she'd composed herself.

"I would be truly honored if someone of your skill would have me."

Tiny grains of iron sand would pour out from her pillow in a string like shape spinning into the approximate shape of her odachi. If anything the flashy jutsu just made a long bokken version of her preferred weapon. Kanamora thought very little of the jutsu she'd just used and it was easily apparent by her demeanor that she wasn't attempting to show off as her face filled with resolve. Though there was still a light hue of her embarrassment from a moment ago, like the bleeding boy, she had a long road ahead off her. If she were lucky, she'd find someone to guide her like this boy had been guided. Kanamora didn't believe in luck though. She'd forge her own path and she'd tread on to wherever it lead. For now though she needed all the trainig she could get. When she met back up with her sensei, he wouldn't be able to deny her progress. That was the dream at least. She'd taken a little longer than was proper to respond, so if the offer still stood she/d pair up with anyone willing. It wouldn't be like the last time. Never Again

"Well I would think you guys could of handled more than that, at least that was what I had gathered from your case files." The boy would pause as he closed his notebook and stood, placing his notebook into his belt as he walked over to where the three were. "Perhaps you are not ready for the challenges of the shinobi world and way of life, while you may hold the rank of genin it is clear to me that non of you are ready for this life." The boy would stop talking as he reached where Kana was with his cloak, taking it from her hand the boy would throw it on... The cloak was heavy, not just with water, but the shame that Kanamora felt sapped her strength. With hesitance she relinquished his cloak. Kana was grateful for the rain, hid hid her shame and embarrassment as it showered down on them with an uncaring consistency.

[WC=815/2400]
[TWC= 10,408]

Makoto felt like he had these feelings deep down inside as the sweat and the pain were all but not forgotten as he was struggling to catch his breathe he did not know what more to do anymore. A moment of silence and a lifetime of regret could very well be the end of the road for him as he began to worry in self pity and doubt over his own abilities as a warm light seemed to wash over him as if a divination had been revealed to him.

Before him was an angel of swords as he remembered when they first met, she put him to a trial and tested him as he stood there with one form, one hold and one slash as he kept going for as long as he could. Each slash brimming with glistening sweat and each strike of the single form feeling like his last. To persevere even though there seemed to be no light at the other end, however there was one truth he learned back then. When going into combat fighting with the sword seemed a whole lot easier then that first trial she gave to him as he began to wonder, if hardships sometimes made those things you thought were hard, become nothing more then easy in the end. He had swung and swung as he felt like he could collapse and when he collapsed back then what was it that she said as he tried to grasp at the straws of his memories.

She gave him encouragement once more as he seemed to snap out of his daze as he began to wonder where she learned this technique. The feeling of having his wounds healed and the excitement of learning something new as she ruffled his hair he began to wonder if this is what mom's were like. She told him that growth comes with time and skill comes with practice as she said he was already doing good and that he should keep on improving. The motivation she gave would seem unnatural as she seemed strict, but lenient at the same time as she found balance.

For a moment he began to wonder as she moved over to the other girl he just followed closely with curiosity as he listened in as she spoke of having this other girl join. He wanted to ask something, but he simply looked down for now fidgeting a bit as he wanted to ask, but chose to wait his turn if there was a turn to wait for. He was also on a slight high from what just happened having not known her to be able to use this beautiful ray of light to heal him as he began to wonder if this was another path to creating the ultimate jutsu, in time maybe he would understand as he observed from the distance as some drew conclusions to the two being related, then threw that out the window when they noticed the eyes were a contrast to the beautiful Suzume-sensei, though their hair was similar in color as some began to draw their own conclusions before focusing on their shopping and training in this place.

Makoto was at a loss of words for the time being, but deep down he just felt like this feeling he felt was a feeling he always wanted to feel again. However even Makoto did not know what this feeling he felt feeling even was.

Words = 4449 + 580 = 5029
Total Thread Words = 10408 + 580 = 10988 (4 EP)

[Exit Thread]
WC=2400 for training