Nagare slept uncomfortably, still bound by the cast that held to his arm like a chain and ball, keeping him stuck in a crippled state that left him only half of the shinobi he once was. Rolling to the opposite side in his slumber meant pain from the additional pressure being put on his injured limb. Sleeping on his back, as he knew from extensive research on sleep and respiratory problems, could cause nasal congestion, snoring, and trouble breathing, directly linked to sleep apnea, which was lethal in some cases. Sleeping on his stomach meant turning his neck to the left or the right to accomadate his new position and keep steady breathing, which meant neck problems for a few days afterwards. And, of course, staying in his current position would leave his good arm with no circulation and cramps in the morning. Seeing as the final option was the one that he would suffer the least from, he continued sleeping on his good arm, all night, just as he did in the previous nights prior to gaining the cast.

Horui slept on the opposite side of the bed, resting calmly and cozily. He remained still throughout the night, his head being properly supported by a pillow and his arms laid out flat. The moonlight in that broke in through the glass of their windowpane left the ground nearby basked in light, as well as Nagare's half of the bed. The moon rays pounded his closed eyelids, demanding entrance to his pupils, disrupting his sleep further. Finally, when he realized that he couldn't manage to get to sleep with the moonlight in addition to the entire wounded-arm situation, he stepped out of bed and pulled the blinds shut, leaving shadows in place of where the moonlight once was. It was nearly 2:48 AM, and Nagare had to be up fairly early for something he had planned...

The sun rose in the sky, caressing the Earth in an immaculate and eclectic symphony of turquoise, emerald, navy blue, and finally a light blue shade, most commonly known to man as dawn. Dawn was here, meaning it was around 5:00 AM, and the sunlight wasn't as submissive as the moonlight. It blasted through Nagare's window blinds relentlessly, casting its focus back onto Nagare's eyelids, a new, more intensified hindrance. He cracked his eyes open too look around for a moment, and found nothing different than in the last few hours aside from the time of day. He hated dawn, only because it was a constant disruption of his sleep. He succumbed to the will of the light and turned to lay on his bad arm, only for the last two hours of his natural resting period. What was the worst thing that could happen?

When Nagare did finally wake up on his own accord, near 7:35 AM, he rose out of bed and prepared a breakfast meal before his family could awake. As he ate and drank, still half-asleep, he shook Horui by the shoulder. His arm felt like hell from sleeping on it, and he felt its throbbing pains further when he shook Horui's. Horui woke up almost immediately, turning around in surprise. Naga, what's happening?

Nagare smirked at his twin, and took another bite of his eggs as he mumbled, Nothing is happening but dawn. And my plans, of course. Horui had no grasp of what these plans could have possibly been, and Nagare read this from his mind, so he replied, It's training, but a different kind of training. We're going to need something different if we're going to be working on our Katon use any further, seeing as it is near as perfect as we can get it. an excited tone sprang into the thought as he said it to Horui telepathically. Horui simply nodded in approval before going to the kitchen, too, for a meal of his own. They ate and talked happily, if anything, before cleaning up and leaving out of the front door and into the unusually harsh sunlight of the village.

Their strides were even and well-paced, at a fast enough speed to show that they were in a bit of a rush. Not that it was urgent, but more of an excited rush. They slipped through the crowds that stood in the streets. It seemed that many of Kumogakure no Sato's citizens were enjoying the sunny day, seeing as it was so uncommon there. They reached their designated training area, the Arbiter's Grounds, within minutes. As always, Nagare's mind went back to the day that he first battled Gakuto, with that Sharingan of his. The things they said to each other were pounded into Nagare's memories like stamps of despair. The words began to play in his mind like a broken record with an abnormally long song that was not catchy at all, but rather cryptic, saying...

"I'm done here. I'm moving on to greater things. With my current condition, I will die one day. But I can't let that happen. I won't just let myself fade away after a vicious battle with another shinobi or an equally vicious one with age. I am to become immortal. Sure, I could stay here and remain a measly Genin in spite of my abilities. But I have plans. I strive for power, I strive for influence. I could destroy this place...with a look." Nagare shuddered at the remembrance of this quote, and only further faltered as he thought of Gakuto's last words during that fight; "...your death is only the third step on my path to peace, my path to greatness, my path to immortality."

Horui intervened on the whole reflecting on the past, brooding in the moment thing Nagare had going on. Quit it. You're always doing this, expecting something different to happen. What does meditating on what happened with Gakuto do other than leave you in emotional and mental ruin? You can't undo his decisions, you can't undo his death. Just stop, it's getting irritating, more than it already was. I knew that I shouldn't have agreed to train here, I knew it.

You're terrible. You don't even care....Gakuto was our only friend, don't you remember? We were alone, until he came and became our friend...and we had to kill him. He died a madman, alone in Kirigakure. You're terrible... Horui ignored that comment, cracking his knuckles loudly. Look, we're just training. Let's get it over with. Nagare let go of his anger towards Horui, in part because they were still the same person, and Horui's mind was just a different part of Nagare's, one that he rarely allowed himself to know. If Horui was thinking it, he was too, in the very recesses of his own mind; he couldn't judge.

"Okay, then." he said aloud, "My plan for training was this. We train our Katon element to the height of it's potential by learning a new jutsu, but not just any new jutsu. I want to create an ultimate Katon technique, so powerful that it could obliterate a city on it's own." Horui's ears perked up during the last part of that sentence as he wondered why Nagare would want such a powerful technique. He'd already shown his willingness to kill; an S-Rank technique would only make the job easier. He meditated on Nagare's psychological incapability to feel guilt, before thinking:

Honestly, I don't trust you with something so strong. Nagare frowned, deepening the serious countenance that always was pressed into his face. He was not offended, only disappointed that Horui didn't trust him. The trust wasn't earned, so he couldn't really be too offended, but he still didn't feel guilt or remorse. "I'm not doing this to actually destroy anything. I want to become a better ninja, a ninja worthy of becoming a Kage, or something more. Part of being a Kage is having the strength to protect those you love, and the village you shadow." Horui begrudgingly nodded, and sat back for a moment. He nodded as a way to tell Nagare he would help.

A whole new type of jutsu. One that changes our very beings, changing our bodies into weapons. This way, it will transcend other jutsu, it will be like slipping into the skin of a god for a moment. Or, a more fitting description would be falling into a Stygian form. Horui nodded, and questioned, and how are we going to do that? Nagare didn't answer, just decided to demonstrate instead.

He charged quick burst of Katon chakra into the palm of his right hand, causing a quick combustion whose light refracted from the silver bracelet that held his clan symbol which hung from his wrist. It cast a brilliant red glow, only for a moment, before fading away. That was from one fast burst of chakra. He then demonstrated maintaining a flame with chakra, something they did when creating fireball techniques and similar jutsu; it lasted until interrupted, due to the constant flow of chakra practically "fueling" the flame. Nagare passed his opposite hand through the flame, extinguishing it completely as the chakra flow was disrupted. Now, he closed his fist, charging power, and when he opened it again, another flame was there, burning stagnantly in mid-air. This one's shape was different; more wispy, like red smoke; but at the same time, there was a round core of flames that burned a solid orange-whitish color. He attempted to pass his hand through it, and it hit the core, with no further movement. He forced his hand into it harder to demonstrate the flames solid density, and his skin sizzled.

You see, when I solidify the fire, the chakra flow can't be interrupted, giving it more uses than before. The only problem is that it uses plenty of chakra to keep it solid like this, and water can still extinguish it.

Horui nodded, surprised that Nagare had been studying chakra flow so well. He was a studious ninja, indeed, even more so than he let on. Well, technically they were the same person, but that was aside from the subject; Nagare's emotions and thoughts were independent from Horui's.

Horui nodded, and held out his own hand. Now, how do I do that?

 Simply enough. Okay, to solidify the fire, just compress a lot of chakra into the center, and the smoke and charcoal being forced into the core will give it an essentially solid form. Horui followed the instructions. He focused his best, and the fireball in his hand bent and melded into a few different shapes. It wasn't forming a core, however; and Horui definitely felt the tug on his chakra supply. Nagare watched, calm and patient, while he released the chakra flow in his own flame, turning it into a poof of smoke that faded away.

Horui's flame was a brilliant red color, but as it compressed and grew smaller, it burned brighter and the shades of red changed; from a deep, almost brown fire, lighter and lighter, to orange and yellow and stripes of red surrounding. The contrast between the hue of his eyes and the hue of the flames grew stronger, until the flame was a similar tint to that of Nagare's. The warmth caressed his hand like a glove, but it wasn't like a burning warmth. Whenever they used Katon jutsu, the flames seemed to be passive, almost embracing their body rather than fighting it. It was pleasant, nearly. Nagare reached out and touched the core of Horui's fire, and it singed his finger. A red burn appeared within seconds; but when he pressed his finger against it, it was dense and solid to the core. He nodded in approval.

Now, how are we going to use this to our advantage, much less make an S-Rank technique out of it? Nagare almost laughed at that comment. Solid fire was definitely something worth using; it added a whole new dimension of techniques to the possibilities of Katon ninjutsu. It almost confounded Nagare that Horui couldn't see this for himself. Don't you see? We could create a sustainable armor made of fire, which is exactly what I had in mind. Well, not really armor, per se, but rather a coating of flames that could boost our skills to another level.
Horui spawned a confused expression, most likely by the use of the words "coating" and how that could boost skills. Nagare read this expression, and clarified briefly. We could make wings, firstly, to allow for limited flight capabilities. We could make it work defensively by burning anyone who touches us. It could increase our speed if we utilize the wings and chakra. Et cetera, et cetera. Horui smiled, thinking of the possibilities. Nagare was having some definite bright ideas.

Nagare, who had already created a prototype of this technique, decided to showcase this firsthand. He made a string of hand signs, to both solidify the chakra but to also keep it solid without having to constantly make hand signs to control it while it was active. May as well do all signs at once and then just have the chakra do the work itself. Dragon, then Horse, Ram, and Bird in rapid succession, Ox and Dragon again, then Tiger.

Flames just like the one he held in his hand started forming around him, burning brightly. They were a straight and true orange color, a pretty sight. Closer to his skin the flames faded to red, almost as red as his irises. His skin felt the same sensation of warmth, but he suffered no burns as the flames danced around him, connecting and growing into a shell around him. Wings sprouted from the back, and short claws coated his fingernails. He looked like a demon of flames, with his actual appearance concealed by the flames. Gakuto always wanted to be more than human...well, I've taken on his legacy. I've ascended. His wings flared open and he took flight, jumping five meters into the air, when suddenly the flames dissipated. He fell to the ground, face-first, with a thud.

Horui burst out laughing terribly hard at Nagare's misfortune. The broken arm stung deeply from the fall, and a cut across his cheek was bleeding. It's hard to control wings made of chakra... Horui nodded, and then made the same string of hand seals Nagare had just done minutes ago. Upon completion of the sequence, he gained a demonic form of flames, and hopped, flying effortlessly at 10 meters in circles for a few seconds before landing and dissipating the flames.

I think you just were trying to hard to look cool. Nagare pushed Horui's shoulder, with a smirk. He activated the shell again, and his wings, which were webbed and bony like a bat's, formed, burning brightly with the rest of his body. Horui did the same one more time, and they took flight together, circling each other in the air, their shadows spinning ominously on the rocky ground. Ascension. They had become stronger ninja than before. Nagare stopped circling and faced his twin, with a smile. Let's practice this new flying thing, shall we? he said before he rocketed to the north, at full speed. He was moving at at least 75 mph, leaving an impression of his figure in the air as he moved. The wind whipped his face wildly, and within minutes he was a mile away from Horui.

Horui, who hadn't noticed his twin dash off, saw the silhouette in the distance and sped after him at top speed. Nagare saw his approach, and made a bit of a game out of this. He took a few moments to prepare before flying directly at Horui, set on a collision course. A deadly game of chicken.
Horui heard the sound made with the change of direction (it was loud, with the air whipping and whatnot) and continued, moving faster. He wasn't going to be losing this game, that was for sure. They moved towards each other, closing the distance from a mile to about 50 meters down to 25 and then....
Nagare flapped his wings at full force, sending him upwards another meter, and right when Horui was about to pass under, he kicked his foot down, aimed at Horui's head. Horui, utilizing his wings for additional speed, turned to his side and flapped his left wing, sending him spinning to the left and effectively avoiding the kick. Nagare flipped forward and shot an arm at Horui's torso, landed a blow, then glided to the ground and landed. Horui blasted down after Nagare, tackling him to the floor, leaving them in a heap.

Nagare kicked him off, taking a moment to regain his senses. Flying is exhilarating. It's like a whole new level of movement. he thought, although the pain from chakra use was setting in. Sort of a sore feeling that sat, dormant in his veins until the moment he moved or breathe; the second he did one of those, he was left in a mind-numbingly debilitating feeling that kept him bound to his current position, discouraging any movement at all. S-Ranks techniques weren't something interesting to play with; they were like weapons of mass destruction, with severe drawbacks on the human body. Maybe the body wasn't meant to be utilized as a weapon, but it sure was a useful one, after all. Nagare coughed to clear his throat.

The sun's position in the sky read that time was growing thin, as the day was getting late in its life. Sunset was upon them, leaving  them basking in yet another brilliant orange light, only this time it was a planetary light that covered miles and miles of air and ground alike, a true beauty. Horui smiled with Naga as they watched the sun fall over the horizon, with darkness following behind it. Stars shone overhead, now, and the moon revealed itself from a shroud, shining like a miniature sun, except with a silver hue.

Nagare turned back to Horui with a red shimmer in his eyes, as always. I think we've trained enough for today. We can always do more another time, if needed, but I'm pretty sure that technique could wait until we're at least Jounin level. It would be easier to maintain with less recoil if we had a larger chakra supply. C'mon, let's go home. He pivoted his foot and turned away from the moon, and stepped off. Horui followed after looking out at the stars for a moment.

They strode back, weaving through the same paths as before, motivated by a new found passion. Every training session left them with this same feeling; a feeling of accomplishment and power, a sort of natural reward for doing well as a ninja. Then there was the actual reward, of being able to do your job. Sure, it was expected of them, but it still made them feel like they put the extra effort in to do their future goals with ease. Soon enough, they would be stronger than many of the other ninja in Kumo, perhaps even the best.

The dust spun around in the breeze, around their four feet. The trip home was recognizable, as they had done this many times before, but this time they stopped about half way back and looked to the alley way on the left of them. There was a stray black cat that stared at them with glowing yellow eyes, and Horui giggled at it. He walked over to it and picked it up with a grin. IT'S ADORABLE he thought happily. Nagare ushered him to put the thing down, as it might have rabies. Suddenly, a clash hit the ground and a noise echoed through the alley, ringing in their ears. They turned around the bend, and there stood Sadao, who seemed to be taking out the trash or something.

Horui tapped his shoulder and waved. "Ah, hello, Horui and Nagare. What's going on?" Horui was very happy to see his friend. The guy was much taller standing than he was sitting, at around 6 feet 5 inches, with muscles all around. It was the figure of a god, and his eyes were a beautiful green color that was like emeralds. Even Nagare could appreciate this man's beauty; it was a general beauty that anyone could appreciate.

"Well, we were just training..." Sadao interrupted him there. "I'm taking my cat out for a bit and doing some errands, but I could help you out. How are you supposed to train with a bum arm like that?...." he unwrapped the bandages from Naga's arm, and pressed a hand to the broken elbow. A light shined from it, and the pain subsided immediately. He left his hand pressed there for a few minutes. "This arm is actually kind of bad. How'd you get it?"

"A situation at Athos' Keep. Nothing to worry about, really. Just some asshole who snapped it." He didn't mention the fact that it was one of the guards of the keep, and the reason he was attacking Nagare was because Naga had broken out and killed a prisoner. He figured that Sadao wouldn't exactly approve of such behavior, but it was necessary by Nagare's standards. He wondered how the families of the guards he killed were handling their loss. He wasn't worried about Arai, of course; that man was a scumbag criminal, but he actually felt a bit of remorse for murdering the two guards. He should have incinerated their bodies, he thought to himself, in order to make sure that they wouldn't be found. Maybe they would have hope if he was only "missing", but the body was evidence, and their despair and grief was definite.

 A smile spread across Naga's face and he thanked Sadao kindly when it was fully healed. "No problem, I'm a medical ninja, after all. Now, I've gotta go, but have a good night, guys!" And with that, he and the cat re-entered a building through the back door.

"So, today was a wonderful day. New jutsu, training, and my stupid arm is healed. Let's go CELEBRATE!" he said before excitedly sprinting back toward their home, with Horui struggling to catch up.

{END, THREAD CLOSED}

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Ninjutsu A > S
Word Count: 3,807/3,800
(5% off due to Soseiji KKG)