“So let me get this straight,” Satomi said in a rather skeptical tone, “You are going to practice this new jutsu by making a clone and taking turns using it on yourself?”

“That’s the plan,” Bokuden replied in an upbeat manner, “Anyone can learn a jutsu just by practicing it through repetition, but the only way to truly master a jutsu is to not only experience using the jutsu, but to experience it being used on one’s self.”

Satomi let out a deep sigh and lowered he head before raising it once again and returning her gaze to Bokuden. “And you see absolutely nothing that can go wrong with this plan?” Satomi inquired, obviously less than enthused about the whole situation.

“Well of course there are inherent risks involved,” Bokuden explained, assured of the success this training would bring him, “We are shinobi, there are risks associated with just about every aspect of our daily lives, occupational hazards if you will. But I’m not some amateur who is incapable of seeing the danger of such scenarios. The jutsu itself is largely non-lethal to begin with, it is a movement restriction jutsu.”

“If you say so,” Satomi responded, rolling her eyes, “But why did we need to come all the way to the Tower of Heaven to practice this jutsu? Couldn’t this just as easily be done at home in the dojo?”

“Atmosphere Satomi, Atmosphere,” Bokuden answered, turning to the edge of the partially constructed spire and peered over the edge, “We wouldn’t have had a view like this back in the dojo. Besides, the water would damage the floors.” Bokuden then turned back to Satomi with a smile, hoping to cheer her up a bit. She was always a bit cranky when he woke her up early in the morning, which he happened to have done that particular day.

“I don’t see why you need a view from inside an enormous sphere of chakra infused, incredibly dense water, but it’s your call,” Satomi said as she let out a yawn. She then laid down on the ground, crossing one of her front legs over the other as she awaited Bokuden to begin.

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Training Water Prison Jutsu- Word Count: 370/1000

Bokuden took a few paces back from Satomi’s position as he began the preparations for his training session. It was an unnecessary action as this jutsu posed no real threat to Satomi’s safety, but it was a habit from years of training. It couldn’t hurt to take extra precautions after all, especially if it costs nothing but a moment’s time. He then took a deep breath and exhaled slowly with his eyes closed. It had nothing to do with the jutsu itself, but Bokuden (who as well as is clansmen believes in the benefits of meditation) felt it helped him relax and focus on the task at hand. As such, it was a pretty common ritual for Bokuden to perform before just about any activity.

With his pre-training ritual complete and adequate space between he and Satomi Bokuden decided it was time to begin. He began by weaving a sequence of hand signs in order to create a water clone of himself. Bokuden examined the clone and smiled at the excellence of his work. This clone was a perfect copy of Bokuden, physically identical in every way, not like the amateurish clones he made at the rice paddy fields back when he first learned the jutsu. The clone’s purpose was two-fold. It’s first and primary purpose was of course to serve as a target for Bokuden to practice his Water Prison jutsu on. He found using a clone to train was a much cleaner endeavor than using a live target. Bokuden kept a tight circle to begin with, without scaring more people away by using them as lab rats for his jutsu training. The clone’s second purpose was to use the Water Prison jutsu on Bokuden himself once Bokuden felt he had sufficiently practiced it himself. This was a jutsu that was a staple in the arsenal of many suiton users and first hand experience in having it used against him could only prepare him for it further. It would also help Bokuden master utilizing the jutsu through a clone in order to gain tactical advantage. All in all a win-win situation.

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Training Water Prison Jutsu- Word Count: 732/1000

“Alright then, let’s get started shall we?” Bokuden asked his newly formed water clone. The clone merely nodded his head in agreement and awaited the original Bokuden to make the first move. Bokuden took a step towards the clone and began weaving together the necessary hand signs to perform the Water Prison jutsu, expelling a large stream of water from his mouth that immediately surrounded his clone and forming into a large orb. Before the sphere of water was finished forming, Bokuden placed his arm into the water as instructed. Supposedly constant contact was needed to maintain the shape and density of the water with the user’s chakra.

Bokuden could have released the jutsu immediately, but if he wanted to master the jutsu he felt he needed to experience it with prolonged usage. He maintained the spherical shape for as long as he could before the chakra that had been infused into the water was expended and the water lost its shape, the clone falling out from the water and onto the ground soaked, but unharmed. The clone stood up and faced Bokuden, fully aware of what he had to do. Since it was his turn to perform the jutsu on Bokuden’s main body he did just that. The clone performed the jutsu in the same manner as the original did and it was equally as successful. Now all Bokuden had to do was think of a way to break out of it. With his movement restricted by the density of the water, weaving hand signs was out of the question. He then remembered that the user’s arm had to be partially submerged in the water in order for the jutsu to be maintained. Bokuden focused ration chakra into his fingers and fired Shock Bullets into the water, shocking his clone and breaking the jutsu. Satisfied with what he had learned that day Bokuden decided to call it a day for the training session. He turned over to Satomi and began to speak while wringing water from his drenched coat, “Well, I think that just about does it for today. Let’s go do something else… after I go home and change.”

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Word Count: 1094/1000