Nagare sat next to the hot lava of the Tethys Grounds, where he felt most comfortable in all of Kumo. His training session here was his most fond, where the view was magnificent and the heat from the lava kept him warm in the dead of night. The moon overhead now glowed a soft silver against the pitch-black sky. Horui was at a higher platform, sitting on a crest of solidified magma. They anxiously waited for their student.

Nagare had seen the talent in the one student he knew before being assigned to him, and that student was Kenji Chikara, a boy with teal-blue hair and an affinity for swords. Kenji, although nothing like Naga, still left Naga with a desire to take him to his full potential. So, Nagare did his usual thing and intercepted Kenji with a message to meet him this night. And now, the hour was here. Kenji would be arriving soon...

---

Training Suiton C > B
Word Count: 1,053/4,000
(continued from this thread)

Kenji had received a message from his new sensei to meet him at the Tethys Grounds, a place Kenji had visited once before to settle a squabble. Kenji was not completely sure what the meeting would entail but he was confident that it would be combat related. Kenji made his way to the lava hot spot where he was to meet Nagare; the leader of Squad Samsara. The Chuunin knew that Nagare had to be quite strong; but Kenji was looking forward to testing himself against someone as experienced as his captain.

The wind provided little resistance as Kenji left a teal streak through the night ambiance; adorning the village. His gloves sparkled leaving but a glimmer of his existence. He hopped, skipped, rolled, all with grace and great fluidity. Even in the freezing night air of Kumogakure the heat from the hot lava, several meters away, still proved itself a worthy adversary to his perennial rival. He stood and spotted Horui sitting up top; Kenji surveyed the area further and saw Nagare sitting near the Tethys Grounds obviously enjoying the solace that the heat provided. Kenji lifted his head as to project his voice, "You summoned me."


TRAINING B-RANK JUTSU: 198/2000

"Just in time. You never cease to impress me, Kenji. Let's get right to the point. I see potential in you, so I wanted a personal training session with you, to review your skills a bit. Fight me like you're trying to kill me, blah blah blah. Let's begin, shall we?" and with that, Nagare made a hand seal, and a thick mist covered the area. He couldn't even see Kenji, who was directly in front of him. He stepped back until he was around 5 meters away from Kenji and pulled out a Tachiba knife, awaiting his pupil's first move in this fight.

Horui was off to the west, around 8 meters away from both Kenji and Nagare. He contemplated his moves carefully. He could use an offensive jutsu and try to catch Kenji off-guard, or maybe summon something, but finally he decided to play it safe and just watch what happened for now. Although, it wasn't really possible, considering the mist that covered the area. He hopped up to a platform of cooled lava, about 10 meters above the Nagare and Kenji, and activated his Heat Mapping Technique so that he could sense them through the mist. Kenji's first move would determine the course of this match....

---

Training Suiton C > B
Word Count: 1,270/4,000

Nagare's Chakra - 115/125:

Horui's Chakra - 110/125:

"Just in time. You never cease to impress me, Kenji. Let's get right to the point. I see potential in you, so I wanted a personal training session with you, to review your skills a bit. Fight me like you're trying to kill me, blah blah blah. Let's begin, shall we?" Kenji nodded and as he expressed his acceptance of the challenge via body language; Nagare formed a hand seal and a thick fog covered the area. Kenji smiled as his vision had been robbed from him; Kenji began to tug on his katana but decided to draw it later. Kenji formed some hand seals of his own; dashed a few meters forward and released a gust of wind in the vicinity of Nagare, Kenji was confident that Nagare hadn't left the range of his technique in the short time he had been out of Kenji's sight. Kenji proceeded to draw three shuriken and launched them in the area he last saw Nagare and if he hadn't moved a few meters to the left or right or several meters back(+10 meters), the shurikens would hit Nagare in the stomach. Also, if the Genjutsu was successful he would not only be able to see the shuriken due to the mist but he wouldn't be able to move due to the sensory displacement effect of the Genjutsu. The triggering gust would reach its target within seconds.

After the Chuunin released the shurikens he stopped in his tracks. Kenji tried to locate Horui but it was no use, and he was almost certain that he wasn't in the same spot before the mist occupied the area. Kenji assumed if he couldn't see them that they couldn't see him, but that would be silly to use a technique where no advantage is achieved; so Kenji quickly deducted that Nagare or Horui had some type of sensing ability that hinted to the opponent's position. The only source of light was the moon and the red luminous lava. Kenji leaped back about 5 meters to at least give himself time to react to the sound of an ensuing attack. He had his right hand on the hilt of his katana. "Let's see what you got sensei"

185/200:

TRAINING JUTSU: 581/2000

Based on the movement of Kenji's arms, Horui figured that he used some sort of technique, followed by throwing a few weapons. He hopped down from his perch and deflected the weapons, which turned out to be shuriken, using one of the Tachiba knives he and Nagare shared. Nagare ran around him headed for Kenji directly, and neither of them realized that there was still a blast of wind that they should've been worried about. It impacted Horui's torso, and some sort of Genjutsu activated. Horui stood still and the ground seemed to be moving under him; after a quick assessment of his surroundings, it looked like HE was the one that was spinning, not the ground, and he was twisting and writhing violently. He fell to his knees, dizzy and disoriented. Nagare could hear his cries in the mist, but could no longer see his figure. He ignored them, for the moment, as he gained the perfect opportunity to strike.

He approached Kenji quickly, jumping about 5 meters into the air and throwing the Tachiba Knife that was sitting in his palm down, aimed at Kenji's right arm. As he landed, he proceeded to spit a stream of weak flames from his mouth like a flamethrower, aimed at Kenji, in hopes of starting off with preliminary first degree burns. Horui still sat in his original position, shaking on the ground, the Genjutsu holding a tight grip onto his mind,  and he was unaware that it was a Genjutsu, at all, keeping the thought of using a Kai out of his mind. The thick mist still coated the area like a menace, as the battle continued.

---

Training Suiton C > B
Word Count: 1,550/4,000

Nagare's Chakra - 105/125:

Horui's Chakra - 105/125:

While Kenji moved back he could hear something, no, someone moving through the mist. Due to the general area the sound generated from he knew it was Horui. He then heard a clank, the sound of the shuriken he released being knocked away. What they did not anticipate based on the information they were able to receive from their sensory jutsu was the gust of wind still in route. As Horui was obviously now in front of Nagare, being that he deflected the shuriken he was now going to be the one trapped in the Genjutsu; muffled screams gave Kenji further confirmation of the success of the jutsu.

Movement was audible indicating Nagare's advance and next move. However, Kenji would not wait for whatever he was planning, he knew Horui was still on the ground and he planned on capitalizing. Horui's position was close to Nagare's original position; so Kenji had a general idea of where he was and as he drew closer he would be able to see him clearer. The distance separating them weren't much as he could see Horui twitching on the ground in seconds following his burst towards him. While Kenji prepared his next attack from less than a meter from Horui he could hear a weapon collide with the ground as well as the release of flames. Kenji kept his focus on Horui who was well within striking range; first he launched one kunai at his leg then he followed it up with a plume of wind infused chakra that would most likely finish Horui off. The effects of the previous Genjutsu were bound to be wearing of around the time Kenji initiated his next Genjutsu.

If caught, Kenji would attempt to execute a slash to the lower and upper body meant to inflict superficial damage; around an inch deep. During all of this Kenji decided to activate his kekkai genkai. Kenji could only be but so alert and aware while in the mist; but with his katana in hand he would react to any attacks the best he could.

170/200:

Training Jutsu: 930/2000

Horui, who was still being ravaged by the previous Genjutsu, let out a cry as a gust of wind encased him into a sort of cloud, before his arms began to melt away. Pain shot through then as they boiled, his skin turning a sickly color as it began to erode from fingertip to wrist and continue down. His silent vocal chords strained, and he thought, Nagare, help! Kenji is directly in front of me; if you follow my position, you'll catch him! Nagare nodded and read Horui's mind (whose Heat Mapping Technique ended due to loss of focus) to get a decent mapping of his position before charging in that direction. A summon would be a great help in this, so he summoned Takeshi, his ghost bat, to fly through the mist, undetected due to his natural camouflage against the stark white blanket of fog. The bat flew behind Horui, around five meters in mid-air above Kenji, before sending down a Wind Release: Vacuum Wave that expanded as it grew closer to the swordsman.

Nagare, still requiring something more to keep Kenji from avoiding the wave so easily, spit a stream of flames from five meters away, with a collision course set for the wind. If they collided, Kenji would be caught in a massive flaming storm; if not, he'd still suffer burns or cuts, depending on which attack caught him first, so Nagare was pleased with this tactic and ran 10 meters to the southeast of Kenji, holding his next Tachiba knife close and ready to strike. A good start to the battle, it was, but start was the key word here.

---

Suiton C > B
Word Count: 1,828/4,000

Nagare's Chakra - 75/125:

Horui's Chakra - 105/125:

Takeshi's Chakra - 10/30:

A smirk splashed across Kenji's face as he knew the Genjutsu would take care of Horui from this point on; he hadn't train the particular technique well enough yet for it to do severe damage. Kenji was fully aware now, due to Horui's interception of his projectiles that they indeed possessed a sensory ability that gave them sight within the mist; so Kenji was conscious not to stay in any spot longer than he needed to. Once he drew his katana and activated his kekkai genkai he began to leap to 5 meters to his right; as he focused his energy in his legs he could feel a strong force from above him and was beginning to emit horizontally along the ground. Nagare had used some sort of summon; he didn't know at the moment if it was Nagare or some other creature that was above him.

Due to the stealthiness of the aerial attack that ensued; Kenji's evasive maneuver was just short of preventing any damage. The wave of concussive wind had impressive range, as Kenji leaped outward right before the jutsu even initiated, he still found himself on the outskirts of the jutsu. A 4 inch long laceration decorated his shoulder, it was only a few centimeters deep as the jutsu barely caught him. Also, given how close Kenji was to Houri, and the fact that he was writhing on the ground screaming in pain, he wondered if Nagare accidentally scorched and or ripped his twin.

As the always nimble Kenji slid across the surface, still wielding his katana; he gripped his shoulder, "Once this mist clears, I think this match will get a lot more interesting. To think it just started... what should I've expected from someone as skilled as my sensei obviously is." Kenji slowly moved around in, waving his katana fluently in a circular pattern; keeping his arms ready for any attack. He could tell Nagare had moved, and had now lost any idea of where he could be. Therefore, he decided leaping would be a bad idea as he could accidentally leap into him; now Kenji waiting for any sound, hint, breeze, anything to assist him in locating the attack and preparing himself as he waded through the thick mist.  


Word Count: 1312/2000

150/200:

The mist began to fade, clearing the area and leaving it lucid by the light of the lava. Simply put, they could see their surroundings now; Kenji stood near Horui, with a deep cut across his shoulder, and a Nagare looked as Takeshi flew down and landed on his shoulder. Horui was on the ground, staring at his arms as if they weren't his. He remembered what Kenji said when they first met the rest of the squad; he was a Genjutsu specialist. Horui, you're in some sort of Genjutsu. Use a Kai! Horui struggled but finally managed to work his way out of the jutsu. Looking now at his once-burning arms, they were normal, completely unaffected. The trauma still shook his mind and he still felt a few phantom pains, but he stood now, ready to fight Kenji as well. Nagare nodded at him, thinking I'm going to de-summon Takeshi; you summon Ondan, he can help with the next round. Horui nodded, pulling the scroll from his back and summoning the large red panda.

Nagare made a bird hand seal, and Takeshi disappeared from his shoulder. Horui, still ringing in the ears from the Genjutsu, stayed back, waiting to regain his bearings. Scanning the area, he began to figure out tactics for the next few minutes...Kenji was a clear 10 meters or so away, a decent enough distance to still be hit by a Tachiba knife. Ondan was nearby, both of his katana burning red, and Nagare stood in the same position as before, with an expression that read contemplating, as well. Finally, they turned to each other, with stressed glances. Okay, Nagare, throw a Tachiba at Kenji, aimed for the same shoulder that sustained a cut. That should restrict his arm movement due to the overall pain. Tell Ondan to use his katana to try a horizontal slash across Kenji's torso as a follow up.

Nagare nodded, running forward with a Tachiba in hand. He stopped next to Ondan, whispering, "Go forward and slash his torso with a horizontal strike." The raccoon-like biped grinned his usual toothy grin, and ran forward, one of his katana in hand, and once he reached Kenji's blue-haired figure, he slashed across the torso. Nagare, as soon as Ondan began sprinting, threw the Tachiba, aimed at the boy's injured shoulder.

---

Training Suiton C > B
Word Count: 2,226/4,000

Horui's Chakra - 60/125:

OOC~ really sorry for the delay

The mist retreated and in its leave Kenji could see the crimson stream of blood generating from his left shoulder. The Chuunin had endured much more intense and gruesome injuries, but the laceration every so often was enough to make him cringe. Horui was able to eventually break the Genjutsu, going up against multiple opponents made it much more difficult to sustain illusory techniques. Now that Horui was free of his spiritual grip; even though he would suffer lingering effects he would be a nuisance in terms of hindering Kenji's execution. Right on cue, Horui performed a summon after Nagare de-summoned the bat that dealt the wound to Kenji.

All of a sudden a big red panda appeared in the luminous glow of the lava; he wielded an impressive katana. Nagare preceeded to position himself next to the panda, obviously instructing him to attack the blue haired ninja; and as soon as the panda with katana in hand set off towards Kenji, a knife soon followed hailing from the direction Nagare stood. The panda initiated a horizontal slash aimed for the Chuunin's torso; as the attack ensued he slid over to use the panda as cover from the knife that was heading for the already injured shoulder of Kenji. After the side step he ran lightning chakra through the blade of his katana and brought it up to defend the opposing Bukitjutsu strike; if the blades were to clash as they were on a crash course towards eachother; the lightning chakra in Kenji's blade upon contact with the panda's blade would run through the opponent's katana to his hands, electrocuting him; also, if contact was made it would be unsure if the panda would be disarmed as his tolerance for pain and skill with his weapon were undetermined.

Kenji, if the jutsu was a success would likely follow up with a forward thrust of his katana aimed for the panda's midsection; capitalizing off of the opponent's possible stunned state.

Word Count: 1639/2000

130/200 (-5 due to kkg):

Kenji did the obvious and stepped behind Ondan, using him as a cover for the Tachiba, before using some sort of Raiton technique to counter Ondan's strike. The panda was electrocuted and he dropped his sword, followed by the Tachiba grazing his arm and flying forward, planting into a wall. Ondan stepped back, followed by a backward roll, pulling out his second katana. His fur was singed black by the electric charge, so he stayed back to tend to his wounds. Nagare and Horui stared down Kenji, formulating a plan for attack while Ondan held back. Nagare made a string of hand seals, and his figure distorted for a moment, before he ran at Kenji at full speed. Horui made a similar string, before using the summoning technique to summon a swarm of bats.

The bats, each ablaze in bright red flames, swarmed Kenji, each aiming to bite. If they made contact, he'd suffer 3rd degree burns and minor bites. They flew relatively slowly, so it was likely that Nagare would make it first, and strike with the last Tachiba knife he held in his hand. Ondan managed to strive through the pain, and swung his blade, releasing a blade of wind that would impact at the same time as the bats, which would cause a 2 cm cut and increase the effectiveness of the burns due to the Katon/Fuuton combination. A full offense blitzkrieg, the best strategy that Nagare could think of, at the moment.

---

Training Suiton C > B
Word Count: 2,475/4,000

Horui's Chakra - 35/125:

Nagare's Chakra - 80/125:

Ondan's Chakra - 40/50:

The charging panda was disarmed by the raiton jutsu Kenji used; he proceeded to roll backwards to avoid any further damage. Out of his roll he drew a second katana; the blue haired chuunin looked at the katana that was dropped on the ground, but his examination of the weapon was interrupted by the sight of both Nagare and Horui rapidly weaving hand seals. There was also an aberration of some sort that took place around Nagare, Kenji made nothing of it.

What would come next was quite overwhelming; a swarm of fiery bats that were summoned, once again demonstrating their Kuchiyose mastery. Nagare followed up by charging with a dagger, if the attacking bats from hell and a vehement Nagare travelling at full speed wasn’t enough, the panda releases a slicing gale that’s purpose was not only to further occupy Kenji with the obvious cutting ability it presented but also to increase the damage of the fire jutsu as well. “Impressive, just the sheer magnitude and diversity of the attack is quite worrisome.”

After weaving three hand seals of his own, he drew two kunai and held one across his face; drawing Nagare’s eyes to the natural reflective ability of the metal melee weapon. If he looked at the surface he would be caught in a very basic visual illusion. If Kenji was successful in inducing Nagare in looking at the kunai’s reflective surface, and he felt his chakra reach his, he would first throw one of the kunai at Nagare, and assuming the Genjutsu was a success he would see the kunai flying in the opposite direction. Next, he would throw the second into the ground at his feet and then leap over the attack propelled by the panda. The jump would throw him into the arms of the bats where he would flail away with his katana; ultimately in vain, or at least it would seem…

If the Genjutsu failed somehow, he would take one of the kunai and throw it into the ground at his feet and then leap over the attack propelled by the panda. The jump would throw him into the arms of the bats where he would flail away with his katana and the second kunai; defending himself desperately, but ultimately in vain; or at least it would seem…

Word Count: 2039/2000

115/200 (-5 due to kkg):

Kenji responded quickly, holding two kunai in his arms. The first, he held out in front of him, and a glare rose from it, assaulting Nagare's eyes immediately. He was disoriented, but he felt the second kunai pierce his torso. He looked down in amazement, before looking back at his pupil. A successful hit; that was good! Well, not exactly successful. His body began to disassemble, and he became a mass of bats. The kunai dropped to the ground as the bats flew behind Kenji and reassembled to become Nagare again. He looked down with satisfaction as the wound that would have been where the kunai struck was nonexistent. In the meantime, Kenji followed up with a jump over Ondan's wind projectile, and he fell directly into the swarm of burning bats. Swinging his katana wildly, he cut the bat's numbers down significantly, but he still sustained plenty of bites and burns.

Horui, de-summon Ondan. I can handle the rest of this myself. Horui listened, and made a bird hand seal. The panda disappeared in a cloud of smoke, and Nagare returned to the form of bats, flying over to Horui and becoming himself. He pressed his hand to Horui's back, and a blue light emerged, as they began to merge. With the bats still swarming Kenji, he didn't have to worry about being attacked while they were merging.

---

Training Suiton C > B
Word Count: 2,710/4,000

115/250:

Nagare finished merging with Horui and felt his chakra replenish. He now stood, staring down at the kunai that had replaced Kenji in its wake. A substitution jutsu, as expected. Nagare yawned when he heard Kenji's voice from behind. “You think Horui is comfortable in there? Are there chairs, drinks, and other accommodations?" Nagare meditated on this for a moment. He was pretty sure his mind wasn't some sort of bar...Horui's consciousness was simply joined with his, it wasn't like he was off in a dark corner waiting to be taken out. Meh, he stopped overthinking it, he'd rather not confuse himself. He turned to face Kenji and responded, "Well, probably not, but I wouldn't know..." when the look into Kenji's eyes disrupted him. He felt a sinking feeling in his gut as light began to pour in like the sun was suddenly a few feet away, despite the moon being high in the sky.

The brightness continued to grow until Nagare couldn't see anything. He simply waited for it to wear off, until he found himself in a glass prism. "I had no idea you knew Ninjutsu like this...unless of course, this isn't a Ninjutsu. I know this is a Genjutsu, but I don't really want to try and break out. Waste of chakra..." he stared at Kenji through the prism with his blood red eyes. He felt his mind under stress, and found it a bit harder to think straight when suddenly a light broke through the glass, separating him into two. He was used to this feeling, so he didn't react much, although it was still unpleasant. His mind at this point was a haze, and he couldn't form clear thoughts other than "this is a Genjutsu....this is a Genjutsu..."

Nagare clenched his teeth as he held his glare, trying not to let the illusion get to him.

---

Training Suiton C > B
Word Count: 3,036/4,000

Kenji's comment induced the desired response as Nagare seemed to take the question literally and as he turned around and met Kenji's gaze he was caught in Kenji's illusion. However, Nagare appeared to be well aware that he was in a Genjutsu but decided not to attempt a kai; Kenji assumed that Nagare was under the impression that the Genjutsu being used was just another illusion and he could just weather the ordeal, avoiding using chakra to kai; unfortunately for Nagare this Genjutsu would drain/reduce his chakra reserve regardless, unless Kenji's focus was interrupted by an outside force.

The strength of the Genjutsu required flawless focus and chakra control from Kenji, and as Kenji skillfully tinkered with Nagare's chakra flow he remained completely still as he concentrated on the process. Everything around Kenji was neglected as he blocked out anything that wasn't related to the manipulation of his opponent's chakra network.

80/200> CHAKRA

Continuing Training from this thread,
http://www.narutosaga.com/t5707-trail-of-dreams-ch-2-private-character-plot

Genjutsu S>SS: 2219/9000

Nagare sighed, feeling the tug on his chakra system as the Genjutsu worked. It was certainly a unique technique, but maybe not the best. Kenji hadn't moved at all since he activated the illusion, making it obvious that it would force him to stand still. A perfect opportunity, Nagare's chakra had been sufficiently replenished after absorbing Horui, so he figured what the hell. "Release!" he chanted as the prism around him faded. His chakra system drained significantly upon use of the Kai, and he was sluggish after the Dance of the Night Fiends wore off, but this wasn't going to be the end. He pulled another Tachiba knife from his sash and threw it ahead, aimed at Kenji's torso. It wouldn't be a severe wound, but deep enough to pierce a little over an inch into his body. The key would be the intense bleeding it would cause, a perfect distraction while Nagare thought of a plan.

The Tachiba knife continued forward at high speed, and Nagare made a tiger hand seal, keeping his crimson eyes staring into Kenji's.

---

Training Suiton C > B
Word Count: 3,221/4,000

80/250:

Kenji, now apparently growing low in chakra, wasn't giving up. A good quality to have in a student, of course, so Nagare didn't mind it in the least. Although, he was running low on chakra as well, so he figured he would end this battle relatively soon. First, he'd need to avoid the shuriken coming his way...Kenji was sprinting toward him from the same direction, so this gave him a good opportunity. Well, the shuriken weren't as much of a problem as Kenji himself was, so Nagare didn't move at all, and all six of the shuriken hit him head-on, planting themselves in his torso and causing trickles of blood to ooze from the newly made wounds. Kenji was now within three meters of Nagare, which provided a good opportunity to strike. Nagare ducked to the left, so that Kenji was crossing his path right as he activated a jutsu. Raiton charged in his fist, and build quickly until it exploded into a shockwave. Do to the close distance between the two, Kenji was caught in the blast and knocked to the ground with minor injuries.

Nagare stood back up and wiped the dust and dirt from his clothes, and the nearby lava glowed brightly. "That was an excellent effort. Good job, Kenji, you put up a nice fight against me. But remember not to rely on your Genjutsu so much." he explained. A stinging pain was assaulting Nagare's senses, and he remembered that the shuriken had hit him directly. He reached for and pulled out each one, and blood was now staining through his shirt entirely, giving it a dark red tint. "Ah, crap. I'll have to worry about that later, I might need stitches..." he said quietly before turning back to Kenji and offering a hand to help the guy up.

---

Suiton C > B
Word Count: 3,533/4,000

65/250:

On his last legs, Kenji advanced attempting desperately to execute his plan. As the shuriken flew on towards its target, they all hit on the mark without any attempt to avoid them on Nagare's part. A brief moment of confusion delayed his jutsu attempt, and in that moment's hesitation Nagare released a shockwave of electicity that dealt minor burns to Kenji as well as knocking him to the ground. The shinobi lay sprawled on his back for a few moments, and he could only mutter a few words; "it didn't work."

Both combatants were bloodied, "That was an excellent effort. Good job, Kenji, you put up a nice fight against me. But remember not to rely on your Genjutsu so much." Kenji was able to make out Nagare's statement in his state of exhaustion. Nagare's statements were almost identical to his uncle's words. "Do no use Genjutsu so much he said, I'll get the hang of it eventually." His superior then after realizing his wounds and the treatment needed, turned to the outclassed ninja and offered him assistance in rising to his feet. Kenji looked up and accepted the help, "Thank you for your words of encouragement, it means a lot coming from you, my sensei and all. I've been instructed to not rely on my Genjutsu so much, but I ensure you I did try; I'm getting closer." Though wounded and tired, Kenji was able to walk on his own strength. "I'm glad we were able to spar together, I learned a lot, but as always, I'm afraid I overdid it. I used entirely too much chakra and stamina." Kenji reflected aloud on his lack of discipline. He then took out a granola bar from his pocket and unwrapped it and took a bite.


Genjutsu S>SS: 3169/9000

"I'm glad we were able to spar together, I learned a lot, but as always, I'm afraid I overdid it. I used entirely too much chakra and stamina." Nagare nodded in response, keeping a steady gaze. "I don't think that's a problem. You'll certainly be sore in the morning, but your chakra will restore." Kenji pulled out a granola bar, and munched on it casually. The pain was starting to get to Nagare, so he plastered on a forced smile and gestured to the giant village buildings behind them. "So, I'll be heading back to my house. I'm really tired. I'll see ya around, Kenji." and he turned to leave. He wondered where Kenji learned so many unique genjutsu from...Genjutsu was always a harder skill to master, as far as he'd heard, so this student of his was showing great potential in it. Maybe one day Kenji would surpass him, but it would take more time, and much more training.

Nagare noticed the city streets bustling with villagers, yelling and cheering. Some sort of late night attraction? Meh. He turned and noticed a small lake that stretched its way around the bend, ending on the more eastern side of Kumogakure, past the crowd. Of course, he smiled and jumped onto the pond, standing carefully on it, and ran across the water, sprinting full speed. The air whipped him merrily, and walking on water felt much more natural than walking on the solid ground. It was easier on the feet...eventually, he reached the other edge of the lake, climbed out onto the dirt, and looked ahead. His house was near, no more than a few blocks, so he walked up the paved road to reach his plain front door, opened it slowly and closed it behind him. He went straight to his room, not bothering to get a late snack or anything of the sort while rubbing his eyes wearily. The cuts and shuriken wounds had stopped bleeding, and he was too lazy to go to the hospital now anyway, so he bared the pain.

As the man lay there, looking up at the ceiling from the soft wraps of his bed, he felt his consciousness slip slowly. He smiled as the soreness left him, the pain faded, and then he was asleep. In the back of his mind, some far and desolate corner, sat a darkness. A darkness that engulfed him in his sleep, causing nightmares and leaving terrors in its wake. He shuddered and flinched while unconscious, as the evil ravaged him. He heard a voice, that sounded like his, but a bit deeper, and dry. It hissed from the darkness of his mind...I'm coming...get ready, because I'm going to spread death like a plague.... Nagare screamed within himself, and all was silent.

(Exit Thread)

---

Training Suiton C > B
Word Count: 4,012/4,000

Teacher departs: Kenji watched his sensei leave; always grateful to get a chance to test his skill. Kenji surveyed the area of which the battle took place and soon after followed suit, and left the Tethys Ground. He couldn't wait to return to his house and sink to sleep. Kenji fluently skipped through the village as the cold night air invigorated him, giving him a second wind; the wind necessary to make it back home. As a shinobi he was accustomed to physical weariness, but it was still bothersome; so he looked forward to his recooperation period.

In minutes Kenji arrived home; he forced himself into the shower, as he rinsed the dust and blood from his body, he found himself eager to do it all over again. "I must be crazy." Kenji remarked to himself. Awaiting him after his shower was a warm and cozy bed; he gently slid under his blanket and allowed the sleep to rush him like a herd of buffalo. Exhaustion made it easy for him to slip quietly into a dream state where his body and mind was involuntarily being restored.

Genjutsu S>SS: 3357/9000

EXIT THREAD