Beginning at the Basics [Closed]

Posts : 40 Join date : 2022-09-10

"HA!"

With a flick of his wrists, Keid's twin wooden Wakashi scythed through the crisp morning air, cutting an imaginary Missing-nin in twain with their sheer force. While the boy's movements were clumsy and unrefined, there was no denying the fact that the strength and speed of the movements were decidedly above average. Despite this however, the Mishura seemed unsatisfied, displeasure radiating from his ruby eyes

With a grunt, Keid trudged over to a bench on the side of the training yard, where he had left his workout bag and a small leatherbound book. Taking a swig from his canteen, the academy student leafed through the little book for a few seconds, tracing his finger down the yellowed pages. The Intercepting Sword was a foundation of the Mishura Arts, and something every prospective Mishura genin utilized as one of their primary tools. Initially, Keid had found great success with the style, but ever since coming to the Academy his progress had stalled. All of the students here seemed to be far above or far below him in skill, making it difficult to find good training partners. While it was nice not to be challenged every day like back in the Mishura compound, it was slowing the progress of his training more than Keid was comfortable with.

Propping the book against the leather bag, Keid's blades flowed through the Katas once more, stopping and starting as the boy made small refinements...

Subject: Re: Beginning at the Basics [Closed] 21st September 2022, 2:34 pm

Shou watched Keid with a mild curiosity as the boy went through the motions of practicing his sword strokes. He had a tendency to watch the other students, not out of judgement but more out of a professional interest. Examining how other shinobi moved, how they trained and refined themselves, was sure to come in handy in his work as a medic. And if it didn't, at least it allowed him to know his peers a little better, and that would definitely make his work easier.

Shou cleared his throat softly to announce his presence and moved closer to the center of the training field "You're a Mishura, ne?" Despite the inflection of the words, it was a statement and not a question, spoken matter-of-factly as the smaller boy looked up at the other academy student. "Look" was also not exactly correct, as Shou's eyes were narrowed to slits so that his eyes were not visible at all "My Da liked to tell me bedtime stories about the feud between the Samurai and the Mishura, each side always pressing and pushing to prove that they were the better swordsmen..."

Shou trailed off a bit before producing a wakizashi from within his overly large sleeves "I'm a Samurai by the by. And a Suisho. Shou Suisho. I did that introduction out of order, ne? That was silly of me." He let out a small, nervous chuckle and nodded towards the wooden swords in Keid's hands "We could...spar? That's what the others do at any rate. But my sword is actually sharp, so I don't think matching it up against wood is advisable."

Subject: Re: Beginning at the Basics [Closed] 21st September 2022, 2:52 pm

Amara had been sitting in the academy training grounds, taking a break from the library. Still, an opened book was propped up on her knees, of course. Regardless of the location, the girl continued to learn. For today's material, she had migrated back to Fuinjutsu theory. She needed a break from Iryojutsu, especially after the startling revelations from Terrence. That boy...voice...thing was becoming more and more of a problem and she had yet to figure out a way to deal with it. Fishing around in her backpack, Amara pulled out her notebook, teaming with notes on the various students in her year. This boy performing the katas was new. She leafed through the various notes and profiles but could find nothing mentioning an Erlang whatsoever. Which, come to think of it, was actually quite odd considering how the Erlang seemed to be just about everywhere within the Republic.

She began to jot down a few notes, starting a profile for the newcomer when another figure approached him. She squinted her eyes, trying to recall the facial features and talking habits of this one now. He seemed familiar, though she couldn't recall why and she was certain she had never actually met him before. Listening in, she overheard the second boy introduce himself as Shou Suisho and she snapped her fingers. Of course, how foolish of me. She thought, flipping to his page and beginning to scan over the scarce notes she had on him. They came mostly from minor observations and rumors, but something was better than nothing. She smiled when Shou offered the new boy a chance to spar. This would be an excellent way to collect more data on the two. If she was lucky, she'd even get to see an Erlang Dojutsu in action.

Posts : 40 Join date : 2022-09-10

Keid glanced over at the grey-haired boy as he spoke, his ruby eyes examining him from crown to toe. By his dress, the boy appeared to be a Samurai of some sort, a fact that made Keid tense. He remembered his parents telling him horror stories about the ruthelessness and raw cunning of the Samurai, willing to do whatever it took to exterminate the Mishura as one of their main rivals. From what he had heard, that hatred had crystallized into the Mishura's very souls, as the act of killing a Samurai seemed to enhance their Kekkai Genkai far faster than normal: a fact that Keid found quite interesting on a scientific level. But, now was not the same to get sucked into one of his mental tangents.

"I am. My name is Keid Mishura, yours?"Keid asked, his tone polite but his body language betraying the slightest bit of guard. While Keid was willing to give this Samurai the benefit of the doubt, years of propoganda were not so easily erased. "My parents told me those stories also! It's inspiring to hear of the heights we can reach one day no?"

When Shou drew his weapon, Keid visibly tensed for a half-second before forcing himself to relax, plastering a smile upon his face. "Nice to meet you Shou! And don't worry, I'm not the best with introductions either." Keid admitted. The Mishura then tossed one of his wooden sparring weapons at Shou underhand, switching his remaining Wakizashi to his right hand. "You can borrow my weapon, the Academy provided them anyway. Any rules you would like to establish or should we just get started?" The Mishura asked, settiling into the Intercepting Sword's opening stance. As much as Keid was obviously trying to be cautious, the glint in his eye and the trembling in his hands betrayed his eagerness for the fight.

Subject: Re: Beginning at the Basics [Closed] 23rd September 2022, 12:41 pm

Shou caught the wooden sword with practiced ease, at the same moment tucking his own weapon away within his sleeves "We aren't using real weapons, so I don't think 'no kill shots' is a necessary rule." He tilted his head to the side a bit, a finger reaching up to tap at his chin "How about the first one to land five hits wins? Winning is important in these things, ne? I think I remember hearing that somewhere." The last part was more to himself as Shou turned to put a bit of space between him and Keid, now standing about ten feet away from the other boy.

Shou noted Amara as he took his position, remembering having seen her around the academy. She watches people, too. She takes notes, though...maybe I should start to do that? I have enough space in my sleeves for a little notebook, ne? Shou let his thoughts wander idly for a small moment before focusing back on Keid "Oldest should go first. I think my mother likes to say 'age before beauty'." A mischievous smile accompanied the little joke as Shou positioned himself to respond to whatever Keid's first move would be "Let the fastest win, ne?"

Subject: Re: Beginning at the Basics [Closed] 23rd September 2022, 2:03 pm

Branch Mishura, those are the Erlang with the Kyougan if I'm not mistaken. Amara thought to herself as she wrote down the new boy's name and information. His page was already beginning to fill out nicely and much to her delight, it seemed the two were indeed about to spar. She had worried that Keid would back down, but what Mishura ever backed down from a fight? Thrown in that this was a samurai challenging him and it was pretty much a sure thing at this point. She thought about shouting out something before they started. Perhaps words of encouragement? That's what regular people did when observing a match, right? If she did that though, who's side would she take? She had no skin in the game and didn't much care who "won" per say anyway.

By the time she had settled on something to say, the moment had passed and now she would just seem awkward shouting something from the stands. With a sigh, she muttered, Someday I'll figure out this whole social interaction thing. For now, best to just stick to fuinjutsu theory. She adjusted herself and settled in for the spar, wondering if she could interject at some point with a few curveballs to see how the two handled surprises.

Posts : 40 Join date : 2022-09-10

"Works for me." Keid would say simply, similarly backing up a few steps from Shou as the two boys prepared for their duel. The Mishura was a little bit nervous about this duel in all honesty. Not only was physical combat more the Samurai's forte, he had been focusing lately on the development of his chakra pathways and Fire Release, not on his physical excersies. He would need to strike hard, strike fast, if he had a chance of winning this duel. Taking up his stance and a tight grin once more, Keid called out one final time to his opponent. "Pearl before swine!"

Taking a deep breath, Keid focused his full attention on Shou. The other participants of the training ground faded into the background, even the girl taking notes on him (something that Keid found quite disconcerting) faded to the edge of his awareness. There was only him, and his opponent.

And then, in the full gaze of his opponent and Amara, his eyes bled to blue.

The Kyougan was unlike that of that of the Raidengan, with its electric blue tint, or the Itsugan, with its concentric rings. The deep blue hue of Keid's eyes gave one visions of flickering flames, of an inferno lurking just below the surface, waiting to erupt forth into the world and burn it to cinders. Of course, what Shou was probably more concened about was how Keid went from full stop to a blur of forward motion in the span of a breath, whipping the wooden wakizashi foward in an attempt to land a heavy blow to the Samurai's torso, before flicking the wooden tip upward in an attempt to strike the inside of the Samurai's weapon arm, hopefully throwing the boy's counterstroke off balance.

Spoiler:

Subject: Re: Beginning at the Basics [Closed] 24th September 2022, 2:00 pm

The gasp that Shou released as Keid's eyes changed color and he simply started to move was audible. The barest sliver of his own eyes could be seen, a blue shade that was less electric than the Kyougan and more haunting. It was a true testament to his surprise, as he almost never opened his eyes, but to his credit he was quick to recover. He was a Samurai, after all, and of the style that gave those with Dojutsu particular trouble in combat. Shou didn't attempt to match the sword strikes, that would be folly, instead stepping quickly side to side out of the way of each blow.

Now is as a good a time as any to practice Da's teachings. He thought to himself as the first strike grazed his sleeve, tucking his arm across his chest in an effort to avoid the second I have to be quick as a bird in flight, silent as the wind. I must be Swift. As he thought the words, Shou positioned himself and threw out his own sword strike at Keid's waist. It could be noted that, despite the use of Keid's Dojutsu, Shou moved faster. Not enough to completely out-speed the other, but enough that the Mishura was just shy of hitting both times. Another thing of note was that when Shou moved, he blurred more aggressively, making his movements much harder to track. Shou used that to his advantage now, two afterimages appearing around his blade, each appearing as real and threatening as the weapon itself.

Tech Info:

Subject: Re: Beginning at the Basics [Closed] 25th September 2022, 7:40 am

Ah, there it is. Amara said with a smirk when she noticed Keid's eyes change colors. There was a noticeable lack of tomo, though that wasn't surprising considering they were all just academy students. In fact, from what Amara had read about the Mishura branch and Kyougan, it was probably for the best that the boy hadn't managed to activate the next stage of his Kyougan. As the two boys began to move, Amara realized she'd need to come up with something to help her track individuals. The two were easy enough to see, but their movements blurred ever so slightly, making it difficult for her to see exactly where their strikes would land with only her own natural speed.

Even just the first salvo of techniques was a spectacle to behold. Neither were as graceful as master swordsmen, but they still had the foundations of one. They danced to a dangerous temp and Amara couldn't help but become engrossed in the display. She raised a hand and a small co-ordinate cube appeared there before quickly disappearing, leaving behind a collection of valuable jewels in her hand. She'd let them continue for the time being, but curiosity was growing and she wondered how each would respond to an unexpected intrusion.

Posts : 40 Join date : 2022-09-10

Keid's expression fell as Shou nimbly dodged out of the way of his dual strikes, his opening blitz accomplishing nothing but creasing the boy's sleeve. The Samurai truly deserved their reputation as the Mishura' great rivals: even with the Kyougan pumping raw chakra into his very flesh, Shou was ever so slightly faster than him. It wasn't a large gap by any means, but it meant that beating his newfound rival would require a little bit more than relying on the power of his bloodline. Still, the fact that he didn't try to parry and riposte those hits means that he isn't completely confident in his own strength. If he knocked my blade offline, I would be as good as defeated. Keid thought, aquamarine eyes locked onto the movements of Shou's body.

However, it seemed like Keid was not the only one with a bag of tricks. As Shou returned fire with his own strike, his blade split into three wavering afterimages, afterimages that exceeded the power of Keid's immature Flame Eye to track. Keid was so suprised that he only was barely able to throw himself backward out of the range of Shou's wakashi, the wooden trick tracing a light line across his torso. It wouldn't have been a fatal wound, but it wou;dn't have been a light one either. Keid judged, the Kyougan spinning even faster in response to his chagrin. "Clean hit."The Mishura called out, his voice still friendly, but growing more serious as the fire of competitiveness began to burn in his breast. "My turn now."

When Keid pounced forward this time, he seemed to have entered another gear, moving even faster than he had during his first bullrush. The Mishura knew that drinking this deeply of the Kyougan's power wreaked havoc on his stamina, but he was determined to land at least one blow on Shou's elusive form. In an eyeblink, Keid arrived before his foe, launching a one-handed backhand slash that hissed through the air, before twisting and using his forward momentum to launch a reverse turn kick, aiming to slam his foot into Shou's side. Keid knew he couldn't truly match Shou's speed or strange movements, meaning it would be his strength that would bring him victory today.

Spoiler:

Subject: Re: Beginning at the Basics [Closed] 7th October 2022, 3:08 pm

Shou flashed a shy smile at the praise and retort, his grip on the wooden practice sword shifting ever so subtly. In truth, he was nervous. Shou may be a Samurai, but he was far from the swordsmanship specialist other Samurai were. He had intentions to become a medic, after all, with his skill as a Samurai being a supplement to his offensive capabilities more than anything. Soon enough, the young Mishura across from him would outstrip him in the swordsmanship department, so he'd have to take his joy in this victory while he can.

As Keid rushed forward again, Shou noticed that he was moving faster now. As fast as any Samurai, actually, and that was no good. He began moving almost in tandem with Keid, but not stepping back, no He keeps pressing forward Shou thought to himself as he tilted forward So I'll do the same to throw him off-guard... The Suisho pushed forward across the ground, pitching himself low as he moved past Keid's side, slowing down notably but also whirling his sword around him as he moved, the afterimages making Shou appear to transform into a whirl of blades.

Shou aimed to move behind Keid, having crossed double the distance that he's usually capable of crossing "I never really understood the appeal of this kind of physical exhaustion, but this is kinda fun, ne?" Shou's smile was small, but genuine, and the small glimpse of crystalline blue that was his eyes was widening ever so slightly.

Spoiler:

Subject: Re: Beginning at the Basics [Closed] 7th October 2022, 3:32 pm

This fight was really heating up and Amara regarded it with a predatory smile. She was learning so much about these boys, it was truly an outpouring of gifts for her. Both were surprisingly capable swordsmen for their age but in very different ways. She wondered just how diverse their move pools were though and decided to get involved in the fun, even if it was just to experiment. Searching around in her backpack, she pulled out a small sack that rested comfortably in her hand. It was surprisingly heavy and its contents were even more surprisingly dangerous. Pulling at the strings that cinched the sack shut, Amara opened it to reveal 1 A-rank's amount of Lead scrapings.

Humming to herself, she placed the sack on the floor in front of her and began forming hand seals while the boys fought. On the final seal, she blew outward, causing a small amount of lead vapor to rise from the sack and gradually spread in front of her and over the training field where the boys were sparring. Let's see what they do with this. Amara said to herself with a smile, maintaining her place on the ground while her blanket of death spread before her.

Jutsu:

Posts : 40 Join date : 2022-09-10

It seemed this Shou was definitely his superior in Kenjutsu, at least for the current moment.

The sudden rush forward caught the Mishura completely off guard, and no amount of backpedaling gave him the distance he needed to connect with either of his strikes. And so, once again, Keid failed to land even a single hit on his more experienced foe. The repeated failures were beginning to grow a little ego-bruising for the young Mishura, especially since he could feel that his stamina reserves were beginning to run a little low. If he wanted to win, he would need to do something drastic to shift the tides of battle.

And so, when Shou came rushing at him at full speed, Keid made no attempt to dodge or even parry the stroke, seemingly unable to react to Shou's movement speed. Once the Samurai committed to the strike, however, Keid's hand lashed out like a snake extending forth, attempting to close a hand around Shou's practice sword and rip it out of his hands with C-ranked strength and C+ ranked speed. It was a gamble, and it would mean he would technically take another hit, but the potential benefits were worth it. Although Shou's strikes were lightning-quick, they simply didn't have all that much force behind them when compared to those of his own clan. And if Shou lost his weapon, he would have nothing. Despite the tension, Shou's statement made him smile, "It is fun! We'll have to do this more often." Keid said warmly, already considering this Samurai a friend.

Regardless of this gambit's success, the pair would be suddenly enveloped by a dark cloud of unknown origin. Keid immediately retreated backward, coughing rapidly before taking a hacking breath and holding it. Shit shit shit. Poison? No not even the shittiest student or instructor would poison two people sparring on a training field. While I can't really breathe it in, it probably isn't harmful. It is obscuring my vision pretty bad though. Keid thought furiously, his mind quickly formulating and discarding possibilities. The strangest part about it is that he was fairly sure the cloud wasn't Shou's doing. He hadn't seen the Samurai weaving any hand seals, and there was no need for him to cast it in the first place. This had to be the work of a third party.

Focusing his chakra, Keid channeled his Fire chakra nature and allowed the resulting haze of energy to spread throughout a 40 foot radius. While it wasn't as clear as natural vision or the enhanced senses of some other clans, it was enough to make out a hazy outline of body heat representing Shou. Grinning, Keid launched himself forward at full speed, aiming to quickly strike Shou once or twice, then retreat back into the mist. Assuming nothing halted him, Keid would continue this pattern, hoping guerilla tactics would succeed where a frontal assault had failed.

Spoiler:

» Future {Closed}
» A New Beginning to A New Beginning
» Changes: Kaili and Elias(closed)
» Beginning anew
» Beginning of Dawn

Road Trip

With the first round of classes complete and the students already acclimated to life at the academy. The school has organized a field trip in order to give the students a taste of what …

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