Lessons Learned (Myojin)

Every once in a while it was important for a shinobi to give back to the community. To impart the knowledge and experience they have gained onto the future of the world. In the case of Miyo, there were limited options of people who she had more experience or knowledge than. She was only a Genin after all. Still, she had wanted to volunteer her service to others. The best way to do that was through the academy. She had discussed with one of the teachers about volunteering, and she was told that she could do something with them during the allotted free time hours. That would be hard, because who in their right mind would use their free time to learn from a demon possessed Genin.

It didn't deter her, because there she was standing in the middle of the Academy playground while kids ran wild around her. It was difficult to get their attention. "Who wants to learn how to throw a kunai? How about a race? Anything!?" She shouted out offers to the kids who were not too far from her in age. With a sigh, she plopped onto the ground. It was hopeless, no one wanted to learn from a Genin who was fresh out of the academy.

Myojin Yashagoro is a student at the Academy in Otogakure. He could be said that he was one of the slackers of the Academy, however, due to the fact that he naturally went his own pace, causing him to fall somewhat behind on the studies he held no interest in at the time. He had heard from a few teachers that he overheard while slouching around during free time that a Genin had come to volunteer and help teach some of the students, which had indeed intrigued him more than most teachings have. Where his classmates showed no interest in learning from a Genin, Myojin, a curious soul, wished to see just what kind of person this volunteer is, as no doubt judging someone on rank is no way to do anything at all.

Seeing the strange looking girl that looked only around five inches taller than him standing awkwardly in the middle of the playground as the other kids ran around, Myojin would continue to observe from under the shade of a nearby tree. He would hear her call out, asking if anyone wishes to learn how to throw a Kunai or have a race. Of course, plenty of the students would definitely benefit from learning or practicing either of these, though from what he can only guess was blissful ignorance Myojin would see no one taking up her offers, causing the poor girl to plop onto the ground.

That would be when the pale-skinned, red snake-eyed boy would get up from his spot in the shade, moving towards her, walking past or through the kids running around as he made a beeline for her. As soon as he reached a two meter distance from the girl, the boy with snow-white hair would speak up. "I'd like to learn a Jutsu, if you're up for it. What's your name?" He offered her while delivering a friendly smile towards her. She looked young as well, as if she hasn't been a Genin for too long. Playing outdoor games with the other children didn't interest him at all at the moment, getting experience and possibly making a new friend did.

It was hard for Miyo to blame the kids who were running around, for she remembers when she was in the academy. Not too long ago in fact. She'd much rather play around with her friends than try and learn something from someone almost as inexperienced as herself. She found herself content to just sit there with her head down and listen to the sounds of the children playing. That obviously wasn't what nature had in store for her as she heard to sound of a boy speak up in front of her.

Quickly, Miyo shot her head up to respond to the boy when she was met face to face with what looked like a snake-boy hybrid. Normally, this would creep her out and it still did to some extent. His eyes were probably the most interesting thing she could notice right off the bat. They were the shape of a snakes eyes. Even his skin seemed to have some scales on it. Not wanting to seem rude by staring any longer, Miyo raised up off the ground to respond. "Hey there! I'm Miyo Mitsu, a genin of the village hidden in the sound! What's your name?" She had an unneccessarily proud tone to her voice. Obviously he knew her rank, so there wasn't any need to say it, but she was just excited. "I'd love to teach you a jutsu! The only type I know are of the Water Release though." Her lack of experience and training were showing. She hoped he would be okay with her limited amount of  jutsu.

Myojin would take notice of the girl's head quickly shooting up to see who had spoken to her. Obviously she didn't seem to him to have expected someone to approach her at the moment. After a few moments of staring, which Myojin would have to admit, made things slightly awkward, though he didn't mind. It was only natural to stare, he guessed, as his classmates had done so as well too. She would then reply to him in a rather proud tone of voice, stating her name is Miyo Mitsu, and that she was the Genin from Otogakure, before ending her statement with a request of his name.

"My name is Myojin Yashagoro. I'm new around here, so I don't really know much of anything, to be honest." He said after Miyo expressed how much she would love to teach him some new Jutsu, though continuing to state her inexperience in the form of only knowing Water Release. "That's perfect actually, Miyo! I don't even know how to really cast Ninjutsu, and my release is water, so I would love to learn from you!" He responded with a friendly tone of voice, acknowledging her inexperience but also showing that, while she may not know as much as she could, she is still far being the least experienced.

Yes! She already had someone willing to be taught a few things by her, and he seemed to be a pretty cool guy from the one minute she had spent talking to him. He was also new around here, which means he might not know that she was a jinchuuriki. That was fine with her, she didn't need anyone thinking differently of her because of that. Plus, it would be easier to teach someone who had such a blank slate. The boy then mentioned that his release was that of the water nature too. Perfect!

"Well, today is lucky for both of us then! Let's see..." Miyo started to look around for a water source of any kind. Luckily, she found a small pond pretty close. With a small motion to Myojin telling him where they would train, she made her way to the pond. There were two fish in the pond swimming around, so they had to be careful not to harm the fish in anyway. It would be good for chakra control. "So, how much do you know about ninjutsu from the Academy?" It would be helpful to know what he knew, so she could know where to start. Who knows, maybe this kid was the top student of the academy. That would be a thrill to find out.

Yes! He was able to have someone aid him in learning Ninjutsu. It was really a good idea for him to go up and meet her, as now, unlike the other students, he will be able to learn quite a bit from keeping an open mind. Some days he wished that Ninjutsu came to him as naturally as Nature Chakra did, though unfortunately he wasn't born with such a talent, and as a result wouldn't really learn how to use it fully. He knew already about Chakra within one's body and how it flows, along with how to control it, but when it came to Ninjutsu itself he just couldn't do it. Luckily for them both, however, she happily accepted and led them both to a nearby small pond, where two fish were swimming around.

She would ask Myojin about his knowledge in Ninjutsu from the Academy. "I know about Chakra control and how Chakra can be concentrated and manipulated to specific points in your body, though when it comes to doing it, I just have trouble in general with it. While Nature Chakra comes to me naturally, normal Chakra doesn't." He would tell Miyo, basically hinting at his specialty being Senjutsu. He would have a move confused expression on his face. It was all true, sadly. He can still recall the times he tried to control his Chakra, to manipulate it and concentrate, and how it always ended up with him in the water. He hopes that this temporary teacher would be able to help him better learn it and overcome this weakness of his. While Myojin was definitely not the top student of the Academy due to his personality getting in the way, he doesn't stop at something he's interested in until he succeeds at it, and at this moment, Ninjutsu is that thing.

wc 316

From what she was hearing, it sounded like he knew the basics of how to perform the jutsu, he was just having trouble actually doing it. He stated he was good at controlling nature chakra, however his regular chakra was more difficult for him to deal with. Miyo couldn't understand why that would be the case. For her, both of these type of chakra came pretty naturally. She figured it was the case for most ninja. "Sounds like snake-boy specializes in senjutsu. Just like Hagoromo-sensei." Miyo had no idea what he was talking about, but she had barely heard of Senjutsu before.

She knew this was going to be a challenge to overcome, so she decided to just take it step by step. "You know quite a lot already. How about we start off with a simple water jutsu then. I'll demostrate it, then after I explain it, you give it a try. Pay close attention to the seals I make." Miyo walked out in the middle of the small pond, utilizing the water walking technique. She gave a big smile towards Myojin before turning to face the target of her jutsu; The Wall. Miyo quickly performed the neccessary handsigns, all the while focusing her chakra into the neccessary points. Once her hand stopped on the final seal, three shuriken made out of water shot out of the water and stuck into the wall. Few seconds after this, the shuriken reverted back to water and dripped down the wall.

Miyo made her way back over to Myojin. "Okay, so what you're going to do is exactly what I did. Make sure you focus your chakra first, and then perform the handsigns. You should get a similar effect. Don't worry if you don't get it either. It took me forever to learn most of the jutsu I know." Miyo smiled at him and took a step back. It was his turn, and she wanted to get a good view this time. She was curious to see what he meant when he said he had trouble with his chakra. She had a feeling it wouldn't work the first time, these things never do.

Jutsu Used:

Spoiler:

Myojin would listen to Miyo as she told him that he knows quite a lot already, before suggesting they start off with a simple water jutsu. She explained that she'll demonstrate and explain it, and then he in turn will give it a try. After instructing him to pay attention to the seals she makes Miyo would then walk out to the middle of the pond, where she would give him a big smile. Then, facing towards the wall, she would begin performing the handsigns in order to cast the Jutsu. Myojin would pay very close attention to her hand movements as she did so, knowing that, in the end, the Jutsu itself mattered little without the handsigns, which he will  have to recite when he learns how to actually walk on water.

Watching her hand stop on the final seal, Yuudai would see three different shuriken made if water come out of the pond, where they flew towards and stabbed themselves into the wall, becoming water moments later, where they would then drip to the ground, wetting it. Walking back over to him, Myojin would listen as Miyo instructed him to do as she did, where he needs to make sure to focus his Chakra first, and then perform the handsigns, which should give him a similar affect. Telling him not to worry, Miyo would then explain how it took her forever to learn most of the Jutsu she knows before smiling at him and stepping back, giving him space.

Gulping, Myojin would clasp his hands together, closing his eyes as he concentrated. He could see the blue flowing energy within him, the Chakra within his body. He can imagine it moving throughout his body, passing through each point in harmony, undisturbed. He would try and imagine it moving, moving towards his feet, though only a ripple would appear within. As he continued to focus in this single spot, Myojin suddenly began feeling odd, and he knew what this odd feeling was. It was nature Energy. He can see it slamming against the outer regions of his body, absorbing themselves into his flesh. While he focused, both fish within the pond jumped out of the water, thrashing about in the air before re-entering the pond.

He knew he had to stop allowing the nature energy into him if he were to succeed at fulfilling this jutsu and the Ninjutsu specialty as a whole. With a sweat droplet appearing on his brow, he can begin to see the nature energy slowly recede, and his own personal Chakra begin to revert towards his feet. Slowly but surely it did this, and Myojin could see that the lesser the amount of Nature Energy involved, the better he can control his Chakra. More and more this process continued, until finally Myojin was able to fight back the natural energy and use the energy from within, focusing it fully to his feet for a few moments before a small discharge of Chakra came from his feet, forcing Myojin to release his focus on the task at hand for a moment, where he would wipe the sweat from his brow before forcing himself to quickly get over the first failure.

After returning to his position, Myojin would try again, this time he had a slightly easier time as Nature Energy bombarded him less, and he had a slightly more powerful control over his own Chakra flow. Yes... focusing it to his feet for a few moments, Myojin would make an attempt to walk on the water. The first step was on top of the surface, though not falling through. Taking it slowly but surely, he would take a second, then a third, though when he took a fourth, he landed in the pond, where he would feel the cold water against his body, wetting his shoes and his trousers, along with part of his blue and white kimono. Scrambling out of the water, he would look at Miyo with a slightly cocky but excited smile. "I'm beginning to finally understand this, Miyo." He told her as he begun to receive some more confidence. He had it for a moment there, he knew he did. He nearly walked on water, he nearly completed the first step!

Dripping with water from the waist below, Myojin would once more begin to try to full grasp how to walk on water, where he would begin to concentrate once more, looking within himself, imagining his Chakra like a flowing river, whose flow he directed towards his feet. A light blue glow, that of a regular Shinobi, would begin to appear under his feet, blinking in and out of existence. Just a little more, Myojin knew, before he had it. Just a little more before he can proceed onto the next step. He was excited, this was the farthest he had gotten with it, and it was right around when he was beginning to feel like Ninjutsu wouldn't come to him, either. He only just realized his problem was that he didn't bother trying to block the Nature Chakra from coming in, instead allowing himself to be like a bucket catching water, when he should have have a closed lid all of this time. While his lid wasn't entirely closed, it was just enough that Myojin shouldn't be affected by the invasion of the foreign Chakra into his body, which should in turn give him an easier time when it came to better controlling his own Chakra from within his body.

He was ready. Stepping onto the water once more, Myojin would release the clasping of his hands, where he would allow his feet and the Chakra kept focused to it to carry him the entire way to the middle of the pond. His red eyes would still be closed out of nervous anticipation. It was time, though, he must open them, and see the fruits of working hard in order to achieve a goal. Opening his eyes, he would see himself in the middle of the pond, the two fish swimming around once more in peace. Grinning wildly, he would look at Miyo, most likely looking like a bit of a fool, being so happy over a mastery of a basic specialty, but it was his victory today, so in a way it made him feel like he won a great competition.

Allowing himself to get into a position where he was slightly squatted, his hands ready to perform hand-signs, like what he had observed Shinobi before do and like what he had seen Miyo somewhat do, Myojin would slowly recite the handsigns, his fingers and hands gliding over one another without friction, forming each sign for a little less than a second before moving on, until he hit the final sign, where only small splashes occurred, showing that Myojin still has a ways to go before he can master the Jutsu itself. Returning to the Jutsu, he would let out a satisfied sigh. "Do you mind if we take a small break? That was the first time I ever succeeded in doing something like that." He requested of her.

wc 1206
twc 1522

Miyo watched as the boy began to clasp his hands together in order to focus on his chakra control. His eyes were closed while he did this, and everything seemed to be normal. There was a strange feeling that occured once he really began to focus however. It was something she noticed by observing the two fish that had leaped out of the pond as if reacting slightly to his chakra. Maybe this is what he meant when he was talking about it being hard to use normal chakra as opposed to nature chakra. "How are you teaching this boy, when you are ignorant enough on your own. He specializes in senjutsu, which mean he is constantly absorbing natural energy and blending it with his own chakra. The issue most beginners have is finding that balance. He's most likely being overwhelmed with natural energy, therefore not being able to utilize his own chakra." Well, that actually made a lot more sense. All he had to do was to strike a balance between the two energies.

Already the boy had seemed to get the hang of balancing it. He had to first figure out how to walk on water, a basic technique taught in the academy. Miyo probably should've helped him with that before running onto the water like she did, but she wasn't exactly an experienced teacher here. Regardless, he did a admirable job despite falling numerous times. Myojin had gotten pretty far into the water before falling once more. This didn't seem to take any wind out of his sails however, as he looked back at her and told her how he was starting to understand it now. "You're doing great! You're starting to balance the natural energy with your own chakra." Miyo smiled as the boy tried it once more. She was like a nervous parent as he walked out there on the water. She knew he could do it, he almost had it the last time. Once he got far enough, he opened his eyes and looked over to Miyo. She could tell he was proud of his accomplishment, and she was too. "Woo! Great job, Myojin!" She exclaimed.

Now he was going to try and use the Water Shuriken technique. This was a bit more advanced than water walking, so Miyo wasn't expecting anything too great. The fact that he managed to make the water splash was enough for her. She watched as Myojin walked back over to her and asked for a break. "Of course! I brought some sandwiches in my basket. It always helps to eat first. You did amazing out there though! I hadn't realize that you probably specialize in Senjutsu. That must be why it was hard for you to utilize your chakra. Isobu says you need to maintain a balance between the natural energy you are absorbing and your own chakra." Miyo had just realized that she used her tailed beasts name. Quickly trying to cover that up, she grabbed her basket with the sandwiches and sat down next to the pond. "Let's eat! Neither of us will learn much on an empty stomach!"

Myojin would nod in agreement after Miyo stated his affinity for Senjutsu, admitting her lack of realization in the fact and that it was hard for him to utilize his Chakra. It was indeed true that Myojin was a Senjutsu specialist, and that the Nature energy flowing into him helps disrupt his ability to quickly learn Ninjutsu as a specialization, causing him to struggle with such a thing, though thanks to her encouragement, he should have an easier time now. She told him that Isobu mentioned that he needs to maintain a balance between the natural energy he is absorbing and his own Chakra. Isobu.. In his short time being here, Myojin could somewhat recall that he heard that name before, but where...

Seeing the basket quickly brought over to where it was near the pond, Myojin would be next to Miyo and the basket, where he would grab a sandwich and open his mouth to take a bite, his snake-like fangs showing where his canines would be. Savoring the taste, he would be all the more curious in who this Isobu was, and why she mentioned it out of the blue when there's no one around to even give her advice. "So, have you always lived here Miyo?" He would ask as a conversational topic, trying to learn more about the slightly older girl.

Miyo paused for a second as she saw the younger boy open his mouth to eat his sandwich. Her eyes must have been playing tricks, because she could've sworn she saw fangs where some of his teeth should be. His skin and eyes had been weird enough, but now it truly seemed like Myojin was an actual snake. Miyo wasn't one to judge, seeing as she wasn't exactly the most normal person in the village. Still, it left some questions that Miyo had desperately wanted to have answers to. Taking a bite of her sandwich, she listened to the boy talk before responding.

"I've lived here my whole life. Before the 2nd Yokage came into power it was a much different place. Not as peaceful as it is now. My mom says I should count my stars that I get to be a ninja in this new era." Miyo wasn't sure if she wanted to go into too much detail about the village, because she assumed the Academy had told him a little about it. She definitely didn't want to mention anything about her father or how he forced her to be a host to the three tailed bijuu. The truth had a way of coming out, but she would definitely postpone it for as long as possible. "How about you? You mentioned you were new here, but where did you grow up?" Miyo said while wiping crumbs from the corner of her mouth.

"I see.." Myojin would say in response to Miyo's answer, where she mentioned her being here her whole, including before the second Yokage came into power. Before then, it wasn't nearly as peaceful as today, and that her mom says she should count her stars that she gets to be a Shinobi in this new era. Myojin personally disagreed with Miyo's mother on that. Conflict will always come, and times of peace are just the eyes of the storms rampaging throughout the world. He did agree however that Otogakure was indeed peaceful, and could only hope that it remains that way through the will of the Kokage, no matter what.

Chances are the Academy had mentioned the history of the village before but that wasn't exactly a subject Myojin was interested in. Dwelling in the past, looking back at past accomplishments are most certainly different from actually learning from it, and reading it from a book wouldn't help him learn from it at all. Going out in the world and seeing things unimaginable... ancient things, seeing lands, and protecting people, that's how one could learn how to not repeat mistakes in the past and how to better the future, and that's what Myojin would like to do one day.

Then came the question about his own past, a topic he was fine with speaking on, to be honest, though it's just the part in regards to his family that makes him just have a slight expression of bitterness before his facial expression would return to before. She asked him where he grew up, as he mentioned that he was new here. He knew he would have to give her an answer, so it might as well be the truth, a means of a thank you for helping him learn how to use Chakra Control and, to an extent, Ninjutsu. "I came from my Clan, really. We are nomadic now, moving from place to place, though we would always keep our faith. My name is proof of that. "Myojin", meaning "Deity", is a name given to each of us born within the tenth year. Our Clan named us it in order to give the "false gods" to the Snakes of Hakuja no Myojin, their God. The idea was that we would be eaten, and this curse would slowly go away.."

His voice trailed off for a moment, his mind would return to the times of terror he felt in the wilderness, his fellow sacrifices falling one by one until he was spared and left to live. He wished to find that serpent that spared him that day and find out why it did what it did. "...anyways I went from home to home until I came here." He told Miyo, allowing the information to sink in for a bit as he finished eating his sandwich.

When Miyo had asked the question of where he was from, she had expected him to say a simple village or something mundane. By the brief sign of bitterness on his face, she could tell that there were certain things that were personal to him. She had definitely not expected what he told her. He had apparently not had one solid place to call home, instead travelling from place to place with his clan. They were almost like a religious group it seemed. They worshiped a snake as their god. That sort of explained Myojin's snake like features. She still wasn't sure how he became like that, but she assumed it had to do with some type of ritual. What really struck a chord with Miyo is how the boy in front of her told her that he was pretty much bred to be a sacrifice. Miyo definitely knew what it felt like to be used by your own family.

Miyo stared at the boy for a moment before responding. She had a feeling of empathy reflecting in her eyes. He had been much more personable than her, and she felt a little bad about that. Miyo wanted to make sure he was adjusting alright before she got into personal information. "So, this must be your first time actually settling in a village. Are you enjoying it so far?" The girl wanted to be able to help him enjoy his time in the village. So, if there was anything he was having a hard time with, she would love to help.

The Jinchuuriki felt it might make him more comfortable if she opened up a bit more, so she began to speak again. "We're not that much different from each other you know. We both were almost killed by a member of our own family." Miyo let out a nervous chuckle in order to water down the darkness of the matter. It wasn't funny by any means, but laughing about it helped her cope. Hopefully Myojin wouldn't be offended by her comment. "I too wake up with a curse every morning. Mine is a bit more internal though. I'm the Jinchuuriki for the three tailed Bijuu, Isobu." Miyo knew this was common information to most, but she didn't think that Myojin knew this. She wasn't even sure if he knew what a Bijuu was.

'I'll find them...' Myojin would begin to think before snapping out of it, hearing Miyo ask how he was enjoying living in a village, as it must be his first time. He would nod in response, offering her a smile as his feeling were beginning to bury once more. "It's crazy how many people live together in one place. I love it, especially the apartments. Having your own living space is nice!" He would tell her in his generally friendly tone he had one before he revealed his past to her. "It is hard to come up with money though... It's my first time having to work for a living, and while it's weird feeling, I think I'm beginning to get the hang of it."

Miyo would continue on, telling him that they're both not that much different, and that they were almost killed by a member of their own family. This definitely intrigued Myojin, whom of which wiped the crumbs from around his mouth and listened as the nervously chuckling girl continued. She would tell him that she has to wake up with a curse every morning, as he internal curse was the fact that she was the Jinchuuriki for the Three Tails, or otherwise known as Isobu. Myojin would realize that that was the Isobu he heard earlier. He wanted to tell her how cool it was to have a Tailed Beast within her, ask her how it feels, but he couldn't he knew it would be rude to her.

Instead, he remained where he was, looking silently at her for a moment, before he suddenly made an attempt to quickly hug her, retracting just as fast. "I learned recently that my own curse can be a blessing sometimes. Without it, I wouldn't be here, with a friend that knows what it's like to be seen as something not-human, to wake up feeling like they were given a worse life than others. I probably wouldn't even be alive if I hadn't had my curse. When it came down to just myself and one other sacrifice, a large, white snake emerged from the water and devoured him, though when it looked at me, and I mean stared, it simply left. You may see your having Isobu as a curse now, Miyo, but maybe one day in the future, you'll see him as a blessing." He suggested to her. He didn't know how else to react without sounding rather terrible, so he hoped he didn't offend her in any way by saying what he said.

Afterwards, he would stand up, where he would move over to the pond, his Chakra automatically begin to move towards his feet on his command, where he would take the first step forwards, stepping upon the wet surface, though not through. After a few more, he would turn around, facing the wall. He would recall in his mind the handsigns Miyo had done, performing them at a faster pace while he continued recalling it. Upon reaching the final one, three shurikens made of water would come, where he would cast them towards the wall, hitting it, where they would then become water once more, dripping down the wall. Walking back, Myojin would smile at Miyo. "You're a great teacher, Miyo. Thank you for instructing me." He would say, offering a respectful bow to her.

wc 587
twc 2109

Miyo smiled in slight amusement at the comment about it being hard to make money. She couldn't imagine how he could do it by himself. She at least had her mother to support her for a little while longer, but he didn't really have his family around to support him. The thought kind of made her a little sad. After telling him her story, she waited nervously for his reply. He attempted to hug her, but then decided against it. That was kind of a good sign, that he had at least felt sorry for her.  How would he react to finding out that she was actually a monster. As the words began to leave his mouth, Miyo started to feel moved. At first, she felt sorrow that he had to face the things he did at a young age. Then, her feelings moved onto admiration and respect for him. When he ended the speech, he let Miyo know that her curse could actually turn out to be a blessing.

The thought of Isobu being a blessing instead of a curse had crossed her mind once before, but to here the young boy tell her this had struck something in her. He saw past the monster inside her, and saw hope for what could be. Tears began to well up in her eyes from his words. They weren't tears of despair however. These tears came from a place of Joy. To see someone else believe in her brought a lot of emotions out of her. She was always told that she was too emotional for a ninja, but she never cared about that.

Miyo watched through tears as Myojin walked onto the middle of the pond, utilizing the water walking technique with seemingly little effort. She watched as the boy proceeded to perform the Water Shuriken technique. Miyo was beyond proud, to the point that she was speechless. That and she was still coming down from her emotional moment. Once Myojin made his way back over to her and commented on her being a great teacher, she shot up off the ground and enveloped him in a tight hug. "You're a pretty great teacher yourself." Miyo released him from the hug and wiped the tears from her eyes before continuing. "One of the most important things shinobi leave behind as they grow older is the ability to inspire. I don't mean to invoke fear, but to really make someone believe that they are more than what they think. As you get older, please don't ever forget that. I've seen far too many people leave their compassion behind in search of power. You're going to be a great ninja. I know, because you already are."

Miyo hugged him one more time before pulling back and getting into a more serious stance. Sniffling for the last time, she began to speak in a more authoritative tone. "Alright, enough of my waterworks. Your training is not over yet. I've taught you a jutsu, now how would you like to improve your strength and speed a little bit?"

Myojin would receive a tight hug from Miyo as he finished talking, making his face fill with confusion as she complimented him on being a pretty great teacher himself while releasing him from the hug and wiping the now visible tears from her eyes, leaving the confused Myojin confused for a few moments longer. She would tell him that one of the most important things Shinobi leave behind as they older is the ability to inspire, and not the kind from invoking fear, either, but to make someone believe in more than what they think. She requested of him to not ever forget that as he gets older, as she has seen far too many people leave their compassion behind in search of power. She would end that speech of her own be telling him that he is going to be a great ninja, because he already is.

Myojin could barely keep his own eyes in contact with hers, though luckily she would hug him once last time, allowing him to look away without her seeing it. He couldn't tell her about his plans to chase after power and to find his family in order to finally receive an answer for why they abandoned him, for why they left him to die. To let her see the possibility of forgetting the ability to inspire for the sake of power is something he couldn't dare put on his new friend's shoulders, as the only way he may be able to fulfill her request is by trailing away from it for a little bit.

After removing herself from him and getting into a more serious stance, she would speak with a more authoritative tone, saying enough of the waterworks and that his training isn't over yet, as she taught him a Jutsu, but, with a request, how would he like to improve his strength and speed a little? Looking at the female with the natural smirk he usually has on where ever he goes, he would look into her eyes, a sign of sincerity. "What do you have in mind, Sensei?" He would ask, responding with an honorific to show the teacher-student status they had both adopted temporarily.

Miyo noticed the smirk on Myojins face that seemed to come naturally to the boy. It seemed as if he was interested in training some more too. Learning chakra control, and having an arsenal of jutsu was very important, but being able to defend yourself if you didn't have any of those was also an important tool. That's why building ones physical stats was super important. Although, it had never been a strong suit for Miyo herself. She was embarrassingly weak. Her speed was pretty advanced for her rank however. Still, she wasn't sure of what she could do to build on these things.

The word sensei being used to describe Miyo was new. She felt good about it, even if it was only temporary. Coming back down to reality, Miyo realized she had no idea what they were going to do now. "Right... Um... My training plan. Yeah, We'll start off with some warm ups. Let's do 20 sprints across the pond and back, and then I wanna see 60 push ups!" Miyo was the least intimidating drill sergeant ever. She also wasn't the best sensei, but the boy in front of her didn't seem to think that. Miyo took off first to complete the twenty sprints. She was going to do this little exercise with him. It was always best to lead from the front. Maybe warming up her muscles would give her an idea of what the real training would be.

----------
WC: 244

Myojin would listen as Miyo seemingly came up with the training plan on the spot, probably expecting a no or some consideration first in order to allow her to figure one out, though she succeeded in making one anyways, or at least, she figured out the warm-ups. She would state twenty sprints across the pond and back, and then sixty push-ups. Nodding his head, Myojin would take off his blue and white kimono, putting it down in the grass next to him and revealing the bandages along the lower area of his stomach, along with he blue waist sash that was around his black shinobi trousers. Concentrating for a few moments until his Chakra would reach his feet, Myojin would begin running, sprinting towards the pond as fast as he can, which would be rather normal speed for an Academy Student. Reaching the edge he would begin running over it, trying not to think about what he is doing, as he is running across a small body of water and back twenty times.

He would run back from behind his temporary instructor, his legs kicking it into gear as he continued to follow her lead. Back and forth, back and forth, a few other Academy Students would look at the two as if they're weird before returning back to their free times, though they most likely haven't still figured out the fact that training during free time like this would help them as well in becoming stronger Shinobi in the future, and that by not doing this sort of thing they will end up slightly weaker than what they could have been. Myojin himself is learning the importance of this as well, as generally physical activity such as this would make him just go off and do whatever he wished instead, though now that he has someone he truly likes as a friend helping with motivating him, he finds no problem in doing it at all in order to fully succeed in becoming a Genin.

Back and forth, to and fro, the two would continue running across the pond and back, just like Miyo instructed. It would soon enough be fifteen laps, the white-haired boy breathing lightly, trying to conserve stamina from both focusing on sprinting and making sure he doesn't fall into the water as well. He wondered if she would have him try to attack her after she's finished, where he would most likely get his butt handed to him, though overall if things came down to that, he would promise himself that he would actually carry this activity all the way through, even if it means a beating or two. It was definitely a good thing Myojin had taken off his kimono, as he didn't wish to work a sweat while wearing it. He loved the color and how it looked, so tainting it with bodily fluids such as that seems night rude to the article of clothing in a way.

Finally they would reach 20 laps, where the shirtless, pale-skinned boy would immediately get on the ground, his hands spread apart while his body was shaped like a plank of sorts. He would push against the earth, his body weight being supported by his hands as he went up and down, trying to work his arm muscles as much as he worked the burn into his leg muscles. Light grunts would be made every once in a while as Myojin would continue the warmups, trying to seemingly increase his strength this time. Strength was a bit of a weak point for the student, preferring to be fast to being strong, though it would be pretty shameful if he couldn't fulfill any of these tasks, especially since they had done time before at the Academy itself. Continuing this, Myojin would be around halfway there, his body muscles feeling the burn as he struck the thirty mark. Up and down he would push himself, working himself out as he pushed on, wishing to keep up with Miyo.

Finally they would be complete, and sweating, Myojin would stand up, breathing a little bit more heavy and sweating. "Sorry about my lack of stamina, Miyo, I'm not really the greatest at physical activity." He'd tell her truthfully as he began attempting to regain himself, trying to quickly recover. It was a tad embarrassing, being tired after the warm up, though he guess that that's just the point of physical activity anyways, to work up a sweat and push one's body to the limit. Look towards her, he would recover. "What's next?" He asked as he wiped a droplet of sweat off of a lone scale on the left side of his body.

wc: 803
twc: 2912

Learned Ninjutsu for second spec 500/500
Learned Water Shuriken from PC 500/500
90 PP available, 3 SP available so far.

Miyo had been running at a fast enough speed to get her heart rate moving, but not her top speed. She was still a bit fast than Myojin was, but it wasn't to the point where she was lapping him with her sprints. That could be a blow to ones own confidence to see someone pass them constantly. Although, she was sure that he had a lot more self-esteem then that. The strand of hair that usually fell in front of her face was now flowing with the rest of her hair. Speed was one thing she didn't have too much trouble with, as was evidenced by her fast pace and breathing control. She was on her last lap when she decided to full out sprint at her fastest pace. Speed was a very important tool for a ninja.

Strength was also a important tool, however it was one thing that Miyo severely lacked. The young genin never liked to work on her strength, far preferring to build speed instead. This gave her a distinct disadvantage to the other kids her age and rank. While most people struck a balance, Miyo did not. So it was of no surprise when she got to the push up portion of the warm up and severely struggled. Not one to give up, she pushed just as hard as Myojin did and managed to even finish before him, mainly due to a speed advantage she had during the sprints. So far the training was going better than she had expected. It was now time to get to the actual training, which Miyo had finally decided on. Standing up talk, with her loose dress flowing in the wind, she waited for Myojin to finish.

Her sweaty appearance, and slightly faster breathing would be matched by the boy in front of her. It wasn't enough to fully tire them out, but at least their heart rates were pumping at a faster pace. She just smiled as the boy commented on his stamina. "Don't worry about it Myojin. That just means you're ready for the next part. We're gonna spar!" She said this with much enthusiasm and cheer. While Miyo was aware of the difference in their rank, she had no doubt that Myojin would be able to hold his own. If not by pure strength and skill, at least by intelligence. He seemed pretty clever for someone his age, and full of surprises. "The goal is to hit me. Plain and simple, right? Just land a hit, and you win. You can use whatever you want to assist you. I'm going to be fighting back though, so it's not going to be easy! But, you're one tough kid. Much tougher than me when I was a student, so I know you can do it."

With the next part of the training being explained, Miyo leaped back about 15 feet. She positioned herself in a fighting stance where her back was straight, one hand behind her back, and one hand out in front of her with palm facing Myojin waiting for him to make the first move. It was going to be fun to see how this little training spar went. She had never sparred with anyone before, and even though he was young, she knew he had it in him to hit her. Whether he used speed or clever tactics to do it mattered not, as long as he accomplished the task. Which she had a feeling that he might just do that. "Don't embarrass me." There was the lovely turtle.

---------
WC: 595
TWC: 839

Myojin would listen as Miyo would tell him not to worry about it as it means he is ready for the next part; sparring. She seemed very enthusiastic about it, not minding the difference between the two's ranks. He assumed it either means she wishes to just see how well he can keep up despite being a Student or she believes he can hold his own pretty well, which is something he can agree with, as he had sparred before and has won a few of them, though hasn't every student done just that? He can probably handle himself, but then again this is the first time he fought a Genin. He noticed how fast Miyo was during their warm up and knew she had him beaten in speed, though he also observed her struggling with push-ups as much as he did, meaning they were most likely equals in strength. As a Genin, a Shinobi that is one rank higher, her Chakra reserves are more than likely higher by a bit as well, meaning that all he has left to use against her would be tactics, a battle of surprise and intelligence in order to gain an edge on the other. He remembers how she originally stared at his appearance before, making him wonder if she had a fear of snakes. If so, then Myojin already knows how to handle this fight effectively enough, though whether or not it will allow him to win is a different story. He had no actual equipment with him, so he couldn't create any external diversions, meaning that he would have to move in close and then use what he had in mind.

Miyo would tell Myojin that the goal is to hit her, plain and simple. Just to land a singular hit and he would win, and that he can use whatever he desires to assist him. However, she will be fighting back though and that it will not be easy, but he is a tough kid, and especially much tougher than she when she was a student, so she knows he can do it. After explaining this, he would watch as Miyo leaped fifteen feet back, positioning her body to match a fighting stance where one hand was behind her back while the other had the palm facing towards him, her back straight. Myojin himself, however, wouldn't go into a fighting stance. Instead, he walked towards Miyo in a calm, relaxed manner, offering her a friendly smile as he made an attempt to continue closing in. He would show no signs of hostility at all, and no signs of wishing to fight. It was as though he was going to walk away, done with the exercise and training, but as he neared, leaving eight feet of space between the two should Miyo not have moved, he would quickly activate the Snake Seal, where his lower body, trousers included, would turn into a Snake's tail, he himself quickly shooting out at Miyo at a faster speed than before, quickly attempting to close in the now eight foot gap between the two, where he would attempt to strike her in the jaw with his right fist. He didn't know if the Clan Jutsu his clan taught him and the other members would actually help him catch her off guard, but at least it will help him get a strong start. Honorable beginning would set him back too far for him to succeed in attacking his opponent, he had to use whatever he can at his disposal in order to win this fight. After he would attempt a punch he would begin activating the dog, boar, and ram seals, preparing him to use the next Jutsu he can now use in his knowledge thanks to his finally learning how to use Ninjutsu without nature energy getting in the way.

wc 651
twc 3563

Spoiler:

Miyo was just a tad bit nervous on sparring with the boy in front of her. Just because he was an academy student, didn't mean he was going to be easy. She wasn't going to underestimate him one bit, because she knew that the second she did it would most likely cost her the spar. Even though it was only a spar, Miyo had wanted to show off her moves as well. So there wasn't going to be a lot of holding back, unless a move would cause any serious harm. These thoughts flowed through her head, until Myojin made an unexpected move towards her. He simply started to step forward. Nothing in his demeanor had notified her that he meant any harm. Had he just not wanted to spar, or was there something more going on here. Maybe he was too tired from the earlier training. Just as Miyo was about to let her guard down and ask what was wrong, Isobu spoke up.

"Don't be foolish, he's setting you up for a trap. The boy doesn't just have the appearance of a snake. He has the sneakiness of one too."

Miyo hadn't thought of that as a possibility, but it did seem rather suspicious of him to walk towards her like this, especially after seeing how willing he was to train. With this information, she began to take steps back as he moved forward. They were about ten feet apart when he made his move. Miyo was still shocked that he went on the attack the way he did, and the shock didn't end there. Using the adrenaline boost that Miyo had gotten from seeing the boys legs transform into a snakes body, combined with her already fast speed, Miyo had managed to leap to her left side to barely avoid his blow. Quickly recovering, she turned to face the boy as he was performing handsigns. His speed had seemed to increase at a large rate, for he wasn't this fast when they were warming up. The young genin had deduced that it was most likely due to his change in appearance. This fight was already off to a great start. It had seemed that Myojin was right about Irobu being a blessing in disguise.

Miyo leaped backwards so she was now standing on the pond they had been training near. If the boy was going to use ninjutsu, then so was she. Miyo began to prepare her own handsigns, Boar-Bird-Dragon, and at the final sign three senbon made out of coral would fly out of the water towards the young student. "Coral Release: Stinging Senbon!" They weren't lethal, but they would definitely hurt if they made contact.


------------
Jutsu Used

Spoiler:

Stats:

Spoiler:

Current PP:

Spoiler:

WC: 450
TWC: 1289

Ten feet worked out just fine, though Myojin's surprise attack hadn't worked against Miyo as well as he thought it would against his opponent, whom of which barely avoided the blow by stepping to the left. Luckily for Moyjin, he was already performing the earlier mentioned hand signs while Miyo, whom of which leaped backwards to stand on the pond, performed her own. It seems she is definitely faster than Myojin thought, as he was sure that he would have been able to catch her off-guard for long enough to get a hit in. His legs would begin to unwind, only for his Transformation technique to take place, causing his body to quickly morph and distort, shrinking in size and width, limbs disappearing as a cloud of smoke engulfed him, allowing for a small, foot-long white serpent to land in the grass before the smoke cleared, where it would quickly slither towards Miyo as the smoke dispersed, three senbon made of coral flying towards the smoke, shooting through it.

'The was a close one.. Those would have hurt a lot.' Myojin thought to himself as after he slithered a foot towards Miyo he would release the Jutsu, returning to full size once more, where he would run towards her. Wait... Those senbon were made of a material that came from the water of the pond, though Myojin had never heard of such a technique before, especially not in the Academy. Would have this been a Jutsu she had come up herself or a boon to having Isobu stored within? Myojin couldn't risk trying to think, he just knew he didn't want to be hit by those. The boy can't afford bandages at the moment, of course. Sprinting towards Miyo, Myojin would jump in the air, attempting to bring his right leg down upon her head via hammer kick.

wc 315
twc 3878

Spoiler:

Miyo was still surprised that within the first few minutes of the spar, Myojin came that close. If it wasn't for Isobus warning that allowed her to take a few steps back, then she would've met his fist with her jaw. Who would've thought that the tailed beasts overly suspicious nature would have helped her out in this situation. The fight wasn't over just yet though, and she knew the boy would come at her just as hard until he succeeded. If he managed another trick like he did earlier, then the chances of her being able pull of another dodge like before would definitely be slim. However, Miyo wasn't going to go easy on him with this battle. While she was pretty fast, she liked to think she was clever as well. The reason she had chosen the pond to be her place to stand was due to Myojins earlier trouble with walking on water. She knew he was able to do it fine now, but perhaps it would limit his maneuverability and even prevent his snake legs from working. Not to mention it gave her a source for her water based jutsu.

Miyo watched as her coral senbon went forward into the smoke that was created by Myojin. She could only wonder what had caused the smoke. Confusion spread across her face when the smoke cleared and the boy was no longer there. It wasn't until she looked down that she had noticed a snake, which she assumed to be Myojin. A small wave of fear sent shivers down her body. The full snake form had frightened her more than the half snake body despite the size difference. His penchant for snakes was a little unsettling for her, but she tried not to let it show too much. He was a friend after all. "Afraid of a little snake? Pathetic. I say you go for the kill." Miyo could never tell if Isobu was joking or not. Currently she was more focused on the footlong snake crawling her way.

Luckily he didn't stay in that form for too long, as he came back to his normal appearance and started to run towards her. He no longer had his snake body to aid him with speed, so it wasn't too hard for Miyo to keep up with his motions. As he ran towards her, seemingly ready to attack, Miyo began to knead chakra into her stomach. Playing it smart, Miyo waited for the boy to get closer. She knew without his speed boost, she should be able to react to most of his moves, and if he was closer it would be harder for him to do the same. Once the boy was about 6 feet away, Miyo quickly performed the few handseals needed for the jutsu she was about to pull off. When the boy leaped into the sky in order to hit her with a hammer kick, Miyo put one hand to her mouth and let loose a torrent of water from her lungs at the boy. If it managed to hit, the water would knock him back onto the ground beside the pond. The damage taken from this jutsu would be limited to bruises.

------------
Jutsu Used:

Spoiler:

Miyo's Stats:

Spoiler:

WC: 538
TWC: 1827

Myojin was in the middle of the air. He, a four foot five Academy Student, had no experience with avoiding anything in mid-air, and so when a torrent of water came shooting towards him from his opponent, he was forced back to the ground beside the pond, causing small bruises upon his body in general. Grunting a little, he would stand back up, looking at Miyo with red eyes full of determination. His breathing would be slightly heavier from using up half of his Chakra right away. It wasn't wise for him to immediately believe he can take her off guard like that without knowing for a fact that he can strike, and overall he's paying the price by only having half of the already smaller pool of Chakra he had previously.

Standing there, Myojin would observe his opponent out there in the middle of the pond. He had to come up with a plan and quickly, he knew that he only had one Jutsu left, and that it wasn't effective for anything more than light healing, though if he can last long enough, he has a plan that may allow him to quickly turn the tables, though that plan in itself would cost him to spend a little more time waiting and trying not to get injured by his opponent. Forming the Snake Seal, his skin would suddenly separate from underneath, deteriorating from his body quickly, almost as if small flakes simply fell off of him, where they wouldn't even reach the ground, and a new, less bruised body replaced it. Myojin wasn't a large fan of shedding his skin like that, as he felt that even that was a bit gross, though it had its uses in the fact it will help his aching body hurt less.

Circling around Miyo, he merely watched her, waiting to see what her next attack would be while keeping his own guard up.

wc 327
twc 4205

Spoiler:

The counterattack had been successful in knocking Myojin back to the ground, and causing few minor bruises. Nothing that Miyo did in this battle was going to cause any fatal blows, due to the nature of the battle. It was only for training purposes, so some jutsu she had were not going to be put on display this turn. With that noted, she realized that she didn't have any other jutsu related moves to pull off. It was starting to look like she would have to rely on taijutsu, which she wasn't a huge fan of. Before she got to planning her next move, she observed the boy who now stood on the ground outside of the pond she was standing on.

The look of determination in his eyes was pleasing to Miyo. She liked the fact that he wasn't going to give up this fight. Sadly, she had a feeling that his chakra reserves were low. Being a academy student, he wouldn't have that much to begin with, and seeing how strong he started the fight off she knew he was down in his supply of chakra. Miyo watched as he performed the snake seal. Did he have another jutsu planned? It wasn't what she was expecting. Instead of wild snakes being lunged at her like she had expected, he started to... shed? That had to be on the top 5 grossest things she had ever seen. Miyo put her hand to her mouth as if to contain the sandwich she had earlier from coming out onto the pond.

The boy was now starting to circle around her, which meant he was on the defensive. The ball was now in Miyo's court, and she planned to strike. Miyo took off towards the boy who was circling the water. Once she got within 5 feet, she reeled back her left fist to attempt to land a punch on his right cheek. Her strength wasn't impressive at all, so she wasn't expecting to cause much damage if it did land.

----------
WC: 339
TWC: 2,201