Chapter 8: Tree Training?
I woke to the sounds of cooking coming from down stairs as the bridge builder's daughter preparing us, what smelled like, a really delicious breakfast. I rolled over with an annoyed sigh escaping my lips as my body dropped off the bed I was sleeping in and I landed in a push-ups position on the floor. I pushed with my hands up onto my feet and grimaced as I saw my temporary roommate.
Sakura had wanted to share a room with Sasuke but he was having none of it and so volunteered to watch Kakashi for the night so that another argument wouldn't break out. Arisu had thrown a fit when Sakura said, no to subtly, that she go dibs sleeping with Sasuke. The girls go so riled up about it that Naruto had to hold Sakura back from hitting Arisu because she has commented on her weight and I held Arisu back from happily accepting her challenge and spider bombing her to death! So Sasuke bunked with Kakashi.
Arisu refused to share with Sakura and after pinky had elbowed Naruto in the face when she was trying to get at Arisu, he wasn't fond of sharing with her either, and there were only two rooms left between the four of us. So I had agreed to share with her to keep the peace, that and I didn't sleep exactly so her snoring wouldn't wake me up. My body shuts down so I may as well be a corpse but this helps my body fully recover, and causes less distractions when I'm training.
I had trained with William last night and he was well impressed with my mastery of the wind element and dubbed that element off my training rota, but banked up more earth element (which I hate! I just can never grasp anything as quickly as the other three I can do) so that was what I was mainly doing last night with him.
Afterwards I went into my dream drift and found a familiar chakra type signature that I use to find a person and went to train with my other favourite demon. He seemed just as surprised to see me as I was to see him and said that his vassal was on a mission to the land of waves. That had really shocked me knowing that my team mate had my sensei sealed inside them and I wondered who it could be.
Not Arisu that's for sure, she was defiantly born in our world and the fox was sealed inside a new born baby in this world.
Sakura? No way was it her, according to Kyuubi his vassal had found out he had the great demon inside him but as yet, had not talked to him face to face. If it was Sakura, she would have freaked and probably committed suicide by now so that's her out.
Kakashi, no to old.
Sasuke, it could be him but he doesn't seem to be a fox type of person, that and he smells normal. I found that out in a sparing match that he badgered me into, well half badgered. The truth is I had wanted to fight someone other then Arisu for a long time. Not that she's not a good sparing partner, it just that I wanted to test my skills against someone new so when Sasuke asked me I jumped at the chance. How I came upon his sent was when we had a segment of taijutsu and he was a little to close for comfort so how could I not smell him!
(Since I started my training with William I have been able to pick up, and memorise people's and other thing's scents with ease. Enabling me to tell what species they are, if their male or female and if they are strong or not.)
That and the guys way to brotherly for me to like like that, I swear him and Naruto are always over reacting when I try out a new jutsu I have found. They try and make me wear safety gear for crying out loud! There just overprotective of me, but in a way an older brother would be of a little sister. I get tired of it and it annoys me most of the time but it sure feels good to be cared about.
That leaves Naruto. No, not him because he is way too happy to be a demon container. I think anyone with a demon in them would be a little quieter and more aggressive then he is with his bright attitude and hyperness. Though I can talk.
I smile at this and step over pinky who is snoring like a chain saw and is sprawled across her bed in a very un-lady like manor that I'm sure she would be embarrassed of if she ever knew how she slept. The evil idea in my mind comes to life as I take the digital camera that I have taken to carrying in my backpack out and quickly snapping her picture soundlessly. I stash my blackmail back in my bag for future use and quickly dress into my usual ninja clothes, before running down stairs without a sound to see what was for breakfast.
I peak round the corner into the kitchen and see warm rice balls, sausage, fried eggs, bacon and beans being laid out by the bridge builder's daughter. She puts equal portions onto all our plates before taking them over and laying them on the table we will be eating at.
I start to hear my team moving bout and listen to them all getting dressed which is just the rustle of fabric as its taken off and replaced. Once I'm sure everyone is up I creep up to the room that Sasuke and Kakashi are in to see if our sensei needs any further medical treatment.
I knock once on the door and a second later it is opened by a annoyed looking Sasuke who, as soon as he sees it's me, drops the mood and perks up a small smile on his face. "Morning Nick," he says smile still in place. Him and Naruto have seemed to take after Arisu for calling me by my nick-name, I don't mind, but I just can never think of one to call Sasuke. So I say the first thing that pops into my head.
"Morning Kitty! Sleep well?" I ask and mentally slap myself for coming up with such a pet name while I hear William laughing at me. But I guess if I can tick him off with it that could prove to be quite the entertainment. My ruse works and the smile drops and he playfully glairs at me.
"Fine so what's up?" he asks dropping the subject quickly like I knew he would. I smile innocently at him with my eyes closed, hands clasped behind my back and my head cocked to one side angled up at him.
"Just come to see if Kakashi-sensei is still alive." I say happily, opening my eyes and taking a peek into the room behind him, though I can't see much. He opens the door for me and tells me to knock myself out and something about getting some breakfast, before walking past, me and downstairs.
I step in and see Kakashi fumbling with some crutches I left for him last night to use and I laugh at his attempts to hold them right. He obviously isn't used to getting injured. I show him how to hold them and help him get downstairs where everyone else is waiting, already tucking into their breakfasts.
We all ate with mild chatter to which I had no part in due to my head buried in my book, I am well into the Zabuza Momochi chapter now and feel like I want to learn all I can about our enemy before we face him again. Once we are all done Kakashi leads us to a near by wood for training and the promise of a new technique.
As we walked through it I notice the again the forest moved for me to get through and I wondered if it could read my mind or something. I decided to test this theory, seeing as I was at the back and my teammates wouldn't notice if I just disappeared for a second or two, I suddenly throw myself to the side into a bush and let our a loud growl as the bust practically splits in half so I don't land on it. I sit up mumbling about mindreading plants and how annoying they were while rubbing the side of my head that had landed on the soft grass in mock hurt. I thin feel eyes on me and look up to see everyone looking at me with very confused expressions on their faces, I must have growled louder then I thought.
I get up and smile saying that I just tripped over a tree root as an explanation. They look at each other not believing me for one moment but carry on walking and I breath a sigh of relief. I then feel a weight suddenly land on my shoulder and look to see a very mad Daniel on my shoulder way to close to my jugular vein for comfort.
"Next time do you want to warn me when you have a sudden erg to fall into a bush!" he shouts angrily, he must have been rudely awakened and flown out my hood before he hit the floor with me.
"Sorry, I give you the heads up next time," I reply with a sheepish smile. He then snorts and crawls back into my hood to get back to his beauty sleep, or should I say cutie sleep. After all, he doesn't look half cute when he's curled up asleep!
During our short discussion the team had reached a good spot for us to train and we had stopped so that Kakashi could show us what to do for that new jutsu he promised to teach us. The clearing was really just a small grass area surrounded by trees and the canopy was thick so that you could only just see the gray sky that the land of waves seemed to permanently have hanging over it through the dark green leaves.
"Ok what I want you to do is simple sounding but much harder then it seems." Kakashi starts to explain, "I want you to climb up the top of one of theses trees." To this Naruto and Sasuke both snorted and I had to admit that it didn't seem like much training to me. "But," Kakashi continued, "Without using your hands." Naruto and Arisu both screamed an impossible while I just snorted, this was even worse then what he first told us to do. He then went on to show is how to do this and gave us a kunai each.
Everyone then picked up their kunai and focused chakra into their feet while I, sat down to finish reading the section on Zabuza Momochi. I had one hand holding my book while I leant on the other and I had by legs out stretched with my feet clapping together with a rhythm that I could feel coming from the tree in front of me as the chakra in it moved round its plant veins. After all, even plants have chakra systems, be them small ones, but they still count!
I can hear everyone run up the tree and hear two people land on the ground, Naruto and Sasuke I would bet on, while Sakura and Arisu were still in the tree. Kakashi then commented on how the females of the team seemed to have the better chakra control then the boys and I smirked at this behind my book.
"Nicola why haven't you given it a go yet?" I hear Kakashi direct towards me. "Surely you want to get stronger just as much as everyone else and I don't think that the book your reading can teach you everything."
I sigh and put my book away before standing. I see Sakura sitting on a branch half way up the tree and Arisu on a branch a meter or more above her on the tree next to Sakura's. I also see that both Sasuke and Naruto were on the ground looking not to pleased that the girls had done better then them.
But this was just so pointless! William has taught me how to do this on my first training session with him so why did I need to learn to do it again! Chuckling comes from the back of my head and the very demon I was referring to pitches in what he has to say about it. "I agree with you there pup. But they don't know that so why not turn this into a more advanced training session, one more to your liking."
"How so?" I ask back frowning at him inwardly while outwardly inspecting the tree.
"Simple." He says. "You are struggling with earth and I think I know why. You don't trust it and what you did earlier proves it. You need to learn to trust the earth and then you will be able to master that element just as easily as the others. You see the forest is reacting to your instincts when it moves out the way for you. It can since that you do not wish to harm any of the life within the woods, but that you want to be in the woods at the same time, so it moves to let you through."
"Ok that makes sense, but how can climbing a tree help me to trust the earth more?" I ask, a bit confused by his explanation.
I can feel his smile though I can't see it as he explains my task. "I want you to cartwheel up that tree and to grab one of the acorns from it the cartwheel down. That will shut your team and sensei up while making it a little more interesting for you to do. Once back down on the ground I want you to plant the acorn and then use only your will to make it grow!"
"That's impossible!" I shout at him in my mind to which he just chuckles again.
"You can control fire, wind and water with only your will so to master earth all you need to do is to use your will to make one tree grow and it will set you on the right track." He reasons and I inwardly pout.
"Fine have it your way!" I shoot back and he chuckles in victory.
I block him out and focus on the tree in front of me. Our conversation only lasted around 10 seconds on the outside of my mind so the looks my team are giving me aren't to questioning yet. I let out one last sigh and turn so I'm facing the tree with my side, my head turned towards it and raise my hands above my head. I then start my series of cartwheels and do all of one before my hands make contact with the tree. I focus chakra into them then into my feet, then my hands, then my feet. I do this five times before stopping a split second to grab an acorn in my right hand and cartwheel, one-handed back down the tree. I then land softly back to the floor and sit back on the ground in a crossed legged position.
I look to see my team with their jaws on the floor and their eyes wider the space sorceress. Well, not I'm in for it and right on cue I hear Kakashi speak. "N-Nicola, when d-did you learn to do that?" he asks shakily.
I shrug and reply, "I have pretty good chakra control and love climbing trees so I sort of just started to do it when I started my training as an easier way to climb." Everyone goes 'ow' at my matter of fact answer and goes back to their own training while Kakashi poofs back to the bridge builder's house to keep an eye on things there, leaving us to train on our own.
I then do as William instructed and dig a hole in the earth just in front of my feet, deep enough to berry two acorns one on top of the other. I then pop the acorn I have been holding into the hole and refill the hole with earth. Now comes the hard part, trying to make the thing grow. I take a deep breath, close by eyes and place both my hands over the spot where the acorn is under the ground, concentrating on only that small soon-to-be tree.
Nothing happens right a way but after about a minute I feel the seed wake up and feel it start to reach towards me. It's strange since I can practically feel its chakra system growing by the moment and knowing I'm causing this makes it all the weirder. I then start to feel the roots sinking into the soil and absorbing water and nutrients from it while the shoot starts to work its way towards the sky. A whole minute passes before I feel a cool tip slid between my first and middle fingers. I open my eyes and smile at the small shoot that has sprung up through the earth. I move my hands off the ground and put them back in my lap. I start again only this time my eyes are open and my hands are not guiding the plant where to grow.
I can hear the panting of my teammates who are still training and glance up to see their progress. Both of the boys now seem to be able to get half way up their trees and Arisu is helping them with tips and encouragement, Sasuke more then Naruto. This makes me smile; those two just seem to be made for each other. Sakura is sulking, obviously having been told to get lost after one to many pestering of Sasuke while he was training and is now, half-heartedly throwing shuriken at a tree on the other side of the clearing. I glair as one more of her weapons gets lodged in the poor trees trunk; she is really ticking me off.
I never did like people hurting plants since they are so important and so are living things to, so seeing her take out her problems on this tree that cant fight back or even move, just makes my blood boil. An idea then hits me and an evil grin comes to my lips. I turn to the small tree in front of me, it's only a meter and a half tall but it should do the job. I focus on its roots and make them come out of the ground and move along the ground to where she is sitting, still throwing her shurikens. They are as thick as my arm and just as strong and I make them rear up like a snake about to strike; the others are too focused on their training to notice. There is no escape for her.
I make it suddenly rap round her like an anaconda and she screams as it pulls her up into the air and loops itself around another trees branches that leaves her hanging, upside down, completely defenceless, screaming for help. Everyone turns in shock to see her and I burst out laughing at her. Arisu catches on to my harmless prank and joins in. Soon we are all laughing while Sakura is fuming mad and shouting for us to get her down. Meanwhile I am snapping pictures of the scene, her hanging and the rest of us laughing; I even go one that showed both her hanging and the rest of us rolling on the floor giggling.
But the fun had to come to an end and I make the young tree drop her to the floor where she lands in a heap and unwrap its roots, before pulling them back into the earth. She complains and asks who did that shouting threats to kill the one who did this to her. I don't say anything to her and walk to the tree she was using as a pin cushion. I remove all of the shuriken from its trunk the place my palm to its injured bark. My hands glow red and the bark forms back in place at my command. Don't ask why my chakra is red, it just is and the jutsu I'm using is used for minor wounds in humans so I figured it might work on plants to, looks like I was right.
I turn back to my team who seem to not have noticed what I was doing and are in the process of trying to calm a red faced Sakura down. "Wow! Her face is even pinker then her hair!" I say in joking disbelief and hear William's distant chuckle from the back of my mind.
I reach them and thrust her weapons back into her hands and before she has the chance to but in say in a matter of fact voice with a blank, "Maybe next time you wont try to kill a tree that can fight back just because you got rejected again." I then walk away to examine the scratches left my the boys, they are only shallow cuts and are practically nothing not even going all the way through the outer layer of bark, so I decide not to bother patching these up and just let the trees heal themselves.
Meanwhile everyone but Sakura has burst into giggles from my comment and she is now glairing at me with the intent to kill. If looks could heart I would have been in critical condition from the one she was giving me I could feel it. I turn back to my team and say we better get back to work while I sit back down next to my little tree and start to make it grow again.
Everyone agrees, though Sakura growls a bit a storms off, claiming she doesn't need to train and is going to check on Kakashi while the boys get back to climbing theirs trees with Arisu's help. I chuckle to myself as Pinkey's back disappears through the brush not to be seen for a while yet I hope and hope to have another chance to pull a stunt like that again in the near future.
"That was a nice one pup." I hear William say still chuckling a little and I smile at the compliment.
"Thanks." I reply smiling on both the inside and the outside while still making the young tree grow only at a faster rate now. It's now around two meters tall. I think I'm starting to really get the hang of the earth element touch wood and I tap the trunk of the small tree at my thoughts causing another series of chuckles from William.
"I think that you are really starting to trust the earth element more as well." He states and smiles so that I could feel the pride radiating off him and this makes me smile as well.
"Me two, otherwise I would never have been able to pull that one off over Pinkey" I reply chuckling in my head and William joins in.
"Very true. You sure seem more conferrable with the forest moving for you now so I would say that you mastering earth will be easier from now no." He says. "We will see what you can really do at tonight's training session."
"Yes, yes we will." I say with a smirk as I feel the demons presence revert back into the depths of my mind. I can't wait to show him what I can do and I am confident I can make him prouder then ever. I love making him proud of me and I seem to be getting addicted to the pride in his voice that he uses if he is proud of me, so much so that I would work my but off to hear it. I guess I really do consider him as my dad, go figure.
I go back to my tree training to find that the tree had doubled in size while I was talking to William, my new confidence must have caused its growth spurt. It now is about twice my height, not hard to do since I'm even shorter then Naruto is, and that's saying something. I stand and decide to push all the will I could muster into it to see what I could really do. I take a deep breath and start.
As soon as I begin I see the trunk grow thicker and the whole tree grow taller, branches coming off its trunk, reaching for the sky. I stair up at it then feel something come up from under me and find myself rising up while sitting down. I look down at my feet dangling of a branch of the tree that has decided to take me along for the ride and I gaze as the ground gets further and further away. I look and see my teammates gawping at me in disbelief, not believing what they are seeing.
I feel happiness bubble up in my and I laugh which causes the tree to grow even faster and bigger, reaching for the sky! Leaves become a massive blur of green and I look up at the canopy above which is speeding ever nearer. Its but a few meters away from my face and in but another moment I cover myself as I break through it and I then take my hands away before gasping.
I can see everything! I can see all the way to the edge of the woods and even the bridge builder's house! I can see the bridge our client is working on and its builders working on it! I can see the waters we sailed on to get to the land of waves! Hell, I can even see the gates of Konoha in the far distance!
I stand and gaze around in wonder at it all. The tree has stopped growing, seeming to know that It would be futile to grow anymore when it is already three to four meters taller then any of the other trees surrounding it. I pat the trunk and thank it for listening to me and for showing me all this. If trees could talk, I'm sure it would have said your welcome.
I am snapped out of my daze by the sound of my teammates calling my name and begin to climb down before I hear a all to familiar voice scream, "NICOLA KAZE! IF YOU DO NOT GET DOWN HERE THIS MINUTE I SWEAR TO GOD I WILL REPLACE ALL YOUR CLOTHES WITH MY ONCES!!"
I run down the trunk and am on the ground in a matter of seconds shouting "Alright, alright, I'm down, I'm down." To which she smirks.
"Good, now I don't have to share my great sense of fashion." She states proudly smiling and I role my eyes at her, snaking my head and hitting her on hers.
"Well don't use threats that you don't want to then and come up with some better ones." I shoot back and she grins.
"Well it did get you down the tree," I laugh sarcastically.
"Do you blame me!? No offence, but I would rather die then be caught dead in one of your outfits!" I say half joking, half serious. Everyone laughs ad we decide to head back.
While I was in my own world the boys had managed to reach the top of their trees and had just come back down just before I tried out my, err, idea. So we were all going home on highs and chatted as we walked back towards the bridge builder's home.
This time, I didn't find the forest moving for me weird or strange and I actually felt thankful that it did so, I didn't want to cause any harm to its habitat after all. I also felt happy and conferrable now with the whole earth element, enough so that I now found it enjoyable like all the other elements instead or creepy like I used to.
We reached the bridge builder's house, at a well earned breakfast and went to bed. Just before I started training with William I took a pause out the window to see the young tree that now towered above its elders with pride.
Yes chapter 8 is now up! XD
I'm sorry for the Sakura scene but it just had to be done ^_^'
Rate and Review please! XD
P.S. all sakura bashing was my very violent and threatening friend*hint hint* Arisu's idea so dont hate me!
Ok till next time see ya! ^_^
