Let the lessons begin:
A member of the Anbu materialised within the center of the crowds, elevating himself up he raised his voice above all else "This venue has chanced" the loud chatter that had begun over the excitement of their reasons for being there, died down to the silence of the wind and the lark in bird calls. "Due to the large number of you the Hokage has appointed me to create your lodging"
"Create you lodging?" was the scorned confusion in the air. Judging by the number of ninja it would take a year to build appropriate housing.
"Wood Release: Four-Pillar House" The Anbu called out and the forest ahead of him and his audience, ruptured and transmuted into a Large building crafted from the trees that moulded themselves to shape it. With the Building carved seemingly out of nothing, the Anbu disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"That was an Elite Anbu ninja"
"I've never heard of them"
"They are Anbu that have mastered two or more elements, allowing them to use a combined third element"
"That sounds fantastic; I didn't know Anbu have ranks"
The crowds were abuzz with gasps of astonishment and eager explanations of the wonders they just witnessed, but all the commotion summed up itself when applause erupted and cheers whooped themselves into being. Everyone was excited to see what could follow, what was it like inside the building and when would the demonstration begin.
Before anyone could enter the building, the doors opened and two familiar faces ushered everyone in. The Gate Guards of Konohagakure, Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane, smiled and waved the audience in.
"Come on this way, there is room for everyone" They assured, urging the audience not to hesitate but come on through.
The inside of the building was neatly crafted with intricately designed wax paper doors and ceiling lighting, benches and wooden flooring, if they had not seen it made before their eyes they would not believe it was crafted out of nothing just a moment ago. These details made it even more of a marvel and stoked a fire of passion, a pride for being a part of a village that cultivated such great ninja.
Finally they were gathered and seated on the floor in the main hall, waiting to be addressed by the guest of honour, and ultimately their reason for being there.
Yuu entered the room from behind a wax door, looking around himself and the people there, he looked pleased "Welcome to my dojo" His charm faltered and he straighten his back out of a sudden anxiety, they were shocked to see the Bow Staff as such a plain ninja. Yuu spoke under his breath to a well armoured ninja to his side "Bring me my armour and a Bamboo sword and make it theatrical, these people look like they want a show and I don't want to disappoint"
A moment passed and four ninja brought in armour, each carrying a separate piece. Yuu held his legs and arms out as he stood ridged, firm like the warrior before battle, and they strapped the armour onto him over his close bounded clothing.
He spoke to address the ninja once again, booming his voice across the room. "Welcome to my Dojo!" he slapped his hands together, a powerful mark of how formidable he appeared now. "See all around you, do you notice something!" He commanded and their heads shifted with the point of his finger as he arched it across the room. "All these walls are covered with mirrors so that you can better see yourself and your opponent" He stomped his foot against the ground, every eye now jumping back to him and the heavy sound. "Notice these floors, they are made from bamboo, making your strides sturdy and your falls soft" He called forward a ninja to his side who offered him the Bamboo rod he held in his hands. "This is a bamboo sword" He whacked it sharply against his hand, the sound reverberating off all the smooth surfaces reflected in the mirrors. "It flexes rather than shatters, it will not harm you" He let the Bamboo sword fall so that the handle sat under his hand and he could lean his weight against it. "This demonstration is your opportunity to thrust all your strength into your attacks and learn now how to injure yourself and your opponent. Make your mistakes now and be done with them. Do not hold back. When your opponent faces you, you face them. When they fall you allow surrender. For outside this Dojo you are not handed a soft weapon and an merciful opponent, but are handed death and confronted with relentless bombardment" He looked across his audience and they were rightly startled, so he smiled mirthfully "but before we begin let me demonstrate proper technique"
Half the audience near collapsed with their emotions now thrashed, because of the change in atmosphere tipping from serious to humour in an instant.
"Oh brother" Tenten remarked before outrage replaced her shock "Are you kidding me! I'll knock his block off if he pulls a stunt like that again" She held a fist to the air and gnashed her teeth while her Sensei watched her with concern and hands put up in defence, wanting nothing to do with her wrath.
"Tenten don't knock his block off" Lee said with an innocence to his eyes "If you do that we won't get to see his demonstration" he looked up at Tenten, holding his crutches closer to himself begging with his bandaged hands.
"Alright alright, no need to bring out Gai sensei's puppy eyes technique" She cracked her wrists instead of Yuu's neck.
"Now watch" Yuu began, a ninja in front of him played the role of his opponent. "When striking, step forward to add more weight to your attack" He said this while taking a step forward, one leg far ahead of the other and his center of gravity low. "When Defending against an attack, you block while stepping back to take away the weight of your enemies strike" The ninja playing opponent to Yuu brought his bamboo sword down in a slow motion attack and Yuu block the strike as he stepped back. "Noticed where I allowed my opponent to strike, this area here above the hilt of my sword" They paused in their stance, Yuu pointing out to the point of his block. "Do not let your opponent hit your blades end, or you risk your sword shattering" The ninja lifted his weapon and brought it down on the end of Yuu's "It also puts you at a disadvantage because it gives your enemy leverage over your wrist, allowing them to disarm you" The ninja swivelled Yuu's Bamboo rod opening his defence, sliding the bamboo across Yuu's throat. They reset and this time the ninja brought the sword down near Yuu's hilt. "If your hilt is struck it puts a lot of the impact on your arms and can fracture your hands" The ninja assisting Yuu slid the sword across his fingers "And it makes your hands available to the enemy, risking dismemberment" Stepping back into a straightened position Yuu bowed to his opponent and began a battle demonstration.
With each strike there was a drumming of feet, both moving into make the hit and out to avoid or block it. In every guard against a blow there was a change in angle to match the attack and counter the defence. Their weapons moved about each other in stiff formation, quickly changing to meet the battle requirement and then remaining ridged in their commitment to the inevitable crack of bamboo on bamboo. This continued until Yuu made the first strike, immediately pausing they froze in the first point of contact.
"When you make a strike, pause and look at yourself in the mirror, look at your opponent. Try and learn what played in your favour and what may have gone wrong for your opponent." He then straightened himself and bowed once again. "Allow your opponent to concede defeat and say, 'Good match, do you wish to continue?'" The ninja ahead of him shook his head. "One final thing to mention is where to cut." He opened his hand out to the ninja that played his opponent and showed what he wanted of him in his own stance; opening up his arms and legs away from his body in a star formation.
"As a ninja you are taught to target the vital points of an opponent, but as a Bukijutsu(weapon techniques) user you know those points are never left unguarded in a sword fight, which is why" He lifted his bamboo rod and placed it on the inside of the Ninja's leg. "You cut the inside of the thigh, or the" He lifted the weapon to the inside of the women's arm "the inside of wrists, the joints, the neck, the face. Any place that bleeds or hinders a person, that is where you cut. You bleed your enemy to death or you prevent them from moving swiftly enough to bleed you to death" He looked out on the audience. "The face is the easiest to cut because often when defending you place your guard inward toward your body, allowing your opponent to slid their weapon and glance a blow against you. This blow can hurt nowhere else better than the face where you can either knock them out by chance or blind them with their own blood." He straightened himself again, the demonstration was over and the Ninja who assisted him fell back to guard the wall.
"One final must, Bukijutsu follows three rules no matter your weapon of choice" He stared down the crowd that would soon be battling each other, and his eyes were not kind but stern with the knowledge and experience that comes from the wisdom through battle. "Always block your enemies attack perpendicular to the angle of their blade. Always strike with the intent to kill. Always allow your enemy a way to escape, for souls fight fiercely when they see no way out."
The five ninja lined in front of the audience began the handing out of bamboo rods; soon every ninja in the room had a bamboo sword in hand. Divided and quartet, they began their training.
We were pitted against impossible opponents. I couldn't survive the torment and so took a seat on a nearby bench. Most of our number were Chunin and the chunin preferred using a weapon and were quite accustomed to wielding one, which meant that most of the genin and I weren't really competition. I noticed a collaboration beginning to form between experience fighters and the ignorant, so I re-joined the contest. It was beginning to become fairly obvious that the training would go nowhere if undertrained genin and inexperienced Chunin like Shikimaru and I were matched against overzealous Bukijutsu Chunin. I saw a small group forming and joined in. It was comprised mainly of genin and a disgruntled Tenten.
"But I can fight better than the others, I don't need special training!" Tenten's arguments weren't taken seriously by the large Chunin that pushed her forward to meet us, her heels dragging.
"Alright children, I want a good clean fight. I don't want to see any one of you brats lose an eye or knock out a tooth because you thought something wasn't fair" The man's tone was deep and uncontested by our maturing voices; we dared not contradict his statement that we were little kids and brats. Instead facing each other we bowed to our nearest rival and continued.
My opponent was Taka, Fuma had Shino, Kiba had Genjuu, Hinata had Shikimaru, TenTen had Sasuke and Lee had Gai by default finding no other opponent willing to face a cripple. How Lee managed to hold a bamboo sword and walk while in crutches was commendable, but that was Lee; an unbending resolve to do what cannot be done.
Having bowed in initiating combat towards Taka, I studied her. Her eyes were covered by a protector but her movements told me she had some understanding of what was happening around her. I dived forward to slam my rod down on her 'Bang' she blocked it. I couldn't feel any sensory jutsu's being held; even the best sensory abilities give off a sort of chakra buzz from the person using it. I jumped back and then quickly launched forward to cut in at her side, 'Crack' she blocked again but this time countered with a quick strike from above. 'Thwack' I blocked and spun around to try and cut her across the back, on her wings, but she spun to match and face me. Maybe it was in my feet, she was studying how I stepped in order to pick up where I would target. I stood in one spot and did not change my stance but instead throw my attack out with my hands alone. 'Thump' I looked down on my arm.
"Do you concede defeat?"
"Agh... aren't you supposed to say 'Good match do you want to continue'?" My voice trembled with my words, I did not expect to lose and to lose so suddenly too, I accepted it with the slightest humility. "You spoke" This sudden acknowledgement intruded on my wounded expression with a smile.
"My wings" Taka seemed to weaken slightly and lose her confidence, but continued. "I find it hard to see when they are folded, it leaves me feeling vulnerable" She looked or rather shifted her head to the side and clutched her arm, seeking comfort from her bare shoulders.
"Looking without seeing is a big advantage, but why cover your eyes all the time?" She looked back at me, back at my question, and put up her sword.
She struck forward, slamming her weapon into mine and using her body weight to shove off my defence. "Our clans people draw their strength from muting their sense of sight" She spun around and I had to stand at an angle to avoid the low cut of her knee strike. "It is seeing without seeing or not seeing at all, blindness is the gift of the masters to sighted students"
I swung the bamboo rod across, clashing it against her defence. "Your clan blinds those who can see!" I stepped in but she used the space around her to distance herself.
"but those that can see cannot see without seeing" She stood off for a while, facing me but not seeing me the way I saw her, seeing without seeing yet looking forward at me with confidence regardless. She was sure of herself, self-reliant as a ninja that was not looking but still saw.
"How is it that you are able to talk to me now but not with others around" I stepped forward, closing the gap, and lifted up my bamboo sword.
Thrusting her weapon at me she managed to clash with my sword yet elbow me in the face "Combat heightens the senses" She struck my hunched back, I had been thrown by her attack and dizzied by the knock. "Good match, do you wish to continue?"
…
I sat down on the bench next to Taka, we had been training together for an hour already and were both pretty tired. She was a good sword fighter; we matched each other's ability to learn pretty well. I decided since she couldn't/wouldn't talk, without combat or her winds unfolded, we would just enjoy the contest in silence together. Yuu had this event agonised well. Losers went to the left, the underdogs, and winners to the right. Meaning that if you were a weaker sword fighter you got to challenge others on your level, if you were stronger you challenged people of the same learning speed. Every once in a while you would also have a really strong/weak fighter enter your zone and that just mixed things up for the best.
Sword fighting was such an odd experience; I found that expectations had a lot to do with the first point of contact. If you thought you were fighting an experienced fighter like say, Ikiyothro, you tended to start attacking first, but if the stronger fighter actually in turn was also weak it was likely whoever attacked first won. This added a sketchy element to the survivability of a sword fight. If your opponent was inexperienced and reckless it meant you, no matter your ability, were at risk of dying. A reckless opponent was likely to kill themselves and their foe, I would have to remember that for the future; 'avoid reckless bukijutsu fighters'. Speed was the most important factor but I guessed that that tended to change according to which weapon your enemy wielded. I can imagine speed could play a factor against Ikiyothro's hammer, but ultimately his hammer would still be moving to kill you regardless of if he was dead by the time it hit. Then again we would all be wearing armour in a real fight, so maybe my assumptions about sword fighting are wrong.
"Ready to get back to training Taka?" I received no response, but actions told me she was; standing at the ready with her bamboo sword lifted. The expression of thought across her face said, 'Bring it on!'
…
That night we found out how hard it was to sleep in a crowded room full of deadly ninja, instinct told you not to go to bed no matter how well you knew everyone. There were two separate rooms for sleeping, one for ladies and another for men. There was no bedding; something we all expected and were prepared for, everyone had their ninja mission ready gear with them. Fuuinjutsu sealed foodstuffs, weapons, bandages and a sleeping bag with a tent. No one was about to set up tents indoors however, but finding a section on the floor to lay down your sleeping bag was good enough.
I rested there for a while, we were told to get to bed early because Yuu had some extra training for us tomorrow. As a member of my clan we did not sleep as much; it was a struggle to find encouragement worth sleeping 12 hours for. I soon found myself in the forests walking off my restlessness.
Moon light's beauty supplemented by the shadows mystery.
The night birds that cooed to their forests forever changing history.
The wood, barks and saplings .Greys, browns and greens
Their fresh scents and cracklings
Their rough grains and rattlings
The soil under foot
The stars over head
The distance to travel an extraordinary journey, well spread.
In the cooling still airs I could hear a restlessness that was not my own. The clinging of steel and plunging grunts of power, magnified the lush clearing ahead of me with a possessive virtue of strength. Empowered by this feeling I stepped closer, eager to find this source of inner fortitude, the ringing of steal that bolstered my morale.
The lunges tipped with death, the balance of technique and practise rung the air true with efficient killing intent. Yet though the sight was a fierce struggle of technique and unforgiving assault, I filled with power magnifying. The breath I took in burnt with a passion for carnage, my muscles tightened to the steely drive consuming me, I felt like an unmoving statue of tempered irons. The ground beneath me quaked and the world above turned tempest in my presence.
"Argies? Why are you here" The voice shook me from the world, the other side, and rightly I shook my own head to the feeling that still lurked within me.
"Fuma, what is that weapon you hold" Fuma, the person I found in the forests practising his bikujutsu, held a weapon I had never seen before. It was a long pole weapon with a wide bush knife shaped blade on its end. The blade was red with a pattern of designs carved into it. It held iron rings clasped freely on the opposite side of the blades edge, which produced the ringing of steel I could hear with every thrust of his weapon.
"It is a Guan Dao, a weapon not native to the Shinobi fighting styles but one I have mastered" We both looked at the weapon in his hand, with the butt of the pole in the ground that blade raised just over Fuma's head. "It is better to master a weapon your enemy does not expect, and as such will not be prepared for" once again he quoted from some unknown philosophy.
"That sounds like a half-finished parable" I smirked, "The boy who could not use the bow of his enemy but learnt to use the magic arrow of his heart, master the magic you can and your enemy can not" I could not help the humour that escaped my voice as we laughed together to our love of philosophy.
"Did you hear the quote Yuu used during our demonstration?" The sound of enthusiasm filled Fuma's voice "It was different but yet the same as Tzu" he arched his eyebrows and I placed a hand on my chin thinking back.
"Always allow your enemy a way to escape, for souls fight fiercely when they see no way out" I quoted directly from memory. "It's one of the three lessons he told us never to forget as bukijutsu ninja" my voice also filled with enthusiasm but I could not help but step back and think. "I didn't quite understand what Yuu meant by that. Tzu used it to explain the important of leaving an opening when surrounding the enemy, so that they feel reluctant to fight and would rather retreat, but how would you impress that same response in a bukijutsu fighter?"
"You offer me troubling questions Argies, and I cannot see reason in answering them" He opened his stance and struck the butt of his weapon in the ground so that it stood on its own. "But through the inquest of combat will your answers be found" He rammed his fist forward before I had fully grasped his reasoning, but I was a ninja and always alert to threat.
I jumped back, "Ninja chop sticks you have a lot of energy for the night" but he press on at me, relentless. "Ha like you can ever beat me" We were both taijutsu ninja of impact not speed. Our bodies bulky and slower than ninja like Lee who devoted themselves to speed; I was a ninja who devoted myself to the single killing blow even though I would prefer speed over toughness. My clan's body hardening teachings would not allow a devotion to speed but chakra could be used to make up some of the difference if I met a vastly faster opponent.
"Ha that has yet to be proven Argies, your rank as Chunin does not instantly discredited me as a worthy opponent" Fuma flung a tornado kick at my mid but I quickly stepped back, a hands length away from the blow. "After all it was my team and I who save you, not the other way around" he levelled another kick at me, but I again evaded.
"Tss ya" I kidded "More like I saved you guys after you purposely got into more trouble than you could handle" I didn't mean any offence because after all they did save me from losing my head, in more ways than one, luckily my words were well received in the playful way Fuma tried to gut me after.
"When I am declared victor by your defeat, you will always know it was I who saved you when you gaze back on this spar." He tackled ahead driving and elbow through the air in a sweep in at my face, throughout the brawl I had no time to retaliate; all I could do was evade in how fast he acted with his ever combination.
"You know if I used anyone of my jutsu's you wouldn't be able to stand one second longer" I teased at him but his gale only continued stronger and faster. The precipitous throwing of feet and hands, legs and arms, caught my mind in a hypnotic spin as I let past training slip into thought and my body to react through memory. Like a habit I acted without thinking, striking at him at the one weakness in his assault, his gut. I pulled my fist free the instant I realised I had not added a sparing condition to the temperament of my thrust, he wheezed.
"Gasp* Cough Cough" He doubled over and I lifted him up so that he would not crash to the ground.
"Shippuden! I'm so sorry I didn't mean to punch so hard, it was just…" I paused, just what Argies?
"Just, *cough, that you couldn't find a way out, *Gasp, trapped confused panicked" He drawled the words as he tried to recover from the shock to his mid. They echoed in my mind, trapped confused panicked, was this why I punched him with such force; cause I was behaving on instinct, escape.
"Always allow your enemy a way to escape, for souls fight fiercely when they see no way out" Fuma stood half bent, holding an arm over his stomach. "This applies to all forms of combat, in the singular and in the multiple; we all react through nature when the inevitable becomes certain"
The philosophy had changed in my mind, of what I thought it was in particular focused to, and boarded to a new sphere of understanding. I let these thoughts find my lips as I helped Fuma to recover.
"Like the boar who runs through you when you block the trail to its watering hole, or the fox that retreats into danger when you cross it's path. We all retreat to familiar ground when the alternative is an end." I put an arm under Fuma's, helping him on our way back, he grabbed his Guan Dao.
…
"…So this is who you really are" I ducked my head, the first time I had been able to, and perfectly avoided the swipe at my chest. "Nice to finally meet you Taka" We were beginning to get better at sword fighting, so much so that bolder moves could be implored. Not just in attacking but evasion and defence had become more of a game.
"If I had my wings you wouldn't be able to bare another second" Taka flicked her wrist and nearly managed to figuratively gouge my shoulder with her bamboo rod, but I darted away in time to catch a glimpse of her smile. "I would be able to use my wind jutsu's to throw you off balance and then your head would be mine." She lunged.
"Hey!" I spun and turned my hand to try and run my bamboo sword down her back, but expecting this she slid on her knees to bring her body up and clip my legs. "Don't be so quick to think killing me will be so easy" I tapped my sword against her neck.
"Good match, do you wish to continue?" We said in unison, managing to both make the first encounter together.
"Argies" She stood up from the floor.
"Yes?" I inquired as she dusted herself off.
"We have become very strong training together and I suggest we apply that strength else were" She looked at me, hinting at something that made my face fill with red.
"Agh-uh… what" my mouth emptied, I didn't want to say anything I might regret, at that moment I couldn't think if her words mean anything else.
"What? Why do you have that look on your face" I was amazed by this, how could see what my face looked like, I quickly corrected my expression. "We should train with other ninja, separately, to see if we truly have improved"
"Oh, is that what you are saying." I straightened, letting my mind returned from the fantasy it was in. "You believe we should test out our new skills on other to see if we are in fact any better than we were before" I rubbed a hand shyly against my quivering lips, bordering on self-depreciated laughter and tears.
"Yes, what were you… oh you pig!" Taka walked off and I stretched out a hand to explain but lowered it finding nothing suitable to say.
I turned around to walk back to the benches, but was confronted with an unfriendly face "Sasuke, I didn't realise you were behind me" I was startled, that he could sneak so easily under my field of awareness, but I did not let that show. I had my pride and besides, as a ninja I would want him to doubt he did surprise me.
"I…" He trailed off and lowered his eyes "Fight me" He lifted his bamboo sword and drove forward at me before I was ready. 'First mistake Argies, always be ready' I thought to myself. I managed to block the attack and shove him back while the impact clashed.
"Not how you begin a match Uchiha, but I appreciate the deception" He seemed to cringe at the mention of his clan's name, the memory of their deaths weighing heavy on his mind. I understood; something I would remember not to mention in future. I swung at his legs and quickly brought the attack up at his head after the expected attempt to avoid the first hit. "Tap tap Uchiha" I toyed, tapping the cane against his neck; the first encounter. "Don't look down when I strike at your legs, it draws attention away from any other attack I make at you." He lifted his weapon and we reset.
"I heard you couldn't beat TenTen" I tried not to smile, but I didn't just hear about his failure; I enjoyed watching it. "Tough luck being set up with someone that already knows bukijutsu" Tenten gave him a hard time, but it was his stubbiness not to concede that lead to his humiliation again and again.
"Ya, what of it" I let him make his own attacks as he spoke, blocking his strikes; flourless. "With my Kekkai Genkai I can copy anyone's moves in seconds" It was hard not to miss, his red eyes flicked with every movement I made; copying them. The problem was even with his abilities, sword fighting wasn't as easy to mimic as hand seals, every person's choice of stance is unique. A factor of many things; height, weight, speed, strength, strategy, talent, Bukijutsu was like taijutsu and not in many ways.
"I have heard many stories of how the sharingan can be used to mimic an adversaries actions and eventually predict their next move" I began my assault, no longer simply blocking his offensive "but that is when versing opponents of ninjutsu and taijutsu, Bukijutsu is very different." I let him attack me before because I was doing exactly what his sharingan couldn't, form tact against his method of attack. "It does not conform to fighting styles, set combinations or assumptions in response to the styles of an opponent. Unlike taijutsu, it is perfectly unpredictable unless you know your opponent" I charged forward slamming my blade against his, but before parting like I did earlier I used the technique I learnt from Taka and elbowed his across the face.
"You fight dirty" Sasuke spoke with an emotional undertone of disassociation; a very dry humourless kind of humour. I smirked at it, the fact that it was in a sense still his humour yet no humour at all; that made it funny to me. He lifted his weapon and began again. "You were trying to teach me something before" That was good, that he was getting the sense that I was trying to teach him and not just battle.
"Ya that's right, before I smacked you in the face." I slid across the floor and struck him on the back "Ha you got to try harder if you want to progress." Losing to Tenten all of yesterday didn't help improve his ability to learn "Think of Naruto that always helped me beat someone senseless." He suddenly became enraged, maybe he took my words the wrong way; 'beat, someone senseless'
"Your wrong about my sharingan" He slashed with his weapon with one hand and as I blocked, he used his other hand to try and fist me. "I can use it in Bukijutsu" his mouth curled up, even though I had avoided the blow, he had learnt something.
"So you can use Bukijutsu and taijutsu together, that should make you a tougher opponent in future" I smirked and shook my head as we continued to battle.
…
That night while walking in the forests, I bumped into my Bukijutsu partner of the day.
"Coincidence finding you here in the middle of nowhere" I leaned out arching an eyebrow, letting him know I knew the chances were unlikely.
"Ya, coincidence" he said taking up step next to me. I wondered what he had to do with me, I get that we were sparing together today but it wasn't like we were friends… was it?
"It's a good night, the clouds are few and the sky is the perfect kind of windy" I looked up, making him look up in turn. "Letting the clouds cascade horizontally by like the view from a boat when traveling downstream, it's… beautiful" I felt that mid night light fill my mind and soul with a bliss and peace. No ushering of social etiquette, or temperament of rank, compelling me to curve my tongue or heart.
"There is nothing beautify about the night or a red sky" The moon planted a look across his face, a fearful glint in his eyes, that I couldn't shake the pain of out my heart. I stared back up at the sky, it was not red, I could not appreciate what he meant. He did not look at me but simply continued to stare up at the sky saying "When you have experienced lose like I have, then you will understand" The shock of what he was speaking about thundered in my chest, the Uchiha massacre.
For a moment I did not speak, saying nothing felt like the best comfort I could muster to the hurt of a whole community of family gone. I had lost my guardians, my only sense of family in the whole world. My Aunt and Uncle who meant so much to me were suddenly gone without a trace, but I still did not know if they were dead or simply missing. To know without a doubt that they were dead and there was nothing I could do to bring them back, to bring back that life I once had with them, that thought filled me with a sadness that was maddening. I could not grief that emotion right now, not when there was someone next to me that had suffered so much more.
"For a long time I thought I was alone in the Leaf" I tried to ease the pain in him by concentrating on the pain in me. "The academy had few who understood what a commitment of friendship was" I placed a hand to my bandaged shoulder, remembering how I was scared by that frightful lesson "In the end I accepted my sorrow as a wound that was never meant to be healed." His eyes gleamed in the moons light; detachment entered what was once a soul within them. "Ninja do not seek to surround themselves with comrades but rather to surround themselves with power" I struck the notes that were fragile yet so full of feeling "It was something I would never accept and could never find contradiction too" if my words could weep then there would be no need for the tears I silently wept now. "But eventually I realised that it was something that I possessed, that I held that longing for kinship that was the contradiction to their flaccid understanding of friend, comrade, companion."
I placed a hand on Sasukes shoulder and squeeze the pain out of my hollow voice, "You claim you seek vengeance, but have you ever asked for help" I did not let him answer, the bitter words on his lips but I let them remain unsaid, "Your vengeance is mine, like your pain and sorrow, I bare what is yours cause it is mine too." He struck me across the face with the back of his hand.
"What are you doing Argies" I stayed frozen for a while, wondering why. "I only came here tonight to find out how to be a better sword fighter because you are better than me" I felt like a child, exposing me feelings only for him to snatch them away from me again; hiding what I was not allowed to show.
I cast my face down "Is that all hey?" I didn't need him to answer. "Your left side is always lower than your right. It makes your moves predictable because I can always rely on you to attack from your left when striking from below up, and from the right from above down." He looked at me paying full attention to my words and forgetting my sore feelings "When you attack from the side you let go of the hit of your sword depending on which side you strike, leaving the arm that can arch further attached"
"Is that all?" I felt the impact of his dead words like I was physically hit in the gut. I looked down and refused to look up, that cold stare on his face.
"You will need a lot more training if you ever want to become a true bukijutsu ninja" The rush in flooded me with a second of panic before I realised what it was, I looked up in shock, the brush of fabric against my cheek.
"I heard about your guardians, in the hospital there was no one to hug me" Sasuke parted from me, the hug broken as he turned to leave. "You should find out what really happened to them, you still have a chance" he started walking away as the wind blew by to lift and scatter some leaves like the words that left my mouth next.
"Really happened? Sasuke wait!" I closed my eyes on hearing the frail plea in my voice; regretted its sound. "I truly want to help you grow stronger so that you can avenge your family" He stopped walking away, but did not turn around. I stared at the fan stoking the fire, the symbol on his back, wondering if maybe I could do the same. "I think of everyone here in the village you know the least about my blood jutsu, at least in what I have discovered I can do" I stepped closer to him. "If you will allow me I believe I can open a path way in you that leads directly to me" I stroked the fingers of my right hand down the palm of my left, opening a path that was visible in the dim light, chakra rushing to wisp through the small opening in my network. "Whenever I am filled with more chakra than my body can contain, it will escape from me and travel to you"
"More chakra sounds like an advantage, what's the catch" He turned around and tilted his head, exposing his neck "I've ready been 'gifted' with such trinkets, I didn't much like the crippling side effects it delivers after" I leaned closer, another tattoo I would like to copy.
"No side effects, you would be doing me a favour is all, what I cannot contain makes me volatile in nature." I left what that meant unsaid "As a ninja you should know, recklessness kills. Would you allow me to do this? It involves blood, none of yours but a few drop of mine" He sniffed at the air, trying to determine if this was a dream "If you think this is a genjutsu, I think you will find stabbing yourself is a better deterrent"
"Ch-ah ha" He chuckled "if this is a genjutsu then it's the most pleasant one I have ever experienced… Your blood I don't mind. Red has never been my favourite colour though, don't stain my cloths" I began the process. He insisted on the placement being on his neck, where the seal was.
Sliding a kunai down the tip of my finger, I let the blood collect. Then using my gentle breeze technique I brought the blood to life, a tentacle of red, it caught alight in the steam of chakra leaving my hand. Turning the blue chakra to red, it travelled and controlled the path of the wisp of chakra. Whipping violently in the air before being brought fully under my control, now gracefully coming into contact with Sasuke's neck; a path was beginning to open. The chakra misting off of Sasuke's neck widened his eyes with a momentary panic before I was able to tame its release. My blood mist naturally wanting to consume his energy, now submitted to my authority and began to sustain the connection.
"Aaagh!" Sasuke's face stretched with pain and my thoughts scattered to what could be the source, my blood mist had never caused enough pain to be noticed before… not in this small quantity and I hadn't even activated my blood burn Jutsu. Suddenly I realised what it was, the seal on his neck pulsated a purple and then volcanic red. My blood reacted too, popping off Sasuke's neck and retreating rapidly to my chakra stream.
"Are you alright" I grabbed hold of him, his legs suddenly giving way and once again I found we were in an embrace. "Please be ok Sasuke, I don't want anything to happen to you" I clenched my jaw to the single tear that trickled down my face, I refused anymore sorrow placing him down to press my hands to him. "Blood Burn Jutsu" I said solemnly just as I did before to the Chunin knocked out by Yuu in the forest. Pouring in my chakra rather than taking his out, hoping that even though I'm not filled with chakra like I was then, hoping that it would work.
…. Nothing….
"*Gasp" He woke up, but it was not my ability that brought him back. "What happened" He asked but the wisdom returning to his eyes needed me not to say anything "I knew it, no one can help me"
…
"Stabbing with your sword is ill advised, I know what some of you think" Yuu had begun our early morning with another run through the forests at full speed, with our bamboo rods. Apparently no one had ever taught him not to run with dangerous and sharp bamboo swords. "That stabbing your opponent is easier than slashing them or hacking off limbs" The day before we were also given this morning exercise, but he defiantly caught sight of the fact that it wasn't enough to tire ninja because today we ran with stones tried to our backs and wrists. "Yet in stabbing your opponent you disarm yourself, now with your weapon no longer in hand but in their body" It was supposed to demonstrate how running with amour feels, but I caught the hint that it was just torture for being so Shippuden fit that he had to ramp up the treatment. "This disables your ability to react with speed against a sudden retaliation, even from a soon to be dead opponent; you would be surprised how fast a person can act when their life is slipping away from them." My arms and back were still chaffed and ached from the constant jostling up and down of running with a rock on my back. "You might find yourself dead even before you can pull away, because you have to remember that they still have their weapon when you pierce yours into them" Yuu turned to face away from us, the chorus of complaint still lifted high in the air and most of us including myself crashed low in exhaustion.
I rolled over onto my stomach because lying down on my side or back hurt like blazers. Pulling my arms out in front so that I could rest on them without hurting my already sore wrists, I saw Shikimaru sitting up. I was staring at his back. "What did he say, I couldn't hear over the white noise in my mind blaring pain throughout my body" I began a set of Yoga my Uncle once taught me for relieving back pain, the crocodile twist, but trying it out while on my stomach was not recommended.
"He mentioned that stabbing with a sword is troublesome because it disarms you when the weapon is in their body" Shikimaru flopped down, his head next to mine as he sat with a relaxed pose out of a some sunset romance novel. "He also said something about it disabling your ability to react fast enough to block an attack" He collapsed further to stare up at the ceiling "Not only that but an opponent with a sword in their body can still retaliate and end your life. It all sounds very troublesome to me. I would rather stare at clouds"
"Not that it matters because this is our last night, but how did you get out of training" He was so not tired, lazy but not tired, there was no redness to his wrists.
"Sure they bang pots together and tried to wake you up, but after the first morning's training I decided waking up was too much of a drag" I turned and eased myself onto my back with a grunt, listening to Shikimaru complaint was beginning to be more painful than the agony I was already in. "No one checks to see if anyone stays in for the extra two hours" he gave a long drawn out sigh like he had joined in the activity purely by experiencing the boredom of excluding himself of it, exhausted through exclusion "It's all really too much of a drag"
"Sorry to ask this Shikimaru, but why did you even come here if you hate it so much?" I still felt like a jerk for asking even though I apologised beforehand.
"It's difficult you know" He ventured off topic, or so I thought "Trying to learn about them, form patterns and habits that you can use to your advantage *Sigh" he breathed out heavy again, like something was weighing him down and pressing on his chest "And they don't want to stay in one place, troublesome"
"Either I'm going to keep apologising or you're going to have to be a little clearer than that" I tried the crocodile twist again, now that I was in the right position.
"Genin. They don't want to stay in one place, it makes it hard for me to accustom myself with their abilities so I can better utilise them in battle" Hmm, it seems we had reached an impasse; both he and I were struggling to do the same thing, and if he was finding it difficult there was very little hope for me.
"Why don't we invite them over tonight?" the sudden thought came to mind. "I hear a lot of the genin complaining about sword fighting, that they could perform better if they were allowed to use their abilities." Taka and I had said it both, but I heard it from almost every person I spared with.
"That's just something people say when they lose… wait a minute!" He exclaimed, an idea rushing to his head with the snap of his fingers. "That's an idea; we could host a match tonight. A new Chunin exam, winner becomes our Bukijutsu champion"
"Isn't that exactly what I suggested?" I rolled my eyes, the genius just nabbed my idea like it was his, when a large shadow stretched over us.
"Thought you would take it easy for your last day, well forget it! Back to your training!" The order was barked and I found myself on my feet.
"Boy am I a sucker for pain"
"I don't know, you should probably ask your doctor… we'll probably all need a visit after this"
…
"Ok you will divide up and battle out, and then the survivors of that match will battle out and so on and so on." I gave out the general bases of what Shikimaru slurred, but my explanation couldn't have been any better. The way they looked at me. "We must suck at being leaders." I told to Shikimaru.
"Why are we doing this again?" Kiba and his hound both whined at me.
"Come on, think of it as another crack at the Chunin exams. Kiba, didn't you miss out on that? Don't you want another chance at it? Come on when else do you get the opportunity to beat everyone up and prove you are the strongest"
"Alright let's do this!"Kiba seemed convinced
"I don't know" Tenten the only one without any special ninjutsu's didn't seem too eager about the whole idea, it was to her disadvantage.
"Maybe you learnt something we haven't seen yet" Shikimaru offered her. "I'm sure you could surprise us" I wondered if this was just another of his strategies, toying with our emotions.
"Sure, I could do that" Tenten was in.
"It seems impudent to use my bugs in a battle that means nothing, however, it will demonstrate to them that I am able to rely on and facilitate their ability in any situation" Shino talking to his bugs appeared to have made up his own mind without our assistance.
Hinata turned her head to look at both her team mates to her either side "If Shino-kun and Kiba-kun are willing then I will join too" I wondered how she managed to use Honorifics so easily, I personally found them such a drag like a quote from Shikimaru, just then she noticed me staring at her and shrunk "hnn" tapping her fingers together. 'Oh brother'.
Fuma and his group spoke among themselves, the others watched in speculation of why or what could be their reasons for speaking through Fuma. "If it is a battle of the sword, my team and I see no reason to protest" I looked past Fuma at Genjuu, I hadn't seen much of his sword play. I wonder if he is any good?
"What about you guys?" Sasuke who showed no sign of weakness from the previous night, addressed Shikimaru and I.
"We thought we would stay out of it since we an already Chunin this will be your chance, all of you guys chances at another Chunin exam" I folded my arms, I couldn't help the satisfying smirk of superiority on my face.
"I don't know, the Chunin exams weren't very clear" Sasukes eyes flashed, "I still feel I would have won" his personal ambition to be the best, set in.
"Ya! I want to see if I can knock your block off!" Tenten cheered rather eagerly which made me worry even more.
"Hey, things are starting to sound violent here, remember we are still your friends" I chided, hoping to set them right… nope!
Kiba Held a finger in thought in front of his face "I bet if Akumaru and I tag teamed you, you wouldn't be able to survive" his assumptions weren't very assuring.
I looked to Shikimaru, who opened his mouth to speak, hoping for support "Hey, what's a better way to get to know them" he shrugged.
"Ergh, we could talk. Have a ginger tea! Brawling seems like a steep learning curve" I clicked my wrist, why was I so worried about this.
"Well, have fun" Shikimaru walked off, not even fast or anything, he just walked off like it wasn't even a bother to him "Such a drag…"
"Since he is Chunin, we should attack him together for a better chance of success" Thanks, thanks a lot Shino!
I picked up one of the Bamboo rods that we would be using. It was pretty hard sneaking into the dojo with Shikimaru to steal them, Yuu slept there. "Ok you guys, let me show you exactly how a Chunin starts a fight" I cut a line down my palm before anyone could protest the use of real weapons "Life Blood Siphon jutsu" Putting away the kunai I slapped my hand against my fist holding the bamboo sword, letting the gentle breeze build up and blood collect before exploding outward in a red mist too thick to see through. I used the poor lighting of the night to my advantage and quickly cut my weapon through the mist. I didn't expect everyone to still be standing there in the seconds it took me to make the first bukijutsu ninjutsu combination, but at least one person was….
Genjuu!
Expecting my attack he blocked my bamboo sword with a single hand on the hilt of his weapon, his other hand pulled his fukumen away from his face and held a hand seal simultaneously. A grey vortex spun around him in fury, dashing aside the blood mist I sent to weaken and blind.
"Now it is my turn" His voice quivered with a ghostly haunted ambience before he whispered but not to me. Peeling his fukumen off and arcing his weapon across to distract while he completed his conjuring. A body of fog consumed the clearing we took as our battle grounds, blanketing the shallow grasses that make our footing easy, entering our little contest into another world as his mouth stretched into an evil smile that pleased his grey eyes.
I jumped forward to confront the caster of this other world, caught in the fog of war, bringing my sword down in what was called a 'Tremendous Horse-cutting style' a sword breaking technique that required leaping down from the sky. I was at least hoping that it hurt Genjuu's hand so that I would be able to take advantage of the injury, but in the fog he deceived me. My sword cut right through the Genjuu I thought was him. "A fog clone" I immediately swung around expecting the others to attack on my turned back, but there was no one there. Only darkness and silent fogs, the distance was eerie, the silence intimidating.
"Come out come out where ever you are" I teased, I wasn't about to let a genjutsu get to me. "Kai release!" I tried to break the jutsu, but the world of fog persisted, I was caught and there was no way out "Sigh*" I let a breath out, but the frustration gave me an clue to how I could still make this work. Tensing all my muscles I used one of my special techniques, increasing the pressure in my body I released a blood mist from my nose and scattered it with the sway of my hands; casting out my gentle breeze and a haze of blood vapour all around me. Now there was no way to get close enough to attack me without a film of blood latching to their skin.
It was then that Argies began to feel a familiar and frightful sensation with each latching of his blood onto foreign chakra, it hit him, a physical impact, each and every latch. He could feel the energy tempt him, raising and compelling him, overflowing and demanding. "More more more!" he heard its voice say but he held his hand and tried to repel the urge, forming his trembling fingers into a seal of chakra suppression. He struggled "You cannot have them" his own voice maddening, he did not know if he was battling against himself or some apparition gathered together in his mind from the fogs Genjuu cast. "Blood" it fought against him "No, I will not allow it" he fought back but to no avail "Burn jutsu!"
Kiba, Fuma and Tenten blistered with pain, but it was not enough to disable them. Yet this light burning of their chakra was nothing in comparison to the inferno of intensifying power Argies received. His chakra networks rushed with a searing energy, his blood fumed as their desire was met but not quenched; no never quenched, nothing could ever douse the flames of this hunger. "Hahahahaha!" His voice cracked into the night and then it roared with more laughter "Hahahahaha!" as the magnifying of his chakra turned his reason to maniac.
"What did you do to him?" Sasuke appeared beside Shikimaru and Genjuu who had retreated a distance together, he was referring to Genjuu's technique but madness was not the spell Genjuu cast.
"A blindness spell of the shades" Genjuu smiled despite the unpleasant turn of the situation. "This was unexpected" his eyes shone further grey as he looked at Argies "We should help him, he appears violent" he watched as Argies flew forward with incredible speed to knock Kiba across the face with the back of his hand, amplifying his strength with Chakra as well, Kiba fell down to glaring up at Argies with spite.
"This is getting out of hand, we need to do something now" Shikimaru stood up straight from his slouched position against a tree, forming his hands into a seal as a shadow stretch out under the moon's dim light "This is difficult when I can't see my shadow, but I can still make a connection if you draw him closer to where there is light" He spoke to Sasuke who nodded his head in conformation before speeding off. "I will need your help to overpower him Genjuu, from our spars together and what I've seen of your ability, I believe you have that talent" Genjuu wasn't of the same learning curve as talkative Kiba, but he was a match for Shikimaru who got tired of Hinata beating him.
"Alright"
…
In a space of minutes the battle was finally over, everyone panted and voiced the same question.
"What do we do with him? Do we report this to the Hokage? To the council of elders? To our sensei? What do we do" but each head shifted in turn to the other, unsure.
…
Disclaimer:
All The characters created by the Author of Naruto belong solely to Masashi Kishimoto every other character belongs to I and those Authors that have lent me their characters.
Do not replicate or reproduce any of my works or the works of the artists that have lent me their ideas, original characters, writings.
All content is subject to copyright and may not be reproduced in any form without express written consent from the author. Naruto Belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.