Celestial Dojo: Ninpo!
There was the Celestial Forge, which dealt with crafting skills and equipment - basically producing a Tinker in the categories used in this one set of universes.
There were others, similar in method.
Then there was the Dojo, or Gymnasium, or Academy. Instead of putting together a wormhole generator or some other technological wonder, this particular mechanism was geared along the acquisition of skills. Primarily combat skills, with a few other techniques or feats thrown in.
And a protagonist was chosen because a protagonist was needed.
* September 9 2009 *
Her first clue, if you didn't count when Emma had told her to "go off and die" when she'd come back from summer camp, was a few choice insults and then Emma's new friend shoving her.
Right over the railing and falling towards the set of concrete stairs that led down to the first floor.
She saw the slightly surprised look of the girl who'd pushed her, So-something, as if she'd not realized she was getting quite the effect intended. She also saw the gleeful/triumphant look on Emma's face. The other girl she didn't even know the name of as this was only the first day in the new school.
Then her glasses went flying off her face as everything blurred, slowed down, and...
Where the hell was she now?
There was a sound. The tik-tak-tik sound like in that game show "Wheel of Fortune" where it started out fast and slowed down just like what she was hearing from all around her.
"Hello?" asked Taylor of the void. The tik-tik stopped and there was suddenly a blue square of light in front of her.
[Suddenly! Ninja!]
[Train under tutelage of 1 or more]
[legendary ninja to begin the road]
[to become a legendary ninja hero ]
[yourself!]
[Unlocks: Basic Taijutsu, Basic Ninjutsu, Basic Genjutsu]
[Unlocks Chakra System]
Then there was another falling sensation before she landed on some grass in a deeply wooded area.
"If there is a talking white rabbit or cheshire cat around here, I'm going to be pretty vexed," stated Taylor.
"If that was a reference to something, I'm not familiar with the source material," said a deep voice and someone came out of the trees.
Big guy. Reminded her of a bear though he had some Japanese writing on his headpiece and his clothes looked distinctly Asian.
"You with the ABB?" asked Taylor.
"No. Who's the 'ABB'? Are they like ANBU?" asked the big guy.
"The gang. You know." Taylor made a gesture off to her left. "The Asian Bad Boys."
The big guy stared at her for a moment. "Okay. First. That's a really stupid name for a gang. Unless they're all eight years old or so."
"I didn't choose the name," pointed out Taylor.
"Uh huh. Well, so you're the hero who needs trained up!" The big guy stretched and cracked his knuckles. "I'll let Umino handle the basics. Mito will handle the chakra, Umino the basic training, and I'll come by and try to get you some further training if you've got the time left. We'll see. Got a name, hero?"
"I'm... I can be a hero like Alexandria?" asked Taylor.
"I don't know any 'Alexandria' but we can at least get you the basics a ninja needs. Those are skills that can always come in handy," said big guy.
"Well, I'm Taylor Hebert. Who are you?"
"Oh hang on. When I was alive I loved doing this," said the big guy, adopting a weirdly dramatic pose.
"Okay..." said Taylor.
"Some call me simply the 'Toad Hermit' but I shall tell you my true identity! I am the man who has no peers among the East, West, North, and South! Even the Heavens themselves know few to equal me! White-haired Summoner of the Toads! Men respect me! Women adore me! Those who have taste anyway. My skills are legion and my prowess substantial! One of Konohagakure's famed Sannin! Famed author! Famed ninja! Famed lover! Sometimes all three at the same time! I am..." (wooden boards clapping together in the background as he shifted to a different pose) "the noble JIRAIYA!"
Taylor wasn't sure how to react so she just unenthusiastically clapped a couple of times.
"Thanks," said Jiraiya, "I feel a lot better after that. Anyway, time's burning. For every second in your world, a year is passing here. Well, basically. It's a space between the Pure World and the Impure World and it's easy to monkey with time. Trainings going to take time anyway though."
"I take it that's my cue," said someone a lot younger who shoved his way out of the underbrush. "A forest? Can we be more cliche?"
"It's our cue," said a woman who was just suddenly there. Her red hair was bound in an elaborate style. "Are you ready, dear? In order to properly use chakra, there's a step or two. It'll be painful, but it will pass quickly."
"I supp... AHHHH!"
"A combination of your chakra and the Nine-tails?" asked a wincing Iruka Umino.
"Something like that," said Mito before smiling a little smile and fading away.
"Come on," said Iruka, helping the collapsed and woozy-looking hero to her feet. "I'll start by showing you the stretches and manipulations to take the ache out."
"My everything hurts," complained Taylor. "How does my HAIR hurt?"
"Chakra," was Iruka's answer.
"That makes no sense," complained Taylor.
"It will," promised Iruka Umino.
* Two weeks later *
"Where are we anyway?" asked Taylor as she threw the little knives at the targets.
"The afterlife. Well, an afterlife. Kind of on the border of it, actually."
"I'm dead?"
"No. You're just here because we can train you. And the rate between worlds is faster than one second there being a year here. It's a cheat, but then again - we're ninja. Of course we cheat."
"So, am I really here or am I still falling down the stairs?"
"Short answer? Yes," said Iruka."Long answer, well, it's complicated. The end result will be that the you that is falling will be merged with the you that is here. So you'll just suddenly have all the physical conditioning and skills at that particular moment."
"And the tail and ears and red hair?"
"That's what the Disguise Jutsu is for," said Iruka. "Also why I've told you to practice holding it longer and longer."
* Nine months into her training *
"Well, you're a lot better than you were," said Iruka Umino. "Genin level in taijutsu, and I think you've got the Disguise Jutsu down solid. You still need some work on the Substitution Jutsu and your Clone Jutsu... I think you need to learn Shadow Clone. Another student I had struggled in exactly the same way with that Jutsu but he was great at Shadow Clones."
"Okay."
"Once your chakra control is higher, we can start on Tree Climbing and the more advanced technique: Water Walking."
Taylor sunk another kunai into the target, but agreed that second one sounded really handy.
"I think I could use a break at some point," said Taylor eventually. "We don't need to eat or sleep here apparently, and I don't seem to get tired. Physically at least."
Iruka thought for a few moments before nodding. "I've an idea."
The school around her vanished into whiteness before Iruka stamped one foot on a surface that technically didn't exist at the moment. The scene changed again.
"Where's this?" asked Taylor, looking around in interest.
"The school and the forest were from Konohagakure, my home village in the Land of Fire," explained Iruka. "This is in a different nation. I went there on a mission once when I was new to being a chunin. This is the Tanaka Inn in the Land of Hot Springs. I think it was destroyed back during the Third Shinobi War and rebuilt eventually."
"'Hot Springs'?" asked Taylor.
"You can study medical texts or something while relaxing in the hot springs," suggested Iruka. "I'll just be over here talking with some old... associates."
Taylor had just settled into the women's section, wearing a towel, and begun to relax when the door opened and another woman came out.
"So you're the hero that Umino is training," said the woman, settling into place across from her and then leaning back.
"I don't understand a lot of this," admitted Taylor.
"It's simple enough," said the woman. "There's a cosmic multidimensional device which has a chaos element involved - the roulette wheel?"
"Ah, yeah, I remember hearing that," admitted Taylor.
"Skills come in groups and combat skills have to be learned," said the woman. "Single techniques can just be popped in, but if it's a whole group like 'basic ninja' you need to have some build up and context. So the wheel spins and you get the constellations they can connect to - which are related skills. You got lucky - your first spin ended up with ninja skills. You could have ended up with something like Tea Ceremony Martial Arts or a Special Maneuver: Fell Cleave. Even if it is just the basics, there's a lot that will be damn useful for a new hero to know."
"This has to be the weirdest cape power I've ever heard of," commented Taylor. "You know me, but I don't know you."
One eye opened to regard her, then closed again. "Tsunade. I was one of Umino's bosses."
"Ah," said Taylor, relaxing a bit. "Still, I don't think any of this will be of use against Lung or Oni Lee."
"So don't fight them," said Tsunade, not bothering to look at her. "Be a ninja. Choose your fights. Hide, avoid, escape if you can't win. Dying while fighting someone above your weight class is more of a samurai thing. Dying nobly and failing to achieve your mission? Hells, that isn't even a samurai thing."
There was a silence in the hot springs that was comfortable on Tsunade's part and somewhat tense on Taylor's part that continued on for a good fifteen minutes.
Tsunade broke the silence when she started getting out. "Don't spend too long in there. You can overheat. Oh, and you're on a Milestone method from what I was able to learn. You get points from accomplishing things in your life or hero career or some such arrangement. Do something and you trigger that roulette wheel. If it stops on something you have the points for - you buy it with those points. Otherwise it rolls over until the points and the choice match."
"How do I know what will work?" asked Taylor.
Tsunade stopped at the entry to the changing room to look back at her. "The same way all of us go through life. Try different things, find out what works and go with that."
Taylor stayed in the hot spring for another few minutes before getting out.
* Two years into training. *
"Water Release: Water Gun!"
Taylor ran along the surface of the water, shooting off bullets of water at her clone which was doing the same thing.
Iruka waited as the young ninja did so, then had her demonstrate the three techniques. She still had trouble with normal Bunshin (Clone) but could manage up to two Kage Bunshin (Shadow Clone) for short periods and had acceptable on Kawarimi (Substitution) and was very good at Henge (Disguise). Her skills at basic Academy taijutsu were acceptable, as were her skills in the basics of thrown weapons. She was slightly better at staff and kunai and shuriken, but could barely eke by with her skills in fuuinjutsu. All in all, a solid genin skillset.
"I hope we get the chance to teach you a bit more," said Iruka, producing a headband from a pocket to hand to her. "You've been a lot better than most of my students. From what I read, you're restricted to the Ninja Skillset until you make at least chunin or specialist. So we may be seeing each other again, but most likely the next time you visit it will be with someone who specializes in the skills you'll learn. Still, well done."
"Thank y-" began Taylor.
* Winslow *
She felt herself falling and reacted automatically by tucking and rolling and then landing on the uneven surface of the stairs a flight below where she'd started.
It was a bit jarring to suddenly find herself back in Winslow, looking up at the three would-be tormentors.
"What?" asked Emma's friend. What was her name again? It HAD been two years for her, even if it had been maybe three seconds for them.
Checking her watch, Taylor started hurrying towards class after picking up and pocketing her glasses. Also the worse-for-wear backpack. Lunch was over, though she felt a bit hungry at the moment. Now she had to sit through the rest of her school day but tonight?
Yeah, tonight was going to be special.
* * *
Constellations Unlocked (initial concept exploration)
01 Weapons Styles
02 Ki-based Martial Arts
03 Secret Agent Man
04 Fantasy Special Manuevers
05 Fighting Games
06 Ninja Academy
07 Appearance/Social Combat
08 Summons
09 Companions, Allies, Minions, or Pets
10 Support Skills to Pay the Bills
Weapons Styles:
01 Gimmick Archery (300)
02 Working on the Chain, Gang (200)
03 Staff, Stick, and Club (200)
04 I know Gun Fu (350)
05 Specialization in Improvisation (100)
06 Hidden Weapons Style (Hammerspace Weapons Pocket Technique) (300)
07 Way of the Sword (400)
08 Sword & Board (400)
09 Game of Throwns (450)
10 Polearm Presence (300)
Ki, Chi, or Qi: (Basic 250, Advanced 500, Late series 1000)
01 Kame Style (DB)
02 Anything Goes Martial Arts (R 1/2)
03 Chinese Medicine (various)
04 Shadow Arts (Ninja Gaiden)
05 Jedi Arts (SW)
06 K'un L'un (Iron Fist)
07 Cosmo no Sainto (Saint Seiya)
08 Hokuto Shin Ken (Hokuto No Ken)
09 Nanto Sei Ken (Hokuto No Ken)
10 Esper Arts (various)
Secret Agent Man:
01 Spy Tech (250)
02 Stealth (100)
03 Disguise (200)
04 Assassin's Creed (250)
05 Investigation (100)
06 Insight (100)
07 Electronics/Computers (200)
08 Demolitions & Disarming (200)
Fantasy Special Manuevers: (100 pts)
01 Cure Wounds
02 Elemental Affinity
03 Limit Break
04 Weapon Based
05 With a Single Spell
06 Gatling Punch
07 Steal
08 Shell I
Fighting Games: (roll for specific character) 100 basic, 250 advanced, 500 full
01 Dark Stalkers
02 Mortal Kombat
03 Street Fighter
04 Dead or Alive
05 Tekken
06 Soul Caliber
07 Guilty Gear
08 Super Smash Brothers
Ninja Academy (Intermediate) (basics already purchased)
01 Sharingan (basic) (250)
02 Puppet Techniques (350)
03 Dust Release (500)
04 Shunshin (100)
05 Wood Release (basic) (500)
06 Negative Intent Sensing (100)
07 Fuuinjutsu (Intermediate) (250)
08 1d6 random jutsu scrolls (300)
09 Barrier Jutsu
10 Advanced Medical Jutsu
11 Senjutsu
12 Kekkei Genkai (random) (500)
Appearance/Social:
01 Extreme Grace/Acrobatics (100)
02 Fashion Sense (100)
03 Costume Upgrade (100)
04 Projection: Aura of Menace (150)
05 Projection: Aura of Tranquility (150)
06 Looking Fabulous (200)
Summons
01 Signature Weapon (100)
02 Signature Vehicle/Mount (250)
03 Bag of Holding (200)
04 Insta-change costume (50)
05 Barrier Gadget (200)
06 Inventory system (100 for 4 slots, 250 for 10 slots, 500 for 24 slots)
Support Skills To Pay The Bills: (100 pts, all skills start at basic and improve with use)
01 EMT Training
02 Driver (Car)
03 Cooking
04 Sewing/Costumer
05 Computer Programmer
06 Driver (Truck)
07 Mechanic
08 Financeer