Starring:
Date: Unknown (log received July 23, 2012)
Summary:
Further training with Kuoroke putting Asao under duress while having to rely on just the chakra senses
"Asao sensory training pt 3"
Sunagakure training hall
It was the middle of a morning, sunlit, hot, and with a strong breeze that failed to bring any coolness. It was a time inauspicious in anything but the fact it happened to be when Kuoroke had a spot of free time to further push the newest prospective sensor-nin in the village to developping his skills in a heightened -some would even say medically alarmingly rushed- pace. This particular trait of the morning was the reason that Kuoroke had sent for Asao to arrive into one of the training rooms of the academy, where all was being prepared for him.
When a council member summons, you go. Thus, Asao's materials in the office of the puppeteer HQ was cleaned up and he was there, exactly at that proper moment for when the note said he was to show up. He was reading that book 'repairing clockwork gears' as he walked along, stopping at that exact point outside of the door in the training room. Closing the book, it would be put in the bag along with Tokkan as he looked up and around. "Kuroki-san. I am here as requested. How may I assist you, council member?"
"We'll be continuing your training today." Kuoroke promised. The room contained a few dummies. One of them wore a strange suit - made of thick padding, with a helmet that included something reminiscent of earmuffs, as well as a non-transparent visor, and a thick mouth mask. Most of the other dummies were quite heavily damaged, showing damage from blunt force, as well as acidic burns. Those of them which were not too damaged, wore the ragged remains of similar suits.
Kuoroke picked up his cloak, flexing his -gloveless- hands for a moment. "You can perform while focussed, and at rest. Now we'll see how you perform when focussed, and under pressure. Get dressed in that, it will shut off your other senses, forcing you to use your chakra detection. Then, focus on my chakra and follow me." The Kuroki motioned to yet another one of the suits, hanging on a hook in the room.
Studying the situation for a moment, Asao would give a slow nod. "I am still able to use Tokkan as is my normal path?" Asao would shrug off his pack, settling it on the floor by the door as he gathered up the materials. Slowly, he would put on the outfit, waiting until he had an answer before the helm was put on. His own ear muffs were taken off to be left with his bag as he'd prepare to put on the isolationist ear muffs as well. "I tend to fight through Tokkan, afterall."
"Once we're in place, I will tap you on the shoulder, hard enough to feel. After that, you simply dodge." With these final instructions, Kuoroke looked over the puppet for a few moments, glanced at the damage he'd done to the dummies. The one dressed in a suit was now, except for the fact it was mounted on a pole, virtually indistinguishable from Asao himself. "You are allowed to use him as a means of sensing, but nothing more." the Councillor generously allowed.
Once the boy's other senses were thoroughly shut off, turning the world around him into a lukewarm, soft, featureless, silent darkness, Kuoroke prepared to become a clear beacon. The tattoos around his body lighted up, first the ones that simply reinforced his own motions, then the tattoo skates under his feet, and finally even his shields unfurled. Then, he slowly walked out of the room, heading down the corridor, occasionally looking over his shoulder to check if Asao was still following.
Asao looked at Tokkan, before a nod was given. He blocked himself off from the world. Once nothing else worked, that chakra sense sharpen for him. With the light bulb going off before him, he'd nod to himself and head after the glowing tattoo man. Tokkan unfolded out of Asao's bag, falling in step behind the blind and deaf Asao. They walked along behind Kuoroke. This was going to be interesting for sure, the council member had something in mind to assist Asao with his training and Asao was going to do his level best to work with the council man to get it fully developed.
The room Kuoroke lead Asao into had been prepared for the training well. Once they'd arrived there, Kuoroke stopped, walked to the boy, and patted him on the shoulder firmly, before moving back to the far wall, and dropping into a battle stance. Then, he quickly moved at Asao. But, the bright beacon of chakra that the Kuroki had turned himself into was not the threat Asao was supposed to be dodging.
Kuoroke had found a student with maximal chakra control and minimal chakra output, thus making him a very hard target for a sensor nin to detect. And, having found this person, he had instructed him to place several entirely inert chakra tags around the room, and hide outside. Now, as he had been instructed, the student walked into the room behind Asao, unheard, unseen, and barely detectable as a source of chakra, especially with Kuoroke both generating every bit of background radiation he possibly could, and posing as a very credible threat, and set off the first one, not too close, but close enough to throw Asao off his feet should he fall.
Tokkan was in the corner of the room, walking against the wall. Asao couldn't exactly see, so didn't know it was time to stop the puppet from walking. At the tap, everything stopped. The ticking surged even further as he'd wait. The beacon was easy to avoid, Kuoroke was never allowed to be near. Those tags however, were much harder to deal with. The sudden burst would cause Asao's attention to shift, realizing first, Kuoroke was not here alone and second, he wasn't going to be able to track or predict where it was going to come from. While the tag didn't throw him off his feet, it did cause him to stumble, the second strike coming in almost managing to get him. Then he launched upward with his own burst of chakra to allow him to stick to the ceiling. Looking in the sense of watching for chakra paterns, Asao pushed himself further. For one moment, that room's entire area was clear to him, passive chakra, the hidden second person.. then nothing but the overwhemling tattoo light bulb. Interesting. Very interesting.
Kuoroke directed the boy to another Tag, this time one closer to the trainee, and, himself, created a minor diversion. His hands met, creating a quick series of handseals, and wind chakra gathered behind Asao, making a small, but violent and erratic, funnel that would be liable to toss someone of his feet if they were there. At the same time, his student accomplice lit up the other tag, again blasting at Asao. Kuoroke, himself, lifted his shield at the last instant, protecting himself from the blast.
Asao's head bowed. This was getting harder. The chakra seals were definitely disruptive to his chakra sense. Although he saw the wind gathering behind him well before it would start to cause the area to have that wind howling around. Within his darkness, he saw it as a need to avoid again. Moving, he lept from the roof back to the floor, landing into a three point crouch as he prepared himself. That sneaky second person was starting to show up. Either Asao's sensory was tuning further under the assault, or the kid was leaking chakra. Either way, Asao started putting the helper between him and Kuoroke. Maybe the easiest way to show Kuoroke that he was seeing the assistant.
Kuoroke ramped up his chakra output, creating several of these funnels all around the room, in an effort to conceal the boy. Both the councillor and the student moved rapidly through the room, the latter sometimes helped or even outright carried by the former, as this happened, setting off the explosive tags prepared in a pattern designed to keep Asao off guard, and forcing him to move quickly while keeping his focus on something he could barely see.
Asao kept up, for a few moments, however, the chuunin just wasn't as fast as the jounin. The pattern over and over, faster and faster until Asao finally couldn't keep up. The wind funnel caught him. While he saw it, sort of, within the blur of all the other chakra flying about the room, it still managed to grab him, spin him around three times and slam him against the wall. He'd slide to the ground and was still for a long moment.
Kuoroke stopped, once Asao had been pressed to his limit, taking a breath, himself. The student, too, had had quite a workout, but it was probably good for him, too. He let his assistant leave, while moving to Asao, and pulled him up on his feet. With his other hand, the Kuroki yanked the helmet off his head, checking if he had to get the trainee to medical aid.
Blinking at the sudden light, Asao was looking about for a moment, getting his orientation before looking at Kuoroke. "That.. was intense. Thank you for the assistance, Kuroki-san." Sitting up, he'd look himself over for a moment before giving a nod. "I should be ok after a moment."
"Excellent!" Kuoroke smiles contently when he sees it's unnecessary to get the medic-nin team involved into this. He's not, however, done teaching his poor victim. Sitting down next to him, he asks, "Now, just one more thing. Can you explain to me what the purpose of this training was?"
Asao would give a nod of his head. "Thank you, Kuroki-san." Leaning up against the wall, he would give a nod again. "I believe so.. By denying every other sense, I was forced to use my sensory training to learn what was going on and where." Looking at the surroundings, he'd give a small nod. "Under duress, the sense responds faster, to keep me out of harm's way." Looking back to Kuoroke he'd shrug slightly. "How do you consider how I did? You were using wind chakra to try and trip me up as I moved to avoid the seals that were set all over."
"Actually, to try to distract you… you running into it wasn't part of my plan." Kuoroke answers. "And, yes, but that's not all there is. When you came in here, you were focused on me, and you were not aware of the help I'd brought. This is a general rule that applies to all senses, but that needs particular training for this: even when focused on one thing, be aware of what's happening around you." Kuoroke got up, and moved to the door. At the exit, he paused and turned back. "Not a bad show, all in all. Keep working. Got anything to add, before I go?"
Asao would think for a moment, before giving a shake of his head. "No, Kuroki-san. I realize now, the extra person was the actual target I needed to avoid. That was hard to do with everything going on. Thank you for the assistance. I will continue working on my sensory training so that I will be better and faster next time."
