Starring:
Date: October 28, 2013
Summary:
Nariko learns Water Walking from Hiro
"Belly Flops and That Sinking Feeling"
Kanayama Hiko Training Center’s Wave pool
- It was a calm afternoon, about ~3:30 long enough to have been awhile since lunch. Outside the sky is filled with white clouds; rain could well be on the way. The air is cool for the time of year, and the northwesterly winds do little to help. Hiroyasu is waiting for his would be pupil to arrive, leaning against the wall with a towel around his neck and his usual lady killers covered by a more modest sarong. He had the wave pool reserved for official training purposes and was hoping she would be there soon. -
After running some chores and taking a nap, the young Yotsuki woman known as Nariko had changed into her swimsuit as per the instructions she received from Hiro. She was all ready to when the hawk arrived with more information from Hiro. She wrapped a towel around her neck as she left her home and headed for the Hiko training center. She was a little nervous and not sure what to expect from this. Once at the training center she wandered around and found the way into the wave pool. She would give a very polite smile and bow to Hiro when she walks in and sees him. "Reporting for training Katayama-sama." She rests her towel on the towel holder and heads over to Hiro.
- In a serene bow of his head bringing his hands together into a prayer steeple, Hiroyasu responds "Alright good, Have you had any and I mean any training of water or tree walking.. I mean besides watching someone try it at the hotsprings like 6 months ago" yeah he remembered Ogo trying to teach misaki it in front of everyone. "If not, its not a problem. You’re a bright Beariko." he says with a light chortle before pointing at the extremely still pool. "Most people claim that water is harder than tree.. but if you ask me falling into water is more preferable than cracking your head falling out off of trees and rocks.." he scrunches up his nose. -
Nariko was about to say watching Misaki, but then she closes her mouth, shaking her head. "No, I have not." She goes wide eyed. "So that’s what I have to look forward to when I learn that one? Great. Makes it seem like I don't want to try that." She was a tad terrified, but then smiles. "Well, glad I went with the water then. Worst thing that could happen is I fall in and get wet."
- Hiroyasu nods "Good news is, if you learn to do this first.. Tree walking is literally childs-play so you can avoid all the headaches" he turns and walks out of the to the surface of the water.. His feet seem to bob and float right on the surface "Now it may look simple, but I have practiced it and continue to practice it all the time." He sighs "I know you know how to move chakra so this is will be easy to explain compared to a lower experience genin or student. You have to focus chakra into your feet, creating a simple barrier between your feet and the water.. too little and you will sink.. too much as you will push the water out from under you.. I know you remember that looked like" he pauses for a moment "I want you calm your mind, and focus your chakra.. then try to take 3 steps" he says. -
Nariko looks to Hiro and listens to him as he explains how it works. "Alright, I can do this." She inhales and then exhales, closing her eyes softly to collect herself. She collects her thoughts, attempting to focus her chakra into her feet. She slowly opens her eyes and she starts to walk towards the water, placing one foot in front of the other, feeling the water beneath her. She extends her arms out to her side as she takes two more steps, balancing herself so she won't fall in.
- Hiroyasu softly applauds, "I can see your control, its… almost perfectly matched foot to foot.. Better than Your Cousin's even.." he says giving her a compliment and a breakdown that only a sensor could. "So you can walk slowly can you walk a little faster?" he demonstrates going from a casual stroll to the !oh-no its that person I don't want to talk too but if I don't move quickly they might catch me but I can seem like I am running from them..~ speed of walking. "Remember to keep your focus, any distraction or major disruptions and kerr-plunk" he says. -
Nariko smiles as she seems to get it and is complimented. "Why thank you. I don't always try to outdo him." She snickers a moment, dropping her arms just slightly. Then he tells her to move faster on the water. "I don't think I should." She says unsure of herself as she begins to move a bit faster. With every step she takes, her left foot dips and bobs back up unlike her right foot which sits cleanly on the water. Her arms move back up to shoulder height to make up for the unbalanced nature of her feet in the water. "Yikes." She mutters softly as she tries refocus her chakra better.
- Hiroyasu nods "Not as easy is it? But you managed to stay above the water.. Alright then, let’s try a jog. The heavy footfalls of a jog will really test your control and ability to adapt.." true to form, he jobs around on the top of the water, each step making a tiny ripple as he bounds across the water’s surface. "You have to pay attention to your timing and your chakra strength.. this is where most people splash their first time if they pass the first" he says jogging in a circle around her. -
Nariko shakes her head. "It’s so difficult!" She pouts a moment then he tells her to jog. ~Seriously? I might as well just jump in the pool.~ She sighs and then tries to focus herself once more. She starts off, her right leg seeming to accept the chakra more so than her left. As soon as her left foot comes down, it doesn't even try to come back up. The force strong enough to pull her forward, going head first into the water. Her feet go flying over the top of her head kicking as they come down into the water. She resurfaces, her head coming up first, blowing air out of her mouth. "Well, at least it wasn't dirt." She chuckles and sighs, water dripping down the side of her face. At least she was wearing a swimsuit.
- Hiroyasu watches with great intent both with his eyes then with his minds eye.. yep too much chakra in one not enough in the other.. When she goes head over heels into the water like a Yotsuki stone being skipped across the water, he sends out a loud continuous laughter trying to catch his breath only to find that he loses his focus and faceplants into the water in the least bit of dignity.. Still chuckling and gurgling as he comes back up.. "We can practice the water recovery after you get the basics down, so feel free to get back out and try again.." he says reaching up and pulling himself out of the water as if there was an invisible ledge and is standing back on the surface albeit a little soaked.. -
Nariko nods and swims back to shore and gets out of the water, readjusting herself. She cracks her neck, moving her head side to side. "I'm not giving up. I will do it!" She slams a fist into her palm, showing her Yotsuki determination. She closes her eyes focusing her chakra before stepping on the water again. As she opens her eyes she puts one foot on, the foot dips to her ankle, her arms snapping back up to help her gain her balance as her second foot goes down, going up to her ankle once more. She falters slightly, but catches herself and breathes out, closing her eyes to keep her focus.
- Hiroyasu is watching as she attempts and almost fails again.. but saves herself at the last moment. "Harder now, because you don't exactly weight the same as you did dry.. So let’s see you try to walk calmly towards me" he says beckoning her out into the pool. "I want you train this once a day until you can do it in your sleep.. then we turn the waves on and you learn to compensate for moving water.. After this you kind of training your chakra control and balance should be amazing.. so tree walking will make you look like some kind of prodigy.." he says giving a thumbs up in approval. -
Nariko can even feel the extra added water weight, and usually that’s a bad thing. She opens her eyes and looks to Hiro when he tells her to move towards him. She starts out cautiously, making sure her footing works and her chakra is focused just right on her feet. Her left foot dips slightly, covering the tips of her toes before it comes back up. She starts to walk a bit faster, her toes still dipping down. "I think…I think I got it." She smiles proudly.
- Hiroyasu eyes her cautiously "You sure you haven't been instructed in this.. because you are going very well considering.. then again you are quite skilled already as a Shinobi.. and Kumogakure doesn't train slouches.. and failing would mean a bad report to your family.." he say trying to cause her to become unbalanced and unfocused, with the mischievous smirk being hidden as he places his hand across his mouth and chin as if in thought. -
Nariko looks at Hiro as she continues to walk towards him, shaking her head. "Nope. Just don't want to disappoint my family." Her next step with her right falters slightly, her toes slipping under the water and then coming back up to the surface. "Eee." She says, quickly putting down her left to help stabilize her body. "This is actually quite fun. I could enjoy practicing this." She smiles, her steps repeating themselves, her right foot slipping under and causing her balance to be off just slightly.
- There is solemn nod as Hiroyasu removes his hand; the smirk dissolving into failure. "Good motivation.. If you practice this every day, then like in less than a week you should be able to actually move to the wave setting.. then after that.. we can practice sparring on the waters top.. Each level of training is twice as hard as the last.. but if you practice it.. You will have learned what people call the hardest technique to learn.. Best part is, after hard training you can just take a dip, cool off, and get in a nice swim.." he says trying to give her incentive to practice, he knew how she could be. -
Nariko looks at Hiro and smiles, seeming to have gotten the hang of this. "I like the idea of a swim. That’s the best part about training this I think." She walks over to him, her toes bobbing slightly on the surface, the chakra barrier keeping them up. "You know the best way to encourage me." She brings her hands together and claps for herself. As she does so she starts to sink in the water, but catches herself before she goes under fully. She extends her arms back out and chuckles. "Note to self: Don't clap while concentrating on water."
- Hiroyasu gives her a slight clap, "You are a wonderful study at this, but I would expect nothing less from a Yotsuki, especially one from the Land of Tea. It's like you’re all the Yotsuki package but refined." He raises a finger "Soon you will be able to do things like this.." he gains up a little speed before giving a jump, followed by a flip, before spinning in the air into diving into the water in splash.. When he surfaces "No need for a diving board!" he chides swimming around enjoying himself while she does what she does. -
Nariko looks to Hiro and smiles. "Thanks. I think I'll enjoy working on this. I'll be giving Hiei a run for his money one of these days." She walks a bit further on the water, the barrier fading slightly as she dips down to her ankles and then resurfaces after collecting herself. "I gotta stop doing that." She sighs and then raises her arms up again to keep her balance. And then Hiro shows her jumping into the water. "That is neat! I can't wait to try that out."
- "It takes time to get the control needed to sprint and leap and you can still mess it up.. The fact I was just wearing a bathing suit made it easier.. Its harder when you got your full array of weapons and clothes weighting you down and shifting around." he says floating on his back looking back at her as she fumbles about but still successful in her efforts. Hiroyasu pauses and says "Think fast" before splashing at her trying to break her concentration. -
Nariko looks at Hiro as he floats back to her. She nods and sighs. "I should probably try doing it with my stuff on. It would make it harder and would require more out of me." She smiles and then he tells her to think fast. Her arms move to her face as he splashes her. her feet dip slightly, but then she returns back up. "Gotta be quicker than that." SHe smirks, putting her arms at her sides, concentrating on her feet more.
- Hiroyasu points his finger at her "I could actually shoot something at you instead of just splashing.. nothing like live fire training right?" he smirks before waving his hand dismissive "That enough for now, I want you practice a little every day.. You can do it at the hotsprings or beach, where-ever you want.. or you can reserve the pool or use the ponds at the academy. Just try not to be a disturbance to others if you choose the beach or hotsprings.. Let’s turns on the wave pool and have some fun as reward for a job well done.. might as well, we have the pool for another half hour." yeah he thought she would be more difficult.. he didn't expect her to be so controlled and adaptive.. then again he learned it much early in his career and it was harder for him them.. -
Nariko looks at Hiro and shakes her head. "No thanks. I think I'm good." She chuckles and then nods. "I will practice it. And then Hiei can't yell at me for wearing a swimsuit or being at the beach." She really enjoyed that thought. She nods as he says he would turn the waves on. She smiles and figured she would try her hand at jumping into the water from the surface. She bends her knees and then pushes her feet on the water, sinking slightly and jumping about two inches above the water. Instead of doing a dive her body doesn't arch quickly enough and her body goes flat, the water tightening as she lands belly first on the water. "Oww." Bubbles out as she sinks below the water. That’s going to leave a mark.
