Starring:
Date: Feburary 10th, 2010
Summary:
Kukiko tests Yuzuna's abilities some.
"Hyuuga Strength"
Hyuuga Village
Once again, Kukiko would call for Yuzuna's attention. The woman currently sitting out under the shade of a rusty colored tree, in the sunlit Hyuuga Village with her legs crossed. To pass the time, she was performing simple chakra exercises, breathing slowly and letting off a few sparks of electricity from her body with each exhale. 'One. Two. Three.'
Bzzt.
'One. Two. Three.' The process going on for quite a while, people knowing to keep a reasonable distance just in cause, even though Kuki was well aware of her surroundings, mostly thanks to the use of the Byakugan, so her chances were slim to none on actually electrocuting someone. With one last spurt of electricity, she would open her eyes.
The crystalline look of her eyes would fade and her white eyes would switch back to the pale blue. "It's almost time for the meeting to take place. Her fingers gently trail across her leg, to a small dark smudge, a side-effect to a failure to properly release the lightning from those chakra pores. With just a few rubs, the error was wiped away.
The sun shines brightly though the branches, almost giving the cherry blossom flowers a gentle glow as soft pink petals drift towards the ground on the wind, breeze swirling lightly along Yuzuna and sweeping her long, dark hair around her. The young woman's pale eyes blink steadily, following the narrow path that winds its way throughout the detailed and well-cared for park. The beauty of nature comforting, only the best for the Hyuuga name, after all. She idly reaches up in front of her and curls her fingers in a grasp, catching a pink flower petal in midfall without shifting her stride, coming around the corner to where Kukiko sits patiently. Yuzuna uncurls her hand, releasing the soft pink petal between her slender fingers as she smoothly lowers herself, taking a seat next to Kuki on the ground, tucking her legs beneath her and sitting perfectly ladylike. With a quirk of a dark brow, she turns her head just slightly, giving her older cousin a glance, though the corner of her lips barely tug.
"Now, where were we?" Kukiko would start off, without greeting. "Oh, right. I had plan to see where you were combat-wise. Then you got wrapped up in that whole prisoner to barbarians mess." Kukiko raises her hand up in front of her, flaying her fingers out and inspecting her nails. "Very disappointed when I heard that, though under the guidance of a Uchiha. It's understandable."
Kukiko sighs, extending her arm to give a small sideways hug about the shoulders if allowed while softly uttering, "I forgive you." She then clasps her hands together. "Now, this will go off easier if you tell me what skills you have and demonstrate. We will then most likely begin training depending on where you currently are." With ease, Kukiko would put those slender muscles to use and rise in a fashion that almost looked like levitation, onto her feet.
"Strike me, when ready. No need to worry, I wont strike back or anything of the sort. I simply need to gauge how well you use that technique on a person… it is, much more difficult to examine when things are done in the air." Kuki would shift to the Juuken stance and nod, "Strike to kill."
Yuzuna quirks a dark brow again at her elder, listening quietly before Kukiko earns an unusual reaction. With a dark heart, she buries the side of her face in her right hand as she is reminded once more of the catastrophe that was her last mission. The subject still being sensitive it seems. "That teme killed needlessly for a distraction… Baka Uchiha never use their brains…" she growls darkly to herself, out of character to her usual stoic demeanor. Her pale eyes blink as Kuki pulls her into a sideways hug, the gesture unexpected, though Yuzuna winces slightly as she is forgiven. The mission was a failure, yes, though the whole reason that they even drew attention to them is because of the Uchiha. Still, she was part of the mission and part to blame as well.
Sighing, Yuzuna rises to her feet fluidly, much as Kukiko had. A grace known only to their clan. Flexing her hand in front of her in testing, she lifts her pale eyes to her older cousin, narrowing her gaze when the older girl shifts into the familiar Juuken stance. Setting her jaw, she lowers her chin in single nod, taking a few steps backwards before her slender feet slide into place, arms extending outwards as she settles into the Juuken stance to. Already her body was adjusting to the stance, as if it were second nature. Waiting only briefly, her pale eyes narrow as Yuzuna moves forward, pushing out her palm in a blur towards Kukiko's chest. "Juuken Strike!"
Kukiko watches Yuzuna closely, glad to see that she was trained well in the physical aspect, hopefully she was also trained well in the technique department. There have been much too many confident Hyuuga who learned the skills, though never learned how to use them. The stance was given a quick look over and she gives an approving nod, "Could use a bit of work, though very good for your age. Now, for the main course."
A gentle smile would be given and the woman invites Yuzuna in for a strike with a look in her eyes, the palm shooting forwards quickly, though in a readable fashion in the eyes of a Jounin. Quickly side stepping, she would twist her body out of the way, the jangling of her large bell tail going off as she whips about. "Hrm… nice speed. You're missing something big though." Kukiko smiles, not telling her what was wrong, instead beckoning with her hand for the assault to continue.
"I've heard you halfway mastered one of the Main Family's secret techniques, let's have a look at that one too while we're in the whole Juuken strike department…. also don't forget your Byakugan this time around, Juuken Palm may be somewhat effective without it, though if you really plan on making use of the Eight Trigram techniques you must activate it." Yuzuna then watches closely, eyes scrutinizing every part of Yuzuna's body, this is not a technique she can be casual against.
If Yuzuna had activated her Byakugan, she'd notice the Jounin's chakra starting to build. Just in case more extreme measures were needed to protect herself.
Yuzuna manages to keep herself from rolling her pale eyes, though she does sigh briefly as she closes her eyes and relaxes her arms enough to roll her shoulders, stretching her muscles in a flex, "This is the first time I have practiced since I was released from the hospital. I can not be expected to demonstrate an accurate range of my abilities without working up to that point." she murmurs passively. The corners of her eyes bulge with activation of the Byakugan as she opens her eyes. The corner of her lips tugs slightly, the smirk subtle. "And I will master all of them soon enough…" Yuzuna suddenly blurs, rushing forward with another attack as momentum focuses through her arm at Kukiko, "Juuken Strike!"
"Once again…" Kukiko would start, barely managing to move aside from the strike this time around. "The speed is there. Though you are lacking the technique, it is very predictable." Her foot slides back, hands raising up as she re-enters the Juuken stance. "Of course, most of the predictability comes from me having the same training as you… I understand you haven't a been a Chuunin for far too long, correct?"
Kukiko would start to slowly step around Yuzuna, "The key to mastering the Juuken Stance is not hours of following your teachers' exercises. No, most that are dubbed a genius really don't have the proper knowledge to push beyond the training, I was not a prodigy though now… I have managed to be one of, if not the most well-versed in the Juuken Techniques."
Kukiko nods to Yuzuna, "Make it your own, your body type. It is good for multiple and elusive attacks like mine. Do not go for the simple palm strike, instead manipulate the chakra flow to your fingers. Go for the strike, though try to read your enemy and place your attacks in a position that will get them to move in your favor." She would demonstrate by throwing out her palm, "Then." In a snap her wrist would twist, her fingers each going in different directions, almost looking twisted. "Once they move to the side, turn your wrist to aim for five of the chakra opening about the heart or, anywhere you please. It requires a lot more motion to avoid such a simply twist of the wrist than actually doing the twist itself… that is just one demonstration. Though there are many ways to take advantage of the Juuken Style's lack of need in force or movement… now."
Kukiko would gesture to herself, "Try once more."
"I am using straight forward attacks for a reason." Yuzuna murmurs as she twists her body, following Kuki's movements as he steps around her. Instead her other hand strikes out at an angle, fingertips focused with chakra as she aims for a chakra point at Kukiko's side. She narrows her pale eyes as she listens, though remains silent as she absorbs the teachings and lowers her chin slightly in a single nod at the command. Pulling out a kunai from the ninja pouch at her side, she throws it towards Kuki's head, aiming for the older her to dodge it and move straight into the line of attack she has prepared with her other hand. The kunai then will slam and lodge itself into the trunk of the tree behind them, Yuzuna's attack aiming for Kuki's right arm.
"For a reason you say?" Kukiko would watch Yuzuna cautiously still, making sure to stay away from any other attacks. "Mmmhmm.." She would then squint at Yuzuna as the kunai gets sent her way, causing Kukiko to duck under it. 'Caught me a bit off guard there, am I really getting that sloppy without the use of Byakugan?' A bit disappointed in herself, and the long period of peace, she'd barely catch on that Yuzuna was coming in again, this time with a slightly different approach.
"Distractions." She quickly flips over Yuzuna, using only just enough energy to get over her without leaving herself in the air too long. Lightly landing on the tips of her toes, Kukiko would slowly ease herself down to her heels and give an approving nod. "Well then just with those simply attacks, I'm sure you'd do fine in the squad. I somewhat see where I'll have to work with you. Though that'll go better once I find another appropriate member… kill two birds with one stone, perhaps?"
The words directed at Yuzuna, though truthfully they were just thoughts out loud. "Better yet. I'll assign you your first task. Head out, live your life as a ninja and in the next week come back to me with a list of Chuunin or Genin that you wouldn't mind working with and I'll figure it out from there." A slow nod given, all the while keeping an eye on Yuzuna, just in case there was something else she wanted to show.
Yuzuna narrows her gaze slightly, frowning briefly as she glances over her shoulder to watch Kukiko land lightly on her feet. Her expression softens briefly with a faint chuckle as she turns to face her cousin a little bit better, shaking her dark head at herself, "I still feel like I am only living up to the standards of a Genin… I need to work harder…" she murmurs lightly. Listening to Kukiko, she arches a dark brow at her skeptically for a moment or so, the Byakugan fading as she rights herself from the Juuken. "I am perfectly fine with working side by side with anyone that is assigned to the team." Her expression darkens slightly as she turns her eyes towards the side, turning and wrapping her hand around the handle of the kunai she had thrown and pulls it out of the side of the tree. "However, if you wish for my advice perhaps Uchiha Satoru would not be the wisest of choices…"
"Well it's somewhat good to have a negative outlook on yourself, as long as you continue to make the outlook productive and use it for training. Don't let it eat you alive though!" Kukiko then takes in what Yuzuna says, smirking at the last comment. "Ah excellent advice, would be a bad idea getting another Jounin! Though I did hear he was pretty young, maybe I can supply some life lessons of the sort if he were to join my team…" A bit of a giggle comes from Kuki before she gives Yuzuna a small nod. "I'll keep an eye out for other potential members. Meanwhile, you work on your Juuken Strikes, I have a technique to teach you that might help you out in the long run. Train hard for now." With that, Kukiko turns about and starts heading out of the village, bell swinging left and right behind her as she goes out for another round of scouting, hopefully proving more successful this time around.
Her usual stoic express is still diminished as Yuzuna grumbles and buries the side of her face in her hand again. Usually is isn't this emotional at all, much less so expressive about it. Even if it is just aggravation. "He is not a Jounin… he is a child at best…" she murmurs, auditable though mostly to herself. "Any academy student would have more experience at distractions than he does…" Glancing to her cousin, she narrows her pale eyes briefly as the other girl giggles. With a slow breath, Yuzuna lowers her chin in a slight nod as she slips the kunai into her pouch once more, stoic expression in place. "We will train together later, when it is at your convenience. In the meantime, I will train diligently."
