Starring:
Date: September 14, 2013
Summary:
Akimichi Noab presents Katsurou with his flak jacket as proof of the Chuunin Rank.
"Katsurou's Flak Jacket"
Ninja Academy - Courtyard
The flak jacket. A symbol of a ninja's advancement to chuunin rank. Why? Or more importantly, why not before? Don't genin need the protection even more? Well, if you were going to send them on the sorts of missions where flying shrapnel is a significant concern, maybe. e.e Generally genin are kept away from B-rank stuff like that, although the narrative need for drama tends to throw them into such life-threatening situations anyway. You could say that bestowing the protective gear on a new chuunin is a way of saying, 'You're in the big leagues now, you're gonna need this.' Not that all chuunin and jounin choose to wear it, for their own stylisticstrategic reasons.
Today Noab is at the academy, waiting to issue such a jacket to one of the exam participants who earned their way into chuunin. If he was superstitious, he'd probably mutter a few charms to help the jacket protect its wearer. Instead, he's got something a little more…psychological in mind.
Katsurou walks along the trail that would lead him to academy courtyard where he was told to meet Akimichi Noab in order to recieve his flak jacket. The Shirayuki couldn't help but to think back on his long crazy journey to this point. Never would he imagine a year ago he would be here, doing this. But after a long series of crazy events, here he was. Being promoted in a village that he had sworn against when he watched Leaf nin take his father from him as a kid. Now instead of fighting against them he was fighting for them, and with great pride. Even if that meant fighting against the village he grew up in. Kiri was no longer his home, his home was now Konoha and he was going to protect it and watch it grow with every breath of in his body.
Once Katsurou had entered the courtyard, he stops and kneels down onto one knee a few feet in front of Noab. He bows his head and says, "Shirayuki Katsurou reporting as instructed, Sir." His voice was his usual calm, but stern tone. He would stay kneeled down until instructed otherwise.
Noab motions upward. "At ease, soldier. Come stand over here, got a little demonstration for you." Noab holds up the fresh new flak jacket. "This is yours now, hopefully it'll save your life a few times. Expecting that it'll be necessary, of course." Noab calls out over his shoulder. "All right, practice time!" A sensei brings a class of students out and lines them up. He then places a practice dummy in front of them, with a tattered old flak jacket on it. Noab holds up a hand while the sensei retreats to safety. "Remember, there's a chocolate bar for anybody who manages to strike wood. Ready…aim…throw!" Noab drops his hand, and the students all give their best shuriken toss at the dummy. >.< Most of them clatter off the protective jacket and fall to the ground around the dummy, but a few stick by hitting the edges of the dummy where the jacket doesn't cover it. One even finds a thin spot in the material and pierces through, if only by a needleprick. "Lesson one," Noab says, speaking to the class even though this is mainly for Katsurou's benefit. "Armor protects you from most of the projectiles, but not all of 'em." Noab hands Katsurou a few shuriken and kunai. "Here, take a few shots yourself. Try to get a feel for what it takes to get through it. Get in close and stab it a couple times, even."
Katsurou would take the jacket from Noab and slide his arms through it it. He chose to leave the jacket unzipped thus revealing as much of his bare upper body as he could. It was then he watches the kids gather with sharp projectiles at the ready. The Shirayuki would chuckle slightly as he watches them try their hardest for that chocolate Noab has promised them. As the dust settles, Katsurou takes note of where the kunai and shuriken had stuck on the post and vest.
When Noab offers Katsurou the shuriken and kunai he would look down at them then take them into hand. "Hmm, i am not much for throwing projectiles but I suppose I can take a few stabs at it." With that said, he makes his way towards the vest that was now a pin cushion. The kids would part for the older shinobi though they would huddle around Katsurou once again and watch as he stabs various parts of the vest. He does this to test the weak and strong spots of the vest.
Noab allows Katsurou to jab at the vest for a while, then speaks up again. "That's enough. There's one more thing I'd like to demonstrate, and these kids need to get back to class." Noab waits until the dummy is clear, then forms a few handseals. A cylinder of earth shoots up at an angle and strikes the dummy in the midriff. With a splintering of wood, the top half of the dummy goes flying, taking the jacket with it. The jacket withstood the blow without tearing open, but of course… "Lesson two: there are ways of doing damage without needing to pierce the armor. Dismissed!" The kids head back into their classroom chattering about how they're gonna be able to do stuff like that someday and pffft why weigh yourself down if it can't protect you from stuff like that and hey you gonna share that chocolate bar? c.c Noab nods to Katsurou. "You're free to go too."
Katsurou would leap sideways in order to avoid the cylinder that slams into the jacket. The Shirayuki would note lesson two as he assesses the damages to the wooden post and jacket after Noab's technique had crushed it. At the command of the students being dismissed, Katsurou would turn and watch them head back inside. He would chuckle slightly as he overheard some of the kids debating as they walked along the path leading in. Then Katsurou got his orders shortly after. "Very well." He says offering Noab a slight bow then making his way out of the courtyard unless stopped otherwise.
