Starring:
Date: March 21, 2012
Summary:
Eremi was spending a decent amount of time training, not even bothering to go home for the night. Deciding it best to rest as little as he could, before starting things up again. Etsu was out on one of her bug hunting expeditions, only to find Eremi instead.
"Late Night Session"
Konohagakure, Genin Training Area.
It was night time in Konoha, well past the evening and the sun having set several hours ago. The sky was clear, allowing complete visibility of the stars and moon up above. This granted some visibility throughout the area where the overgrown trees that were beginning to regain their spring time coat didn't block out the view.
Still, it was late and most of the citizens of the village have gone off to bed or are getting ready to. There are a few guards that are stationed near the gate and certain spots around Konoha, taking up the duty of night watch. As of late there were a few more guards then normal, what with the daimyo's niece being kidnapped. These were extra precautions just in case, nothing more and nothing less.
None of this mattered to Eremi though. Not really. It was shocking to discover one of the most promising genin that he fought against, turned out to be the one that was kidnapped, but there wasn't anything he could do about it. Not as a genin really. He could only wait for a higher ranked individual to make the call and Eremi just needed to show his willingness to help. Not tonight though.
For now he was sprawled out in the middle of the fields, near a small and contained fire that gave him warmth and more light around the area. There were a few sticks stabbed into the ground on opposite sides of the fire and a rabbit skewered through, rotating over the flames. It's been a long day for the boy, catching up on whatever training he could and wanted to get a fresh start as soon as he was ready to do so. After he was done resting and relaxing he would start up again. A sigh escaped him as he looked up to the sky, thinking to himself.
A number of insects were sent across the landscape in random amounts, looking like shadows under the moon. They were searching for things that ordinarily couldn't be found by Etsu in the darkness. There was always something to be found at night and the girl liked to capitalize on it at anytime she could. While walking along with her kikaichu, some indicated to her that there was something warm around here. Something warm like a fire and a person was present, but who? She decided to take a look to figure out who it was.
As the kikaichu continued scouting, they indicated to her the person was someone familiar to her. When she arrived, she saw that it waas Eremi. She hasn't seen him ever since they went on collection together.
Still being lost in his own thoughts, Eremi hadn't noticed the presence of another/s. His eyes coming down from the sky to focus on the rabbit that was almost down. He reached for a sharpened stick that was resting next to him and clenched it in one hand before poking at the morsel for the night. The light of the flames danced acrossed his hand, showing the dried blood that had mixed with the dirt on his knuckles. He was pushing himself hard lately, harder then normal. He felt as if he didn't do such, he would surely be surpassed by others that had easily caught up to him and already left him behind.
A few more pokes to check the tenderness of the cooking rabbit before placing the stick next to him and leaning backwards on both his hands. Eyes remaining fixed on the flames and his food. It was all that was keeping him from continuing his training. A full stomach that is. Proper nutrition not being something a taijutsuist should ever give up.
Etsu walked over and stood next to Eremi silently, the flame's reflection flickering on her goggles while the kikaichu made their way around his small camp. They even went as far as looking into the stick he used. "Hello," she greeted him, hands stuffed into her large pockets. "You should go take a bath. Your hands are likely to get an infection."
It was at the time where the greeting was spoken, that Eremi had taken in a large breath. The sudden shock of another being near him causing him to choke on his own air and slip backwards off his hands, landing backwards on his head. "Ow." He was a bit dazed, blinking in confusion until his eyes focused and spotted Etsu. Should have known, she's always been quite sneaky and probably unintentional. Then again.
He pushed himself up back to his sitting position, cleaning himself off a bit and looking up at the girl. "Hey Etsu. Umm.." He didn't bother ask her what she was doing out so late, the answer could range from anything. "I'm just about to eat." Gesturing toward the rabbit. "You're welcome to join me if you want." He ignored the statement about his hands getting infected
"I'm not hungry," Etsu decided to sit on the ground after she spoke. "I'm out looking for something and I ended up running into you instead." At this point, she isn't sure if she's going to find the thing that she wants, so she lifts her hands to call her insects back to her. There was a great wave of them that returned to her sleeves to retreat back into her body. "Why are you training so hard? You shouldn't be bringing so much harm to yourself."
Eremi smiled sheepishly, "What doesn't kill me makes me stronger right?" He shook his head at the thought, knowing it to not be true. Slowly he shifted a bit, bringing his knees into his chest, grasping them tight and looking in to the fire. "I don't have many options like everyone else. If I train hard I barely advance and if I train normally, it's like I'm standing still." A glance would be given to Etsu, staring at her covered features. "I want to be a great shinobi and some day I know I will, I just don't get why I have to try harder then others who can so easily achieve it."
"Taijutsu is a difficult medium to train because you're using your body instead of the chakra that flows within," Etsu starts. "All you're using is your own phsyical strength which has limits unlike ninjutsu and genjutsu which is only limited by how much chakra someone has to give. I think what's happened to you is that you've become stagnant and there's nothing that's challenging you enough to go beyond that line." She explained. At least, that's what she thought it was. "I don't know what you can do to cross that line, but harming yourself won't help."
Eremi nodded his understandment, "No ones really explained it to me really. So that makes sense actually." He pulled his hands in front of him, looking at the knuckles, how badly scarred and bruised they were. "I don't know what I can do to cross that line either…The gates only help push me pass the line, but it doesn't set a new one. You know what I mean?" He shrugged, grabbing for the skewer that held the rabbit up. It was already cleaned, just a husk of lifeless meat now. Since Etsu claimed she didn't want any, Eremi didn't let that stop him from taking a bite out of the side and begin chewing.
Etsu nodded. "I know what you mean… I can't relate, but I know," though she gives it some extra thought. Her words didn't sound right to her. She hummed and shook her head. "Actually, I take that back. I can relate. The majority of my early life was spent trying to get just enough stamina to stay alive and then enough to move…and enough to learn… I had to force myself to do a lot of things, most of which ended horribly, but there was always just enough that I was able to benefit," she then looked to Eremi and continued. "And all of it built up and became just enough for me to go to school and learn. I had to make up for my weaknesses by developing a strength. A lot of willpower. I don't have enough strength to use for physical duties, but I have learned to control my chakra enough that I won't waste my stamina in order to use it. So, I think you still have a ways to go, even if this wall is here now. It'll be torn down eventually."
"Wow." Eremi said with wide eyes and a mouth full of food, "I guess you really had to struggle too." He looked from Etsu, to his meat and took another bite. Swallowing, then continuing on, "My only struggle…besides my taijutsu, would just be being born into the Satonezu clan. Their timid and nervous behaviors being the only natural wall for me really. I feel I'm getting past it, but…I mean it will make me a great shinobi in one way, but not in the way I'm looking for." Taking a few more bites to finish up the rabbit, then placing the corpse into the fire for it to burn. He then rubbed at his hands, feeling the pain in the knuckles as he touched them. "I hope so. About the wall that is. It seems massive from my point of view and just won't budge." He shrugged.
"I didn't take into account your clan. That is something that will be harder to get past…or easier if you know how to handle it. I think you should consider working towards a goal that compliments your timidity and nervousness." Etsu offered. "The wall will budge, but you have to believe it can. What you're doing is training in frustration and it can be…both good and bad. I want you to make it something good. You'll be strong. It may take some time, but you will. Don't think you're behind anyone else. You're not behind me or any other person. Besides…I use bugs."
Eremi shook his head, "That I do not. I don't think anyone in my clan truly knows. If they did, I'm sure they'd share it right away. The clan can only grow stronger as a whole, not one individual profiting and considering the rumors of how well the Satonezu work well together in combat, I can't imagine one trying to go solo." The boy smiled as he looked toward Etsu, "Thanks, I really appreciate what you're saying, but I'm definitely behind you." He laughed, "I've seen you in combat and…I wouldn't want to go up against you." Turning to look back into the fire, "Besides, there's Naru. I remember my first spar with her and she couldn't even touch me and she just wore herself out. The most recent time though, it was practically reversed. She used genjutsu on me, something I've never experienced before and I was completely helpless. I'm definitely behind her too now. Even the gates couldn't help against that." The fire was starting to die as it burned into the carcass so Eremi reached for his poking stick and began to move around some of the wood to spread the flames and allow oxygen in. "I guess the next thing to consider is a challenge for me though. There's a lot out there I'm sure, it's just finding a way to approach it."
"Now you have something to work on. Maybe working on defenses against genjutsu will strengthen you up and reveal new things to you. You can still learn from other forms of jutsu, even if you don't use them yourself," Etsu offered. "Comparing yourself to others like Naru and I will do you no good. I'm not good in taijutsu, so I wouldn't be able to beat you in it. My strength is ninjutsu, which covers for that weakness. Still, I think I can learn a little something in studying taijutsu. Like knowing pressure points or knowing the right kind of force to apply in order to maximize damage." Etsu turned her gaze on the fire. "Approaches are important in any form of jutsu and applies equally in the mundane activities of life. I think you'll find a way and gain an advantage in the process."
Eremi nodded, "It's all possible I guess, training in any form will move you ahead and that's really what I'm looking for." Turning to his side, he used his arms and pushed himself up to his feet before straightening out and rolling his neck and arms some. "When ever I get a chance, I try to study the handsigns others use to determine what type of attack they might use. (ooc :thinks of possible defense)It helps with knowing the proper way to defend, simply side stepping or completely jumping out of the way. Those great fireball's are pretty massive." He smiled, having gone up a fair amount of them, "Though for now, at least to finish off the night, all I can do is train the way I know how." He walked over toward the fire, kicking the makeshift grill apart and spreading the wood further out with his shoe before kicking some dirt on top of it to smother the flames. It made the area darker, covering it in the night, but not so much the two of them couldn't see each other. The moon and stars helped with that.
