Starring:
Renji, Meruin, Sekisetsu, Gin, Suzume
Date: June 26, 2010
Summary:
The kirigakure Jounin, Ibaraki Renji, led a training excercise of sorts, to help improve the offensive capabilities of those present. The genin Meruin and the student Sekisetsu were his two attendees for this excercise. The premise is, simply, do your best to hit him, and if you succeed, he gets to hit you back. Gin and Suzume kept watch, eyeing the newer batch.
"Success & Pain are one in the same"
Black Sands Beach
It is early afternoon at the black-sanded beach of the Land of Water, and sitting on the ground is a certain shinobi…lazying about like usual… of course when not on duty. His stunning sea-blue eyes stare out at the ocean, traversing it's large vicinity, looking for something interesting while he waits. Waits for what? For students and genin to show up after he put out an offer to help them train. The Jounin, Renji, wonders how many will show up… not caring either way. With a deep yawn, he shrugs and lays back on the ground, not caring too much about the sand.
Meruin could soon be seen approaching from over the horizon, cross the waters where white sand turned to black. He looked to see the Jounin who was, apparently, to be his teacher for this evening. He had thought it odd for a little amount of time, as training with him could be nothing but a waste of time when he had what he did at the clan. But, he let it pass as he had been ordered, and he did not disobey. This was likely for him to get information on the Jounin. "Reporting."
As for Sekisetsu, the girl would have no idea that this training had been schedule. In fact, when she would be seen coming across the horizon, she wouldn't even be dressed for it. Girl had on the prettiest yukata, that she ever wore, a cherry blossome behind her ear, and for the sake of argument, was made up cute with some nice blush and eye liner. Where in the hell did Seki think she was going? "Hmmm.. nope.. this ain't it either! I could have sworn the party was around here somewh-….mmmmm…" Yep, look like she spotted Meruin. "What the hell are you doing here?!~", being said before she would walk toward the two folks, and look on, to Renji especially, once he had gotten into view.. Who was this? Meow… Sekisetsu would blush, and skip in closer before she would smile, and coo out a soft.. "Hi…"
Having caught wind of the training with the Jounin at the beach, Gin had decided that coming along to simply come along in order to watch what would happen. He had yet to actually see anyone else attempt to train the newer Genin and had openly hoped that perhaps this would give him a good idea on who exactly to take on missions so in the end, this would be an excellent time to scout some talent. Arriving behind the others and staying quiet and out of the way, Gin holds his hands behind his back and watches. The entire time, that smile never leaves his lips.
Renji continues to lay back on the black-sands of the beach, staring up at the sky until hearing the approaching youngsters, spotting the two as he sits up. The boy is stern or so it seems, and the girl is… odd. Standing to his feet, he replies, "Hi." His voice is lazy and laid-back, those sea-blue eyes staring at the pair as he stands to his full height. "Why are ya dressed like that, girl?" A quirk of an eyebrow, but then he shrugs, adding, "It might get ruined today… Too bad." A smirk touches his lips and his hands slide into his pockets… before demanding, "State your names, would ya?"
Meruin looked at Sekisetsu without apparently feeling anything at her appearance. He opened his mouth to speak, to reply to what she'd asked of him, but he promptly let is slide back closed, as she had already diverted her attention to something she found more pleasing. So, he simply looked Renji in the eyes and did as asked, "Okumo Meruin." That done, he turned and began to sweep the area with his gaze, feeling that something…. something…
"Huh? What do you mean, get ruined? What are you talking about?! I got a party to go to! I am actually an hour late!!" Seki would whine a moment more about random stuff, like how long it took to do her hair, and then about how she had been needing a new obi, because eating to much candy caused her old one not to fit well, all before her name would be asked.. "Ummm.., Kuroenko Sekisetsu.. I still don't know what you got planned… um.. who are you again? And also, who is your trainer! Teehee!", being said with a little eye twinkle, and a blush so red, that the girl would look like a cherry with a Kimono on.
Eyes narrow at the introduction Sekisetsu gives to the Jounin and he shakes his head as he approaches from the woodline, the young Chuunin shaking his head lightly as he makes his approach. His grin precedes him of course, the young boy shaking his head lightly. "Now is that any way to make a first impression on your teacher?" The Chuunin states plainly as he cocks his head to the side and lets a shadow cross his features, only his grin and silver-blonde hair being visible. "I am Yashamaru Gin…" He says simply, looking sidelong at Renji and inclining his head lightly.
Suzume sits far away, looking at the small gathering on the beach. With her bandaged blade strapped to her back in a horizontal fashion, the teen just sort of sits there, elbows resting on kneesfeet planted directly into the ground. With half of her face covered by her long hair, she just watches from afar. "…so boring. I hope this whole thing is good watching for a bit. I could go for some amazing action. Just not.. doing it." With a brief sigh, she leans back on her handsappearing to have no interest in interfering or joining the group. Just… scoping things out. Lazily.
Meruin, she of course knew. As she did Sekisetsu. She knew /of/ Renji, but this was the first time seeing him in the flesh. Gin? Eh. Doesn't seem to care that much about that person.
The Jounin's eyes widen for a moment, staring at the male genin for only a second before looking toward the girl, and listening to her name… along with her rambling. "Ibaraki Renji. Jounin of Kirigakure no Sato and your training instructor for today, and ya will be doin' this trainin' kid. I don't care if ya had a party to go to," he informs. Despite the situation, he is laid-back and looks bored, but deep inside… he is dying to see if these two have any talent to bring to the table and if they have the potential to become walking tools of war. A look over his shoulder toward the Chuunin present in the area and nods, however he sighs a yawn and looks back to the pair. "The training focus this session is accuracy and endurance. You two will either work as a pair or alone and attempt to land a hit on me. If you succeed, I am free to strike you back and this is where your endurance training comes into play."
For a moment, a little smirk lifts on the Jounin's lips, looking deviously hansome, but then he lets out another yawn. "That is your objective for today. You will attempt to land a hit on me, if you manage to do so, I will strike you back. This will simulate combat while making it a little bit more challenging and like a game of chess, I guess." He shrugs and looks into the distance, spotting one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist and wondering why one of them would be here, but then simply forgets about it. "You can begin whenever ya want. I'm not goin' to attempt to hit ya until ya actually hit me, kids." With that, he takes a few steps back and his hands remain in the pockets of his hakama pants, waiting for them to come at him.
"
Meruin's eyes flickered to Gin's, gaze catching there with its usual placid calm. All he could see of the man was that incessant grin. Always, that grin. And so, his attention turned on the chuunin, he hadn't seen Renji's eyes widen at the mention of his name, but he could feel it all the same. It was what he expected. But, all that was put from his mind as he looked back to the jounin, listening still. When Renji's gaze flickered, the genin's followed quick behind, and he too caught sight of Suzume sitting and watching at a distance. A curiosity….
But the directions had been given. And that was it, was it? That was the assignment. To hit Renji and avoid what came back? Judging from what he'd seen, the jounin was already grossly underestimating him. Hopefully, it would cost him. The silk on his right arm suddenly unraveled and shuriken were flung forth at their teacher.
Looking behind her, Sekisetsu would recognize the voice but not hardly believe it. "Gin!!!!", would shouted with a girlishly, piercing squeel, as she would wiggle, and hop, in her tight Yukata, and tacklehug the chuunin, before shouting, "Where have you been?!! I have been looking for you!" The girls cling would seem inescapable, as she would actually bother to answer the Chuunin's question. "Hehe… I know I should.. just on Dreaminess alone!" She would whisper to the chuunin, "I mean look at him! He is… *cooing sound*", before she would seem to turn red once again. Seki would then lift her eyes, as the introduction of Renji, and with a slight sigh, she would pat Gin on the chest, and say, "I guess I will see ya later.. this guy seems to want a piece of me." And with that she would hop over to the jounin, and reluctantly, to Meruin.. Ugh.
Hearing the man's introduction, and reasoning, Sekisetsu would facr scrunch, and say, "Ugh…. so that was today. Yeeesshhh…", before looking to Meruin, and say, "And you expect me to team up, with him? The Glory Hog? Teaming up with Meruin is like mixing oil and water. It ain't happening." She would sweatdrop, and then look to the Okumo, and snarl, saying, "Besides.. this runt deserves to fry, spiders and all and I swear he needs to bathe too. He smells like a wet puppy." But before she could even thumb to the kid, Meruin would have been gone. She would then smile, and say, "Well.. obviously, I can't fight in this…", and with that, she would remove the yukata, and reveal, nothing but a light white kimono, loose enough for her to move in. Removing a small film from a pouch on her person, the girl would handseal, and cause it to enlarge, into an even bigger one, that would be stuck spool first into the ground… "I guess if its a fight you want.. it'll be one you'll get, Cutie san!"
She would then take the scroll by the page, and with a smile, she would then proceed to drag the large sheet, unwinding the scroll as she would surround Renji, and Meruin, in a perimeter of paper, all the while charging her chakra.
Gin looks at Sekisetsu and rubs at his chin, "My my my quite and opinionated one aren't you?" He says simply, a sarcastic remark to her own comments about Meruin. "I do believe in war one doesn't get to pick and choose who they fight with. Despite your opinion of the young shinobi, you must learn to fight with anyone you are assigned to…" That grin persists through his words and its almost as if he was making fun of the student for her short comings, especially in the department of tactica. She had some pretty good movements for one so brash, and probably relied heavilly on Ninjutsu in her own arsenal of tricks.
As the fighting begins to unfold Gin takes keen note of the Seven Swordsman in the trees and flips his hair out of his face lightly while he tilts his head to the side and continues to observe, offering the sarcastic remark here and there when needed and for the most part being a calm and quiet observer. He was here to scout the talent, not shoot the breeze.
Suzi just watches the action unfold, looking up into the sky for a moment before back down at the crowd below. Seems some sort of training scene was happening, even Suzume could tell that much. And… Meruin was the one attacking. "Good!" She whispers to herself. "..I hope Renji plugs those spiders where the sun don't shine!" There's a small pause at the mental imagery of that, before she shudders. Knowing the creepy Okumo, she isn't sure if that'd even be unpleasent or not.
"Bad Suzi, bad. No more mental images for you. What do you think, Samehada?" Her head tilts over to the bandaged blade on her back, which of course does absoultely nothing. Just as an inanimate object should! "Yeah. You're right." Okay, so it's likely she's a bit crazy.
"Oh Samehada, hush! You're too noisy! The action is starting!"
The incoming projectiles are weaved and ducked, Renji remaining calm and laid-back in his movements, and his hands still place in the pockets of his lower-gear. The sea-blue eyes of the young Jounin take in the large scroll being unraveled, causing his eyes to narrow for a moment before smirking, and his hands coming out from the pockets. With a single hand-seals, he begins to sink into the soft beach, disappearing from sight. "My name is Ibaraki Renji-sensei. Not cutie-san, kid," would be said before completely being submerged.
Meruin stood straighter as Renji vanished beneath the surface of the earth. He looked downwards, examining the soil. Loose soil, easy to move and shift. Good…
A sudden darkness began to pool at Meruin's feet and spread out away from him, covering much of the area. His mind flickered back to when Kumogakure attacked the land of waves, how he had used something like this tactic, to kill many of the invading warriors. As the spiders quickly buried down to find Renji, he began to wonder just how well the jounin could maneuver underground. Better than his burrowing spiders, maybe, but there were many of them…
"Heh… Renji eh… mmmm..", would be said just as the nin would go ahead, and sink underground.. "Huh!! Unfair!", would said as she would run walk over to her scroll, and with a nice tap, the thing would spindle, and pull back the rest of the paper, like a curtain. She would then heave the heavy scroll, and watch as Meruin would began to send his little cousins out to search for the Jounin. "OOo.. can you command cockroaches, too?", would be said as she would then move ove to the nin, standing back to back with him, and searching, saying, "You know well, that he is going to either surface to attack us, or see if we can detect him.. I ain't falling for a thing." And with that, Sekisetsu would charge a large stack of seals that she would pull from a pouch, and after a moment, she would proceed in throwing them in places surrounding the nin. If Renji approaches, he is going to have a nice surprise.
Gin rubs his chin as he settles to leaning against a nearby tree, the silver-blonde haired boys eyes keenly watching the display of Stealth with interest as he waited to see just what Renji had planned for the young Shinobi. Then his gaze flicks back up to Sekisetsu and he can't help but lash her with a brief comment. "My girl… you waste alot of your smarts simply by speaking foolishly." He states plainly before he folds his hands behind his head and waits to see just what was going to happen, how the student and Genin combination could overcome Renji's own abilities.
"Huh. That's… a weird move. I wonder…" Suzume says, watching as the ground swallows up Renji. With a tilt of her head, the Swordteen lifts the hair that covers half of her face with a spare hand, now peering at the battle with both of her eyes. Seems that doing so added a heap of clarity? Well, shouldn't be too surprising. "If Meruin was smart, he'd get his spiders to sniff out Renji. If his stupid spiders can even do that much." She comments, leaning forwards. How would the Genin deal?
…Aha! They stole her idea! "Colour me impressed. Nice."
Continuing to burrow underground, moving as if it was water, Renji heard the multiple upon multiple sounds of burrowing coming from all sides of him, causing him to blink, so.. sure enough, he comes launching out from the sand a decent distance away from the pair. "Not bad, kid. Ya managed to break through my stealth even if ya couldn't pin-point me," he states. Without much of a warning, chakra begins to form within his body, a light blue glow wisping off his frame and… oddly enough, he simply stands there… a lazy and bored expression on his lips. "What are ya waitin' for?" His sea-blue eyes remain on the pair, though both do move about the area from time to time, searching for the boy's spiders.
"Hmph… Show off.", would be said to Meruin, as Seki would hear Renji, and everyone elses, admiration of the nin's skills. Seems Sekisetsu had some work to do. She would look to the nin, as he would rise, and cackle out out a laugh, before shouting, "Kai!!", and with that, seals where the nin would rise from, would explode violently! But that wouldn
Meruin nodded to Renji's praise as though it were simply fact. Largely because, in truth, it was. Or rather, that was simply how he took it. As information.
He watched for a moment as Renji stood there, simply watching them. The seven year old found it likely that he was gathering his chakra about him. He didn't move an inch, or, at the moment, seem to acknowledge Sekisetsu. The silk around his left arm burst outwards and flashed towards Renji to try and cut him, the Okumo still standing still as if he were reluctant to move his body.
"Hmph… Show off.", would be said to Meruin, as Seki would hear Renji, and everyone elses, admiration of the nin's skills. Seems Sekisetsu had some work to do. Before Meruin would even have attacked, however, a trap had been set for Renji. She would look to the nin, as he would from the sands and cackle out out a laugh, before shouting, "Kai!!", and with that, seals where the nin would rise from, would explode violently! But that wouldn't be all. With an inhale, the girls chest seeming to puff out hugely, Seki would exhale, and let out a a large spray, of compacted fireballs, enough to declare it a shower of fire.
Renji was indeed gathering chakra and due to the tons of seals around him, he had to be forced to use a slightly more higher jutsu… even if it is one ranked as genin-level. His muscles tensed and visibly so, causing a gleam of the sun to bounce off them and then… he disappears, moving forward and around the incoming fire bolts, all the while bringing out a kunai and blocking the incoming projectiles from the boy… save for one that scratches his right shoulder. In a show of skill and speed, he comes to a short sliding halt, a slow gaze given to his right shoulder as blood trickles from the wound. "You used team-work and didn't even mean to do that. Very good, kids…" Without even a warning, he flickers from sight using his impressive speed, reappearing at their side as they stand back to back, sending a field-goal punt toward the boy
Meruin's hair seemed to twitch slightly — the only show of him tensing — and then he was gone, standing a good 20 yards from where he'd been originally standing and we Renji had attacked. He felt a slight twinge in the middle of his back. The Jounin had managed to graze him, barely putting forth any effort. Meruin now figured out why, exactly, he had been sent here. Renji's taijutsu was nothing short of amazing.
The small boy's clothing suddenly withdrew into his body, revealing itself to have been simply spidersilk this whole time. It left him with silk shorts on to leave him decent. His clothing had chafed at the myriad of cuts and burns that covered much of his body, most scabbed over. The seven year old rolled out his shoulder for a moment before he dashed towards Renji with a chuunin's spd — more than that.
He would try not to reopen his wounds, but he wouldn't let them get in the way of doing what he had to do. Best to start off easy, he decided. The Okumo student's staple taijutsu attack. He let off a barrage at Renji, the cadence of his attacks subtly shifting to put an opponent off guard. Abruptly, it intensified to a blurred blitzkrieg of cutting talon.
"Blast… didn't get him!", would be said by Seki as she would look to the nin, whose speed, was hardly distiguinshiable. Hadn't it been for the direction smoke went, as he would exit the cloud of bombs, and fire, Sekisetsu, would not have been able to see a thing! She would look to the nin as she would go sliding to a stop, and have seals ready for to throw, ones hardened by chakra, and with annoying papercutting powah! When she would told that he hadn't been hit by her, Sekisetsu would say, "Probably cause I don't want to, Cutie-sama!~ But if you really want me to.", ending the statment with three thrown, tags, two meant to cut, and one.. well, meant to provide a little bit of a "bang" for Renji's buck.. She mind as well, take advantage of Renji's total focus on Meruin.. Little runt did well as bait.
Suzume seems to just be satisfied, still watching from afar. A hand goes back to rest on her bandaged blade, opening a mouth to yawn loudly. "..okay. This is getting a bit much for me to handle. Mm."
The Jounin remains focused on the boy genin, knowing well that he would be coming after him after that kick, and as the youngster comes forth, he simply begins to move at a fast pace while moving backward, weaving in and out of the multiple fury-like strikes of the Okumo-shinobi. The whizzing of projectiles is heard and without a second thought, his foot is stomped into the ground as a single seal is formed, causing a barrier of hardened sand to up-shoot and take the incoming weapons… and then explode into the air, causing his barrier to rain down to the ground. "Ya did well, kid. Ya are only seven years old, but managed to scratch me," he compliments, slightly impressed. In a show of speed, he disappears again and leaps off to the side, somewhat inbetween the pair, but away from them. "Ya have a lot of jutsu in your arsenal, girl, so learn how to use it properly." A smirk touches his lips and his attention idly goes toward the Seven Swordsmen watching them train, but then he frowns a bit and asks, "Do ya still want to continue? I'm leavin' it up to the both of ya…"
"Not yet," said Meruin to Renji. "With permission, we will continue." And because permission had already been granted with the question itself, Meruin simply vanished and reappeared behind renji, sending a kick flashing out towards the jounin frmo a low position. He allowed the spinning momentum to carry him in a spin, noting at that moment that he'd noticed some of his own blood on Renji. His wounds were beginning to reopen. The seven year old was practically a mass of scab and irritated skin, but it made no difference. He had a duty to perform. Suddenly, he was swept into another barrage of fleeting strikes sent at Renji. A barrage that abruptly widened when it became apparent that he was attacking with four arms rather than two.
"Earth Jutsu? Here? How cool!!
Meanwhile, Seki would have her own response. "I am with the runt!", and with that she would watch and wait as she would see the boy disappear, knowing full well he planned to get up close and personal. Sekisetsu would watch and wait, well, as she would look for Renji, and where he would end up after Meruin's attack. All the time, she would be preparing her own attack, handseals burning through, as she would inhale, a basketball sized fire ball seeming to form at her lips, before she would then release it, sending it flying forward at the Jounin. But that wouldn't be all. She would then blow out, after an even deeper inhalation, a steady stream of flame, which she would manipulate, and coil, around the small fire ball, sending a short of large shaped mass of fire, that looked strangely like a targeting, at the jounin.
Renji was not expecting the young genin to come in that quickly and the first attack connects, however as he quickly tenses his muscles and sparks the release with chakra, he is blurring from sight, avoiding the next flurry of attacks, and luckily so as he could see the nails extending a bit. The incoming fireball and river of flames connects, causing the Jounin to be engulfed, though when the smoke clears, another forms with a small boulder being left in the shinobi's place. "These are the rules, boy," he states… showing up behind the younger shinobi with a cocked back arm, lashing out with a minimal-effort, normal punch toward the cheek… aiming to send him backwards. A look is shot toward the girl, smirking her way before calling out, "Thought ya got me, didn't ya?" Without a warning, another Renji appears behind the girl, aiming to grab onto her and if it succeeds, his hand turns into water, causing it to become a sphere around her…
Meruin easily ducked under the jounin's distracetd punch, and he was just about to rush in to renew his attack when he saw his concentration on Sekisetsu. He may have seemed to be utterly ignorant of the student's existance, but he knew she was helpful and he wanted her unencumbered. He abruptly diverted his path and moved towards the girl, but immediately saw that he was nowhere near quick enough to intercept the water clone. What had happened to the rules. She hadn't hit him.
He put the thought out of his mind as the seven year old moved into a full sprint. Ge saw the water from the clone coalesce around Sekisetsu, imprisoning her. It was a simply matter to make a leap at her, tackling her from pool of water. He would land on the other side, laying her safely on her back while he turned his landing into a roll. The small boy vanished before reappearing above and behind Renji, leaping downwards in straight kick at the jounin
Seeing the man engulfed in flame, was rather unbelievable, as she would stand there, alittle winded from all that deep breathing. But what had been even funnier, was when the rock was revealed. The look on Sekisetsu's face was priceless. But what had been even more funny? Watching him get nailed by Meruin, again. Sekisetsu was starting to really not like being one uped by Meruin the whole time. Nor did she like helping him so much in one uping her. It was getting weirder. Well, the fact that he had been not only an earth user, but a water one too.. wow… A large portion of scroll would be unloosened to block the water, but it was so wide spread that it would ensnare her well! Meruin trying with all his might, would seem to make Seki question some things, but even then, it seemed that Renji was alot faster. "Ugh… I hate water."
The Jounin knew what the younger male was attempting to do, so Renji flickered from sight and reappeared in front of the boy, intercepting the attempt to free the girl. The attack hits him in the chest, causing him to make an 'oomf' sound as he side-steps the tackle at him before quickly forming hand-seals, causing some of the water from the water clone holding the girl in prison to come to his hand, attempting to…. imprison the genin as well. "This was a good trainin' session. Ya both learned a few things, eh?"
Time began to slow as Meruin readied himself to move faster than the eye could track — but the water caught at him, pinning his arm in place and then quickly enveloping him. And so, he was rendered helpless next to sekisetsu. Well, he could have gotten himself out, but it was obvious from Renji's words that this session was over. And so, he simply crossed his legs under him in a meditative stance, floating in the water, watching the Jounin with the same face that he'd started with and that he'd kept throughout the whole of the fight. The water around him and sekisetsu quickly began to take on a pink tint from the blood seeping from the few wounds he'd reopened. And he did not bother trying to talk back to Renji. He hoped they weren't expected to answer, what with having to hold their breathes to avoiding drowning in here and all.
Renji watches the pair in the water prison, smirking at their two different personalities, though realizing they worked well as a team. With a single hand-seal, the water splashes down onto the ground, freeing them both. "What did ya learn?" His stunning sea-blue eyes become half-open, staring at the pair in a lazy and laid-back manner, both hands sliding into the pockets of his hakama pants now, and a slight slouch to his shoulders occur as a result.
Sekisetsu, would be the first to say, "Well… for one.. I learned to get directions to the parties you want to go to, way before hand!", giggling kiddishly, before she would say, "And.. I learned that the element of surprise, will get you everywhere. That, and being really, really, fast." She would smile as she would look to Meruin, in his own orb, before the water would be released, not feeling so bad that she got caught in it. "I guess, I can call you Ibaraki-sama now.. even though, you had me at hello.", the girl now seeming to rub against Renji, like a cat.
Spider silk pshed out from Meruin's legs to cushion his wall, holding him a few feet above the ground as water sloughed off him to the side. He stood to his own feet, barely paying attention as silk flowed from his pored and fashioned itself into clothing. It purposefully chafed, so that he would not forget the wounds.
The seven year old looked to Renji and reported, "I have learned that allowing the biceps trachii to contract too much greatly reduces speed. Pulling in your lattisimus dori, rectus abdominus, and the rest will not only allow for swifter rrotations but reduces resistance from one muscle against another during a sprint. Many small ways to increase my speed."
Report finished, he looked towards Sekisetsu as she rubbed against Renji like a cat in heat. She'd smiled at him. That made him much more wary than then she'd threatened to kill him. Maybe it's time to fade…
"Very good, boy." Renji looks over at the girl, listening to her and then… she starts rubbing against him, however, he splashes onto the ground soon after. He is found walking out of the area a few feet away, hands in his pockets and slouch to his shoulders. "Your second answer was better, girl. Don't forget what ya said to me in your answer." With that, he simply splashes onto the ground again, disappearing from sight.
