Unexpectations [Training/Open]

Learning Jutsu

Spoiler:

"Samuru?" called a voice from the other side of the door - slightly muffled and curious. It was her mother, Aine, and she was just making sure that her child had awakened from her slumber. "Aren't you going out to train today?"

Samuru sighed, clambering out of bed and slipping on a thin robe over her naked form; her dark pink hair cascaded about her shoulders as her reddish gold eye looked at the door leading to her room. She waited, but said nothing. Her mother knew that Samuru was exhausted from finally being able to reach the stage of Genin at Kirigakure no Sato. It had been a long road, but the journey to her official stage of Ninja-hood was finally over. She could rest now and finally bask in the accomplishment of all her hard work. But rest could only be taken sparingly - the Chuunin Exams were practically around the corner.

The quiet padding of feet heading downstairs was enough for Samuru to discern that her mother knew that she was awake. Her eye moved toward the mirror across the room and she silently let her robe fall around her ankles. Her left hand reached across her chest to feel the scar tissue that had managed to seal the end of her arm, the nub that it now was. Over the years she had learned to compensate for this weakness, but she still had a long way to go. Next her fingers touched the scar tissue that had formed over her permanently "opened" eye. To mirror the scar, Samuru had gotten the dark pink tattoo on her face over her good, right eye.

Hm... was all she could think before touching her hand to the mirror. Was she still beautiful? Would anyone still want her? Shaking her head roughly, she made her way to her closet and pulled out her garbs and slipped them on around her. I don't need to be worrying about something like that... Samuru thought as she slipped her katana into the fold of her obi and placed her other equipment where it was necessary - securing that the spike chain was attached to her arm and hidden in her other kimono sleeve.

Samuru made her way to the window and jumped into the tree nearby before successfully tree hopping from one branch to another. She needed to train...deep in the forest of Kirigakure. Her reprieve from school had ended.

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"HA!" she screamed, shooting out the spike chain from her sleeve where it was hidden as it slammed into a nearby tree - embedding itself into the tough bark thanks to the added force of her wind element. Samuru concentrated, the sweat falling down the bridge of her nose. Okay Samuru...you've pinned one enemy, but what happens if an opponent attacks you from your blind side?

Quickly she detached the chain with her hand, did a semi half-turn and immediately drew her sword up from its sheath. In her mind, she heard the sound of metal against metal and she glared into the face of her enemy - That Man - and narrowed her eye a bit. Samuru did a few parries and side swipes - a form of battou-jutsu she'd learned so that the speed of the draw would help aid her in battle. If she had another hand, Samuru would have been able to combine both sword and sheath in her fights, but that little handicap of hers prevented such a thing.

Kunai are coming at you from above! Samuru unleashed a small amount of her wind element to push the "enemy" a step back and jumping back out of the way while sheathing her weapon. The kunai were now heading for the opponent instead of her. Just as she was about to land on the ground, another thought popped into her head. An exploding trap! Samuru grasped the wire that was hooked to her side and shot it out toward the nearest tree. The wire wrapped itself around the branch tightly and Samuru used the wind and movement of her own body to flip herself onto the branch of the tree safely. Taking a few deep breaths, she sighed and allowed herself to relax out of her crouched position and sit normally.

Her back was against the trunk and Samuru let her legs stretch - one leg propped up - before pulling out her pipe and lighting it.

{1/4}

Taking a small drag from her pipe, another thought occurred to her and her eye snapped toward the right. Shuriken come at you from the right! And without even blinking, Samuru dropped her pipe as she descended from the tree above, unsheathing her sword and making swipes at imaginary shuriken in her attempt to deflect them before landing swiftly on the ground in a semi-crouched state - the end of her sword embedded in the ground as her hand still grasped the handle.

She immediately rose to her feet, hand sealing quickly as she released the hold she had on her weapon. Someone is attempting to capture you with wire or a spike chain! she thought, her body disappearing as it was soon replaced with a block of wood she'd had placed nearby the trunk before her training had commenced.

Whirling around the tree, she grasped the spike chain and yanked it free, shooting it out at her imaginary foe since he was predicted to be "distracted" with her Kawarimi no Jutsu. Again, Samuru channeled the wind element to help her hit her target accurately. They dodge! She side stepped to the left, dodging an attack, and then flanked to the right as she released her hold on the spike chain in her hand - barely wincing as her hand bled from a tiny cut from one of the spikes. Lunging forward, she reached into the inside of her obi, pulling out four senbon that were situated in between each finger. They've predicted your movements...and attack with a thrust of their sword! Turning her body slightly to the side so that she fell to the ground, Samuru threw the senbon in her hand and they all landed in a horizontal row on the tree nearby.

An attack from above you, Samuru! A spear! Samuru immediately turned onto her back and pulled out a kunai from her pouch, holding it up to defend against the first blow from the "spear." She rolled to the left, thinking, They're charging up their chakra, Samuru! Defend against it! Samuru flipped onto her feet, ran toward the tree and grasped her sword, calling her wind element toward her. They've summoned the necessary amount of power and have fired! It's a projectile, now dodge it! The girl swan dove forward, sending out a wave of wind toward her opponent with an across slash of her sword - tumbling forward and landing in a crouched position to where she could leap forward and hopefully shoulder slam her "foe."

Rolling forward once more, Samuru was able to stop herself and remained on the ground, kneeling on one knee. An attack from behind! Samuru whirled around and slashed upward with her sword at an angle, hoping to have cut her enemy down. The only sound was the echo her sword made when it cut through the air. Silently, the wind blew against her and a few leaves from the trees cascaded all around her.

The silence of the trees was blissful and welcoming.

{2/4}

Samuru stabbed her sword into the ground directly in front of her, closed her eye and began concentrating on summoning her wind element. Slowly the air current began to change all around her. As if a tiny gust of air were under her feet, Samuru could feel her hair rising off both her face and neck, the length of her dark pink hair rising above her shoulders. The few leaves that had fallen to the ground began to swirl around her in a circle - a dance of nature, you could call it. She took this time to envelop herself with all the different senses the forest was giving her.

Out of one ear she could hear the gentle shuffle of the leaves - both the ones circling her body and the ones rustling in the trees that served as a canopy above her. In the other ear, Samuru could hear the different animals skittering across the grass deep within the heart of the forest. The wind around her began to pick up once more and her hair bobbed up and down in sync with her heartbeat.

In a flash, Samuru quickly opened her eye and yelled out. Suddenly, the wind around her dispersed the leaves in different directions. A ripple in the change of the air space around her could be visibly seen with her eye. She noticed that the pressure she'd created sliced some of the leaves in half thanks to the channeling of her own chakra. Letting out a deep breath, Samuru snatched her sword off the ground - casting up a few bits of dirt and grass with it - before she swung with full force while taking a step forward.

"HA!" she yelled, cutting across her body and then turning around to stap the end of her katana behind her. Her right foot swept toward the back so she could turn once more and she sent the blade cutting upward toward the heavens as she slashed from below. With a flick of her wrist, she spun the blade in a full two circles, slicing more leaves that fell in front of her. Another parry and forward lunge, Samuru stood upright and held the blade across her face as a leaf landed on the edge of it. "HYAH!" Jerking her arm upward, then at a downward angle, before raising it back up at an upward angle from below and then finishing off the combo with one more slash across the body.

Her crimson-gold eye narrowed as she watched the severed pieces of the leaf fall from the sky before her. Sheathing her sword, the shink of the weapon going back into its "resting place" was the sound that comforted her ears. A small smirk formed on her lips and she licked them slowly.

Again, the forest blessed her with momentary silence.

{3/4}

Riku entered a patch of forest near the edge of Kirigakure. Sadly for about a year, these woods were his home. It was a spot he had also often used to train. Since beoming Mizukage, he had not returned here, but something inside him told him to do so today. He made it a habit to take a walk through the village at least 5 out of 7 days of the week. Surprisingly, he wasn't as busy as he thought he would be, being Mizukage and all. Today, he was alone. Satoshi usually accompanied him, but was off somewhere doing his own thing. They were good friends, but they definitely needed some time apart now and then or one of them would kill the other. It would be an interesting battle; Immortality versus pure speed. Today he wore his usual outfit; A black hoodie with fur around the hood and sleeves, black pants open right below the knees, and his white katana slung on his lower back. Though today was a bit of a lazy day so there was a small difference. His hair was straight and down rather than being spiked in the back and he did not wear his usual eyeliner, but rather a pair of black thick-rim glasses.

The air was cool and nice, though it was still a bit too warm out for Riku's liking. It had been about 3 weeks since it had rained and it was time to change that. He held his right hand in front of himself, his ring finger and pinkey held down by his thumb, his index and middle fingers held straight up. Suddenly, thunder boomed overhead and a light downpour of rain patted against the leaves of the trees. The forest here was dense, so little water made it through. Through the rain, he could feel the chakra of everyone within a 12 mile radius around the village and pinpoint their exact location. He noticed a source of chakra nearby in the forest to his left. He activated his doujutsu to see who was there. A young girl was in a small clearing, fighting what seemed to be imaginary targets and training. He could see that she was a Genin of his village. He smiled. It always made him happy to see his young Genin training hard.

Her chakra source felt very similar to his. Perhaps she was of the same bloodline as himself. Shrugging, he turned and began to walk towards the clearing. As he got near, she stopped her training and relaxed, though didn't seem to know he was there. Not able to think of a proper greeting, he decided to lean against a nearby tree and watch her until she noticed him.

There was a sudden shift in the air. Samuru's brow twitched. She could almost feel someone watching her. Why hadn't she sensed it earlier? Mentally, she cursed under her breath as her hand went to her sword once more. Be calm, Samuru... she told herself as her fingers slowly curled around the handle of her sword.

A sound of rustling leaves caught her attention and her body tensed. It was close, whatever - or whoever - it was. The leaves shook violently and then...ceased.

Samuru was puzzled, but her hand relaxed for an instant. It must have just been something else. She hadn't exactly been quiet about her training. It didn't come as a surprise to her. I apologize if I have disturbed you, Chikyuu-san, Samuru apologized to the Earth. That, of course, had not been her intention.

The grass shifted behind her and Samuru froze. Without waiting for a moment, Samuru's grip on her sword tightened and she immediately whirled around, ripping the sword from the sheath and slashing downward at an angle as she pivoted on her back leg. With the momentum of the swing, she was able to draw the blade out and use the force of her turn to face the person who was currently watching her.

Samuru didn't get a chance to see the person she was pointing her sword tip to. Her red-gold eye narrowed as she peered at the person who was now facing her.

Suddenly, her eye widened. Even if he wasn't in his Kage robes, it would have been foolish of her to not know who her own Mizukage was. How could she mistake this individual for anyone but the Mizukage of Kirigakure no Sato? Her mouth parted slightly as looked back at her while leaning against a nearby tree, the tree where her senbon were still embedded to. She took a step back, her arm flying back with her weapon before she managed to regain control and brought her hand down to her side.

The girl immediately sheathed her sword in a flash, dusted off the front of her kimono and fell to one knee. Propping her arm on the knee that was up, her head was bent low in a bow filled with respect for this man. You damned fool, Samuru! You pointed a weapon in hostility at your kage! Samaru's dark pink bangs fell over her face, curtaining her eye so that he would not be able to see her face. The Mizukage would have seen such shame all over it.

"Forgive me of my transgression against you, Mizukage-sama," she said, her alto voice clear and concise. She didn't want the Mizukage thinking she were a coward in addition to being abrasive.

{4/4}

Jutsu Learned

The girl spun and drew her sword, pointing it directly at him. He knew she would recognize him right away and therefore didn't flinch at all, keeping his calm posture. Her expression changed to one of surprise as she quickly bent down onto one knee and bowed her head, apologizing. Riku chuckled a little and approached her. "It's ok. You were caught off guard and expected an enemy. Anyone would've done the same." He stood about 4 feet away from her now. "Please, stand and treat me as you would any other shinobi of this village." One thing about the job he did not like was being constantly treated like that. Yes, it was understandable that everyone would do such a thing, but Riku just wanted to be treated normal. Odd, as most people would've loved to have people bowing everywhere they went.

"It's ok. You were caught off guard and expected an enemy. Anyone would've done the same." She could hear the shuffling of his feet and could feel his overwhelming power mere feet from her. "Please, stand and treat me as you would any other shinobi of this village."

Samuru hesitated a moment before slowly rising to her feet, bowing her head once more before looking back at her Kage through her single eye. "I am grateful for your approval to speak to you as an equal, Kage-sama," she said, pausing to look over his shoulder. His Anbu were not with him. "Are you sure you should be out here without any attendants? If something were to happen, I am afraid I would not be sufficient enough protection for you from any unwanted attacks."

The girl stood and thanked him. She seemed to be missing her left eye as well as her right arm. Rather than shocking Riku, this impressed him as she seemed able to fight well enough from what he saw with such handicaps. She then asked why his ANBU weren't with him. Riku laughed a little again. "I can assure you that I can protect myself better than any of the ANBU. The Kage is the strongest shinobi in the village after all." He replied. Instinctively, he patted the white sheath of the katana on his lower back. "Anyways, you may call me by my first name. You do know it, right?" He asked with an expectant expression. What genin wouldn't know their Kage's name. "Might I ask your name?" The tone of his voice was polite and welcoming, his expression warming and happy. His appearance and attitude sure gave no sign to his power at this exact moment.

Samuru didn't get the reaction she thought she would from her Kage. Surely her appearance would have been shocking, even unappealing to a handsome and young male such as him. But instead of being repulsed, he looked on with admiration. This threw her off slightly and she was barely able to catch his next words, though her ears were ever sharp and ever listening - waiting for new sounds to reach them.

"I can assure you that I can protect myself better than any of the ANBU. The Kage is the strongest shinobi in the village after all," he replied. She watched pat the weapon in his care before looking back to him. "Anyways, you may call me by my first name. You do know it, right?" Samuru nodded, feeling relieved a bit that she could quit referring to him as "Kage-sama" this and "Kage-sama" that. It was just too much to be saying in one sitting, along with all the other words that fell from her mouth. "Might I ask your name?"

She smiled, her dark pink brows relaxing. "My name is Samuru Mikage," came her pleasant reply - something she wasn't used to hearing. "It's nice to finally meet you in person, Kage -- I mean, Riku-san."

Riku nodded his head in a slight bow. "Pleasure to meet you as well." He replied with a bright smile. His glasses fell down a little and he used his index and middle fingers to push them back up into place. He sighed and looked around the clearing. "You know I used to train here when I was younger?" He spoke, not looking at her but rather around at the clearing, wandering around its perimeter aimlessly. Even though he looked around the clearing as he walked, it was completely unnecessary as he could see the clearing perfectly from where he was originally standing through his Taskeru. He turned back to Samuru, his eyes glowing a bright red. "So do you have any special talents?" He was curious to find out about her abilities and if he could help train her in any way.

"You know I used to train here when I was younger?" He spoke and though he was not looking at her, Samuru kept silent and just watched as he moved around the area. To think these were the same woods her kage trained in. But he couldn't have been that much older than her, right? He really did look so young, but even Samuru didn't look her age. However, it was a reverse in the sense that she looked more of an adult than she did of a teenager.

As she was about to ask the Kage for a sparring match, to see where her skills lay, Riku turned back around to look at her and was surprised to see his eyes red and aglow. "So do you have any special talents?"

Suddenly Samuru gasped, unable to stop it from leaving her mouth. Her eye started to change, the red-gold pigment replaced with its own red glow - shining forth and revealing that she, too, possessed the same bloodline as her own Mizukage! How could she have not known?

Shaking her head, she looked back up at her country's leader and smirked, resting her hand on the handle of her katana. "I see that we both share the same skill, though I have no doubt that you are far more skilled than I at this sort of thing."

As he turned back to face Samuru, she gasped audibly. Was she frightened of him for some reason? Perhaps it was the sudden glow of his eyes. But no, this was not the case. Soon, her eye changed color to the same glowing red. She commented that they had the same skill, but Riku was probably more talented with it. Riku was a bit surprised at this, but smiled after. "I had heard that another ninja with the Taskeru existed within Kirigakure." He thought for a long moment. Though he had not met another with the same abilities other than his younger brother, he knew that the power was once a bloodline in a strong clan. This meant Samuru had to be related to himself in some way.

Kuroda looked out the window as it had started to rain. In his free time, Kuroda was instructed by Satoshi, the ANBU captain to trail Riku. Although Kuroda knew it was more of a formality, he didn't plan to disobey orders. The only problem was Riku had left his office and went for a walk-about. "Oh well," Kuroda though, this just meant he would have to use his tracking skills for once. The rain was an obvious mark of Riku, as the sky had been clear that day. That meant he couldn't be very far off.

Still staring our the window, Kuroda remembered back to their childhood, Riku had always had an attraction to the forest near the village, they would always go out there to play. That was, until Kuroda got lost and their father went postal. Still, figuring it was a better lead than nothing Kuroda planned to go to the forest, but before that, Kuroda had an idea and went back home. There, he changed into his civilian clothes, because as his brother, it wouldn't raise any brows for Kuroda to hang out with his sibling. Kuroda was now wearing his street clothes, consisting mostly of: black attire, save for a pair of green gloves, his green head band, his white vest, and green sash. After Kuroda changed, he made a bee line for the forest.

It had never occurred to Samuru to guess that there was another group of people who shared the same bloodline as she. Her parents possessed it, hence how she was able to unlock her own abilities. But to think that she, a simple Genin living near the outskirts of the village, was part of the same lineage as her own Mizukage... It was simply unfathomable.

"I had heard that another ninja with the Tasukeru existed within Kirigakure."

The female ninja nodded, letting her dark pink bangs fall over her permanently damaged eye - hiding the scarring. "Indeed, but I never would have guessed that I would be of the same line as you," she said, moving her crippled arm and hearing the tiny chink of her spiked chain barely brushing up against the arm brace around the stump.

Suddenly, the sound of rushing feet reached her ears and she immediately whirled away from the Mizukage - drawing her sword in one swift movement to point toward the person heading in their direction. Her eye glowed an even fiercer red as she waited for the stranger to come into view. Samuru knew she wouldn't be much protection for her Kage, but she could at least serve as a diversion. "Someone's coming, Riku-san."

Samuru seemed rather happy that she had the same bloodline Riku had. Perhaps they were distant relatives or lost close relatives. They had to be, as the Taskeru was a blood trait. He smiled. "Well that just means I have to take you as my personal student, now don't I?" As he spoke, he watched his brother enter the forest far off. He knew he had a slightly greater range than his brother and therefore would be able to see him sooner. Samuru on the other hand undoubtedly had a very short range and would not be able to see Kuroda for a while. As he neared, Samuru quickly drew her sword and spun to face Kuroda's direction, informing him that someone was coming. Riku held up one hand. "It's ok. It's my brother." He said, eager to see him.

A few meters into the forest, Kuroda began to scan more carefully, slowing down as he went for greater efficiency. As he scanned he noticed, not one but two people. So he rushed over there to stop on a dime with a sword pointed at his face. Kuroda chuckled and said, "Wow, looks sharp, you must take great care of your weapons," as he said it, Kuroda put his gloved finger on the end of the blade and tried to move it away from his face. Looking over to Riku he tilted his head back and said, "What's up? Satoshi sent me."

"Well that just means I have to take you as my personal student, now don't I?" Samuru quirked a brow, not sure what he meant by that. Did he honestly want to take her on as his student? The Mizukage?

At her response to preparing an attack, the Mizukage's hand went up to halt her movements. "It's ok. It's my brother."

Suddenly the image, blurred at first, halted just inches away from the end of Samuru's sword. He blinked, staring at the tip. "Wow, looks sharp, you must take great care of your weapons," he said, putting his gloved finger on the end of the blade and tried to move it away from his face. Looking over to Riku he tilted his head back and said, "What's up? Satoshi sent me."

Samuru lowered her weapon, sheathing it in one swift motion. "So, this is the Mizukage's brother?" She tilted her head, peering at him through her now red-gold eye, the glow slowly fading away. "I'm Samuru Mikage. It's a pleasure to meet you as well. My apologies for pointing my sword at you in haste."

Kuroda approached and exchanged words with Samuru before telling Riku that Satoshi sent him. He was a bit puzzled by this. Why would Satoshi send Kuroda? "What'd he send you out here for?" He asked looking at his brother.

[[ Sorry it's short but there's not much for me to reply to ]]

[[I suppose that's my bad.XP]]

"It's nice too meet you too, Samuru," Kuroda said with a smile. Turning his attnetion back to Riku he said, "I'm not too sure myself, I figured it was a formality, but I shouldn't pass up a chance to see family in our professions. That and the fact that's he's captain convinced me to come." Kuroda began to pace the space, as he wasn't one for standing still, and as he did, he noticed the large amount of leaves on the ground, curious, Kuroda inquired, "I'm sorry, did I interrupt something?"

At hearing the male acknowledge her, she nodded in response - remaining silent. Samuru only listened as the two exchanged words. Noting that the male still hadn't formerly introduced himself, she only kept her slight irritation at bay.

"I'm sorry, did I interrupt something?"

She followed where his eyes went and shook her head. "I was just in the middle of my training. I'm trying to get stronger since I'm a little, well, handicapped."

Kuroda replied that he had little clue as to why Satoshi had sent him here. Perhaps he just wanted to lounge around and decided he didn't want to be bothered by Kuroda, not that he bothered him often. Riku shrugged and noticed he didn't introduce himself to Samuru. "Samuru, this is my younger brother, Kuroda. Kuroda, this is Samuru. She shares the same bloodline abilities as us." He wondered what his brother would make of this information. After all, the two of them had never met another of their bloodline other than their mother.

Kuroda raised a brow when Samuru said she was training and replied, "I remember that, my short attention span made training alone boring, and training with others was unreliable." Kuroda turned to face Riku when he said she shared their bloodline, intrigued, he turned back to face Samuru and looked her in the eye. Seeing the red in her eyes he said, "Very nice, I didn't expect any more to be in our village." Backing off Kuroda scratched the back of his head nervously and said, "Sorry if I'm being a third wheel, it's kinda part of my job, and makes for great cover."

Samuru smirked, not sure what was going on with the two siblings. When Kuroda commented about not having liked to train alone, she couldn't help but feel a connection with him in a sense. Not having many friends because of her handicap and being so behind her other classmates as far as skills and jutsu, Samuru had no choice but to train alone. However, it was lucky that she was able to get as far as she had on her own.

But now, she finally had the chance to have someone be her sensei, and not only was he a Kage, but of her bloodline as well. Samuru couldn't help but wonder how she was, in fact, related to both Kuroda and Riku.

At Kuroda's apology, Samuru shook her head. "You're just doing your duties. No need to apologize over something so obvious," came her swift reply, her reddish-gold eye moving to look at Riku. "So Riku-san? Are you truly willing to take me on as your student? I'm sure there are others who need your tutelage more."

Riku smiled. "I would love to take you in as a student. I have not taken one in a few years and you seem like a perfect candidate. You are not only in my bloodline but your element is one of my own, so I may help you in that field. I can also train you with Senbon techniques as well as basic fighting with a Katana." He realized that he was almost the perfect teacher for her. The only thing that would've been better is if her element was water instead of wind, as wind was the element he trained with the least out of the three he had, though that did not mean he didn't use it.

Kuroda noticed he was actually good at his job as he began to blend in with the scenery. So, rather than interrupt Riku and Samuru, Kuroda decided to walk over to a tree, drew both of his swords, and sliced a branch down. He then put his blades away, picked up the segment of the branch, and found a place to sit down. Kuroda figured Riku and Samuru would begin training soon, and he would just get in the way, that, and if they needed him, they would call him over. In the meantime, he would use that Kunai to whittle the branch segment into something, although he knew not what.