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| Shades Of A Past; ...shadowbred: dawn of night... | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: May 30 2007, 06:56 PM (59 Views) | |
| Bowwy | May 30 2007, 06:00 PM Post #1 |
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MOOGLE AWWWWAAAAYYYY!!!
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Alex had recently been in training with his grandfather. Usually, they did things like aerial training, but his Grandfather had recently shown him a technique he wanted to learn now. It was the Exploding Chakra Jutsu. Alex knew only 1 jutsu currently, Shadow Clones. He needed something else. He knew that he could focus on learning aerial skills later, for now, he needed this jutsu. He needed this jutsu because without it he would be almost defenseless. With only Shadow Clones, Taijutsu, and weapons, he wouldn’t be a very effective ninja. He wasn’t very good at those. If he had Shadow Clones, it was a little different, but Shadow Clones was a costly move. It took a good amount of Alex’s chakra. Chakra he couldn’t just throw out in a fight. Alex got up from his bed, and stepped out. His father stood there. “I know you’ve been seeing my father.” Alex sighed. His father figured out about it yesterday, when Alex let it slip about the Exploding Chakra jutsu. “I just want to you to make sure you learn it very well.” Alex smiled. His dad always seemed to be on his side. Alex prepared for his day. After that, he walked outside. It was a cloudy day. Alex groaned. He had been enjoying the sunny days. He leapt off of his porch, and started making his way through the village, and the waterfall. Not as many people were out that day than the day before. Alex was walking through the forest. By now, he knew exactly where the point was where he trained with his Grandfather. He walked into the clearing, grinning. Standing there was his grandfather, charging both of his hands with the Exploding Chakra jutsu. It seemed his grandfather could read his mind. But keeping up his reputation, Alex’s grandfather turned around, and hurled the charged ball at Alex. It was a two handed charge, so it was bigger, faster, and stronger. With the time Alex had, he could only block. The ball exploded on his arms, and sent him flying off the ground, and smashing into a tree, making a loud cracking sound. Alex got up, slowly. His grandfather was a sneaky one. “My policy is, to learn a jutsu, you must be on the receiving end of it at least once.” Alex smiled. That attack had hurt him, but he loved his grandfather. He walked over to Alex, smiling. “Are you ready, Alex? This training may not be as easy as you think?” Alex looked up at his Grandfather, Sam, and smiled. “I think I’ll be alright, Grandpa.” Sam nodded. “Then we should begin soon. For now, warm up your body. Using chakra isn’t an all spiritual thing. To be at your best, all of your body has to be at its best.” Alex nodded. He leapt into the air, stretching his legs, and began warming up his body. “Okay, first, let’s go over what you know. What is the Exploding Chakra jutsu?” Sam was asking Alex some questions. “It is a concentrated ball of chakra that when released, creates an explosion like sound, and can send your opponent flying into the air. When used at close range it can be deadly.” Sam nodded. “Is there a way to direct it?” Alex responded after a second. “Yes, but I do not know the way.” Sam grinned, and said, “It’s simple, just imagine the explosion going through a tube, or a funnel. You can concentrate the explosion onto a small area, or make it larger. Here, I’ll show you.” Sam walked over to a tree, and charged one of his hands. He then slammed it into the tree. A large section of bark was torn from the tree. Now, Alex already thought a technique that could do that was powerful. But what Sam was about to do blew Alex’s mind away. He charged his hands again. Then, slamming his hand into the tree, a whole piece of wood was blown away, and the tree fell over. Sam glanced over at Alex. “Now, either way it’s good, but the more concentrated can deal more damage, and has more knockback, but the less concentrated requires less focus. Alex was intrigued. He wanted to learn this technique even more now. |
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| Bowwy | May 30 2007, 06:22 PM Post #2 |
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MOOGLE AWWWWAAAAYYYY!!!
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Sam started off by once again, showing Alex how to do it. “Step one. Focus chakra into your hand. Try to form it into a ball. It makes it easier to throw. When it’s in your hand, try pulling it out, and forming it. Don’t take it really fast at first, you’re just training.” A small blue ball appeared in Sam’s hand, and he threw it at a nearby tree, causing a small explosion. Alex nodded, prepared to try this. Step one…focus chakra in hand…Alex started to charge chakra into his hand. At first, he just wanted to make sure he could do this part. Without the chakra to back it up, this technique could become bad. His hand might explode or something. Once Alex was satisfied with his amount of chakra, he started onto the next step. At first, he just tried bringing it out in small amounts. All he would get were small sparks, or nothing at all. He continued doing this. “GAH!” He yelled out in frustration. “Okay, one more time…” He started to slowly let the chakra come out… “Watch it Alex, it m-“ Sam’s words were too late. From nowhere, an explosion formed in Alex’s hand and sent him and Sam flying. Alex crashed through a tree branch, and landed a ditch, while Sam flew through the air, and kicked off of a tree. Alex slowly got up, tired. He walked back over to the training ground. Sam was laughing. Alex wasn’t. He started forming chakra in his hand again. “Okay…let it out easier this time…not so…rough…” Sam quietly watched Alex, smiling. Alex continued to slowly let chakra out. More sparks. A small ball formed for a second, but Alex couldn’t retain it. Alex threw his hands down in frustration. “How are you trying to do it?” Sam asked. “I’m trying to slowly let it out.” Sam chuckled. “Not this jutsu. The best, most efficient way is to tense up, and push. As soon as you push, you must go back to the calm state. It’s the only way to get the chakra to come out and retain itself. However, it’s why learning the jutsu is dangerous. Many times I was caught in an explosion. Alex felt a tiny pang of nervousness as he continued his training. He slowly focused chakra, then pushed as hard as he could. Bigger sparks came, but nothing else. Alex sighed. It seemed he would never get this jutsu. He had the power, but couldn’t retain it…unless…no. He wouldn’t try that yet. He would continue the way he had now. He brought his hand up again, and started to focus chakra there. Then…he pushed. He felt a small surge of energy. He looked up, and saw a tiny ball. He started to yell out, but it faded away. Alex groaned. Just when he had something, it went away. “Listen, Alex…there’s only two steps in this…focus, then push. After the ball of chakra is formed, all you can do is direct the blast. It retains itself, really.” Alex glanced up at Sam, who was standing behind him. Alex nodded. With that bit of information, maybe he would get a pang of confidence. He raised his hand up. Focused chakra, PUSH! Alex pushed-not as hard as he could, but hard, and a large burst of blue shot up from his hand, and he felt a pain in his hand. He brought it down, and shook it. “Gah…this training hurts…” Alex brought up his arm again, and started breathing calmly…and started focusing. Focus, then push. Focus…then…PUSH! Alex pushed with all the might he could push. He felt an aura zoom around his hand, and he opened his eyes. In the palm of his hand, a blue ball that fit snugly in his hand rested there, glowing, full of chakra. Alex stared at it, happy. Sam looked up, and chuckled. “You got it, huh?” Alex nodded eagerly. Sam replied, “Well, it’s time to teach you how to use it then. You already know how to throw, but it’s time to direct the blast.” |
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| Bowwy | May 30 2007, 06:53 PM Post #3 |
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MOOGLE AWWWWAAAAYYYY!!!
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Alex was especially nervous here. With this ball of chakra, he could cause explosions. If he directed the blast wrong, he would hurt himself. “Alex, don’t be nervous. This is the hardest part of the training. Get past this, and the two handed training is easy.” Alex smiled, glad his Grandfather gave him those encouraging words. “Now, come here to this tree.” Alex did as he was told, holding the glowing blue ball of explosions. “Now, take the ball, and hold it up, so your palm faces forward. “ Alex brought his hand up. “Now, keeping the ball with you, focus it forward. Not concentrated, just push it forward. Even if you mess up, it won’t hurt you too bad.” Alex smiled, and prepared to do so. He glanced around. The sky was still cloudy and grey. Alex brought his hand back, and quickly jabbed. The ball exploded, and it was pushed forward, ripping off pieces of wood and bark. Alex, happy his hand was still working, jumped in the air, happy. “I DID IT!” Sam chuckled. “Yes you did. But there is a tiny other small part to this. Throwing.” Alex glanced up, happy that this part would be away from the explosion. “Doing a throwing attack is easier, you just have to make sure you give it a lot of push. Here, I’ll show you.” “When throwing it, you have to have a good arm and aim, but when you throw it, push it with a little bit of your chakra. This will give it push to go ten or twenty yards, if you’re doing it right. Try it on that tree on the other side of the clearing.” Alex glanced down the clearing. It was a long way from him to that tree. Never the less, he brought his arm up, and focused, then pushed. A glowing blue ball was formed again. Alex loved that surge of chakra in his arm when it formed. He looked at the tree. He focused his aim, then threw it, and made sure to push it with his chakra. It flew down the clearing, and landed next to the tree, ripping up pieces of bark and root near the base of it. Alex congratulated himself. Sam looked over, and said, “Nice aim, you’re already good at that. Time to move on to your other hand.” The process for Alex’s left hand was the same, but with the prior practice, he was able to do most of it easily. It didn’t take him nearly as long to create a ball, and he immediately knew how to focus the blast a tiny bit. When he threw it, his aim was about the same, so nothing really changed with his left hand. But Sam wanted more from Alex. “Time to try to focus the blasts even more. A good goal is to focus it to the size of your hand. When you focus it, you can damage muscles, tear skin, even break bones. I know from experience in using it. This jutsu is only at its best when concentrated. When not concentrated, it delivers damage over a large surface. It’s like trying to stab someone with a large rock. It won’t work. Alex nodded. He knew what he would have to do. Make the funnel even smaller. When he did it, the area of damage was around 4 feet high, and all of the tree’s width. When he saw Sam do it, the area of damage was small, but deep. Even if it was only wood, a tree required some force to break. Alex glanced down at his hands. His biggest fear was not focusing the blast correctly and damaging them, or worse, blowing them up entirely. Without working hands, he couldn’t be a ninja. Hell, he couldn’t even make Shadow Clones without his hands. He silently made a prayer, then stood up. “Now, focusing the explosion may seem more difficult than it is. It’s not that hard, if you’ll just practice it, you’ll be fine. Oh and Alex?” Alex looked up at Sam. “Your hands will be fine. Don’t worry.” Alex started laughing. “You read my mind,” he said. “I know, it’s what I was thinking when I was trying to create this jutsu.” Alex laughed. |
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| T@Z | May 30 2007, 06:56 PM Post #4 |
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HA-HA!
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Iki could not contain a smile. Five good skipping rocks filled his pocket and a pouch of squirming worms hung at his belt. And there was no better bait for catching freshwater salmons than worms, especially fat worms like the ones he’d just caught. When the sun rose, he and his mother would take the path to Lake Styx. Iki would skip some rocks on the little lake near Styx, where fishing was quite the norm, and they would catch a few fish, always a welcome addition to the supper table. It would be the best birthday ever. He only wished his mother would have let Kurama come along, too. His mother walked beside him, slowly, to accommodate Iki’s awkward gait. As always, her right arm hovered near his back. “I won’t fall down, mom.” he said. She as always afraid he would stumble or fall, but he never did. He was small and a bit young to be left alone, but he was not clumsy. “Of course not, my love.” Her arm dropped for three strides before drifting back to its usual position. |
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| T@Z | May 30 2007, 06:58 PM Post #5 |
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HA-HA!
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A yawn snuck up on Iki. He had not been awake so long after moonrise in a long while. “Sleepy?” his mother asked him. Iki was sleepy, but he didn’t want to tell his mother. He didn’t want her to think of him still as a small child. “No, mom.” he lied, and turned his head as another yawn tried to betray him. “Well, you should tell your yawns that, then, or they’ll soon have your mouth full of mosquitoes. And I know how much you like that.” Iki winced, in part because his mother had caught him in his fib, and in part out of disgust. He knew exactly what a mouthful of insects tasted like. Once, on a dare from Kurama, he had run through a cloud of gnats with his mouth open. He’d spent a good long time gagging and spitting out gnat fragments. Kurama had nearly split his sides laughing. Thinking back on it caused Iki to giggle.His mother smiled too. Then a thought occurred to him. “Hey! How did you know about that?” She looked down at him and winked. “Mothers know everything, Iki. How do you think I knew where to find worms in the middle of the night?” Iki frowned, his mind racing. She could not know everything, could she? What if she knew about Shizuka’s pie? Or that time he and Kuramahad hidden in a merchant’s wagon and ridden halfway to Terra? He decided he should tell her the truth from then on, to be safe. “Maybe I am a little sleepy.” he acknowledged. “But only a little.” His mother smiled and tousled his hair. “There’s a good boy. Maybe you can sleep late tomorrow, before we go back to the lake again.” “Do you mean it, mom?” |
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| T@Z | May 30 2007, 06:59 PM Post #6 |
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HA-HA!
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The next day was a known rest day, a weekend in Crypt, and even though it was a day of rest for non-merchants in the village, his mother never let him sleep late. Usually, she took him to hear Ichigo, a private priest usually available to give sermons in the Cathedral as long as Seihizu Taro would let him. The priest said the same thing everytime: economy would be better next year, crime rates and death rates would fall back down, Missing Nins would soon go back to their villages. Ichigo’s voice always made Iki drowsy. “It’s your birthday.” his mother said. “So if you’d like, you can sleep in.” He knew what she wanted him to say, so he said it, though without much enthusiasm. “No, mom. We should go to the Cathedral and hear the priest. We can go to Lake Styx after that.” His mother smiled and took his hand in hers. He did not resist. He still liked holding his mother’s hand when they walked. If his friends had seen it, they would laugh and call him names. But his friends were not around. It was just him, his mother, the path of Lake Styx, and the darkness. |
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| Bowwy | May 30 2007, 07:29 PM Post #7 |
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MOOGLE AWWWWAAAAYYYY!!!
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Sam stood there for a moment, smirking, then started. “Okay, the best way to describe it is to just take your chakra and push the blast into a cone like blast, so it works. When you’ve known the jutsu for a long time, you can try making different shapes with your blasts, but for now, go for cone. Alex stood there for a moment, then focused chakra into his hand, and pushed, forming the small, blue ball. He held it in his hands, getting a feel for it. Then, he held it up, ready to slam it into the tree… He pushed his arm forward, and attempted to form the blast into a cone. He failed. It was slightly circular, but spread out, all over the tree. Alex sighed. “Don’t get discouraged now, just try again.” Alex created another ball, and brought it up. He took a deep breath. He looked at the shiny blue ball in his hand. He took another breath, and prepared to smash it into the tree. He jabbed his arm at the tree. The effect was brutal. Pieces of wood and bark flew everywhere. A large hole appeared in the wood. Alex fell down on his back, scared of it, and wanting to avoid any explosions or wood. He slowly stood up, feeling a little better, after successfully focusing the blast. Sam smiled, and said, “Well, good job. It wasn’t perfect, seeing as you fell over, but whoever is on the receiving end of that attack would not feel so good.” Alex laughed. “Well, you’ve got a bit more to do. Your left hand.” Alex sighed. It was similar to the process before. With his left hand, he did about as good as he did with his right hand. First, he didn’t do so good, then, he was able to focus it easier. The effects were similar to his right hand. By now, he was low on chakra, and sat down. Sam chuckled. “Yes, this training can be hard, this technique isn’t light on your chakra. And you’re only using one handed ones. When you use doubled handed, it’s twice as powerful.” Alex gasped. If the one handed ones could blow tree wood away, what could a double handed one do? Alex silently thought about this as he rested. Sam and Alex rested for about 15 minutes, and during that time Alex asked about this technique. “What are some times you’ve used it?” Alex asked eagerly. Sam thought for a moment, then started. “Once, when I was camping in a forest, a group of bandits attacked me. I was tired from training that day, and did not have much chakra. I made one single handed ball with this jutsu. There were about 4 bandits, and they all stood next to each other, so I widened out the focus on my ball as hard as I could, and I slammed it into the middle of all of them. It knocked all four of them down, and they ran. I was so tired, I passed out as I fell down.” “Woah, that was a close call Grandpa.” Sam smiled. “Indeed it was. But if you ever find yourself in a situation like that, until you get older, create Shadow Clones, or run. Shadow Clones can take hits and keep people busy for you. Even though Shadow Clones can only take 1 or two hits.” Alex smiled. He knew about the fragileness of Shadow Clones. He learned it from training with his father, when he had just learned Shadow Clones. “Well, it’s about time we got back into the training,” Sam said as he got up, shaking himself off. Alex stood up, slowly. He thought he could tell what they would be doing. “This part is the most dangerous, but it’s the most important. Double Handed Exploding Chakra. It’s very powerful, and can be unstable, so be careful, alright?” Sam put his hands together, and a ball formed there. It was fairly large. Sam walked over to a large tree, and slammed his hands into it. He was focusing, so it cut clean through the tree and it fell over. Alex’s jaw fell down. “And that is this jutsu at its most powerful.” With power like that, if Alex messed up, he would blow his arms off. |
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| Bowwy | May 30 2007, 08:12 PM Post #8 |
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MOOGLE AWWWWAAAAYYYY!!!
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Alex was still shocked from the effects of that blast. He looked down at his hands. “How could I do that?” He thought to himself. He clenched his fists, and took a deep breath. He needed to be in control, for his and his Grandfather’s safety. Sam wiped his hands on a nearby tree, and nodded his head. “Place your hands together, like a cage.” Alex did so. “Now, focus chakra in both hands. You need to focus chakra in both hands for his to work.” Alex started to focus his chakra. He knew what to do next. He pushed. And the effects were…unspectacular. It was one big spark that sent Alex flying back, and skidding in the dirt. He sighed. But, knowing that he could practice at this, he stood up. Walking back over to Sam, he glanced off at the sky. It was about to rain. Or, it looked like it. Alex brought his hands up again, focused, and pushed. At first, nothing came out. He tried again, only to get a small spark. He tried again, and a bigger spark came. Then he realized it. With both hands, he had to push twice as hard. Knowing this, he glanced up at Sam, who grinned. “Figured it out?” Alex nodded. Raising his hands, he started focusing chakra. He focused…focused…and pushed. He pushed for several seconds, then sparks came, then two balls formed for a split second, and then they combined to form one large ball. Alex’s breath stopped. He couldn’t believe he was holding a ball of such explosive power. Sam whistled. “Alex, you ready?” Alex nodded. “Okay, as before. Just a little push.” Alex walked up to a tree, and held the ball tightly. He then shoved it forward, bracing himself. The effects were powerful. A large section of bark and wood were broken off, and Alex could see into the center of the tree. His breath stopped for the second time of the day. He really couldn’t believe the effects this technique could do. He stopped for a moment, taking it in. Sam looked at the hole in the tree, smiling. “Hey, you did a nice job. Without focus, you can still a good amount of damage with this.” Alex grinned, breathing hard. He was tired, but he thought he had enough energy for one more blast. Sam asked, “You ready for the last part?” Alex nodded. He knew what it was. Sam was going in a pattern. Concentrating the double handed. Alex knew that he would have to concentrate pretty hard or it wouldn’t work, but…he was tired. He fell down, sitting. He was breathing fast. He was sweating, hot, and sticky. “Grandpa, can I take a little break?” Sam nodded, and sat down. “You want to hear another story?” Alex nodded. “Alright, I was in a battle once, with a group of ninja. I don’t know what village they were from.” “But it was me, this ninja named Mitch, and this other Ninja named Jill. Now, there were about 15 or 20 ninja attacking us. I had a good amount of Shadow Clones out, maybe 6 or 7. I had unlocked the uh…do you know about the red chakra?” Alex nodded. “Well, I was in that form, and I was attacking everyone I could. I felt the rage of it, and I was attacking all the ninja I saw, usually killing them. And then, I was trying to do the Exploding Chakra jutsu….” “And?!” Alex said eagerly. Sam stopped. “That’s really something you should learn for yourself, it’s quite cool. Anyways, you feel better?” Alex shook his head. “Well, you get as much rest as you need. But not too long. I think it’ll rain soon.” Alex, who was sitting down, reviewed the hand seals. “Dragon, Horse, Ram, Horse.” This jutsu wasn’t quick, but Alex could tell it was powerful. He smiled, knowing in a little while, he would know this jutsu. Or, well enough to use most of it. He had already learned the single handed stuff. He would be alright. But he was still nervous. |
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| Bowwy | May 30 2007, 09:01 PM Post #9 |
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MOOGLE AWWWWAAAAYYYY!!!
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Alex stood there, fidgeting, waiting for Sam to begin the double handed concentration training. Alex was pretty sure how to do it, just make a double handed ball and make the cone shaped chakra wall, but he was still nervous. Butterflies paraded in his stomach as his left leg twitched to the beat of a bird’s singing. Alex took in a deep breath. He had been doing that a lot today. Then again, he had been nervous most of the day. He was still scared of what might happen if he did this jutsu wrong, If the explosion happened on his end. He secretly hoped that that would never happen, and he would be sure to always make his concentrations hard. Sam began. “This is the scariest part of the training, because you realize what this jutsu at its full potential is capable of doing at close range. If you do it right, it can kill somebody. Do it wrong, and it can kill you. You have to just always remember to focus the explosion away from you. Never get careless, or you’ll fall. Now…make a double handed ball. Alex stood up. He was ready. Nervous, scared, frightened, and twitching, but ready. He glanced up. The clouds seemed like they would almost explode with rain. Alex put his hands together, and focused his chakra, then pushed. The ball was made. Alex held it without trouble. “Now, this next part may seem scary, but just do it. Walk to this tree.” Alex slowly walked up to the tree. “Calm yourself, but not too much. Get too relaxed, and you won’t focus enough. Get too tense, and you’ll overdo it. Just stay calm, but be firm.” Alex held the ball in the same position he’d been holding it in. A single drop of sweat ran down his brow. “Now…I want you to try concentrating the blast.” Alex held up the blue ball, and thrusted it forward. It was not good. The ball exploded, sending Alex flying back, and pieces of chipped bark, wood, and root everywhere. Alex landed on his back, then checked his arms to make sure they were okay. They were. Alex let out a sigh of relief, but tightened himself back up when he saw Sam. “Nice try, but go again. Try harder to contain it.” Alex put his hands together, and another ball was made. Alex stepped up to the tree again. He took a deep breath, then jabbed the tree with his hands. He did much better. He stayed up, and concentrated the blast better. Pieces of wood flew everywhere, and the tree fell down. Alex bent down, tired. Making all of these energy balls was tiring him out. He glanced up at Sam, who was smiling. “You did well. Just make it past one last thing and you can go. Throwing Double Handed Balls. One of the best things you’ll learn. Come here.” Alex did so. “Throwing Double Handed Balls works because they’re powerful, cause large explosions, and deal damage. When you learn to master throwing them, you can cause great damage. But, first, you have to get used to it. Summon a ball.” Alex brought his hands up, but just couldn’t. He tried several times, but couldn’t create a ball. So Sam made one for him, and placed it into his hands. Alex was amazed. “You can give it to other people?” Sam nodded. “That’s one of the good parts about it. Now, use the same method as with throwing single handed, just use two hands, and make sure to push with chakra.” Alex brought his hands back, then threw them forward, pushing with his chakra. The blue ball sailed through the air, and crashed about 15 yards away, causing dust and grass to fly into the air. Sam smiled. “You did well, Alex. Are you tired?” Alex nodded. “Well, come on…let’s go home.” Alex looked up at his Grandfather. “You’re coming?” Sam nodded. |
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| T@Z | May 31 2007, 09:49 PM Post #10 |
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HA-HA!
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A full moon floated in the sky but her light fought its way through the darkness with difficulty. Iki was not usually afraid of the dark but night near Lake Styx was a little scary for his age. He knew it was safe, though. Crypt villagers have been trekking and drawing their water in Lake Styx for generations. “Look, Mother!” He grabbed her cloak and pointed down into the crystal clear visage of the lake. A freshwater salmon, long and silver, chased a streaming path through the water. He watched until it dashed away to a pale scar, then vanished. “Did you see it?” “I saw it, Iki.” his mother said, and she murmured something Iki could not make out. Iki remembered the previous autumn, the night that a whole rain of flaming stars streaked to the dark sky. He’d heard from a merchant that the blaze had destroyed a troop of ninjas northward and burned down forests and caused deaths and loss to the families it had come into contact with but he doubted it. They had been too beautiful. He wished with all his heart that he could have seen the view in its most magnificent form – he imagined them to be from a firebreather group traveling in villages from Terra – and caught a memoir of it. But they had not been near it, they had only seen it one night as it drenched the north sky a crimson sea. If it had been so close, he and Kurama could have been the most popular Academy Students in Crypt. That would have been wonderful. And Kaori would have been so jealous. Thinking of his friends, Iki decided to ask his mother just one more time if Kurama could accompany them to the lake on the morrow. He held his tongue for a time, thinking to wait for just the opportune moment. They picked their way through the shade and brush in silence. Quiet shrouded the field. Even the insects were sleeping. Iki could hear himself breathing. He and his mother moved quickly through the darkness – quiet and light was the Crypt way, his mother always said. Iki could have sneaked up on anyone who was bored enough to stay in the darkness’ wake. Iki was hardly quick or graceful in time but he was quiet. Fighting another yawn, he suddenly longed for his bed. He asked, “How much farther to the village, mother?” “Not far, Iki. The edge of the plane is just ahead.” Iki was glad of it. He decided the time was right to ask about Kurama. He clasped his mother’s hand a bit more tightly and adopted his weak voice, the one that usually got him what he wanted. “Mother?” She looked down at him. “May Kurama - ” |
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| T@Z | Jun 1 2007, 07:06 AM Post #11 |
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HA-HA!
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A sound from ahead of them rushed through the darkness and bit off the rest of his words. As one, he and his mother crouched in near a rock and froze. Iki was glad it was ever dark in Crypt. “What was that?” Iki whispered. It sounded like someone shifting around, sneaking, as a metallic object, he presumed to be a sword, dancing in the brisk night air. His heart beat fast. He reached into his pocket and clutched a skipping stone in his fist. His mother’s grip on his hand tightened and she shushed him. The sound had come from the plane’s end, from the direction of the village’s entrance. His mother stared into the trees, her head cocked, worry lines creasing her forehead. She caught Iki looking at her and forced an insincere smile. Iki opened his mouth to speak but she shook her head and put a finger to her lips for silence. That made him more nervous but he held his tongue and nodded. They stood still as the roks. Time passed slowly but when the sound did not repeat, his mother’s grip on his hand loosened. She visibly relaxed. Iki took a sweaty hand from his skipping stone and let out a breath. He pulled his mother down by her cloak to his level, leaned in close, and whispered, “What made that sound, Mother?” He imagined in his mind a full grown man, a murderer, with a giant cleaver. Two months earlier, Yoroi was killed by a wandering murderer. The killer was never seen or heard of but they were all sure Yoroi was killed by a man. The story inspired fire in Iki’s eyes and he wanted to avenge his uncle. Naturally, his mother wouldn’t let him and chances did not give him much of a choice. “I don’t know, dear.” his mother answered. “Let’s be still for a bit longer. Just to make sure it’s really gone.” Iki nodded. An summer wind rustled through the rocks. Small pebbles made tiny sounds. Iki wished for a thousandth time that his father was still alive, that he didn’t just die of heart failure. His father would have come with them. His father wouldhave protected them from any murderer. He leaned against his mother. Her warmth and smell – like fresh bread – comforted him. She crouched and put her arms around him. |
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| T@Z | Jun 1 2007, 07:09 AM Post #12 |
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HA-HA!
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A pebble cracked sharply somewhere in the darkness behind them. Both gave a start and looked about. Iki’s heart raced anew. He saw nothing through the filtered moonlight but rocks and earth. Iki had heard that some Jounins could see in the dark. He wished with all his mind that he could. His mother was breathing fast and Iki did not like it. He tried to swallow but his mouth was dry; he clutched a handful of his mother’s cloak and bit his lower lip. Another pebble cracked behind them, ominously. His mother put her mouth in Iki’s ear. “Quiet. We must hide.” He nodded. He still saw nothing but someone, something, was out there. his mother was afraid – he could feel it. He started to shake, he wanted to rush out and protect his mother, but his mother hugged him tighter. He was breathing as fast as she. “It will be all right.” his mother whispered to him but he was not sure if she was really talking to him. She half-stood out of the rock and looked around the area for a better hiding place. Iki wondered if maybe they should dash for the village. Or shout for help? Surely someone would hear them. Maybe even an Anarch. “Mom, shouldn’t we - ” “We stay right here, Iki.” she whispered. “No matter what.” Steps shot out of the corners. They were coming nearer, closing in on them. Someone was coming for them. Iki heard another breathe. He buried his face in his mother’s cloak. Laughter ensued, from someone else. Iki’s heart raced faster than ever. His mother picked him up, she stood, and started back into the lake. Fear seized Iki. Going into the lake would mean a fatal mistake. There was no one to get help from. “Where are we going?” he said, too loud. From behind them came another laugh, almost in frenzy and excited about something big. Pebbles cracked as the steps came closer. Someone was out to get them. |
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| T@Z | Jun 1 2007, 07:39 AM Post #13 |
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HA-HA!
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His mother froze in her steps. Iki felt a tremor run through her body. “No.” she said, so low that she probably had not thought Iki would hear. “Please, not my boy, not Iki.” Terror rooted Iki’s chest. Whatever creature was behind them was gaining fast. He wrapped his legs around his mother’s waist and buried his face in her neck. Tears filled his eyes. He wasn’t afraid to die; he was afraid he would lose her mother. “We would hide, Iki. Yes, we would - ” her mother said but she was cut short when something hit her fast. She dropped him and lay flat on her stomach. She was hit hard, the pain made her wince. Iki was amazed at the speed but he loathed the person who hit his mother. Iki scampered to see where his mother was and he did see her. She was inches from him, in front of where he was, a lone man standing over her. The man looked to be the built of an assassin. He had a long hair in a ponytail, black as the night and as oily. He wore an outfit that reminded Iki of the shadows in his dreams. The figure grabbed his mom by the hair as she wimpered at the pain and rage filled him. Iki dashed towards the man, ready for a strike. However, the man had already predicted his actions and was ready for him. “Iki!” his mom called. The man had kicked Iki, sending him flying towards a rock. Iki felt unconscious. He saw his mom trying to reach for him, her hair in the man’s clutches. Iki saw his eyes, night black and full of lust. “Kumori Kiara, say goodbye.” the man said and performed a jutsu. Shadows came from the man and showered his mom. The shadows bathed her in darkness. A hand made from pure shadows reached for her neck. It strangled her. She gave a last look towards Iki who was trying hard regaining his consciousness. She was mouthing the words I love you at him as their eyes met. She was crying and that was it. Iki stood up, he found it difficult after the throw. His eyes welled up with tears and looked at his mom’s murderer. He felt hot and the fire inside of him grew. He dashed for the murderer, readying a punch. “Mom!” he shouted, pouring all his strength in that punch. The murderer faced him, portrayed a devilish grin and made the notion to hit him with a jutsu. But before anyone of them could strike the other, voices from the path to the village surfaced. The man looked back, then at Iki who was just half-way near him. He grinned and narrowed his eyes. Iki felt great hatred for him. “We will meet again, Kumori.” the murderer said and he was off. Iki stopped dead in his tracks, the man had gone. He had just felt fatigued and he dropped on his knees. He saw Kurama, Kaori, Father Ichigo, and Shizuka along with other Crypt villagers just before he fainted. |
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| T@Z | Jun 1 2007, 07:44 AM Post #14 |
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HA-HA!
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Come into the light. A gentle breeze touched his face. He felt nothing. It had been five years since that night her mom died. It was his birthday. He had never felt pain like that, not since he had continued his studies. His mom would like him to. She had always told him his father would want him to be a great shinobi. He felt tears welling in his eyes but he was successful in keeping them at bay. He would not cry. He promised himself he would not show weakness to his family. Wherever thay may be now, he hoped they would be proud of him. Iki bowed his head and offered a prayer to his mom. The grave wasn’t as decent as he had hoped it would be. But it was the finest anyone would get in Crypt. He left a purple rose on his mother’s grave. He put his hat back on and uttered I love you to his mom. He turned around and took his scythe, which he had placed some meters behind him for a moment alone with his mom. Iki looked up at the clear blue sky and believed he saw his parents looking at him. He remembered to thank Father Ichigo and his friends for helping maintain the grave once he returns to Crypt Commune. Back into the shadows. |
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8:23 AM Jul 11