Number One Zero [Training]

[♠Solo♠]

The compound was unusually silent today. Normally the Hyuuga were traveling about in the compound, one after another, developing techniques, growing stronger, or just having conversation about their missions. It was a refreshing site for him. Normally the busy hall ways were filled with invisible chains. The Branch Hyuuga weren't anywhere around unless their counterpart masters were somewhere within calling range. The silent emptiness was nice.

His footsteps carried him over to a sliding door. His bare feet slapped against the hard wood floor, bringing him closer to his destination. Upon sliding the door out of his path he entered the widest room, expecting an audience to see him in, wondering if his shadow would be following him in soon. Equally as empty as before. No sounds echoed through the halls. He would make his own noise soon enough.

Tensa approached the training dummies in the southern most part of the large room. They were no ordinary structures. While taking on the physical presence of a regular training dummy, the ones within the Hyuuga compound were made specially for them. Instead of straw, the dummy in particular was made out of wood. However they held a secret that only the Hyuuga would know.

He took an offensive stance just standing several feet in front of the training dummy. The techniques he had learned needed some refinement, if anything. He wouldn't achieve his goal with his level of strength. No one would even consider him a threat. No one wise anyway. To some degree, he was an exceptional shinobi. Unlike his master, however, he lacked the strength to be recognized by the Hyuuga community.

He inhaled, taking in a deep breath and holding it in for a brief second. After releasing it, and allowing the tension to flow through him, he opened his eyes. Veins now protruding through his skin. His eyes had awaken. The Byakugan gazed upon the training dummy. An unusual siting. The dummy had tenketsu. A chakra build similar to that of a human. All 365 tenketsu were there and visible.

Tensa's stance changed slightly. Now his left leg extending as far as possible from his body, with the right leg perched under, his left arm aligned, extended, in mirror with the leg. His right arm extended behind him. With a sudden burst he flew forward at the dummy.

"2 palms!" He sent two high powered strikes toward the torso of the dummy, striking the tenkesu exactly located there. "4 palms!" Two more swift strikes were sent into the chest of the dummy in similar fashion as the first two. "8 palms!" Within the same time range as the initial and following strike, four more strikes from his fingers would be sent into the dummy. "16 palms! 32 palms!" With blinding speed, all the strikes would find their target, hitting the dummy in different tenketsu within the dummy, sealing off the chakra flow from each one. Normal eyes wouldn't be able to catch or gauge the speed of the strikes, as only after images of where the strikes once were would be seen.

[♠Solo♠]

The final strike rested upon the dummy's upper abdomen. Tensa took in a deep breath, feeling the exhaustion of the attack, and then releasing it in a huge sigh. It was stressful sending that many strikes, in succession, and that swiftly. However this was the body gifted to those born with the Byakugan, with the Hyuuga bloodline, with the Hyuuga curse. He lifted his dark haired head to view the damage he had done. The tenketsu on the dummy had successfully be sealed. The deed was done, but he felt no satisfaction.

Slowly he brought his hand back to his person, and took another offensive stance. This time, his right hand became the dominant force, as it had been slightly extended forward. His palm directly faced the dummy. His fingers enclosed together, with his thumb kissing the inside. A mirror clone of his right hand would be seen in the left. However it positioned itself closer to his body. The right leg and left leg mimic their upper body counterparts, as the right leg was slid slightly forward, with the left remaining still under his body.

His gaze remained upon the sealed chakra points he had dealt his damage to. It would have been an impressive feat in the eyes of another. However, he knew that those of the main branch were capable of so much more. Genin of his level of the main branch were able to easily seal double that he could. The higher rank Hyuuga could seal all 365 points. He thought about the difference. 365 to 32 was far too drastic. He felt the gap between him and Kohana grow. He knew she exceeded him in ability, but only because it was what was taught and expected. He never thought about how she was so far ahead of him. The reasons would pile on.

Tensa grit his teeth out of passion and anger. He stared the dummy before him down. It resembled Kohana. Laughing and taunting him for his weakness. She told him not to follow her in terms of power, but to find his own path. It would be impossible to forget the weakness that followed in his person.

Without hesitation or warning, a powerful blow was sent into the dummy's face. Chakra expelled from his palm, and was sent veering into the training rag doll. The tenketsu turned red, to indicate damage to them. Kohana's form disappeared. A relentless assault followed after. Tensa began striking at the dummy's body with excellent speed. Blow after blow would be sent into the dummy's figure, damaging the tenketsu. The loud powerful thrusts could be heard from a distance. The dummy began to sway back and forth from the blows. However it was bound to it's area for the remainder of it's lifespan, as the wooden perch would be implanted into the ground, permanently.

[♠Solo♠]

Footsteps silently approached the compound. Ears would ring from the sound of forceful blows entering into a stunt object. Tensa's power would be heard through the entire room, as his palms strikes each blew into the dummy, damaging the tenketsu. Chakra emitted from his palms. Visible to the trained eye, this burst of chakra would flow through the dummy, and exit out of it in the direction of where it was struck. The blows would be found all over the dummy. Chakra flew from it in all direction.

One final blow would be sent directly into the upper left chest of the dummy, exactly where the heart would be on any normal candidate for the losing end of the Jyuuken. The final blow was absolutely fierce, however subtle. Unlike the last flurry, this strike held the dummy still, not moving from its place. However his eyes could see that the section where he had struck was more damaged than others. The ultimate one body blow. A fatal technique if aimed at the heart.

This time heavy breaths constantly entered and exited his body. Sweat now flowed down his face. A single trinket rolled down the side of his left eye. He closed it, rubbing it with his forehead, and afterwards ridding himself of all the sweat on his face.

"Very good," a sudden voice appeared from almost out of nowhere. Tensa held in his breath and swiftly performed a 180 turn. He looked to see a familiar face, though he felt no pleasure from viewing it. "I see you were able to even seal some of the tenketsu. You'll go far at this rate. Give or take 15 more years, you might be as good as Kohana." Anger filled within his body once more.

"Have you come here to mock me, old man?" he thought to himself. It took all of his being to hold the same calm face he always did. The face the family was use to. The face that didn't alarm them that he would be coming for them one day, be it by negotiation, or force, that he would change the way things were.

"You're fairly talented for a branch Hyuuga. However I'd like to introduce you to someone. Come on in." A surprised expression emerged on Tensa's small face. He hadn't noticed another presence in the compound. A second Hyuuga emerged from behind the elder Hyuuga. His size and appearance almost cloned Tensa's own. However there was an incredible difference to be seen. His forehead bore no seal.

"This is Hiten. One of our up coming shinobi. He'll be entering the Chuunin exams this year. We're expecting much of him. How able you gauge his power?"

"Is that what you want? To use me as a pawn to test someone's limits?"

Hiten entered the room, walking over to Tensa's right. His body faced Tensa and he bowed. Dark brown locks fell down his forehead and face as he done so.

"Fine."

[♠Solo♠]

He had not planned on actually sparring today. He was pushed into it, however. The elder Hyuuga, Gonzo, would probably stop at nothing to see him suffer, all because he were better than a few of the Main Branch Genin. It wasn't his fault. Some of them simply did not have what it took inside of them to be part of the great Main Family. They were simply born with the ridiculous title. Not able to even be proven wrong in their right to hold it.

The young Genin stood just five feet away from Tensa, taking an offensive stance similar to the one he had taken earlier. Tensa eyed him up and down. His Byakugan starring further into him than just a physical form. He had a level of chakra similar to his own, so the fight, judging from that, could go both ways. Tensa did not plan on letting some Main Branch flunky get the best of him. He too took his own offensive stance.

The elder Hyuuga stood off to the side, stroking his long white beard. He were bald, unlike most the other Hyuuga, whom seemed to hold an amazing ability to keep their hair. Even at an elevated age. He eyed both Tensa and the young Genin he had, watching their mirrored stance reflect from one another.

"You may begin whenever you are ready."

The two had tensed up. Tensa's opponent would activate his own Byakugan and stare into Tensa's body. The air had gotten tense in the training ground. For some odd reason it didn't seem like a friendly spar were about to take place. Tensa had to fight off the bottled up hatred for those whom did not respect his position inside. He would get this spar over with as quickly as he could, and be on with his day, that had been ruined. Whatever this battle's result, he knew he wouldn't be returning to the compound.

[♠Solo♠]

Tensa sized up his opponent, as his opponent did to him. The two were reading each others movements. Almost to the point that they would read each others mind. Watching for the slightest twitch, the slightest hint of movement, giving the other the advantage of knowing where an attack were emerge from. It would be a good lead, if the advantage is taken into critical accord. A good first blow would make the remainder of the spar a lot easier. At least this was Tensa's plan in ending it swiftly. The two wouldn't move for what seemed like minutes. An eternity passed in their minds. Only seconds would be bore as the first move was made.

With excellent speed, Tensa flew at his opponent, preparing a Jyuuken strike directly at his target's heart. It wouldn't kill him, but it would slow him greatly. His opponent predicted the blow, and defended. Tensa's right hand came just inches short of striking the heart, when another set of two fingers came from below, and struck at his wrist, stopping the blow completely. This hand in turn would be met with another jyuuken blow, as Tensa's left hand now struck at the hand that stopped his own. Two fingers implanted themselves into the boy's right forearm. He took this opportunity to swiftly move his right hand once again, as the boy prepared his left to be used offensively.

Swift blows would be exchanged now, though not directed at deadly targets. Either opponent couldn't afford to take their concentration off of the incoming attacks, for it could lead to them being hit in a vital point. Chakra flew sparatically from the two, as palms were deflected and struck away, one after another. These attacks moved at impressive speeds. One after another, blow after blow. They awaited an opening and would take it once they saw the chance.

Furious palms continued to fly out at one another. The Hyuuga, Gonzo, would find delight in the battle thus far. No clear advantages would be seen yet. Tensa continued to send blow after blow at his opponent, till he began recognizing the attacking pattern of his opponent and went for an opening. After sending a left palm into his opponent's right palm, Tensa's right palm went flying for his opponent's chest. The blow looked clean. However, just before he attacked he stopped himself, realizing that his opponent had thought the exact same thing. Two statues stood from one another, still in movement, looking down at the attack that could have injured them. A stalemate.

"I believe your point has been made." Tensa exclaimed, before lowering his tense body and sighing. Nodding to his opponent, he exited the dojo.

[EXIT]

[King]

- 47