Tying Loose Ends [Training][Open]

[Dagron Hoshigake]

The Northern Dragon Takes Flight

Any form of training was banned within the main compounds the Samurai occupied and recently allowed the flux of shinobi. The fear of fighting or inner conflict teetered on the edge of hysteria, leading the Samurai to keep a tight watch on themselves and the outsiders. This strain kept everyone but the unaware perceptive and stressed behind a facade of benevolence. To avoid stepping on toes and unraveling the tension that had been building up, Ip found his way outside and into the cold wastes of the exterior world of Tetsu no Kuni. His training, which had been so horribly hindered since arriving, would continue until the next phase of the Chuunin Exams was presented.

Snowfall was common in Tetsu no Kuni, something most from Kumogakure may not have anticipated. For Ip who's body was always clad within a tight suit comprised of leather, steel, and thick cloth, it was another day to practice his art. He found his way through the snow and put a sizable distance between himself and main facilities. Bringing the palm of his hand toward the ground Ip created a powerful gust and cleared out the snow to reveal the cold dirt beneath. By the time the area was buried in snow again, Ip's training would be over. That is to say if others stayed away.

The philosophy behind the art was not power, strength, or speed. Instead it emphasized on slow, repetitive motions that familiarized the body with specific actions related to the martial application of the art. However, Ip had added multiple changes to the style that added two different forms that brought together power, speed, and proprioception to completely form a new branch of the family Martial Art. He referred to them as "Hard" and "Soft" fist, or "Heavy" and "Slow" forms. With this combination of styles one was capable of expanding both proprioception and exteroception during exercises. Of course style coupled with his powerful Fuuton jutsu made it a force to be reckoned with.

Adopting a form akin to Battoujutsu, Ip semi-crouched and brought his arms in low-to-high positions, alternating in short and quick circles. Inside a latent power was tapped into, drawing forth only minuscule slivers of his chakra to created encircling currents of air around his forearms and hands. Where snow dared to fall it was met with a windy resistance and blow away. When a foreign wind brought in a torrent of snow so widened the circular motions of his arms and stance to match natures challenge. Repetition that familiarized the body with the practical, martial uses of the style with his Fuuton.

[Dagron Hoshigake]

There was no one right way to prefer a transition between the styles of the art. This made it near impossible to adapt to mid-fight for an opponent who would be dealing with one form then the next. Ip understood this but refused to completely discard aspects during the change. Instead of losing every aspect of the "Soft" form when changing to "hard," minor adaptations were made so that the idea of redirection remained while striking with powerful close-fisted strikes. This allowed a continual flow of physical movement with rotation during striking. He could attack with his whole body while using his forearms, wrists, and fists to deflect and redirect physical attacks.

The art influenced his Fuuton as well, allowing insight on how the flexible motions could benefit him against elemental ninjutsu techniques was well. Adaptability is key during battle as it is likely to meet many diverse opponents. "Deflection" as well as "redirection" with fuuton, Ip knew, is limited and restricts him while countering some Suiton, Ototon, Fuuton, Doton, and Katon. Raiton would be an issue as well as some powerful Katon techniques that used air as a source of fuel. But there is always a way around one thing or another.

Ferocious winds tore through the snowy atmosphere as fists flew and footing changed abruptly. On rare occasions a kick followed, but only frontal as sweeps and fully extended kicks disrupted the balance of the art. Reinforced by Fuuton, training not only worked his body but his spirit as well. It served to teach control both mind and body. Exhaustion would not come for many hours as, in moderation, the technique was only a minor drain. It was, however, constant.

After a while Ip finally paused to break and catch his breath. So many shinobi still have yet to take the test. I wonder how many have come just to fail, or miss their chance at obtaining greater status in their villages. Even when I went I only saw one, with another entering just as I had finished my test. He sighed and glanced into the air from a seated position. Mostly Kumogakure shinobi have appeared to put themselves to the test..

[Hirihi]

.:Enter:.

As the pink hair medic walked along the path past the bridge, her mind wandered to the things of what would be happening there at the Chuunin Exams now that they were done with the first round. The test had been rather difficult, but she was fairly certain that things were going well. She had written down her answers as best she could. She knew she wouldn't score in the top bracket, just because there were some of those things that she had no clue on with no prior experience. She did hope that she would pass, though.

As she walked, Hirihi stopped and noticed that there was someone on the path up ahead. Thinking that it might be Kurai, Hirihi slowly walked up the path towards the gentlemen. As she drew closer, the snowflakes falling around light as flower petals, she realized that it was not Kurai after all. Maybe she had gone to the wrong place to find him. She did recognize him from the exams, though, so maybe this could be her chance to get to know someone else. Make more friends at the exams and broaden her social skills.

Approaching, Hirihi cleared her throat and spoke up, the pink haired medic attempting to get his attention. Excuse me." She spoke out over the snow that was lightly falling around them. Her voice wasn't as loud as most others, being that she had been quiet for a majority of her life. It took a bit more effort for her to speak loudly and clearly to others for that very reason. "Sorry if I'm interrupting anything. I was looking for my friend, and I was curious if you might have seen him pass by here? He has golden eyes, blue hair. Usually wears a hood over his head that makes him seem more conspicuous." She said. She was fairly certain that he wouldn't be showing up there, but it was a conversation starter, right?

As she watched him, anticipating a response, her dark crimson eyes would keep focused on him. She wondered if he might get upset that she had just come up and interrupted him. It had been known to happen a few times in the past. Some people were just too busy to make friends with, she supposed. She hoped it wasn't the case with him.

[Dagron Hoshigake]

"Excuse me," Hirihi's voice managed through the blanketing snowfall that descended around them. At first an idle minded Ip thought it was the whispering of the wind, but as she encroached on Ip's training ground her voice became clearer. ""Sorry if I'm interrupting anything. " He rose and listened, though even as his leering gaze fell upon her, he remained silent. It had been a long time since anyone had addressed Ip, whether formal or not. People often passed him by outside of the Kumogakure mission compound, or outside of his missions.

"I was looking for my friend, and I was curious if you might have seen him pass by here? He has golden eyes, blue hair. Usually wears a hood over his head that makes him seem more conspicuous."'

Ip brushed flakes of snow that had accumulated on his uniform before he answered, his voice a youthful baritone that easily pierced the snowfall. "I've been here alone since leaving the main compound. Out here, I thought I would be able to practice without interuption, but I suppose there must be others out here. I'm sorry. I've seen no such person." He offered a quick bow with his apology. On a second glance he noticed she was a Kumogakure shinobi as well, likely taking the exams just as he was.

it seemed that the Chuunin Exams were dominated by Kumogakure. Ip had no doubt that the prowess of Kaminari no Kuni would appear intimidating to other villages. It brought a smile to his lips before he spoke again. "In this endless white, it's no doubt many might get lost. I don't think many of us shinobi have ever been to these foreign lands."

[Hirihi]

When his voice first rang out through the snowfall, Hirihi thought that she might have recognized it. It was a voice that was very distinguishable. When she noticed that he was from the same village as her, she was definitely grateful that he had the same allegiances as herself. It wasn't something that guaranteed he bore no ill will against her, but it was a comforting thought that they had some of the similar experiences. When he had said that he had not seen anyone of that particular description, or anyone for that matter, she was a little bit disappointed. She nodded when he spoke and sighed. "He's probably out here somewhere. I just don't know where he could have wandered off to." She said, looking around and turning her gaze back to him.

When he said that he had been out there training, this changed the conversation a little bit for her. She liked to know more about what the other people were good at in her village. Her own personal fortes could only carry her so far, but if she knew more about the differing disciplines throughout the spectrum, she could better fight her opponents. This was something she knew that she would have to do inevitably. "I agree. Ever since I can remember, I've been at Kumogakure. This is a nice change of scenery for me. I won't miss the snow, though." She said, chuckling as she brushed the flakes free of her pink shouldered shirt.

"So, if I may know, what exactly were you training out here? I was wanting to get a little practice in with some of my own techniques, and thought that maybe it was something we could do together? Unless it is private, of course, which I'll gladly leave you in peace if that is what you'd like." She said, giving him the option. She hated to impose on people, and this was one of those situations where she would definitely be imposing if she were to assume he'd be willing to do such a thing.

As she waited for a reply from him, she lightly kicked at the snow that was gathering at her feet. She did like this place. It was calming, peaceful. it also gave her a strong feeling of calm at the sight of endless white. Most other places were bright and aflutter with color and texture. This was just pure white. It didn't take much to process, and it made her feel secure that no one could sneak up on her unless they were intending to. In a colored terrain, color blending was easy to do. The only way to sneak in an environment of white was to wear the solid white. Otherwise, you'd be as apparent as a black rabbit in the arctic.

[Dagron Hoshigake]

In contrast to the white environment Ip was clothed in dark, wrapped seemingly in the very shadows of his ninja-esque world. Deep hues of purple and black made him stick out like a sore thumb, and his sun-kissed skin common to Kumogakure inhabitants made it clear he was foreign to the lands. For a Samurai it would have been easy to spot most of the ninja who wore mostly stylized attires. It was a kind of trade mark for their kind, but one Ip didn't always agree with. Things would change one day, of that he was sure.

Placing his right hand on his left shoulder, he made a bicep flexing motion. " It's a secret, but I'll tell you what it's like. " He held an air of pride when he spoke, particularly on the topic of his training. " It's a family Martial Art that has been carried down for ages. I am the last to inheret it and in turn, will spread it across the world when I've mastered it for myself. " He grinned widely before punctuating with the name. " Yǒnghéng Zhī Quán."

The words were foreign, having only rarely been spoken in the shinobi world. Often times the archaic language was only found in books and scrolls pre-dating some of the villages in creation. It said something for Ip's lineage and just how far back the family went. " Of course.. This is a new age, so I was also practicing my Fuuton at the same time. I was trying to get in the most practice I could before the real meat of the Chuunin Exams started. if you want to join me, you can. Perhaps we can share knowledge respectively?"

"I'm Ip-- Ip Trang, by the way."

[Hirihi]

His personality would seem to shine through as he flexed his arms in a proud show of what she thought to be something rather interesting. A fighting style that was passed down the generations of his family. The name was definitely hard for her to pronounce, but she would get by. Shrugging her shoulders, Hirihi crossed her arms as she stood there, contemplating what she should do. Dressed in her pink and black clothing, she was one that would likely be seen over the rest of the ninja that had enrolled in the exams. Her pink hair would also give her away in most scenarios.

At the mention of something more common and basic, something that she could give her own ideas on, Hirihi felt comfortable with the mention of the Fuuton training. She didn't have any idea how the particular release worked, but she had her own ways of using the elements. Kaiton. "The name is Hirihi. Rinji Hirihi." She said, smiling as she introduced herself to him. Looking around, she shrugged her shoulders. "If you want, since I don't know if I will find my friend for a while, we can train together. As far as what you want to know, are their any elements or styles you have been rather interested in? Maybe I know some of them." She said, taking a seat in the snow and crossing her legs, her elbows pressing against her knees as she looked up at him.

"As far as for myself, I am one of the apparently many medics that have come to the exams. I am skilled, and I know enough to fill a book. Other than that, I have experience in the Kaiton realm, as well as with the ability of sensors. Moving beyond that, the most I can do is move at near-instantaneous speeds. It is limited to a ten meter range, but it is definitely handy. I'm able to move in response to someone's attack in any direction I wish. As long as I don't cover more than ten meters, I'm typically safe." She said, thinking hard if there was anything else she might know.

"I think that's all there is to know about what I could share with you. Any of it sound interesting to you?" She asked, curious as she watched him all the while. His clothing was more conventional than her own. Black and darker hues that helped him to stay hidden in most terrains, excluding the snow obviously. Her own seemed more impractical the more shinobi that she met.

[Dagron Hoshigake]

A dark thought flickered through Ip's mind the moment she asked what he may want to know. It had been some time since the event, or having even thought about it. All at once his mind seemed to draw up every sequence of the fight. No ones had passed between the shinobi when it started, but only Ip stood when it ended. Many odd techniques had been used during, though clumsily executed. Stories told of specific kinds of jutsu which medical ninja used, some that Gungnir appeared to have used during that fight. Finally nodding his head, he glanced at Hirihi and frowned.

For the next several minutes he spent his time explaining what he had seen during the fight while keeping it as vague as possible. He didn't want anyone to know yet what he had done, if ever. He explained how the moves were executed in detail, while leaving out the finality of the fight as though it had parted without incident. To Hirihi, albeit Ip's grim composure, it would seem like it had been just a sparring session between fellow Kumogakure shinobi. "I had never seen anything like them, even if he was clumsy with them. Do you know of any such techniques?"

"As a Fuuton master and Taijutsu expert, I know very little outside of my respective arts. I have seen many fighters, but never once who attacked in such ways. I'm very curious." The dark, brooding look soon vanished as his question was asked, replaced by a quizzical stare. "By the way.. What's a "sensor"?"

[Hirihi]

Hirihi listened to him as he spoke. Ip seemed to be describing a medical ninja who had adapted their style to fighting. It was odd for her to hear such a story, given that she was used to hearing about how the medical abilities were used int he healing process, rather than being used in the destruction of the enemy. She knew there was a branch dedicated to defense and offense, but she was more interested in the healing arts than the rest. Regardless, she had learned enough to get by in the other arts, just out of respect for the art. When he had finished his explanation, he began to cover some basics on what he knew. Fuuton, martial arts. He seemed a bit limited, but he did seem to carry the air of being quick-witted.

At his question about a sensor, Hirihi realized that she hadn't quite elaborated on the art for him. "Well, a sensor is someone who is able to detect people by their chakra signals. It is something that most medics are given more information on than others, just because we are introduced into massive chakra management in our medic duties. Being a sensor is a talent acquired through chakra sensing that allows you to open up a new field of vision. Imagine being able to see someone 50 meters away just by their chakra signal alone." She said, curious as to whether this was something she could teach him.

From what he spoke, it was probably not something he would be able to grasp easily. He sounded more like a taijutsu person to be honest. But, if he had the willingness to learn, she would be more than happy to teach him what she knew. She had taught Areru, and that had been quite the task. Simple for her to do, but they were both ninjutsu practitioners. It would be more difficult to do for someone not well versed in the area taht she was. The talk about the ability of using the wind was something that did greatly interest her, though. Crossing her arms, she stood in thought for a moment.

"As far as what you saw in this fight that you are describing to me, it is just basic medical ninjutsu. Medics learn basic techniques and are given the freedom to use them however it seems to fit the situation. An example would be using our chakra scalpels to slice through a person's weapon to render them defenseless. If you had an inclination to learn, I'd be more than happy to oblige you." She said, curious to see what he would want to start with first.

[Dagron Hoshigake]

Before another word could be spoken a speaker found them and informed them that the second phase of the chuunin exams were beginning. Training would have to wait for another time. It was time to progress forward, toward being Chuunins. Hopefully. "Sorry, Hirihi-- It looks like we'll have to pick this up later." With a short bow he turned and began toward the facility.

[exit]

[Hirihi]

With a nod to him as she noticed the speakers announcing that they were to leave and report in to the second round of the Chuunin Exams. With the two of them done for the moment, Hirihi nodded and walked away with him towards where the speakers had told them to go. This was was likely going to be more difficult than the last, Hirihi coughing as she walked to report in.

.:Exit:.

[Axcel]

Ip: +49 exp

Hirihi: +40 exp