Post by SeraphMazrakiel on Jun 9, 2005 19:45:06 GMT -5
After traveling for almost a day, Kagemaru stopped, near a riverbank several miles from Konoha. This would be a suitable spot.
"So, I'm ready to learn."
"Okay. Collect some wood. We'll need it for training."
~~~~~~~
The other day, Mazrakiel had approached Hokage and offered his services to her as an assistant, in order to continue the tradition set down by the Adarakis before him. However, she declined his offer, claiming she already had an assistant in mind. Seeking to prove himself, Mazrakiel implored his father, Kagemaru, to tutor him. Together, the two Adarakis set out from Konoha Village...
~~~~~~~
Kagemaru waited until it was almost dark before he set up a small campfire. Using the materials they'd collected before, it wasn't long before the campfire burned. Maz caught several fish when it got darker (as simple as using Kagetokeru), which they cooked for dinner – it didn't taste that great, as Kagemaru's and Maz's cooking skills weren't as good as that as those of the folk at Ichiraku.
When night had well and truly fallen, Kagemaru sat about ten metres away from the fire, and had Maz sit in front of him. This was it. Training was about to begin.
"Now, Maz, what I'm going to... tell you... is something I can't entirely teach you. You have to do the research... go through the feelings."
"The Adarakis Family don't just derive our techniques from shadows: we ARE shadows. They are our strength. We have to be able to be one with the shadows."
"What I'm about to teach you is the ability to sense changes in the shadows... a shadow sense, if you must. Although, like I said, I can't teach you. I can't tell you what it feels like... you have to feel it for your own."
"You can see that fire over there, right? When you look at it, what do you see?"
"I see... flame. I see... light and heat."
"No no, you're looking at it wrong."
"I... see... shadows."
"Correct!" Maz felt awfully snug with himself. "Now why did you say that?"
"...because, it's the answer right?"
"Of course it's the answer... but that's the problem. You were looking for the answer."
"...well of course I was!"
"But that's what's wrong: you were too busy looking for the answer, you forgot to look at the question."
"You asked me what I see when I look at the fire..."
"Of course, but you were focused on looking AT the fire! Did you look around the fire? Below the fire?"
"Well, I guess."
"Right. Use Kagetokeru."
"Okay."
Together, the two Adarakis turned into their shadow form.
"You can feel where you can and cannot go, right?"
Maz nodded – as much as a shadow could. "I know that if I try and approach the fire, I cannot touch it. Like, there's a wall around it, prohibiting me from getting anywhere near it."
"But can you feel it?"
"...not, really." Maz said, unsure of himself. What do you mean, FEEL it?
"To find a greater strength, you have to be able to feel changes in the shadows... and changes in the shadows of the shadows. You can see the fire flickering, right? You have to be able to feel the slight changes it gives off... feel the shadows moving... growing and shrinking... as if they were one with your body."
Maz didn't quite get it. Well, he understood enough.... but...
"Call it a sixth sense, if you might. You should be able to feel shadows making their way towards you in the darkness... these shadows could be anything, from cats and small animals... to enemies approaching. And you have to be able to do this in your human form."
My HUMAN form?
"I want you to focus on picking up changes in the shadows around you."
Maz focused his chakra on himself, before dispelling it amongst the night and seeing what he could pick up. But he wasn't sure what feelings he should be getting, what signs to look for that he was doing it correctly. Normally, when a shadow passed over his body, he could feel it – a slight warmth. But right now, he wasn't able to pick up anything.
Kagemaru moved slowly towards Maz in his shadow form – in the darkness of the night.
"Can you feel anything? Any strange senses... a tingle on the back of your neck?"
"...uhh... nope."
Kagemaru sighed, and turned back into his human form. "You can change back too, now."
"Okay."
* * * * * * *
"This, sixth sense... the shadow sense... like I said. I can't show you... you have to do this for yourself." He paused for a sec. "C'mon, I'll show you something." In saying that, he stood next to a tree, took his forehead protector and tied it around his eyes like a blindfold, so he couldn't see. He reached for his kunai pouch, and threw it to Maz; "Catch."
"Throw two of those kunai at me, simultaneously. Then throw the extras at me, in quick succession. Don't stop until you've run out. Try to hit me, while observing what happens."
Maz didn't see the point in this yet, but he trusted his father. He nodded, before grasping the kunai firmly, taking aim at his blind opponent – "Oh, and be sure to defend yourself," Kagemaru added – and flung the kunai straight at his father.
In an instant, the sightless Kagemaru jumped up, and pushed himself off the tree – the two kunai lodging firmly into the trunk. With several kunai in the other hand, Mazrakiel began firing them off at his father while in mid-air – Kagemaru spun in circles around and around, his arms and legs flailing; each movement his father made would dodge the incoming projectiles, before he finally landed on the ground unharmed. Without warning, Kagemaru began to charge at Mazrakiel. A single kunai left, the young Adarakis took aim at his father and flung it at him – the blind Kagemaru sensed the approaching kunai and with a swift motion grabbed it by the handle before rushing at Mazrakiel. Surprised at this movement, Mazrakiel prepared himself for confrontation.
Kagemaru was already upon his son, and armed with the kunai he lunged at Maz. Using the Handguard Form I fighting style (a fighting style used by the Adarakis Clan) Mazrakiel was able to protect himself and blocked this attack with his left hand – the kunai clashed upon the steel of his handguard. Kagemaru reached for his sword, and as Mazrakiel saw this, his eyes widened. He grabbed the kunai blade and swept Kagemaru's arm away from him, spinning him around; Kagemaru had drawn his sword and with the momentum of the spinning motion behind him slashed horizontally at Maz, who managed to pull back and leapt away at the last second. He aimed several blows at his son, who managed to deflect them off with his Handguard fighting style.
Unable to land a single attack on his opponent, Kagemaru smirked, almost proudly, before he used the next manoeuvre on his son. The sword dimly flashed blue for a second, before Kagemaru swiped at Mazrakiel again. The young Adarakis saw the slice coming, and had just moved out of the way – the blade just missing his arm.
Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain sear through his hand, as if the sword had made contact. Maz pulled back and yelled in pain, before looking at it; removing his handguard revealed a slight cut, slicing into his hand - it took a few seconds before the blood started running out.
"Good. Good to see your Handguard is in decent shape."
Mazrakiel was slightly confused. Not only had Kagemaru successfully dodged every kunai thrown at him, but he also managed to catch one of them and came to take on Maz in close combat, and sliced into Maz's hand without even making contact. Blindfolded.
Clutching his bleeding hand, Mazrakiel asked his father, "What... did you do?"
"An Adarakis should be able to sense the shadows. To feel them coming towards you. To feel them move. Can you feel it?"
Mazrakiel shook his head, still in amazement and slight shock at his hand.
Kagemaru sighed. "We'll have to work on it then."
* * * * * * *
When his hand was all cleaned and bandaged up (a wound that would surely heal by the time he returned), Mazrakiel asked about the sword technique his father had used just before.
"That?... that was Kage-ryu-ken, which is also the name of the sword."
"Well... how did you do it? What was it?"
Kagemaru asked. "Why do you wish to know?"
"Please... Father... teach me everything you know..."
Sighing, Kagemaru continued. "As you know, the power of the Adarakis comes from the shadows, as well as this sword, the Kage-ryu-ken. A sword left from our ancestor, Herion, yes?" Mazrakiel nodded. "Well, by using an advanced jutsu – and this sword – one is able to use the blade's shadow as an extension of your own shadow, but as a sword. That is to say... using the jutsu I used before, I was able to slice through your shadow. So even though the blade didn't make contact with you, I attacked you through your shadow."
Mazrakiel was shocked. "Wow... it can DO that?!"
"Yes. So not only can the blade attack physically, but it's almost like there's a second blade hidden within the shadow of the sword, striking your opponent without hitting them."
That sounded intense. "How... can I do that?"
Kagemaru laughed. "It's not too difficult a technique to learn, but you can only use it with this sword. It also takes up quite a lot of chakra – causing damage through the shadow of the opponent instead of directly through their body. But, like all our other techniques... if someone were able to truly master it..."
"...it could be incredibly powerful?"
"That's right."
Finally. A technique he might be able to master. He might actually learn something during this training time. Bring on the sword tech.
"But... like I said, it can consume a lot of your chakra. And... I feel it is not as important as your 'shadow sense'. I will only teach this technique to you if you also promise to at least attempt to develop your shadow sense. And, you must also promise not to use Kage-ryu-ken unless you really have to."
Mazrakiel nodded. This was going to be good. He honestly didn't care too much about this supposed shadow sense. He wanted offense. The best defense is a good offense – the motto of the Handguard Form II style.
In Kagemaru's eyes, however, offense was not as important as defense. If his wife and daughter had been adept in defence, maybe... just maybe... they might've...
"Where do I start?"
Kagemaru smiled. "You can start by finding all the kunai you threw at me. If you can find them all before dawn, we'll start tomorrow."
Maz's jaw dropped, as if to say "You've got to be kidding me."
Kagemaru let out a loud cheerful laughter, which masked the "Baka da!" let out by Mazrakiel. As Mazrakiel hurriedly set off to find the kunai he'd flung into the darkness, Kagemaru extinguished the fire. He was going to teach him the technique anyway. He sat patiently, meditating, waiting for his son to come back...
"So, I'm ready to learn."
"Okay. Collect some wood. We'll need it for training."
~~~~~~~
The other day, Mazrakiel had approached Hokage and offered his services to her as an assistant, in order to continue the tradition set down by the Adarakis before him. However, she declined his offer, claiming she already had an assistant in mind. Seeking to prove himself, Mazrakiel implored his father, Kagemaru, to tutor him. Together, the two Adarakis set out from Konoha Village...
~~~~~~~
Kagemaru waited until it was almost dark before he set up a small campfire. Using the materials they'd collected before, it wasn't long before the campfire burned. Maz caught several fish when it got darker (as simple as using Kagetokeru), which they cooked for dinner – it didn't taste that great, as Kagemaru's and Maz's cooking skills weren't as good as that as those of the folk at Ichiraku.
When night had well and truly fallen, Kagemaru sat about ten metres away from the fire, and had Maz sit in front of him. This was it. Training was about to begin.
"Now, Maz, what I'm going to... tell you... is something I can't entirely teach you. You have to do the research... go through the feelings."
"The Adarakis Family don't just derive our techniques from shadows: we ARE shadows. They are our strength. We have to be able to be one with the shadows."
"What I'm about to teach you is the ability to sense changes in the shadows... a shadow sense, if you must. Although, like I said, I can't teach you. I can't tell you what it feels like... you have to feel it for your own."
"You can see that fire over there, right? When you look at it, what do you see?"
"I see... flame. I see... light and heat."
"No no, you're looking at it wrong."
"I... see... shadows."
"Correct!" Maz felt awfully snug with himself. "Now why did you say that?"
"...because, it's the answer right?"
"Of course it's the answer... but that's the problem. You were looking for the answer."
"...well of course I was!"
"But that's what's wrong: you were too busy looking for the answer, you forgot to look at the question."
"You asked me what I see when I look at the fire..."
"Of course, but you were focused on looking AT the fire! Did you look around the fire? Below the fire?"
"Well, I guess."
"Right. Use Kagetokeru."
"Okay."
Together, the two Adarakis turned into their shadow form.
"You can feel where you can and cannot go, right?"
Maz nodded – as much as a shadow could. "I know that if I try and approach the fire, I cannot touch it. Like, there's a wall around it, prohibiting me from getting anywhere near it."
"But can you feel it?"
"...not, really." Maz said, unsure of himself. What do you mean, FEEL it?
"To find a greater strength, you have to be able to feel changes in the shadows... and changes in the shadows of the shadows. You can see the fire flickering, right? You have to be able to feel the slight changes it gives off... feel the shadows moving... growing and shrinking... as if they were one with your body."
Maz didn't quite get it. Well, he understood enough.... but...
"Call it a sixth sense, if you might. You should be able to feel shadows making their way towards you in the darkness... these shadows could be anything, from cats and small animals... to enemies approaching. And you have to be able to do this in your human form."
My HUMAN form?
"I want you to focus on picking up changes in the shadows around you."
Maz focused his chakra on himself, before dispelling it amongst the night and seeing what he could pick up. But he wasn't sure what feelings he should be getting, what signs to look for that he was doing it correctly. Normally, when a shadow passed over his body, he could feel it – a slight warmth. But right now, he wasn't able to pick up anything.
Kagemaru moved slowly towards Maz in his shadow form – in the darkness of the night.
"Can you feel anything? Any strange senses... a tingle on the back of your neck?"
"...uhh... nope."
Kagemaru sighed, and turned back into his human form. "You can change back too, now."
"Okay."
* * * * * * *
"This, sixth sense... the shadow sense... like I said. I can't show you... you have to do this for yourself." He paused for a sec. "C'mon, I'll show you something." In saying that, he stood next to a tree, took his forehead protector and tied it around his eyes like a blindfold, so he couldn't see. He reached for his kunai pouch, and threw it to Maz; "Catch."
"Throw two of those kunai at me, simultaneously. Then throw the extras at me, in quick succession. Don't stop until you've run out. Try to hit me, while observing what happens."
Maz didn't see the point in this yet, but he trusted his father. He nodded, before grasping the kunai firmly, taking aim at his blind opponent – "Oh, and be sure to defend yourself," Kagemaru added – and flung the kunai straight at his father.
In an instant, the sightless Kagemaru jumped up, and pushed himself off the tree – the two kunai lodging firmly into the trunk. With several kunai in the other hand, Mazrakiel began firing them off at his father while in mid-air – Kagemaru spun in circles around and around, his arms and legs flailing; each movement his father made would dodge the incoming projectiles, before he finally landed on the ground unharmed. Without warning, Kagemaru began to charge at Mazrakiel. A single kunai left, the young Adarakis took aim at his father and flung it at him – the blind Kagemaru sensed the approaching kunai and with a swift motion grabbed it by the handle before rushing at Mazrakiel. Surprised at this movement, Mazrakiel prepared himself for confrontation.
Kagemaru was already upon his son, and armed with the kunai he lunged at Maz. Using the Handguard Form I fighting style (a fighting style used by the Adarakis Clan) Mazrakiel was able to protect himself and blocked this attack with his left hand – the kunai clashed upon the steel of his handguard. Kagemaru reached for his sword, and as Mazrakiel saw this, his eyes widened. He grabbed the kunai blade and swept Kagemaru's arm away from him, spinning him around; Kagemaru had drawn his sword and with the momentum of the spinning motion behind him slashed horizontally at Maz, who managed to pull back and leapt away at the last second. He aimed several blows at his son, who managed to deflect them off with his Handguard fighting style.
Unable to land a single attack on his opponent, Kagemaru smirked, almost proudly, before he used the next manoeuvre on his son. The sword dimly flashed blue for a second, before Kagemaru swiped at Mazrakiel again. The young Adarakis saw the slice coming, and had just moved out of the way – the blade just missing his arm.
Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain sear through his hand, as if the sword had made contact. Maz pulled back and yelled in pain, before looking at it; removing his handguard revealed a slight cut, slicing into his hand - it took a few seconds before the blood started running out.
"Good. Good to see your Handguard is in decent shape."
Mazrakiel was slightly confused. Not only had Kagemaru successfully dodged every kunai thrown at him, but he also managed to catch one of them and came to take on Maz in close combat, and sliced into Maz's hand without even making contact. Blindfolded.
Clutching his bleeding hand, Mazrakiel asked his father, "What... did you do?"
"An Adarakis should be able to sense the shadows. To feel them coming towards you. To feel them move. Can you feel it?"
Mazrakiel shook his head, still in amazement and slight shock at his hand.
Kagemaru sighed. "We'll have to work on it then."
* * * * * * *
When his hand was all cleaned and bandaged up (a wound that would surely heal by the time he returned), Mazrakiel asked about the sword technique his father had used just before.
"That?... that was Kage-ryu-ken, which is also the name of the sword."
"Well... how did you do it? What was it?"
Kagemaru asked. "Why do you wish to know?"
"Please... Father... teach me everything you know..."
Sighing, Kagemaru continued. "As you know, the power of the Adarakis comes from the shadows, as well as this sword, the Kage-ryu-ken. A sword left from our ancestor, Herion, yes?" Mazrakiel nodded. "Well, by using an advanced jutsu – and this sword – one is able to use the blade's shadow as an extension of your own shadow, but as a sword. That is to say... using the jutsu I used before, I was able to slice through your shadow. So even though the blade didn't make contact with you, I attacked you through your shadow."
Mazrakiel was shocked. "Wow... it can DO that?!"
"Yes. So not only can the blade attack physically, but it's almost like there's a second blade hidden within the shadow of the sword, striking your opponent without hitting them."
That sounded intense. "How... can I do that?"
Kagemaru laughed. "It's not too difficult a technique to learn, but you can only use it with this sword. It also takes up quite a lot of chakra – causing damage through the shadow of the opponent instead of directly through their body. But, like all our other techniques... if someone were able to truly master it..."
"...it could be incredibly powerful?"
"That's right."
Finally. A technique he might be able to master. He might actually learn something during this training time. Bring on the sword tech.
"But... like I said, it can consume a lot of your chakra. And... I feel it is not as important as your 'shadow sense'. I will only teach this technique to you if you also promise to at least attempt to develop your shadow sense. And, you must also promise not to use Kage-ryu-ken unless you really have to."
Mazrakiel nodded. This was going to be good. He honestly didn't care too much about this supposed shadow sense. He wanted offense. The best defense is a good offense – the motto of the Handguard Form II style.
In Kagemaru's eyes, however, offense was not as important as defense. If his wife and daughter had been adept in defence, maybe... just maybe... they might've...
"Where do I start?"
Kagemaru smiled. "You can start by finding all the kunai you threw at me. If you can find them all before dawn, we'll start tomorrow."
Maz's jaw dropped, as if to say "You've got to be kidding me."
Kagemaru let out a loud cheerful laughter, which masked the "Baka da!" let out by Mazrakiel. As Mazrakiel hurriedly set off to find the kunai he'd flung into the darkness, Kagemaru extinguished the fire. He was going to teach him the technique anyway. He sat patiently, meditating, waiting for his son to come back...
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
