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Road to Recovery
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KomoriCitizenSurvived 2021You've completed the Christmas Event of 2021 and qualified for the last reward, by partisan you are awarded this fancy badge!- Stat Page : Faded Glory
Clan Specialty : Ninjutsu
Ryo : 23750
Road to Recovery
Mon Jun 19, 2017 2:17 am
Well this sucks.
Seems like Komori would actually have to train once more, something that it seemed that he had not quite done in a while. However, at least at first, he was not going to be training some simple jutsu to give him an edge or anything. He was going to master a new element. Although he had not even bothered to continue to learn his natural affinity for fire, the element which he had just begin to hone with his encounter with the two tailed beast of legend, Matatabi. Even dating all the way back to his genin days and his first experience learning the lightning element, the nature paper had at first spontaneously combusted in the stead of crinkling. All of these signs pointed to Komori solidifying fire as his third and final element. But yet this was not what he was doing today. Instead, he went about learning something that many people only really think about doing. An advanced element. These manifestations of one’s chakra were typically brought about through the combination of two elements in themselves. And he was going to learn the element of storm. A unique take on lighting nature, which allowed for the user to manipulate the electrical surge of power in a fluid motion, just like water. Perhaps if his third element was wind, he could become a master of ice. Or if it was earth and he had some help from an outside source in the form of DNA, he could master the godly element of wood. But no, his elemental selection had left him with only one advanced element to learn, however it seemed to be befitting to a shinobi of Kumogakure no Sato.
Komori was out and about in the dead of night. Sleep is for the weak, after all. He could sleep more when he was dead, although that day might never come. That is, assuming that Senshi did not kill him for being annoying or whatever. The streetlights seemed ineffective as the night was blacker than it had been in a long time. The stars seemed to have been masked by the aura of death. The Raikage must be planning to become more active in the stead of staying a social recluse within the confines of his chambers. The Hozuki had only met Mortarion once and that was for the final chuunin exam. He stopped walking and looked up towards the the Raikage’s massive building. The globe like structure seemed to be anchored onto the side of one of the various mountains in the Village Hidden in the Clouds. He reminisced about those days, as they were simpler times. There had been no call to arms, no tailed beasts, and no worries. Kumo had kept to itself as they had stayed within their walls, growing in power. Just like Komori was going to do today. Truth be told, he had slacked off. Majorly. And now that he had failed to imbue himself with the power of one of Senshi’s Tattoo Seals (Trademarked, Patent Pending), he felt weaker, and considerably more fragile. The now frail chuunin would easily be bested by a mere academy student if the child could land a punch on the Hozuki. He would definitely need to train harder than he had in a long while, and sadly by himself for now. No one really stayed up as late as he did, and he felt disconnected from the world, like he did not have internet connection or something. Training would have to be solo.
He looked down at the tattoo that covered his entire right arm. The tattoo that failed. He activated his booster, channeling chakra into his tattoos. A faint purple light glowed from underneath his thin white tank top, but his arm remained black and white. Ironic. A storm had been inked onto the boy’s arm as he was planning to learn the storm element. However, the element would actually be effective, instead of just a nice aesthetic touch. Maybe he should get another tattoo just to match arms, although it would not work again. After the tattoo session that Komon, his twin brother, had suffered through, Komori was well aware of the fact that once one of Senshi’s tattoos failed, there was no second chance. If he ever wanted to boost his chakra, he would most likely just need to learn a new jutsu all together. Maybe one of his own making? Putting his hands back into the pockets of his casual grey sweatpants, he continued barefoot towards the training grounds. He had not bothered to put on his usual clothes and had merely sat up from bed, swung his legs over the edge, pushed himself up, all before leaving his home and his shoes behind. Reaching the training grounds, Komori would look up at the gate. With no one around, he took a rather somber mood. He lived his life for other people and when he was alone he did not quite have the same sense of humor. Maybe Senshi would prefer him this way. But this was really only because no one was around to hear his terrible jokes and puns. Except for himself, of course. He let out a brief chuckle at the thought before walking into the training grounds by himself.
The grass crinkled against his bare feet, wet from dew. It was not an unwelcome sensation, per say, but a foreign one. And it was rather nice. Komori was quite fond of nature in itself, and any feeling of water was a welcome one. It was his primary affinity and his favorite one. Lightning was flashy and cool, and he was uncertain as to how he felt about fire just yet. Perhaps when he had mastered the element then he would know. Komori stood in the middle of an open field, with nothing around but trees, save for the fence and gate that separated him from the Village Hidden in the Clouds. However, the tree line eventually ended abruptly at the edge of a cliff. The cliff had a small fence put in place in order to prevent accidental deaths, most likely. Komori walked over to it and looked over the edge, taking in the scenery. The reason as to why the village had its nickname was because of this. The various mountain peaks rose above the clouds, including the one that he was currently on. Some stayed connection through wooden bridges that had been built in order to further the idea of a community. However, the clouds were the amazing part on the horizon. “It’s beautiful,” he said to nothing but the sky. This will be a good spot.
Komori then set out on the arduous process of combining his elements. He had stopped by the library beforehand, the book he checked out in his own pocket dimension, which was quite the handy technique. The entire trick to the technique was in the combination. It was mostly lightning, imbued with the properties of water in order to increase its power and fluidity. It allowed for the lightning to be controlled much easier. He then proceeded to expel lightning from his hands. Utilizing his experience with the chidori technique and chakra infusion, he channeled built up lightning chakra into his forearm and began to attempt to infuse his hand. Pointing his hand towards the horizon, he aimed his arm like a cannon, causing him to have flashbacks to the Dark River Breaking Seal. He had utilized fuinjutsu in order to propel his chakra outward, but sadly lost the technique after he chose to switch his specialty to ninjutsu in order to enhance his abilities. His specialty switching was the sole reason he was able to perform so well in the fifth and final chuunin exam. Going against five prisoners with nothing but seals would have utterly destroyed him.
His arm aimed outwards, he expelled the pent up chakra in the shape of a brilliant white beam, surrounded by a blue aura to signify the water properties of the lightning. Instead of striking out as a singular bolt of pure electricity, it lasted longer than a mere second, unlike many bolts of electricity. It also was able to curve and bend as Komori manipulated the beam itself. The water directed the lightning onward, further into the night, and arced towards the horizon. The darkness peeled away from the beam of light. If the pitch black void had a voice, it would most likely be hissing as it retreated from the beam. He lowered his arm, breathing slightly heavier. The combination of elements had taken more effort than he had anticipated. But then the corner of his mouth raised as his eyes seemingly began to shine more so than they already did. The face of achievement. The other corner of his mouth picked up as well as he let out a single, small laugh. But instead of relishing in his accomplishment, he was determined to work more. He had to become stronger once again. The nature of that damn tattoo seal integrated itself within the network of his very body. While it did not seem to have an effect on his chakra, he physically felt weaker, as if a leaf blowing in the wind would kill him. His muscles felt strained and he felt as though he could not lift as much as he once could. Turning away from the cliffside, he would head towards the tree line. Time to test out this theory. He signed the eleven handseals for chidori: Ox → Rabbit → Monkey or Monkey → Dragon → Rat → Bird → Ox → Snake → Dog → Tiger → Monkey. His arm then lit up with lightning natured chakra as he ran towards the tree. He lifted his arm slightly as he slashed through the tree and stopped on the other side. The trunk creaked as it then careened. Timber, he thought to himself. The tree then groaned as the trunk fell forwards, away from the forest. It landed with a massive thud on the group. If a tree falls in the forest, and no one is around, does it make a sound? This riddle could not be solved, however, as Komori was the cause of this disturbance. Kumo may one day lose all of its trees if their training tactic keeps up. Luckily, they were going to be traveling to Hoshigakure no Sato, the City Blessed by the Stars, relatively soon. It was time to live in a city that was not their own for the time being. He had heard the rumors, however. The citizens did not respect their protectors, no matter how hard the shinobi fought, or how many of them died. Maybe he could impact them somehow. However, he would need to become stronger than he was now.
Breathing heavily, he held his arm for a moment as the electricity crackled before fading away subtly. There was no noise except for the sound of his own breathing, the slight rustling of leaves, and the howling of the wind. Standing back up, he popped his head by angling it oddly, working out the knots in his muscles. If anyone saw him, they would probably think that he was incredibly arrogant, and they would be right to an extent. However, that was not tonight. Komori was just simply being Komori, not a sarcastic asshole like he usually was. “Komori 1, Tree 0.” He then proceeded to walk over to the tree and examine its trunk. His chakra was most definitely still as strong as it had been before the tattoo had failed, but now he had to test his strength. He stepped backwards with his right foot and leaned forward slightly. Then, bringing his right foot around, he would turn his body to the side as he stooped low. He brought his foot all the way around, using the Leaf Gale taijutsu technique to slam his foot into the log and splitting the trunk at the point of impact. At least, that is what should have happened. Instead, Komori grunted as his foot hit the tree and had no effect. Since he had hit it with his heel, his toes were safe from injury, but it still hurt like a mother hugger. Dammit. Now he would have to try something else. And he had left his singular sword at home, as well. His other sword remained a charred, former shell of what it had once been, however, he kept it for the memory. He had been the first person in history, to his knowledge, to have chucked a sword at a bijuu and lived. Granted, the tailed beast was made out of fire and enhanced itself to such a temperature that it burned the sword and practically melted most of the blade off. He just wanted to keep it as a trophy. Wait a moment… Drawing from his thought process, he just took it a slight step further. Using the Dog and Clone Seal, Komori began to compose a sword, four feet in length, in the palm of his right hand. After a brief moment, he would be left with a sword made entirely out of water. Lifting it into the air, Komori then brought it down upon the trunk. It was not a massively thick tree, so the water blade cut clean through the log, much like his chidori had, only not as flashy and impressive. Stepping a foot to his right, still facing the tree, Komori brought the sword down once more. This left him with the base of a tree and two circular discs of wood with a three foot diameter.
Komori then reached down and attempted to pick one up. Beforehand, he was able to lift such things as washing machines and nearly small vehicles like carriages. If he punched something hard enough, he could make dents and chip away such things as concrete or stone, but never punch a hole through it completely. But now he could just lift up this chunk of wood, that must have weighed less than 50 lbs. He set the logs down before signing the clone seal offhandedly with his left hand. Another Komori, dubbed Clonemori, appeared next to the boy. “So, boss, what’s the plan?” These doppelgangers seemed to have different personalities each time they were summoned. Komori himself bent back down and lifted the section of log once more. This time, he seemed to be able to hold it with little effort. “Time for another piece.” Komori nodded towards the second section of the trunk that had been lying on the ground. “Oh sure,” came the casual reply. With that, Clonemori signed the clone seal, bringing out yet another shadow clone. “Hey, bud. Give me a hand?” “It would be my pleasure.” Oh great, now we had overly casual and overly polite shadow clone variants of Komori. The two bent their knees and placed their hands along the edge of the log. “1, 2, *insert grunting noise here*!” Casual Clonemori began to lift as the polite one looked confused. “I thought we would be lifted on three. Not one, two, lift, but one, two, three, lift.” “For the love of all that is holy, man, just lift it now,” the casual clone responded hastily as he was clearly short of breath. “My apologies.” Polite Clonemori then helped lift the large disc of wood and together, the two shadow clones proceeded to place is on top of the one that Komori was holding currently. Surprisingly, he managed to hold it still, although it doubtfully weighed more than 75 lbs, as the pieces were quite thin in comparison to the thickness of the tree itself. Komori then dropped the two sections of log to the ground, where they landed with a thud.
“I need a bigger piece.” Calling upon the water sword technique, Casual Clonemori would sign the two seals that were required to perform the jutsu. Raising his sword into the air, the sweatpants clad Hozuki shadow clone would bring it down onto the log a few feet away. This time, the trunk was cut into a much taller piece than it had been last time. The two clones managed to successfully maneuver this piece in a much smoother manner before giving it to Komori… who promptly dropped it, narrowly missing his foot. “Dammit.” He was clearly frustrated. “Alright, thanks, guys. Dismissed.” “Later, boss.” and “But of course.” were all that was heard as the two disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Turning back to his jutsu training, there was a technique that he had read earlier, mostly for defensive purposes but also fell under the category of storm release, that is, it was a combination of water and lightning. While this particular jutsu itself was not a mixture of the two, but rather a combination of the two, it would still be very helpful for the Hozuki to learn. It was named Wave of Inspiration. The basis of the technique was rather simple in and of itself: the user employs water release and lightning release. After releasing a large water wave from his mouth, he then forms the Lightning Release seals, thereby mixing a lightning strike to the water. If this technique hits an enemy, they instantly receive an electric shock. After all, he felt weaker than he had in a long time and needed a strong form of defense. Effective for defensive measures, as well as providing a way for a defense to hit back. Although, there was probably a stronger defensive technique out there somewhere, but it was best not to go down that trail of thought. After all, it was just a one way road.
Turning back to the cliffside, he would prepare himself to use this technique towards the edge so that he would not completely flood the training grounds. The chuunin kneaded water based chakra within the pit of his stomach, but added a spark to it. Storm release counted on combining the two, as well as being able to balance them as well. He drew the water based chakra to his chest, allowing it to build up within his torso. At the same time, he would begin the process of kneading lightning natured chakra within his now free stomach. Komori inhaled deeply. He then proceeded to spit out a large wave of water. This was not as sharp as some techniques that he had not learned yet, like Suiton: Suidanha. It was more like Water Release: Water Wall, which was a technique that he had had for quite some time. The wave of water would appear in front of him and surge outwards, cascading over the small section of land that lead towards the edge of the cliff, and outwards from that, a fall hundreds of meters down. As the water was expelled out of his mouth, Komori used his right hand, since he could perform seals one handed and all that, in order to electrify the water through the handseal chain that consisted of Rabbit → Dog → Boar → Ram → Rat. The lightning natured chakra that had been being kneaded in his stomach expelled out of his mouth at the same time. The lightning coursed through the wave of water and effectively electrified the entire wave. The electricity coursed through the wave, as it followed the water downwards and over the edge. “Awesome,” he said to himself. He was still spewing water so his words were muffled by the jet stream. Komori was pretty well off when it came to learning jutsu, after all of his experiences as a shinobi. He would then stop the jutsu and hurry over towards the end of the cliff. A section of the fence was now gone, seemingly erased from existence. He hopped towards the end of the cliff and looked over the edge to watch the water fall. In the pitch black of night, the moon could barely illuminate the depths enough to even show him the product of his chakra. However, the lightning coursing around the surge of water falling below was able to scarcely illuminate the falling wave. Speaking of falling.
“Oh, shit!” You see, dear reader, Komori had placed his fingertips at the end of the cliff, and pulled himself forward to see. However, since his strength was lacking more than he was used to, he could barely do even that. Therefore, he had leaned over to get a better view, only to have gravity decide to have some fun. Much like a baby who cannot even hold its head up properly, Komori fell headfirst down the mountain. It was a rather straight drop below. Falling through the sky, the air whistled in the ears of the boy as he plummeted to his untimely demise. He quickly went through the list of jutsu in his head: Chidori would not help him here in the slightest. He could maybe pierce the side of the mountain and halt his fall, all at the cost of his arm. Painful but possible. He tucked that into the reserves of his mind as his velocity increased. Water Wall would not do anything, nor would the stronger version that he had just been practicing, Wave of Inspiration. While it may be able to slow his decent at the bottom, he could not fully rely on it to catch him. Dammit, there must be something. He remained calm in the spite of potential death. Perhaps the chuunin exams of the Village Hidden in the Clouds had numbed him far more than he had realized. Death was not scary. There was nothing that he could do in regard to body flicker. The technique sped up one’s legs through chakra, but it could not be used to teleport in midair. And arguably his favorite jutsu, Rain Tiger at Will, would do literally nothing useful. Besides, he was tired of Komon, among others, saying that he always used pointless jutsu. He had the capabilities to perform amazing feats that many could not, so he took full advantage of this. Shit. Shit. Shit. His body plunged through the line of clouds, like a bullet fired through a thin layer of dark wool. Acting fast and in a panic, he hurriedly signed Ox → Rabbit → Monkey or Monkey → Dragon → Rat → Bird → Ox → Snake → Dog → Tiger → Monkey as his arm lit up in blue electric chakra. He went with his first instinct and stabbed the mountainside, trying to slow his fall. He had thrust his arm as deeply as he could at this angle into the mountain, and once lodged, it only seemed to suck him in. A sharp line was cut into the side of the stone cliff as Komori’s arm became lodged in the mountainside. “SHIT!” he cried out. But not without a cost. The way that physics work, is that an object in motion stays in motion, right? Well Komori was in motion. So when his arm caused him to abruptly stop, his body continued further downwards, jerking his arm out of its socket. His legs swung under the pressure as gravity attempted to pull him further downward but was thwarted by the halt of his velocity. And so the Hozuki was left stranded on the side of a mountain, held suspended solely by his arm and all the while in immense pain.
Time began to pass. What was there really to do? Was he just supposed to hang here and not manage to do anything? His shoulder was on fire, as his injured appendage was tasked to support his entire body and stop his untimely demise. He could not just stay here. He had to get down, and subsequently began the trek back to the top. Although Komori did wish that someone else was here, that could see him or something. He imagined how the conversation would go. “Hey, Komori, what are you doing!?” They would ask. He placed his hand against the cool stone wall as his right hand was still buried within the rock. Oh, just hanging out, I would say.” His feet were now standing on the rock itself, with his knees bent. “Ha ha wow, Komori, here let me help you.” His voice was in a mocking manner, impersonating someone but not particularly anyone. “Here we go,” he said as he utilized his feet to push him off the face of the cliff. Kicking off of the rocks, he would use the side as a base to jump on, pulling his arm free of its stone prison. His shoulder burned like lava, but alas, he did not have time to worry about anything right now, besides his resumed decent to the depths below. This time, however, he did not panic. He would kick himself for panicking beforehand, you know, once he managed to survive this. Komori seemed to be a show off, even though at the moment, there was no one to show off for. His leap had propelled him into an arc as he performed a backflip that many acrobats could only dream of doing. Too many people rely on me to die here. Not today. His body righted itself as he felt himself careening through the air. No cliff would save him now.
He looked downwards as the ground came into view. The sheer darkness of the night had hidden the ground for most of his fall. Trees came into view as he neared one of the remaining patches of forest near Kumogakure no Sato, that had not been infected with the rot of the Raikage. Komori took a deep breath to calm his nerves. There would be no panicking this time. He did what he should have done originally. He turned his body to water. Falling, Komori would utilize his kekkei genkai, as he splattered to the ground below. He would then reform in grass, standing up. Upon reforming, he would immediately fall to the ground on his knees, when he then clutched his arm. He kneeled on the wet grass with nothing but his tank top and sweatpants. No ninja tools, weapons, or gear were with him, he would now have to journey up and around to the Village Hidden in the Clouds. Panting, he looked up the cliff. Based on how long he had taken to merely fall down the massive mountain, it would take him much, much longer to simply surface walk his way up there. With his current state of exhaustion, he highly doubted his ability, or rather willingness, to make such a long climb.
Instead, he turned back to the forest. He had a general idea of which direction to go, based on the location of the training ground that he had been training within. Komori grunted as he held his arm and stood up. Tearing his tank top off, he used his single hand to tear the fabric until he fashioned a makeshift sling for himself. The darkness had begun to subtly fade as time passed, but he barely noticed as he was hard at work on fixing himself. He would have to check into the hospital or contact a medical shinobi if – no – when he got back. Standing up, Komori heard growling. It seemed as though he had been being watched. He watched his surroundings cautiously and used his chakra sensory on instinct. However, there was no ping. Whatever it was did not have chakra. Suddenly, the growling came from another angle. And another. Komori warily took a few steps backwards towards the cliff. Three large wolves exited the forest slowly, snarling as their eyes were fixed upon the injured boy. However. He would not roll over and become an easy meal. He smirked in the face of death. At the very least, they would have to work for it. Komori pushed his free hand backwards, keeping his eyes on the three approaching beasts until he felt the cool stone cliffside. The wolves seemed to realize this as the two on the outside began walking around, effectively surrounding him on all sides. Or so they thought. Komori stepped backwards at a 90 degree angle. Channeling chakra to the bottom of his feet, he lifted off the grass and placed his other foot behind his last. He then slowly began walking backwards up the side of the mountain as the wolves cocked their respective heads. Komori lifted up his left hand. Thank God for one handed handseals. He went through the chain of handeseals that he had been practicing earlier, on top of the mountain: Rabbit → Dog → Boar → Ram → Rat. Blowing a stream of water outwards from his mouth, the wave would crash down on the ground below him and spread out, catching the beasts off guard. The handseals would then cause lightning to arc around the cone of water until it expanded and enveloped the entirety of the wave, as lightning chakra coursed through every inch of the water. The cascading lightning current electrocuted his would be predators, successfully managing to paralyze. He said the only quip that he could think of, “Down, boy.” If there was a crowd near him, they would boo him off the imaginary stage.
Anyways, after this escapade, he would not come in contact with any other significant enemies. Trudging through the forest, he would pick up grime and dirt as the particles clung to his bare chest and sweatpants. Hiking up a hill, sweat would begin to build up on his forehead and back as he exerted himself more than he had in a while. Aside from his last fight with a bijuu, Komori had barely done anything active or noteworthy, barely training and slacking on missions. Maybe because stuff like this happened whenever he decided to train. It was rather easy to learn a technique at this stage in his training, however, accidents always seemed to occur or even just random sparring matches that just turn into a spitting contest. It was only when the Hozuki reached the apex of the hill that he looked down and nearly vomited on the spot. The dreaded rot field of the Village Hidden in the Clouds. A stimulus that he would never truly grow used to, the stench of eternally rotting flesh, filled his nose, turning the boy into a mouth breather. He sat on the hill and just looked out at the sight before him before noticing how dirty he was. He recalled seeing a jutsu performed some time ago that one boy had used to clean himself off. Chakra cleanse, that is what it was called. Komori then decided to try it for himself as he used the single tiger handseal with his free hand. He remembered the required handseal, because it had been the same exact one that he had had to use for hidden mist, that being before he had mastered it and removed the need for the handseal. A glow of purplish chakra glowed around Komori for just a moment as all of the dirt, muck, and grime that his body had acquired were gathered up in the field of chakra and removed. The chakra floated up into the sky before completely dissipating, taking the undesired particles away with it. He signed the handseals for storage displacement, withdrawing a bottle of water, which he promptly took to his lips. The cool, refreshing liquid added to the refreshment he felt from chakra cleanse, as well as soothing his dry throat and keeping him hydrated. Signing the handseals after he had quickly drained the bottle, he deposited the empty container into the pocket dimension. Remember kids, littering is bad. He stood up and unnecessarily brushed his now clean sweatpants off.
The screams of the living dead filled the air, inviting him to join them or pleading with him to save them. He had been trudging through the rot fields for well over an hour, as the massive fields expanded for miles outside of the actual village itself. It was a rather questionable defensive measure put in place by the Raikage himself. Most of the wailing came from the pikes were the still living inhabitants of the old Kumo rested, for lack of a better word. Their bodies had been persevered in order to keep them alive and in agony. There was nothing Komori could do about it however. He just continued, trying his best to tune them out. He loved Kumogakure no Sato. He had lived within the forests in the Land of Lightning long ago and moved to the city itself after his mother had been killed. But this… The Raikage’s seemingly unhealthy obsession with rot and death was the true cause of any of his doubts about the village. It was just unnatural and grotesque on many levels. He had only ever had one conversation with his disembodied voice, but he wished he could get to know him better. With the rank of jounin on the horizon, Komori began to look even further. He desired a place in the Anbu Black Ops of Kumo. After too much time and too much death, Komori eventually arrived at the gates early in the morning as the sun was just beginning to rise. No one was gathered there just yet. Using the tiger handseal once more, Komori cleaned himself off before heading to the hospital to seek medical attention. His night had been quite eventful, but now it was time for him to clean up and see what the next day brought.
WC: 5605
Claims:
Storm Release (1000/1000), Wave of Inspiration (4000/4000), Chakra Cleanse (500/500), 28 stats
Seems like Komori would actually have to train once more, something that it seemed that he had not quite done in a while. However, at least at first, he was not going to be training some simple jutsu to give him an edge or anything. He was going to master a new element. Although he had not even bothered to continue to learn his natural affinity for fire, the element which he had just begin to hone with his encounter with the two tailed beast of legend, Matatabi. Even dating all the way back to his genin days and his first experience learning the lightning element, the nature paper had at first spontaneously combusted in the stead of crinkling. All of these signs pointed to Komori solidifying fire as his third and final element. But yet this was not what he was doing today. Instead, he went about learning something that many people only really think about doing. An advanced element. These manifestations of one’s chakra were typically brought about through the combination of two elements in themselves. And he was going to learn the element of storm. A unique take on lighting nature, which allowed for the user to manipulate the electrical surge of power in a fluid motion, just like water. Perhaps if his third element was wind, he could become a master of ice. Or if it was earth and he had some help from an outside source in the form of DNA, he could master the godly element of wood. But no, his elemental selection had left him with only one advanced element to learn, however it seemed to be befitting to a shinobi of Kumogakure no Sato.
Komori was out and about in the dead of night. Sleep is for the weak, after all. He could sleep more when he was dead, although that day might never come. That is, assuming that Senshi did not kill him for being annoying or whatever. The streetlights seemed ineffective as the night was blacker than it had been in a long time. The stars seemed to have been masked by the aura of death. The Raikage must be planning to become more active in the stead of staying a social recluse within the confines of his chambers. The Hozuki had only met Mortarion once and that was for the final chuunin exam. He stopped walking and looked up towards the the Raikage’s massive building. The globe like structure seemed to be anchored onto the side of one of the various mountains in the Village Hidden in the Clouds. He reminisced about those days, as they were simpler times. There had been no call to arms, no tailed beasts, and no worries. Kumo had kept to itself as they had stayed within their walls, growing in power. Just like Komori was going to do today. Truth be told, he had slacked off. Majorly. And now that he had failed to imbue himself with the power of one of Senshi’s Tattoo Seals (Trademarked, Patent Pending), he felt weaker, and considerably more fragile. The now frail chuunin would easily be bested by a mere academy student if the child could land a punch on the Hozuki. He would definitely need to train harder than he had in a long while, and sadly by himself for now. No one really stayed up as late as he did, and he felt disconnected from the world, like he did not have internet connection or something. Training would have to be solo.
He looked down at the tattoo that covered his entire right arm. The tattoo that failed. He activated his booster, channeling chakra into his tattoos. A faint purple light glowed from underneath his thin white tank top, but his arm remained black and white. Ironic. A storm had been inked onto the boy’s arm as he was planning to learn the storm element. However, the element would actually be effective, instead of just a nice aesthetic touch. Maybe he should get another tattoo just to match arms, although it would not work again. After the tattoo session that Komon, his twin brother, had suffered through, Komori was well aware of the fact that once one of Senshi’s tattoos failed, there was no second chance. If he ever wanted to boost his chakra, he would most likely just need to learn a new jutsu all together. Maybe one of his own making? Putting his hands back into the pockets of his casual grey sweatpants, he continued barefoot towards the training grounds. He had not bothered to put on his usual clothes and had merely sat up from bed, swung his legs over the edge, pushed himself up, all before leaving his home and his shoes behind. Reaching the training grounds, Komori would look up at the gate. With no one around, he took a rather somber mood. He lived his life for other people and when he was alone he did not quite have the same sense of humor. Maybe Senshi would prefer him this way. But this was really only because no one was around to hear his terrible jokes and puns. Except for himself, of course. He let out a brief chuckle at the thought before walking into the training grounds by himself.
The grass crinkled against his bare feet, wet from dew. It was not an unwelcome sensation, per say, but a foreign one. And it was rather nice. Komori was quite fond of nature in itself, and any feeling of water was a welcome one. It was his primary affinity and his favorite one. Lightning was flashy and cool, and he was uncertain as to how he felt about fire just yet. Perhaps when he had mastered the element then he would know. Komori stood in the middle of an open field, with nothing around but trees, save for the fence and gate that separated him from the Village Hidden in the Clouds. However, the tree line eventually ended abruptly at the edge of a cliff. The cliff had a small fence put in place in order to prevent accidental deaths, most likely. Komori walked over to it and looked over the edge, taking in the scenery. The reason as to why the village had its nickname was because of this. The various mountain peaks rose above the clouds, including the one that he was currently on. Some stayed connection through wooden bridges that had been built in order to further the idea of a community. However, the clouds were the amazing part on the horizon. “It’s beautiful,” he said to nothing but the sky. This will be a good spot.
Komori then set out on the arduous process of combining his elements. He had stopped by the library beforehand, the book he checked out in his own pocket dimension, which was quite the handy technique. The entire trick to the technique was in the combination. It was mostly lightning, imbued with the properties of water in order to increase its power and fluidity. It allowed for the lightning to be controlled much easier. He then proceeded to expel lightning from his hands. Utilizing his experience with the chidori technique and chakra infusion, he channeled built up lightning chakra into his forearm and began to attempt to infuse his hand. Pointing his hand towards the horizon, he aimed his arm like a cannon, causing him to have flashbacks to the Dark River Breaking Seal. He had utilized fuinjutsu in order to propel his chakra outward, but sadly lost the technique after he chose to switch his specialty to ninjutsu in order to enhance his abilities. His specialty switching was the sole reason he was able to perform so well in the fifth and final chuunin exam. Going against five prisoners with nothing but seals would have utterly destroyed him.
His arm aimed outwards, he expelled the pent up chakra in the shape of a brilliant white beam, surrounded by a blue aura to signify the water properties of the lightning. Instead of striking out as a singular bolt of pure electricity, it lasted longer than a mere second, unlike many bolts of electricity. It also was able to curve and bend as Komori manipulated the beam itself. The water directed the lightning onward, further into the night, and arced towards the horizon. The darkness peeled away from the beam of light. If the pitch black void had a voice, it would most likely be hissing as it retreated from the beam. He lowered his arm, breathing slightly heavier. The combination of elements had taken more effort than he had anticipated. But then the corner of his mouth raised as his eyes seemingly began to shine more so than they already did. The face of achievement. The other corner of his mouth picked up as well as he let out a single, small laugh. But instead of relishing in his accomplishment, he was determined to work more. He had to become stronger once again. The nature of that damn tattoo seal integrated itself within the network of his very body. While it did not seem to have an effect on his chakra, he physically felt weaker, as if a leaf blowing in the wind would kill him. His muscles felt strained and he felt as though he could not lift as much as he once could. Turning away from the cliffside, he would head towards the tree line. Time to test out this theory. He signed the eleven handseals for chidori: Ox → Rabbit → Monkey or Monkey → Dragon → Rat → Bird → Ox → Snake → Dog → Tiger → Monkey. His arm then lit up with lightning natured chakra as he ran towards the tree. He lifted his arm slightly as he slashed through the tree and stopped on the other side. The trunk creaked as it then careened. Timber, he thought to himself. The tree then groaned as the trunk fell forwards, away from the forest. It landed with a massive thud on the group. If a tree falls in the forest, and no one is around, does it make a sound? This riddle could not be solved, however, as Komori was the cause of this disturbance. Kumo may one day lose all of its trees if their training tactic keeps up. Luckily, they were going to be traveling to Hoshigakure no Sato, the City Blessed by the Stars, relatively soon. It was time to live in a city that was not their own for the time being. He had heard the rumors, however. The citizens did not respect their protectors, no matter how hard the shinobi fought, or how many of them died. Maybe he could impact them somehow. However, he would need to become stronger than he was now.
Breathing heavily, he held his arm for a moment as the electricity crackled before fading away subtly. There was no noise except for the sound of his own breathing, the slight rustling of leaves, and the howling of the wind. Standing back up, he popped his head by angling it oddly, working out the knots in his muscles. If anyone saw him, they would probably think that he was incredibly arrogant, and they would be right to an extent. However, that was not tonight. Komori was just simply being Komori, not a sarcastic asshole like he usually was. “Komori 1, Tree 0.” He then proceeded to walk over to the tree and examine its trunk. His chakra was most definitely still as strong as it had been before the tattoo had failed, but now he had to test his strength. He stepped backwards with his right foot and leaned forward slightly. Then, bringing his right foot around, he would turn his body to the side as he stooped low. He brought his foot all the way around, using the Leaf Gale taijutsu technique to slam his foot into the log and splitting the trunk at the point of impact. At least, that is what should have happened. Instead, Komori grunted as his foot hit the tree and had no effect. Since he had hit it with his heel, his toes were safe from injury, but it still hurt like a mother hugger. Dammit. Now he would have to try something else. And he had left his singular sword at home, as well. His other sword remained a charred, former shell of what it had once been, however, he kept it for the memory. He had been the first person in history, to his knowledge, to have chucked a sword at a bijuu and lived. Granted, the tailed beast was made out of fire and enhanced itself to such a temperature that it burned the sword and practically melted most of the blade off. He just wanted to keep it as a trophy. Wait a moment… Drawing from his thought process, he just took it a slight step further. Using the Dog and Clone Seal, Komori began to compose a sword, four feet in length, in the palm of his right hand. After a brief moment, he would be left with a sword made entirely out of water. Lifting it into the air, Komori then brought it down upon the trunk. It was not a massively thick tree, so the water blade cut clean through the log, much like his chidori had, only not as flashy and impressive. Stepping a foot to his right, still facing the tree, Komori brought the sword down once more. This left him with the base of a tree and two circular discs of wood with a three foot diameter.
Komori then reached down and attempted to pick one up. Beforehand, he was able to lift such things as washing machines and nearly small vehicles like carriages. If he punched something hard enough, he could make dents and chip away such things as concrete or stone, but never punch a hole through it completely. But now he could just lift up this chunk of wood, that must have weighed less than 50 lbs. He set the logs down before signing the clone seal offhandedly with his left hand. Another Komori, dubbed Clonemori, appeared next to the boy. “So, boss, what’s the plan?” These doppelgangers seemed to have different personalities each time they were summoned. Komori himself bent back down and lifted the section of log once more. This time, he seemed to be able to hold it with little effort. “Time for another piece.” Komori nodded towards the second section of the trunk that had been lying on the ground. “Oh sure,” came the casual reply. With that, Clonemori signed the clone seal, bringing out yet another shadow clone. “Hey, bud. Give me a hand?” “It would be my pleasure.” Oh great, now we had overly casual and overly polite shadow clone variants of Komori. The two bent their knees and placed their hands along the edge of the log. “1, 2, *insert grunting noise here*!” Casual Clonemori began to lift as the polite one looked confused. “I thought we would be lifted on three. Not one, two, lift, but one, two, three, lift.” “For the love of all that is holy, man, just lift it now,” the casual clone responded hastily as he was clearly short of breath. “My apologies.” Polite Clonemori then helped lift the large disc of wood and together, the two shadow clones proceeded to place is on top of the one that Komori was holding currently. Surprisingly, he managed to hold it still, although it doubtfully weighed more than 75 lbs, as the pieces were quite thin in comparison to the thickness of the tree itself. Komori then dropped the two sections of log to the ground, where they landed with a thud.
“I need a bigger piece.” Calling upon the water sword technique, Casual Clonemori would sign the two seals that were required to perform the jutsu. Raising his sword into the air, the sweatpants clad Hozuki shadow clone would bring it down onto the log a few feet away. This time, the trunk was cut into a much taller piece than it had been last time. The two clones managed to successfully maneuver this piece in a much smoother manner before giving it to Komori… who promptly dropped it, narrowly missing his foot. “Dammit.” He was clearly frustrated. “Alright, thanks, guys. Dismissed.” “Later, boss.” and “But of course.” were all that was heard as the two disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Turning back to his jutsu training, there was a technique that he had read earlier, mostly for defensive purposes but also fell under the category of storm release, that is, it was a combination of water and lightning. While this particular jutsu itself was not a mixture of the two, but rather a combination of the two, it would still be very helpful for the Hozuki to learn. It was named Wave of Inspiration. The basis of the technique was rather simple in and of itself: the user employs water release and lightning release. After releasing a large water wave from his mouth, he then forms the Lightning Release seals, thereby mixing a lightning strike to the water. If this technique hits an enemy, they instantly receive an electric shock. After all, he felt weaker than he had in a long time and needed a strong form of defense. Effective for defensive measures, as well as providing a way for a defense to hit back. Although, there was probably a stronger defensive technique out there somewhere, but it was best not to go down that trail of thought. After all, it was just a one way road.
Turning back to the cliffside, he would prepare himself to use this technique towards the edge so that he would not completely flood the training grounds. The chuunin kneaded water based chakra within the pit of his stomach, but added a spark to it. Storm release counted on combining the two, as well as being able to balance them as well. He drew the water based chakra to his chest, allowing it to build up within his torso. At the same time, he would begin the process of kneading lightning natured chakra within his now free stomach. Komori inhaled deeply. He then proceeded to spit out a large wave of water. This was not as sharp as some techniques that he had not learned yet, like Suiton: Suidanha. It was more like Water Release: Water Wall, which was a technique that he had had for quite some time. The wave of water would appear in front of him and surge outwards, cascading over the small section of land that lead towards the edge of the cliff, and outwards from that, a fall hundreds of meters down. As the water was expelled out of his mouth, Komori used his right hand, since he could perform seals one handed and all that, in order to electrify the water through the handseal chain that consisted of Rabbit → Dog → Boar → Ram → Rat. The lightning natured chakra that had been being kneaded in his stomach expelled out of his mouth at the same time. The lightning coursed through the wave of water and effectively electrified the entire wave. The electricity coursed through the wave, as it followed the water downwards and over the edge. “Awesome,” he said to himself. He was still spewing water so his words were muffled by the jet stream. Komori was pretty well off when it came to learning jutsu, after all of his experiences as a shinobi. He would then stop the jutsu and hurry over towards the end of the cliff. A section of the fence was now gone, seemingly erased from existence. He hopped towards the end of the cliff and looked over the edge to watch the water fall. In the pitch black of night, the moon could barely illuminate the depths enough to even show him the product of his chakra. However, the lightning coursing around the surge of water falling below was able to scarcely illuminate the falling wave. Speaking of falling.
“Oh, shit!” You see, dear reader, Komori had placed his fingertips at the end of the cliff, and pulled himself forward to see. However, since his strength was lacking more than he was used to, he could barely do even that. Therefore, he had leaned over to get a better view, only to have gravity decide to have some fun. Much like a baby who cannot even hold its head up properly, Komori fell headfirst down the mountain. It was a rather straight drop below. Falling through the sky, the air whistled in the ears of the boy as he plummeted to his untimely demise. He quickly went through the list of jutsu in his head: Chidori would not help him here in the slightest. He could maybe pierce the side of the mountain and halt his fall, all at the cost of his arm. Painful but possible. He tucked that into the reserves of his mind as his velocity increased. Water Wall would not do anything, nor would the stronger version that he had just been practicing, Wave of Inspiration. While it may be able to slow his decent at the bottom, he could not fully rely on it to catch him. Dammit, there must be something. He remained calm in the spite of potential death. Perhaps the chuunin exams of the Village Hidden in the Clouds had numbed him far more than he had realized. Death was not scary. There was nothing that he could do in regard to body flicker. The technique sped up one’s legs through chakra, but it could not be used to teleport in midair. And arguably his favorite jutsu, Rain Tiger at Will, would do literally nothing useful. Besides, he was tired of Komon, among others, saying that he always used pointless jutsu. He had the capabilities to perform amazing feats that many could not, so he took full advantage of this. Shit. Shit. Shit. His body plunged through the line of clouds, like a bullet fired through a thin layer of dark wool. Acting fast and in a panic, he hurriedly signed Ox → Rabbit → Monkey or Monkey → Dragon → Rat → Bird → Ox → Snake → Dog → Tiger → Monkey as his arm lit up in blue electric chakra. He went with his first instinct and stabbed the mountainside, trying to slow his fall. He had thrust his arm as deeply as he could at this angle into the mountain, and once lodged, it only seemed to suck him in. A sharp line was cut into the side of the stone cliff as Komori’s arm became lodged in the mountainside. “SHIT!” he cried out. But not without a cost. The way that physics work, is that an object in motion stays in motion, right? Well Komori was in motion. So when his arm caused him to abruptly stop, his body continued further downwards, jerking his arm out of its socket. His legs swung under the pressure as gravity attempted to pull him further downward but was thwarted by the halt of his velocity. And so the Hozuki was left stranded on the side of a mountain, held suspended solely by his arm and all the while in immense pain.
Time began to pass. What was there really to do? Was he just supposed to hang here and not manage to do anything? His shoulder was on fire, as his injured appendage was tasked to support his entire body and stop his untimely demise. He could not just stay here. He had to get down, and subsequently began the trek back to the top. Although Komori did wish that someone else was here, that could see him or something. He imagined how the conversation would go. “Hey, Komori, what are you doing!?” They would ask. He placed his hand against the cool stone wall as his right hand was still buried within the rock. Oh, just hanging out, I would say.” His feet were now standing on the rock itself, with his knees bent. “Ha ha wow, Komori, here let me help you.” His voice was in a mocking manner, impersonating someone but not particularly anyone. “Here we go,” he said as he utilized his feet to push him off the face of the cliff. Kicking off of the rocks, he would use the side as a base to jump on, pulling his arm free of its stone prison. His shoulder burned like lava, but alas, he did not have time to worry about anything right now, besides his resumed decent to the depths below. This time, however, he did not panic. He would kick himself for panicking beforehand, you know, once he managed to survive this. Komori seemed to be a show off, even though at the moment, there was no one to show off for. His leap had propelled him into an arc as he performed a backflip that many acrobats could only dream of doing. Too many people rely on me to die here. Not today. His body righted itself as he felt himself careening through the air. No cliff would save him now.
He looked downwards as the ground came into view. The sheer darkness of the night had hidden the ground for most of his fall. Trees came into view as he neared one of the remaining patches of forest near Kumogakure no Sato, that had not been infected with the rot of the Raikage. Komori took a deep breath to calm his nerves. There would be no panicking this time. He did what he should have done originally. He turned his body to water. Falling, Komori would utilize his kekkei genkai, as he splattered to the ground below. He would then reform in grass, standing up. Upon reforming, he would immediately fall to the ground on his knees, when he then clutched his arm. He kneeled on the wet grass with nothing but his tank top and sweatpants. No ninja tools, weapons, or gear were with him, he would now have to journey up and around to the Village Hidden in the Clouds. Panting, he looked up the cliff. Based on how long he had taken to merely fall down the massive mountain, it would take him much, much longer to simply surface walk his way up there. With his current state of exhaustion, he highly doubted his ability, or rather willingness, to make such a long climb.
Instead, he turned back to the forest. He had a general idea of which direction to go, based on the location of the training ground that he had been training within. Komori grunted as he held his arm and stood up. Tearing his tank top off, he used his single hand to tear the fabric until he fashioned a makeshift sling for himself. The darkness had begun to subtly fade as time passed, but he barely noticed as he was hard at work on fixing himself. He would have to check into the hospital or contact a medical shinobi if – no – when he got back. Standing up, Komori heard growling. It seemed as though he had been being watched. He watched his surroundings cautiously and used his chakra sensory on instinct. However, there was no ping. Whatever it was did not have chakra. Suddenly, the growling came from another angle. And another. Komori warily took a few steps backwards towards the cliff. Three large wolves exited the forest slowly, snarling as their eyes were fixed upon the injured boy. However. He would not roll over and become an easy meal. He smirked in the face of death. At the very least, they would have to work for it. Komori pushed his free hand backwards, keeping his eyes on the three approaching beasts until he felt the cool stone cliffside. The wolves seemed to realize this as the two on the outside began walking around, effectively surrounding him on all sides. Or so they thought. Komori stepped backwards at a 90 degree angle. Channeling chakra to the bottom of his feet, he lifted off the grass and placed his other foot behind his last. He then slowly began walking backwards up the side of the mountain as the wolves cocked their respective heads. Komori lifted up his left hand. Thank God for one handed handseals. He went through the chain of handeseals that he had been practicing earlier, on top of the mountain: Rabbit → Dog → Boar → Ram → Rat. Blowing a stream of water outwards from his mouth, the wave would crash down on the ground below him and spread out, catching the beasts off guard. The handseals would then cause lightning to arc around the cone of water until it expanded and enveloped the entirety of the wave, as lightning chakra coursed through every inch of the water. The cascading lightning current electrocuted his would be predators, successfully managing to paralyze. He said the only quip that he could think of, “Down, boy.” If there was a crowd near him, they would boo him off the imaginary stage.
Anyways, after this escapade, he would not come in contact with any other significant enemies. Trudging through the forest, he would pick up grime and dirt as the particles clung to his bare chest and sweatpants. Hiking up a hill, sweat would begin to build up on his forehead and back as he exerted himself more than he had in a while. Aside from his last fight with a bijuu, Komori had barely done anything active or noteworthy, barely training and slacking on missions. Maybe because stuff like this happened whenever he decided to train. It was rather easy to learn a technique at this stage in his training, however, accidents always seemed to occur or even just random sparring matches that just turn into a spitting contest. It was only when the Hozuki reached the apex of the hill that he looked down and nearly vomited on the spot. The dreaded rot field of the Village Hidden in the Clouds. A stimulus that he would never truly grow used to, the stench of eternally rotting flesh, filled his nose, turning the boy into a mouth breather. He sat on the hill and just looked out at the sight before him before noticing how dirty he was. He recalled seeing a jutsu performed some time ago that one boy had used to clean himself off. Chakra cleanse, that is what it was called. Komori then decided to try it for himself as he used the single tiger handseal with his free hand. He remembered the required handseal, because it had been the same exact one that he had had to use for hidden mist, that being before he had mastered it and removed the need for the handseal. A glow of purplish chakra glowed around Komori for just a moment as all of the dirt, muck, and grime that his body had acquired were gathered up in the field of chakra and removed. The chakra floated up into the sky before completely dissipating, taking the undesired particles away with it. He signed the handseals for storage displacement, withdrawing a bottle of water, which he promptly took to his lips. The cool, refreshing liquid added to the refreshment he felt from chakra cleanse, as well as soothing his dry throat and keeping him hydrated. Signing the handseals after he had quickly drained the bottle, he deposited the empty container into the pocket dimension. Remember kids, littering is bad. He stood up and unnecessarily brushed his now clean sweatpants off.
The screams of the living dead filled the air, inviting him to join them or pleading with him to save them. He had been trudging through the rot fields for well over an hour, as the massive fields expanded for miles outside of the actual village itself. It was a rather questionable defensive measure put in place by the Raikage himself. Most of the wailing came from the pikes were the still living inhabitants of the old Kumo rested, for lack of a better word. Their bodies had been persevered in order to keep them alive and in agony. There was nothing Komori could do about it however. He just continued, trying his best to tune them out. He loved Kumogakure no Sato. He had lived within the forests in the Land of Lightning long ago and moved to the city itself after his mother had been killed. But this… The Raikage’s seemingly unhealthy obsession with rot and death was the true cause of any of his doubts about the village. It was just unnatural and grotesque on many levels. He had only ever had one conversation with his disembodied voice, but he wished he could get to know him better. With the rank of jounin on the horizon, Komori began to look even further. He desired a place in the Anbu Black Ops of Kumo. After too much time and too much death, Komori eventually arrived at the gates early in the morning as the sun was just beginning to rise. No one was gathered there just yet. Using the tiger handseal once more, Komori cleaned himself off before heading to the hospital to seek medical attention. His night had been quite eventful, but now it was time for him to clean up and see what the next day brought.
WC: 5605
Claims:
Storm Release (1000/1000), Wave of Inspiration (4000/4000), Chakra Cleanse (500/500), 28 stats
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