Never Forget the Fundamentals(Private)

Age : 33 Posts : 718

((I'm mainly looking to do some sparring but am open to other things. Whoever joins, pm me if you have other plans than sparring.))

Although there are some prodigal being throughout the world whom remain sharp as ever with only the most minimal of daily effort, most shinobi rely of diligent training to keep their edge. Some among the Kousen clan had tried to pin the "prodigy" label upon Mugen when he was younger due to the unprecedented advancements he made with the storm release. However Shura, Mugen's father, made sure not to let such praise go to the boy's head. Those advancements had been the results of training after all and to forsake practice because others thought more of you than you really were was folly of the highest order. "Never forget the fundamentals!" His father reminded Mugen in a memory from long ago. The lesson to remain diligent had stayed with Mugen even years after being exiled from his clan. Even though many shinobi looking to become chunin were eagerly trying to develop new jutsu, today Mugen's focus was solely on polishing the building blocks that had gotten him this far.

"Haaa!"

The sound of spirited shouts echoed throughout a valley in the land of lightning as Mugen Kousen performed focused strikes at imaginary opponents. Each blow aiming to cut beyond his target to prevent himself from unconsciously holding back the force behind his attacks. Mugen's eyes were wide and unfocused on any particular point, instead favoring a relaxed vision that allowed ones peripheral vision and kinetic reactions to open up to their limits. "Seiyaaa!" His voice carried the confidence and intent behind each of his slashes and projected it into his unseen shadow foes so as to break their spirit and enhance his own. Each step made when approaching for the assault or retreating defensively was purposeful and carefully measured so as to maintain a strong center of gravity lest an intentional leap or dodge roll was soon to follow. Follow through, sight, spirit, footwork, precision, and more. These things were often took for granted by many, but not Mugen. The ever present coaching of his father's training would not allow them to be forgotten. Trustworthy repetition and an awareness of his own weapons as extensions to his body were the paths Mugen had chosen.

Never Forget the Fundamentals(Private) ApaMVwu

Never Forget the Fundamentals(Private) ApaMVwu

Mugen was performing todays training on a flat bank running alongside a river that ran through one of the many valleys that stretched across Kaminari no Kuni's mountainous region. This particular area was named, "The Valley of Clouds and Lightning" and it lived up to at least half of it's name at the moment. There were many thick clouds of mist hovering aimlessly throughout the area making visibility poor whenever one decided to pass by engulfing Mugen's training area. The river bank stretched twenty-five meters from shore to a sheer mountain edge and ran roughly 80 meters alongside the river before tapering down to a much smaller area. It was more than enough space for Mugen to train since he was all by himself.

With his short sword "Sylpharius" in hand, Mugen performed a final slash through the air and paused to take a deep breath. He'd only just started his training for the morning, but something brought Mugen to halt his efforts. Mugen was wearing his signature hoody and shorts which hid all of his other weapons and gear from sight, but it was clear even after he stopped his movements that he was a young shinobi in the middle of training. The blade he was holding and the light sweat he'd worked up made it hard to hide this fact and that was precisely why Mugen stopped. The boy took in a deep breath and began to look around cautiously. He thought he'd heard something and was beginning to worry that someone had found his little secret training spot.

Age : 32 Posts : 1178

For the longest time, whenever someone spoke about a young genius or a prodigy among shinobi in the Hidden Cloud village, people were speaking of Hiruzen. Even among the Uchiha, a clan of shinobi that were for the most part without equal in intelligence and skill, there were those that stood out among the others. To the elders in the clan, Hiruzen was believed to be a one of a kind type of shinobi that was only born every couple of hundred years. For that same reason, they believed that he was destined for great things in life, though none of that really worked out as they had anticipated. Throughout his life, Hiruzen had done a great deal for the sake of his village, but had kept a personal agenda with everything he did. Ever since he was a young boy, he had always craved to know the secrets of the world and to become the strongest shinobi the world had ever seen. The village had always been wary of this part of Hiruzen, and while he had always done what needed to be done and gave everything he had for the sake of the village, there had always been a great deal of mistrust towards.

During his career as a Hidden Cloud shinobi, he had been aware of various dangerous people acting within the village, though he had never been taken serious when he brought it up in his reports. When he finally found out that these people were planning on meeting in a distant part of the country, Hiruzen had let the village know about it. As he had grown accustomed to, they had chosen not to heed his words, forcing his hand and making him go in alone. Taking his vengeance upon these men and utterly destroying them so they would never be able to hurt his kinsmen or his fellow citizens, the village had dispatched a small unit of shinobi to check the place out, though they arrived once Hiruzen had already done all of the killing. Believing Hiruzen had been responsible for the murder of various unarmed and unknown men, the distrust towards him grew even larger. However, it had not been until the Raikage refused to teach him how to properly wield a blade due to him not knowing where his loyalties were that the young Uchiha knew that the life of a village shinobi was not meant for him.

Wandering around the country and living in a bunker he had made with his own two hands, he was now working on far more important things. Being nothing more than a Ghost of the Uchiha these days, he believed that most of his clan had already forgotten about the person he once was, if not altogether. Before the news about the Parabrahma had reached him, he had been roaming the world, wandering from one place to the other for various reasons. Investigating ruins and lore, deciphering forgotten languages and runes, training in the various temples of the shinobi world and in the process increasing his knowledge and his mastery over the various forms of combat known to mankind. Since he had met up with Meiko and Mana a while ago, Hiruzen had been sticking to the land of lightning a lot more than he used to. The idea of strong enemies coming to start trouble was too good an opportunity for him to pass up. When the opportunity to fight such strong people presented itself to him in a way such as this, he had to be a part of it. Thanks to his Doujutsu, he would be able to figure out a lot about the things they used that made them such dangerous combatants and feared men and women.

If for no reason other than to further his own investigations and sating his lust for knowledge, he had agreed to help defend the village that had dropped him like a brick from a threat that wanted to destroy the way the entire shinobi world worked. Taking the time to just wander around the country while it was still nice and quiet, the Uchiha wore a black coat that covered his entire body and most of his head, revealing only the portion of his face directly beneath his eyes. Always being on his guard, even when just out to take a stroll through otherwise peaceful terrain, the person that could take Hiruzen's back had yet to be born. With his sixth sense telling him whenever a chakra signature entered it's range, no matter how small it might be, the Uchiha always knew when someone was around. Strolling through the area known as the Valley of Clouds and Lightning, the young shinobi always enjoyed how the blue sky reflected off of the waters surface. In fact, he just enjoyed seeing so much water in one place as it was not one of the things one saw in abundance in the otherwise rocky and desolate wastelands that made up the land of lightning.

Quietly passing through the valley, both his ears and his sixth sense registered someone up ahead. From the sound of it, someone was training further into the valley, though the chakra signature he sensed was not particularly large. Regardless of how strong this person might be, he knew better than to judge a book by it's cover. Choosing to approach the person, he did not make any attempts at hiding his presence as that would most likely startle him or her more than the approaching black cloak. Slowly drawing closer to the person he had sensed, he could tell that he was just a child that was still in his early teenage years. Going by the complexity of his skin, Hiruzen believed that the kid might belong to the Kousen clan, just like his former Sensei and his teammate, Moroi and Shinji. Sticking to his analysis, he believed that the kid was most likely just a young Hidden Cloud shinobi. Judging by his chakra signature, he was probably not ranking higher than a Chuunin, though that was something he was not entirely sure of. Not noticing a headband, there was still a chance that the kid was a rogue shinobi, though they were usually a lot more cautious and quiet. Having done enough analyzing, it was time to let the kid know that he was not a threat to him.

"Well well well, I can see that you are a swordsman. Is there a specific style of Kenjutsu you stick to, or are you just the kind of person that merely swings the blade around violently in hopes of injuring an opponent without any tact or strategy?".

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Age : 33 Posts : 718

The figure that emerged from the mists had an ominous look about him. Clad in a cloak of shadowy black with a face obscured by a low hanging hood, Mugen immediately felt that he had been wise to halt his training to look for the source of that noise he'd heard. There were all kinds of strange types one could meet outside of the village and when you ran into someone in such a remote region the changes of them being dangerous individuals was a little more than likely. Mugen did not turn his body to face the unknown figure and instead he simply kept a steady gaze on them from the corner of his eye. Appearances aside, the cloaked stranger was approaching in a casual manner and lacked the kind of aura Mugen had experienced from those out for blood. The lack of killing intent was reassuring, but far from enough to make the young genin lower his guard.

A voice sounded revealing the person's gender as male which helped to dispel a bit of the mystery surrounding him, even if only by a minute amount. The words Hiruzen imparted upon Mugen were simple enough. A curious inquiry that had the airs of an "ice breaker" comment about it. Mugen stared at the man for a few seconds without giving a reply. The golden halos of his odd eyes gleaming through the cloudy haze like some kind of unknown doujutsu. Mugen was trying to decide whether or not he should run or if he should humor the man with a response. While he was more inclined to flee, he was far from safety and the very act could trigger aggression that otherwise would not occur. There were no fellow Kumo nin in the area to his knowledge and the village was half a days sprint from the valley. It would probably be safer to simply take his chances at a polite conversation and hope it did not escalate into anything more sinister.

"My father taught me to never stick to one style or one weapon...I don't practice any particular school. It's important to be flexible, to learn from all sources rather than lock yourself into one. Mastery in one style improves aptitudes in all styles, but aptitude in all styles leads to mastery overall. Or something like that...his words, not mine. I just train by them."

There was no hostility in the boy's voice, but he kept a stoic tone without being overly friendly to a stranger who would hide his face. There was careful attention from the genin to keep every aspect of his posture unthreatening while remaining ready to act in response to danger without delay. Mugen's muscles were relaxed and calm, but the grip of his short sword remained firm. With Sylpharius in his left hand, Mugen's right rose casually up to scratch an itch on his cheek as he sized the mystery man up. From his height Mugen could guess this was an adult, but not much else was discernable due to the garb the man bore. Somewhat in an effort to probe more intel from the enigmatic figure, Mugen followed up with a question of his own before a response to the parroted lessons of his father could be made.

"This isn't a very populated area. What brings you to the Valley of Clouds and Lightning?"

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Age : 32 Posts : 1178

"That is actually not a bad way of looking at it, though I don't think you've got it by the right end. See, it is as you said, mastery in one style improves aptitude in other styles, in turn allowing you to master one style after the other. Aptitude in all styles only leads to mastery of all styles when given enough time, and as a Shinobi, time is a luxury most do not get to bask in. Take it from me, focus on one style before making an attempt at increasing your mastery in other styles, you'll probably live longer.".

For someone with Hiruzen's "Gift", learning and mastering new styles was really just a matter of watching closely, copying what he saw and memorizing it to be used whenever he felt like it. Whether this was true mastery or not was up for debate, though his quick wits and trained body knew when to pull which trick out of the hat. Having giving the kid a piece of friendly advice after he had heard him out, he figured that the father that had imparted this wisdom upon had most likely been a smart man, though chances were that he was also spending more time at home than in the field. As someone who had grown up doing the kind of missions most others would not even consider taking, he had seen more blood and taken more lives than most of the Hidden Cloud's veteran shinobi. As a result of his ocular prowess and the mind that seemed to never forget a thing, Hiruzen had remembered every single person he had killed, every person close to him that had died, how they died, which techniques were used by and against them. He even remembered how moist or dry the air around him was and the exact temperature. To say that he could explain their deaths in detail was truly an understatement.

As his mind started drifting back to those days, he was pulled out of it before it really had a chance to start when he was asked why he had come to this part of the lightning country. Truth be told, it was something he had done on a whim. The fact that Hiruzen was a free shinobi meant that he had the luxury to go where he wanted, when he wanted to. After the Uchiha had set himself free from the shackles of the village, he had left the confusion, the anger and hate towards him, the misunderstands and mistrust behind him for good. Hiruzen had always been the kind of person that wanted to see places by visiting them personally without being forced to return as soon as possible so the village would not believe that he had gone missing. His ties to the village had been nothing but a nuisance, keeping him from doing the work he wanted to do. He could not be expected to do his research when working under the pressure of a deadline. Now, the only deadline he had to work with was one that was not set in stone, this ofcourse being the time of his death.

"I'll be honest, I don't have a reason to be here other than the fact that I felt like being here. I am not required to be anywhere or limited to staying in one place. My name is Hiruzen Uchiha, I am what people like to call a Shōten or a Tensai, though I think calling me a "Natural Disaster" is a bit dramatic.".

Spilling the beans without a second thought, he really had nothing to hide from others. Hiruzen was proud of what he had achieved, even though his fame was a bit dark in some parts of the shinobi world. Deciding to leave things for what they are, he believed that if people wanted to know more about him, they could do so by figuring out through first hand experience. Those that were fine with sticking to the rumors and the stories of his exploits while staying in the safety of their own home were not among the people he wanted to waste time on anyway. Closing his eyes for a moment, he opened up his coat enough to show a black shirt and a green sash holding a well decorated Katana hanging from his waist. Having access to his blade once the spar started, his coat would not be in the way anymore. When he reopened his eyes, the red hue of the Sharingan became very clear to any who even remotely paid attention, showing that he was as he said, an Uchiha.

"Now, if you're not afraid of the dangerous outlaw, how about you show me what you are capable of. After all, if you just train and train without getting a chance to see the results, it seems like a fruitless endeavor to me. If it is fine with you, we can even stick primarily to the use of weaponry. It's been a while since I last got to use this guy.".

Weapons & Shit:

Name: Saiketsu
Rank: A rank
Type: Katana [Short range]
Appearance:

Spoiler:

A blade forged from dark steel in a period several decades before the era of warring states, Saiketsu, literally translating to "Drawing Blood", was used only once to slay an invading horde of plunderers. Ever since it was used and had shown just how lethal it was, the monk blacksmith that crafted the blade entrusted it to a Shogun of the Iron Country to keep it safe in one of their Samurai temples, believing that the blade had been soaked in too much blood for it to remain pure. The guard is an oval, and the tsuka-ito seems to be braided from white and black material. The blade features several intricate ornaments, most notable is a relief of a dragon at the endpoint of the hilt. The scabbard is black, made of traditional lacquered wood, and features several metallic ornaments on its far end. It also features a yellow sageo, the cord used to tie the katana to the waist.
Storage: The blade hangs on Hiruzen's left hip so that it can easily be pulled out of it's scabbard on a whim. It is tied into Hiruzen's sash with the yellow sageo cord attached to the scabbard.
Blood Lavender:
Saiketsu is a blade that has been made out of a conductive steel that allows it to channel chakra for various offensive and defensive purposes. What makes the blade itself a bit more special than the standard katana is the fact that it has a highly reflective surface which seems to be how the original creator wanted it. Finally, to mask the scent of all the blood that had been spilled by the blade, a powerful lavender scent has been left inside of the scabbard. Now, whenever the blade is drawn, a strong scent of lavender will come forth that can be smelled very clearly by those within a ten meter range. Though the scent only bursts forth strongly upon being drawn, the scent lingers for only one post before it dissipates.

Name: Sharingan Activated: Three-Tomoe
Rank: -
Type: Bloodline - Doujutsu
Requires: A/S-Ranked Uchiha
Description: The Three-Tomoe version of the Sharingan is the final version of the Sharingan and is accessible to elite Uchiha of A or S class in power and skill. Like all versions of the Sharingan, the user is able to see the flow of chakra whether it be internal or external. Such skills derived from his ability include being able to identify illusionary and C-Rank elemental clones, detecting chakra barriers and genjutsu, and even telling if someone is placed under a genjutsu by detecting chakra irregularities. The Three-Tomoe form of the Sharingan grants the user both the One and Two Tomoe abilities which include perceiving things in slow motion and mimicking a opponents movements. With this type of power the Third-Tomoe grants them is more power in the art of genjutsu. The user is now able to put those who look into their Sharingan in a instant illusion if wished, either putting them in hypnotic, pain, parlaying state with a mere glance.
Chakra Cost: 4CP per Post

Age : 33 Posts : 718

It went against the very philosophy Mugen had just stated to simply ignore the wisdom of a stranger. Knowledge and insight were two invaluable resources that should not be belittled lightly. However, Mugen found it someone hard to swallow Hiruzen's advice without holding a bit of spite towards one who would refute the teachings of his father. He wanted to think of a comeback. Something witty to say in response, but nothing came to mind. He was still wary of danger from the man whom Mugen now believed was a shinobi without a doubt. The way Hiruzen spoke of a ninja's luxuries spoke of personal experience, not outsider opinion. Mugen eventually thought of something to say that used the figure's own words against him, however he would not get a chance to speak it. The moment had passed and Mugen's wits were simply too slow. Hiruzen was speaking again and a teenage boy couldn't handle the awkwardness of fumbling a retort after the subject had already changed.

The cloaked man's confession as to not having a reason to be there made him all the more suspicious. It very well may have been true, but such a vague response also held the possibility of being a veil. If there was some clever ruse afoot, Mugen didn't want to be caught off guard by it. As Mugen was trying to decipher the intent behind this shinobi's words, the name "Hiruzen" reached his ears and gave pause to the boy's thoughts. It wasn't the fact that Hiru had brazenly admitted to being a nukenin. Or that he happened to be from the legendary Uchiha clan. These things were important, but Mugen was hung up on that name. He knew that he had heard it somewhere before.

Giving a bit of thought to it, the origins of Mugen's familiarity with the name began to crop up in the boy's memory. It hadn't been much more than a few years, but his recollection of the event was already fuzzy. Hiruzen. That was the name of a man whom formerly served Kumogakure and the Raikage as a shinobi of the village. There were rumors about him buzzing through the village when Hiruzen abandoned the village, but few of them had reached Mugen's ears since he was still being sheltered within the walls of the Kousen clan compound. They said that he was dangerous. A Murderer. Like a rabid dog that was willing to bite the hand that feeds all for a sick pleasure. He's even turned his sword against the Raikage once in his youth as a showing of his insolence. These rumors were distorted half truths and Mugen had no way of knowing it. However, at the same time, this man failed to give off the same kind of atmosphere that was heavy with the stench of death to be expected of such a spectre.

Mugen tucked those memories away with a grain of skepticism to dull their edge. This could just be someone who shared the same name, or perhaps he was using the name as a shroud of intimidation. Either way, it would do Mugen no good to be worrying about whether or not this was truly "that" Hiruzen. More important things demanded the Kousen's attention as Hiruzen opened his cloak revealing an elegantly adorned blade sheathed at his side. However, his hood remained in place shadowing Hiruzen's face from view. The gesture made it seem to Mugen as though the stranger was intent on fighting no matter what Mugen thought about the matter. It may have been the boy's own paranoia, however he was now "sure" that an attempt to flee would be met with a hot pursuit and end with a sword in his back. Chances of survival were likely higher if Mugen were to face the man head on testing his skill and luck against Hiruzen's own.

"Just weapons..."

Mugen stated the limitation plainly without any change in his cold expression. The poker face hid his slight excitement in having a focus on the area of his expertise. It was hard to say whether or not this Hiruzen fellow had and other weapons hidden on him, however Mugen possessed a large arsenal of his own. The weapons on Mugen's Kousen Gear Rig could potentially grant him the advantage in versatility.

"Your sword will give you the range advantage." The boy said with a nod to the katana Hiruzen wore. "So I'll be making up for it if you don't mind." Mugen then reached up for his hoody zipper with on hand and opened it up just enough to reach inside for the bowie knife attached to his left breast holster. The genin's hand emerged from his hoody clad in the brass knuckle hand guard of the bowie knife holding the weapon in a reverse grip. The short sword, Sylpharius remained held in a standard orthodox grip in Mugen's right hand. His knees bent slightly to sink into a firm center of gravity as the bowie knife was held close to Mugen's chest while he readied Sylpharius in a middle stance with the tip pointed towards his soon-to-be opponent.

"Opening move goes to you."

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Age : 32 Posts : 1178

As a part of his ability to read chakra signatures, Hiruzen was also capable of telling what someone was feeling to a certain degree. To that end, Hiruzen could feel that the kid was not feeling very safe and secure right now. Had he been in his shoes, he would probably have felt similar feelings, though that was not the foundation Hiruzen wanted to build this fight on. On the other hand, fear was the thing that built confidence, that inspired action and probably most important of all, fear is what kept people alive. When he was a shinobi that was most likely just a bit younger than the person he was about to spar, he had to constantly watch his back for the Prajñã and the people that sided with them during the harsh period the village was going through at the time.

Fear was what had made him rise up as a man and force a change upon the village by massacring the people responsible for killing some of his closest friends and holding a tight grip on the poorest of citizens in the Hidden Cloud. The moment he had set that step, he was no longer a boy that needed the protection of his clan, he became a weapon the village happily made use of, even though no one trusted him after what he had done. The people of the village, especially the higher ups, showed a different kind of fear. They showed the kind of fear that set one back and pushed people away, just like it had done with Hiruzen. Because they feared the power he already had and feared his potential to become a shinobi without equal, they had made decisions that cost them one of their strongest and most promising shinobi.

"Before we start this dance, know that I have no intention of killing you. If I wanted you to die, your head would have been on the floor before you could have reached for your fancy weapons. So keep that in mind when we start.".

In spite of what he thought about fear and how it would benefit the kid in life like it had done for him, he also believed that it would be a good thing for the kid to know that Hiruzen was not after his life in any way. When his opponent spoke of how Hiruzen would have the range advantage and that he would be making up for it, he took out yet another weapon. Now wielding both a bowie knife and the rather unique looking short sword, it seemed that he was planning to distribute his physical strength over two weapons. While it would undoubtedly give him an edge in speed, it would likely give him a hard time dealing with Hiruzen's Kendo and Iaido as they both incorporated two handed attacks. Giving Hiruzen the time to attack first and start the fight, he knew exactly what to do in order to set things up properly. Bringing one hand to the handle of his sword, he would start with a technique that relied on both Kendo and Iaido styles for maximum efficiency.

Closing the three meter distance between them to slashing range with a quick step, Hiruzen gripped tightly onto his sword and drew it in an instant, sending a horizontal strike from the left to the right aimed at the kid's side. If the kid was less than Hiruzen thought of him, there was no chance that he would be able to respond to the attack in time to properly set up a block. However, Hiruzen figured that the kid would at least have above Chuunin level skill or he would not have opened up with a rather hard to counter technique like he did. With bent knees, he was ready to respond to any incoming attacks at a moments notice, making use of his evasive skills. During his time with the Samurai in the land of Iron, he had learned a lot about proper stance, style and perception during fights while only picking up a select amount of actual techniques. Hopefully, he would get to try out as much of the things he had learned as he possibly could before the spar came to an end.

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Age : 33 Posts : 718

Mugen took in a deep breath and focused himself into a state of oneness with his blades. In his youthful inexperience he could not achieve the same zen-like trance of his father, however there would be a notable chance in the atmosphere he gave off. Like the boy had become less of a living thing and more of an object. As Mugen exhaled, his breath made visible by the cool misty air, the words Hiruzen spoke seemed distant. Distractions that threatened to pull him from his pool of focus however Mugen remained adamantly submerged. The words meant to reassure Mugen that his life wasn't on the line fell upon deaf ears. Besides, there were worse things for a shinobi than death. Especially for one who loved his village as much as Mugen did. He feared many things and dying fell somewhat short on the list. Thankfully, Mugen was able to temper this fear and embraced it as a vital tool that would keep his heart beating and his mind weary of danger.

Once Mugen had readied his weapons, the tension in his body considerably lessened. It felt more natural this way. A sense of security was granted to the boy by the familiar grip and weight of the blades. It was the final piece needed before he would be ready to face this stranger and it came not a moment too soon. The boy had sunk even deeper into his focused trance by the time Hiruzen made his move. Those wide eyes with the golden halos that had been watching the Uchiha took in the motions of Hiruzen's initial step and sent that information firing towards Mugen's neurons. Without thinking consciously, the boy took action by stepping forward with a half step. He didn't know how he was going to respond to whatever attack came yet, but it was important not to retreat so early in a fight lest his spirit be broken before it could even show itself.

The older shinobi's movements were fast as he suddenly reached for his blade and began to draw it forth in a brilliant cut. However, Mugen was prepared to meet this maneuver head on and without hesitation. His right hand flashed through the air as Mugen's left foot that had stepped forwards dug into the air. His body pivoted to the right slightly and Sylpharius clashed with Saiketsu producing a small dance of sparks from the exchange. Alas, even with Mugen's enhanced strength, he could not match the heavy katana with a mere one handed shortsword. However, just as Slypharius began to give, the bowie knife came crashing into the other side of his shortsword at the same point of pressure where it was fighting the katana. Mugen had punched his own sword with the leverage of his pivoting body behind it to cancel out the momentum and force remaining in Hiruzen's slash.

In an instant, Mugen shifted Sylpharius driving the hand guard into Saiketsu's edge to hopefully prevent the katana from cutting him unless it was pulled free or retreated first. This defensive act left Mugen feeling confident as he simultaneously turned his body to the left and lashed out with a stabbing motion aimed at Hiruzen's right shoulder. Regardless of whether or not this stab was a success, Mugen would immediately follow it with a jump backwards bringing him just centimeters out of range of Hiruzen's katana. Assuming Hiruzen did nothing to stop this, Mugen would land on his right leg, compress it like a spring, and then perform a powerful lunge forwards diving right back into the range of Hiruzen's blade. Mugen would do so keeping low to the ground rising with Sylpharius slashing from left to right in a upper diagonal cut aimed for his opponent's left thigh. The angle of Mugen's leap was slightly to the right which would allow him to continue on past Hiruzen after this swift cut so long as nothing forced him to change his course.

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Age : 32 Posts : 1178

As expected, the attack had been blocked, first with one weapon and reinforced with the other a few moments later. It had not been a bad thing to do as it was rather successful, but it was in no way special. The way he nullified the momentum behind Hiruzen's sword had taken the remaining strength out of his hit, so there was no reason for him to keep up the same attack. Pulling his sword back, his Sharingan could perceive that the boy was planning to use Hiruzen's failed attack for an attack of his own. Watching as he turned to Hiruzen's right and prepared for an attack aimed for his shoulder, the Uchiha had already prepared a counter as he moved his blade with one hand, hitting the incoming blade with the area just above Saiketsu's guard. Even if Hiruzen was not the most physically powerful being on the planet, such an attack would still apply enough force to alter the trajectory of the incoming attack. Making sure the attack would not get anywhere near him, he angled his right shoulder backwards and slightly to the left so that the kid would move past him if he chose to drive the blade further onward.

This however did not happen as the young shinobi moved back as fast as he could as opposed to pressing the attack. For a moment, Hiruzen believed that the kid was going to create a bit of distance between them, though his ocular power instantly warned him about the exact opposite taking place. Having only made some distance so he could use it in order to lunge forward and build enough momentum to put more force and speed behind his attack. Watching every single move with his Sharingan, he was not exactly impressed by what he pulled off, though it was amusing to say the least. Using his momentum to come in for an attack, he kept his body low and his blade at a height that would make his shortsword cut into Hiruzen's thigh. Using his perceptive skills and ocular prowess to work out the trajectory of the attack, Hiruzen held his blade and stepped into the direction the young shinobi came from. Making it look like his intention was to try and block the attack with his own sword, Hiruzen set off with his only grounded leg and pushed himself into the air.

Putting himself into the air, his body was spinning in a horizontal manner while his target would move right under him. Using the momentum of his spin, he would aim a swift cut at the kid's back that would hurt quite a bit, but would not inflict any serious damage. Mere moments after Hiruzen performed the rather acrobatic jump, he would land no more than a meter away from where he stood at first while the kid would keep moving for a bit more due to the momentum he had built up working against him in this situation, likely having a shallow cut in his back in the process. Quick attacks were all fine and dandy, but when fighting someone who could accurately keep track of ones trajectory while possessing foresight abilities, they were easily turned around in a negative manner. Hiruzen was not stronger than the average shinobi, he was not more durable and resistant to pain than the average shinobi and was not even faster than them. However, Hiruzen was extremely agile and light on his feet, allowing him to perform acrobatic moves and seemingly impossible evasive maneuvers.

Combining his agile and nimble body with his increased senses, his chakra sensing sixth sense and the power of his Sharingan, Hiruzen possessed a very unfair advantage over pretty much anyone he encountered in close quarters. Whether his youthful opponent managed to evade his attack or not, something that was very unlikely from Hiruzen's point of view, would not really matter. He was interested in seeing what he was capable of in close combat, to see if his moves were more developed than the ones Hiruzen was capable of or not. Knowing for a fact that his attacks would most likely not be similar to those performed by the Samurai of the iron country, he wanted to see the kind of things a weaponry using shinobi from the Hidden Cloud was capable of. Having seen the skills of a weaponry user from the Hidden Leaf, he was expecting quite a bit from his opponent. Hoping that his counterattack would spark some more elaborate and powerful techniques, he stood ready to deal with the next attack the youth might throw at him.

Age : 33 Posts : 718

Charging forth like a bullet towards Hiruzen's lower body, Mugen executed his slash for the man's thigh only find his blade met nothing but empty air. Hiruzen had ascended into the air with a jump carrying him out of Mugen's trajectory despite initial movements from the man which suggested that he planned on meeting the boy's gambit head on. "Tch..." Mugen sucked his teeth in disappointment as he changed the trajectory of his still moving sword arm and stabbed Sylpharius into the ground to act as an anchor. The short sword bit into earth and slowed Mugen's forward momentum as he quickly moved his Bowie Knife behind his back which was currently shown to the enemy. The effort wasn't a moment too soon as Hiruzen's blade slashed across the middle of Mugen's back. Unfortunately the effort was also in vain.

The bowie knife was a useless barrier in the face of Hiruzen's superior blade. Low quality iron was split by near legendary quality steel. Saiketsu cut through the knife like a hot knife through butter and proceeded without mercy to taste of Mugen's flesh. The fabric of Mugen's hoody was the first to by split asunder followed by skin and one of the straps of his Kousen Gear Rig. Mugen tried to lower his body closer to the ground to minimize the damage, but he was too slow about it to make a difference. With another powerful kick off the ground, Mugen pulled Sylpharius from the earth and launched himself a few meters forwards landing with a roll and a spinning pivot that ended with him crouched facing the Uchiha shinobi. Mugen could feel the hot blood spilling from his back wound and grit his teeth through the pain. A quick flex check told Mugen that the blow had been shallow. Blood had been drawn, however the boy's back muscles were still in check. "There shouldn't be too much of an affect on my mobility and flexibility." The boy thought to himself as he kept a close eye on his opponent in case Hiruzen pressed the attack further.

If there was a lull in the fighting even for a second, Mugen would take that time to count his blessings and inspect the damage to his weapons. The injury he had taken was not going to break him, however it had certainly broken his bowie knife. There was a nasty gash in Sylpharius' rusted blade from where it had met Hiruzen's weapon as well. Mugen would toss the small shattered knife aside without lingering on how unfortunate it was that the weapon had broken. Instead, Mugen was already thinking about which weapon he should bring out next. The young Kousen had a number of other weapons left in his arsenal and among them there was only one that MIGHT have the durability to stand up to Hiruzen's well forged katana. However, he didn't feel like it was the right time to bring out the fang of the dragon just yet. A weapon like that had more worth when you revealed it at the right time and that time was not now. Instead, Mugen decided to reach for his left hip shifting the hem of his hoody up just high enough to draw a simple dagger in his left hand.

The dagger was of a crude style and material with no better quality than the bowie knife Hiruzen had just cut up like it had been paper. The stabbing weapon would not last very long, but perhaps it would last long enough to create the "conditions" for Mugen to use one of his better weapons. Once Mugen had the dagger in hand, he rose from his crouch slightly but remained in a low stance. The scent of lavender had become strong at this point and lingered around the area making the boy wrinkle his nose involuntarily. But he remained focused on Hiruzen and didn't give much thought to the presence of the smell. Mugen's eyes stared wide open like those of a predator, a small flame of ferocity burning behind them.

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Age : 32 Posts : 1178

"You're not doing badly kid, I expected no less from someone hailing from the Kousen Clan. That is, I think you are from the Kousen Clan. You look a lot like an older version of a friend I once had, or a younger version of my former Sensei. They were both Kousen, brothers even. Both of them were skilled shinobi, though they received the same death sentence I was given.".

Cutting his blade to the side, he removed what blood was on it, splattering it over the ground before placing it back into his scabbard. It was standard Iaido procedure to remove all blood and other filth from the blade before putting it back to rest. Now that he had a good idea as to what his opponent was capable of, he did not think that he would get to learn a whole lot that he did not already know. The time he had spent learning from others and increasing his skill with his own two hands meant that the amount of new things he could learn from people would get increasingly less with each passing month. While it was in fact a rather saddening thought, he knew that the upside to it all was that there was just less for him to learn that he did not already possess. Looking down to see the crouched shinobi with a new weapon after the other had been broken, it seemed that yet another dagger type of weapon was chosen. Wondering whether or not it would be best if he started trying a bit more seriously to draw out more of what his opponent was capable of, there was something he was interested in.

When Hiruzen brought up the Kousen clan and some of the members of the clan that he personally knew at the time, he tried to get a response out of him. If he was what he thought he was, there was a chance that he was related to the two brothers, Shinji and Moroi. The fact that he was talking so casually in the midst of battle proved that he did not exactly consider the young shinobi a threat to him, just like it proved that this fight was just the kind of thing he did for fun. Nothing about Hiruzen reflected any kind of hostility, which was why a lot of people feared him ever since he was a child. Most people did not fight the way he did for the sake of fun. Personally, he had never really been bothered by the many ways in which he was different from most people. The only thing that really bothered him was the way people treated him because he was different. At least now, those days were over and he was free to be the person he was meant to be without people bossing him around.

"We can go for a couple more rounds if you want, or we can just call it off now and avoid further injuries and wounds. However, if you want to continue this dance, the next move is yours.".

Giving him the chance to quit if he no longer wanted to continue, Hiruzen had a feeling that this was not going to happen. Still, he did not want to be the person that got blamed for it if his opponent received more wounds or had more weapons broken than he had bargained for. After all, this was a spar, not an actual battle. Leaving his right hand resting on top of Saiketsu's handle, he would await a response. If he was going to attack, Hiruzen would be ready for it, just like he would be ready for it if the spar was to end right here and now. Either way, Hiruzen had not really seen anything that truly amazed him or managed to maintain his interest.

Age : 33 Posts : 718

From the previous exchange, Mugen had been able to grasp the fact that there was a definite gap in power between himself and the enigmatic Hiruzen. However he was still unable to gauge the depth and expansive distance of that gap. Thoughts of how hopeless it would be to try and beat Hiruzen in a straightforward battle were a luxury Mugen would not afford himself. Instead, he prepared to strike again when suddenly Hiruzen began spouting off at the mouth. Half hearted praised was fine, but there was no greater insult to Mugen's honor than to bring up his Kousen lineage. The boy had taken his exile to heart as well as the orders that had come along with it. To never reveal himself as a Kousen or to claim the family name. Mugen was Kousen no longer. Now he was simply "Mugen" and to be reminded of this fact was to be reminded of the shame surrounding Mugen's crime. The murder of a fellow Kousen named Kiemon still weighed heavily on Mugen's heart and stained his reputation with blood.

"Shut up..."

The boy spoke up to cut Hiruzen off before he could mention how his former comrades had been given the death penalty. Mugen had heard more than enough before that. "...I am no Kousen! I am simply Mugen, a boy without a clan." As he spoke, Mugen raised the edge of his sword Sylpharius and leveled it so it looked as though Hiruzen's head were perched along the blade from Mugen's perspective. "Don't speak that name before me again." Mugen's eyes had been wide open like a wild beast for the duration of their spar so far. But now, Mugen's gaze was narrow and sharp with a deep seated spite smouldering in his pupils. Clearly he didn't take being called a member of the Kousen clan very well. There was a swirl of emotions going through the genin's body as a result of the topic being brought up. Guilt, shame, and sadness were among them, but there was also a stubborn pride at the core of it all. Until his father said otherwise, Mugen would be a "good" shinobi and distance himself from the clan name. It was all for Mugen's own sake, but he saw it as being for the village's sake as well.

The anger brought about by the drudging up of Mugen's past drove the young teen into making another charge on Hiruzen, but it was far from a blind act of mindless violence. Mugen began dashing straight towards Hiruzen only to suddenly cut to the left just before entering cutting range. Circling around 90 degrees to position himself at Hiruzen's side closest to the river, Mugen stopped his movements by anchoring his foot into the soft muddy ground of the river bank. A swift kicking motion would sent a spray of mud and dirt into the air towards Hiruzen's face. Using the environmental distraction as a smokescreen of sorts, Mugen threw the Dagger behind it with a whip-like motion of his left hand. The stabbing weapon was aimed for Hiruzen's dead center mass and was positioned behind a clump of the muddy distraction. Mugen wasn't expecting the dagger to hit, it would most likely be dodged or blocked along with the debris. That would be the moment he was waiting for. The moment he saw Hiruzen move in reaction to the ploy, Mugen would launch himself forwards slashing with his short sword aiming for Hiruzen's arm in hopes to exploit a possible opening in his movements.

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Age : 32 Posts : 1178

The moment a response came, Hiruzen did not need to further question the boy about his origins. As a member of one of the founding clans of the Hidden Cloud, he knew well what kind of emotions and pride came with it. Growing up, he had been slandered and pulled through the dirt for being a member of the Uchiha clan, though he had always done his best to keep his head high. Whatever the kid was trying to keep hidden, he was not exactly proving that he was not of the Kousen. In fact, he had more or less done the exact opposite by responding so violently. Wondering why the hostility had come up in such a manner as to cut him off in the middle of a sentence, he would not pretend that he did not know the kind of frustrations that came from being in a large and powerful clan. However, simply because he understood it did not mean that he appreciated or accepted the tone at which his response came.

"Maybe you did not understand this much yet, but I am not some academy student you can push around. I am Hiruzen, the demon of the scorched earth, the natural disaster, the death dealer. Even someone like you should know better than to test the patience of someone that holds titles like that. Do not think for one second that you have the authority to tell me what I can and cannot say!".

Not hiding the fact that he was pissed off at the audacity of this kid and his attempt to tell Hiruzen what he could and could not do, his calm and collected nature soon returned to him after his momentary outburst. As soon as Hiruzen responded to the rather uncalled for and hostile response he had been given to his question, the kid started moving around to the side of the river that ran through the valley. Angling his body with it every step of the way, Hiruzen made sure to keep the youngster in his line of sight at all times. Tracking his movements perfectly, he did not slack off this time. Given the way in which he responded, there was a very real chance that the kid might have gotten it into his head that he could hurt Hiruzen if he tried hard enough, maybe even forgetting that they were merely sparring one another at this point. Watching his every move closely, the kid attempted to kick a clump of mud and dirt at his eyes, even though these were covered rather well with his cloak.

Not being that impressed with the attack and not even making a real attempt to dodge it more than by slightly angling his head to make the hood take the hit, he noticed that yet another attack was made at him. It was very similar in nature to a technique Meiko used against him, hiding one projectile behind the other for a surprise effect. Already angling his head, he now moved his entire upper body down while bending through his knees, his right shoulder moving to the left in order to create a wider arch when he finally drew his sword in response to the attack that came next. Whether the kid was willing to call himself a Kousen or not, Hiruzen felt no shame in using the Kekkei Genkai passed down to every member of the Uchiha clan. Using it to foresee the kid launching himself at him, he heard that the dagger flew by his head, meaning it was no longer a direct threat to him.

Drawing his blade with enough ferocity and speed to fell an adult bear, he would counter the attack made against him with the strangely shaped sword. He was expecting that the momentum behind his sword would be quite great due to the manner in which it was being executed, though Hiruzen knew full well how much strength there was behind what was currently his most powerful and fast Iaido technique. Whether Hiruzen's counter would disarm him or completely break off part of the sword due to the momentum behind both attacks, he knew that there would not be a third option. His Sharingan was simply too skilled at figuring out one's movement pattern, his mind knowing for a fact that such a launch could not be broken off in time, not against Hiruzen's Iaido. The exact amount of damage he would inflict upon the kid's weapon would become clear in but a few moments.

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Age : 33 Posts : 718

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Hiruzen was correct in his assumption that there was no turning back now that Mugen was committed to his charge. The boy had been somewhat astonished at how the hooded man dodged his initial attack, but the nature of an expected outcome being different than what you thought made little difference so long as it ended as you hoped. Hiruzen had reacted to the projectiles defensively and now was the time to strike. Unfortunately, the results had not been ideal. Hiruzen moved and created an opening, however he was poised to make an attack of his own as well and it was already too late for Mugen to back down. Too late to formulate an elegant plan or a clever solution in the heartbeat that remained before the two shinobi clashed. All Mugen had to go on was instinct and his body told him that there was imminent danger ahead. It had his skin breaking out into a cold sweat and yet...Hiruzen's perceptive kinetic vision would be able to see Mugen's lips crack a smile as the wanderer drew his sword should he have cared to view the boy's expression.

As Mugen's right hand lashed out in a slashing motion there was a subtle flick of his wrist which sent Sylpharius floating through the air. The dark skinned genin had let go of his own blade! Meanwhile, Hiruzen's strike was leaving the scabbard and could not be easily stopped. Mugen kicked off the ground again giving him a sudden increase in forward momentum as his right arm tensed up and received Hiruzen's cut head on. The blade severed sinews and easily slashed through Mugen's flesh reaching even his bone. Steel cleaved deeply into bone and caused it to crack and shatter around the point of impact. Mugen let out a howl of agony and his body curled in response to the pain as blood shot from his forearm and bicep as the sword had two points of contact on his body. However, this limb was not sacrificed for a lack of reason. The orientation of the two men's bodies would make it hard for Hiruzen to see Mugen's left hand. The edge of his hood limited Hiruzen's peripheral vision and the left side of Mugen's body would perhaps be just out of view.

Simultaneous to being wounded, Mugen would strike out to return the favor. The short sword had not been cast aside, but rather passed to the boy's other hand. Mugen's left hand caught Sylpharius from the air and just as his body began to crumple from the horrible pain of being slashed, his left hand made a swift lashing cut for the underside of the arm Hiruzen was using to swing his blade. It would be hard to perceive and highly difficult to evade mid-slash. Following this cut, Mugen would have no time to perform any more attacks. The force of the blow sent his body flying through the air and into the river. A splash was all Mugen heard next as waves of pain washed over him far greater than the waves of the river did. Even so, the water was likely a greater threat to the child now. One arm was broken and bleeding badly leaving crimson trails dancing along in the water around his wounded limb. The other was still stubbornly clutching on the the short sword that his father had given him. Mugen was in no good shape to swim, especially not with a paralyzing pain throbbing throughout most of his body.

The boy thrashed about and barely managed to surface long enough for a small breath before the current sucked him under and began carrying him downstream away from Hiruzen. Whether the wanderer chose to save the boy from drowning or leave him to his fate was something only time would tell.

Age : 32 Posts : 1178

When his blade was about to clash against the incoming sword, he witnessed the most idiotic move he had seen in any of the battles he had been in up to this point. Claiming such a thing meant a lot, especially since he had been fighting a guy that used a summon and a mist technique to effectively blind only himself for the duration of the fight while Hiruzen was not even slightly bothered by it at all. To him, that was the fight where he had fought the most stupid tactician of all time. However, tossing away the weapon that could have helped his opponent moments before collision was now taking the crown. By tossing his blade through the air, he had no way of defending himself against Hiruzen's Iaido. After a swift cut and the crack of bone, Hiruzen pulled his blade back to not lob off his entire arm. Having done the best he could possibly do to minimize the damage of his own attack in such a small time frame, his eyes had never been on his own weapon. Instead they followed the flying sword to make sure it would not hit him in it's flight.

When the blade was caught in flight, it came at him again, this time with the other hand. Having no weapon to effectively parry the attack, Hiruzen had to improvise as fast as he possibly could. Letting go of his sword the moment the attack came at him, he took a step forward while placing his hands in a way that would allow him to catch Mugen's without letting the blade hit him. Physical strength meant nothing in this case, especially since he could clearly tell that there was little to no force behind this last strike at all. With the small amount of force behind the incoming attack, disarming him and making sure the attack would not reach him was not that hard to do. The force behind the attacks seemed to have taken their toll on the young shinobi as he seemingly lost balance and tumbled forward towards the river. Hiruzen could tell that he was in a great amount of pain due to his stupid move that almost cost him an arm. Dropping into the water, Hiruzen looked on as he was struggling to keep his head above the water.

Retrieving Saiketsu and placing him back in his scabbard, he saw that the kid took one last breath before he went under. Shaking his head in disappointment, he formed a string of hand seals while he walked along the river bank. Once he was done, he bent through his knees and placed the palm of his hand onto the ground. As he did, a shaking could be felt within the ground as a small section of earth at the bottom of the river rose up and took the body of the young shinobi with it. Rising until it was a good thirty centimeters above the water's surface, the platform stopped moving. Not having any medical experience, what the boy was going to do now was entirely up to him. Thanks to his help, he would not have gotten a lot of water into his body as he still had some air in his lungs when he went under, so the only danger to his health was the arm he so foolishly sacrificed in order to get in a hit. Now that he was no longer in danger of drowning, Hiruzen was certain that he would be able to drag his own injured ass back to the village without dying.

"Limbs are only to be sacrificed when in a life and death situation. When in a spar like this, it is by far the most retarded things you could have possibly done, aside from tossing your own face onto my sword. Next time you're in a spar, I suggest that you refrain from going to such lengths just to get a shot in. It is a spar after all, it is not worth losing a limb.".

With that, Hiruzen nodded at the boy. Whether he would see it or not, it did not really matter much to the Uchiha. He was not going to stick around any longer, he had other things to do now that things here had come to an end.

[Exit Thread]

Age : 33 Posts : 718

Submerged in a world of watery confusion, Mugen briefly struggled to determine which way he should try to try swimming to reach air as the current tossed his battered body about. He tried to calm himself and stopped thrashing long enough to reach behind his back and sheath Sylpharius back into its scabbard. If he was going to start trying to swim, it wouldn't do for him to be clutching a weapon in hand after all. But even once his non-injured limb was freed up it still didn't help him reclaim his sense of direction. Mugen's heart began to beat heavily and pain wracked his body until he could no longer hold his breath. Mugen's mouth opened and a parade of bubbles escaped into the water allowing the drink to flood his throat and assault his lungs. It was then that the muddy earth had risen thanks to Hiruzen's jutsu lifting Mugen out of the water just as he began to drown. The boy emerged from the river coughing and crumpled up in a ball on his uninjured side.

Mugen couldn't even hear Hiruzen's scolding over the sound of his own lungs trying to force water out and air in. But if he could, he wouldn't think very highly of the man for the words of supposed wisdom. They only applied when one was facing a true sparring opponent whom could be trusted not to take things too far. When fighting a stranger who hid his face and claimed to be a famous criminal and traitor to the village? Standard train of thought for a "spar" did not apply. Mugen still didn't trust the older shinobi and was expect Hiruzen to be standing over him any moment now to deal a killing blow or worse, entrap him in a genjutsu to expose village secrets. But thankfully, no such attack or interrogation came before Mugen regained his composure and a somewhat reasonable rate of breathing.

Gritting his teeth and wincing through a horrible throbbing that was in Mugen's right arm, he sat up and looked around but Hiruzen was already gone. Only now did Mugen have the peace of mind that Hiruzen's intentions had not been backed by a sinister agenda. Because he didn't hear Hiruzen's parting words, Mugen did not think less of Hiruzen's attitude than he already did. Therefore, the Kousen was of the mind that he owed the Uchiha thanks should they ever meet again. That is, assuming of course it wasn't during a mission where their interests clashed. It shook the boy to think that he might have to fight someone like this in a situation where death was the prize for whomever lost. After all, Mugen had been the wretchedly vanquished one in today's exchange and it was not due to luck favoring Hiruzen. The man had simply been stronger.

"...I should have ran as soon as I saw him..."

Mugen muttered to himself as hot tears streamed down his face. The defeat had been more crushing than Mugen thought it would be. He had miscalculated the results of taking Hiruzen's strike and paid dearly for it with one of the most humiliating losses he had ever suffered. The boys good hand reached up to clasp his own face as he wept until a pulsation of pain in his wounded arm reminded him that he was losing a lot of blood. Mugen ripped the cut sleeve of his jacket off and bit into it with his teeth to tear it up some more until he hand some makeshift bandages. Slowly, Mugen focused not on his sorrow and instead on treating his cuts with some basic first aid. It was hard for him to do so with only one good hand and his teeth to work with, however after a while Mugen was tightening the last knot on his amateur bandaging. With that done, Mugen had little else to do other than to return home. As he made his way back to the village, Mugen's eyes were empty. Like those of a dead man. His steps were void of energy and his body cold with weakness. The teen stumbled more than a few times and after a couple hours of travel he finally collapsed and the darkness of unconsciousness took him...

Mugen awoke nearly a day later to find himself squinting up at a bright light. He tried to reach up with his right arm and immediately was reminded of its mangled state by a sudden wave of agony. Mugen grimaced and then reached up with his left hand to block the light instead so his eyes could have time to adjust. Looking around, Mugen found himself in Kumogakure's hospital lying on a bed. He was told later that a scouting group had found him and brought him in for treatment as well as how he'd been out for almost twenty four hours. Then the wounded genin was questioned as to how he had come to be bleeding out unconscious in the middle of the wilderness. Mugen told the jounin who interrogated him everything about what had happened, however he withheld an important detail. He didn't mention Hiruzen's name and spoke of him as a masked stranger who did not reveal his identity. It was a stain on Mugen's pride and loyalty to the village, however he did owe Hiruzen for not leaving him to drown. With this, Mugen considered that debt repaid.

Once the questioning was over, Mugen was scolded for not fleeing to get help as soon as he met the stranger and the boy took the verbal lashing without protest. He knew that it was the right call. Then at last, he was left alone to heal and wallow in his own shame of defeat. For days, Mugen sat in bed and meditated on what had happened. Once he was released, Mugen was benched from going on any missions and told he had to rest. It would be hard on Mugen's constantly empty purse, but he would find a way to survive on short funds. He always did.

Released and free to return home, Mugen overcame his emotional weakness over having been defeated. He simply had to become stronger and learn more about his opponent so next time things would not go so decidedly in Hiruzen's favor. "I'll focus on healing for now...but once this arm is back in shape, I think I'll try that new jutsu I've been thinking of..." Mugen said to himself as he clenched his fist and looked down at his cast. The young man went home with thoughts of "tomorrow's" victory on his mind.

-Exit-