Temple Trials - THIS is why I became a chuunin?!

Age : 49 Posts : 1036

Pre-Mission brief

Quote :: Mission Title: Temple Trials
Mission Type: Generic
Mission Location: The Fire Country
Shinobi Requirement: Chuunin+
Mission Rank: B
Mission Objective: The monks who reside in their secluded monastery near your village like take a certain martial pride in their abilities and like to test themselves against Nin every so often even on occasion hiring Nin out. You have been hired for just such a job.
Min Post Count: 4

Mission Approval link

Age : 49 Posts : 1036

Yet another day was starting to dawn over Konohagakure no Sato and with it the first rays of sunlight to once more began to shoo away the early autumn chill. That steady warmth also brought the first signs of daily life as people began to emerge from their homes to start their day. For one Hinamori Toshiro, it was yet another morning that had begun hours ago. While not exactly a morning person, the life of a shinobi had required him to, albeit not happily, frequently be up and coherent hours before the sun rose. The reason varied - time for himself, time to train, or an assignment - but the chuunin usually was among those who were already active long before the rest of the village stopped dreaming. This morning was no exception, having the day before received the scroll that ordered him to be at the Fire Temple by this afternoon.

While it was one of the few places where he didn't have kin Toshiro had actually looked forward to this assignment. One had to be an idiot or have lived alone for most of your life to not have heard about the temple and it's monks. Even better he would have the chance to go toe-to-toe with a few of them as his assignment was to be a sparring partner for any monk that wished to test their skills against his own. It would have almost been a paid holiday if not for having to be up so bloody early. Had he been able to prepare yesterday, Toshiro would have traveled to the temple last night and just come in early. Because he had a trio of students to train in the afternoon and had needed the evening to hunt down someone to take care of their training for today, the snowy-haired chuunin had ended up needing to wake up nearly three hours early to finish packing. In addition to his usual "combat kit" he had elected to bring some more exotic weapons - a bo, a pair of sai, and two hanbo (2-3 foot wooden rods) - along with wooden and blunted training weapons in case any of the spars weren't to involve live steel. Once everything was ready to his satisfaction, Toshiro left his apartment just as the first vendors were arriving at their stalls to begin preparing for the day. Stopping to purchase for a quick "second breakfast" from a stand along with something to snack on for the trip and he was ready to confront the onerous task of checking out of the village as he headed to the village gates.

Onerous indeed that task proved to be, even when armed with a mission scroll. That the two chuunin guarding the gate that day happened to be a pair he had a "history" with hadn't helped matters either. Particularly when one of them was a Hyuuga, there being no love lost and a great deal of blood shed between the possessors of the Byakugan and Toshiro's clan dating back over a century. In the end getting out had required that he threaten his "fellow chuunin" with a charge of treason for refusing a lawful order (the mission scroll) to end the stonewalling. Once he was finally on his way and free from the encumbrance of Konoha's politics though, he found himself making excellent time and enjoying this trip. A trip that ended just as he was finishing his lunch (one wet-cardboard-with-mold ration bar and several fruits in a vain attempt to kill the taste) before the gates of the Fire Temple. Since the gates were open to accept those bringing offerings or seeking spiritual advice, the chuunin simply walked up to the gates and showed the pair of monks standing besides them the mission scroll with the seal of both the Hokage and the Grand Master of the temple.

In contrast to the obstructionism based on a clan's hurt pride that had accompanied his leaving Konoha, the monk was quick and purposeful - going over the document before handing it to his partner who did the same then handed it back to Toshiro. Formalities out of the way, the shorter of the two's greeting also was a contrast to the naked arrogance that had marked the first steps outside of Konoha. "Hello Hinamori-san. Welcome to the Fire Temple. I am Akira and my silent partner is Aoishi, the guards for today. We've been anticipating your arrival - my brothers are eager to finally measure themselves against the Kage Tsume and San Kiba your clan is known for. You'll find Grandmaster Sato at the training yard with our novices. You can go up the main steps then right and follow the hall lined with the lion statues. If you need help just ask one of the brothers and they can show you the way. May your day be illuminated by the Will of Fire." Not one to be outdone for courtesy, Toshiro had returned the older (if not by much) monks bow with his own and a smile to match. "Many thanks and may you always find clear fields." Pleasantries exchanged, the Konoha shinobi walked through the gates and into the spiritual center of his country. It was something of a stray thought, but as he did so Toshiro wondered if maybe he could convince his new Hokage to send those assigned to gate duty here first. Maybe having to live alongside and be beaten down daily by "inferiors" would cure some of the more haughty clans of their "I have a bloodline, bow down plebian" attitude.

Age : 49 Posts : 1036

True to Akira's word, Toshiro had been able to find the main training area of the temple by heading up the steps on the far end of the courtyard and through the open doors into the temple proper then down the indicated hall. At several points he had passed by monks, either an individual going about his daily task or a group of two or three who would be discussing something ranging from an obscure point of philosophy or advanced chakra manipulation to last nights dinner. Most of these monks had a polite nod for the Konoha ninja that was returned while a few would ask if he was here to spar. When Toshiro replied in the affirmative to later the monk would always smile and wish him well while hoping to have a match against him before he left. All together, he liked this place already. Despite the money that the Fire Lord lavished on it, the temple still managed to keep a humble feel about it - something that the monk's lack of pretensions no doubt contributed to. He had even seen a Hyuuga, a HYUUGA of all people, smiling and wishing him a good day! It had taken no small amount of willpower to not run to the nearest window and see if the sky was falling after that. Still, pondering about life in the temple aside, he had an official reason for being here and soon he was facing that reason. The temples training yard might not have been the largest the chuunin had seen but it was still impressive - ringed by several tiers of descending steps was an area of packed earth maybe a hundred paces on each side. Under the overhangs that surrounded the yard on three sides he could make out a number of racks of different weapons. It was the people occupying the actual training area that held his attention though. To be exact, it was the people wearing the same garb as the other monks but with the white rope of novices arrayed in neat lines who where mimicking the older bald monk in front of them who was running through a beginners kata with a bo staff.

If the almost unconscious ease with which the staff was put through the kata without a single mistake hadn't been a strong enough indication that the teacher was one of the senior monks, the saffron-colored rope around his waist eliminated any doubt. Watching the students learning from the head of their temple along with the snippets of praise and admonishment that each student received, Toshiro couldn't help but think that this was how Konoha's Academy should be. The whole time they had been learning the novices had been silent but not inattentive to those at their sides - he had seen several times when one of the novices had missed a step only for those to either side repeat the step correctly to be copied before moving on. Not a single look of superiority or shame either - just willing students eager to learn for the sake of learning and helping their fellows learn as well. Caught up in the comparisons between these students and the ones from Konoha (including his own) the chuunin was only peripherally aware when another person moved beside him. Figuring out who that person was took just a glance; while his garb was no different from the other monks save for an open black robe, the crimson rope and his advanced age said as loud as words that this what Akashi Sato - Grand Master of the Fire Temple.

For several minutes the curiously matched pair of white-haired individuals - one young in years but old in experience and the other ancient but still holding the fire of his younger years - watched the students and their teacher. Once the kata was over the students formed a semi-circle around their teacher as he gave criticism, praise, and advice to each student. Toshiro found himself nodding in agreement at many of the sensei's words and trying to remember how things were said for use with his own students. It was as the novices broke their circle to the sensei's clap and went to put away their training weapons that the elder next to the Konoha chuunin spoke. Easily four times the younger's age he might be, Sato still had the sort of voice that commanded immediate attention from those hearing it in a classroom or training yard. "It is rather impressive how well and willing a focused mind learns isn't Hinamori-san." To that observation Toshiro found himself nodding in complete agreement. Not even the best-rated classes in Konoha's Academy had been as cohesive as the group he had just seen. "Impressive and a bit humbling Akashi-sensei. I see members from clans in Konoha that can barely live side by side aiding each other without any a single look of superiority. But please call me Toshiro. I have years to go before I can begin to really grasp what I've seen here." The last brought a quite chuckle from the elder monk; no doubt because it wasn't the first time he had heard it even if not from someone quite so young. "If you wish Toshiro-san, but then call me Sato. Like you we are all students to one degree or another and each of us left the rivalries and disputes of our birth behind to seek enlightenment. But you didn't come here for enlightenment. If you will follow me, I'll show you to where your "mission objective" waits."

Age : 49 Posts : 1036

Having followed behind the elderly grandmaster through another hallway that led further back into the temple itself, Toshiro found himself eager meet the person he was face and possibly learn why. So it was understandable that when the temples grandmaster stopped before a large double-door flanked by a pair of lion statues, his pulse started to race in anticipation as the doors were pulled open. That the yard beyond the doors had a purpose beyond simple training was clear - it too was sunken several feet below the floor, was maybe half the size of the training yard, and in place of packed earth this yard had carefully cut grass. In the center was a pool of water, on top of which was a solitary individual maybe four or five years Toshiro's senior going through a strangely familiar kata with a bo staff. With his shaven pate and monks garb, it was obvious that this was another member of the temple and the red rope belt he wore spoke of a high standing among those that dwelt here. In the same way his heavily muscled but not bulky build, lack of any wasted motion in his movements, and the intense focus of his expression said that this was a fighter who took his training very seriously. The former something Grandmaster Sato confirmed with his words that got the attention of both the practicing monk and the visiting ninja at his side. "Toshiro-san, allow me to introduce you to Mori, Idate. Brother Idate recently returned from a pilgrimage to Bear Country and along the way made a most interesting find."

By the time the older monk was done speaking the pair had descended into the sunken yard where they met the younger monk who had stopped mid-strike and shouldered his bo before meeting the two half-way. Returning Idate's greeting with his own handshake, Toshiro found himself already warming up to the fellow. Just a hair shorter than he was, Idate's handshake had held a great deal of confidence and his brown eyes more a hint of mischief. Something made even more apparent when he spoke in a voice that contained an infectious amount of camaraderie. "Forgive Sato-sensei Toshiro-san - he enjoys understating things to shock others too much at times. The “interesting find” Sato-sensei is referring to is nothing less than scrolls holding the Ten no Hi techniques." At those words Toshiro's composure wasn't so much lost as simply vanished. The chuunin just stood there with his jaw hanging open and staring ahead blankly as if he had just been handed the meaning of life and found it unbelievable. Among those who saw weapons as more than tools, the techniques Idate had mentioned were somewhat akin to the meaning of life. That the man standing in front of him had been able to find them by pure chance was almost beyond belief.

“To think after a century... incredible.” Having give voice to his amazement, Toshiro was answered by Sato, who confirmed the chuunin’s unvoiced guess about his purpose in being here. ”An apt description Toshiro-san. I’m sure you can guess why you are here now. Will you be the first in a hundred years to face the Fire of Heaven?” To that the shinobi could only nod in the affirmative. Pass up the chance to see and face some of the most sought-after techniques in the history of weaponry? For that he would have risen from his deathbed! Watching his opponent move back to the pond then stop on top of the water, Toshiro pulled out one of the smaller scrolls from his pouch and unrolled it before applying a burst of chakra. Once the smoke cleared, what was held in the chuunin’s grip was a plain staff while the scroll was put back in its pouch. As he walked out onto the pond to face Idate, the ninja answered their unvoiced question as to why he had chosen to unseal a staff instead of use the katana at his back. ”I’m not so foolish as to face the Ten no Hi with a sword against someone skilled in the staff. And my grandfather taught me something of bojutsu so I am not completely unskilled in it.” With that he took up a stance that mirrored the younger monks - feet placed wide with one leg advanced and staff gripped in front of the body at an angle with hands placed one-third its length from each end. To the side, Sato had his hand raised. “Fighters ready?” Slowing nodding at the same time, ninja and monk was almost completely focused on each other waiting for command to start. “Begin!”

That word caused the otherwise-silent yard to erupt in sharp cracks of wood striking wood - the fight was on.

Toshiro: 135 CP - 2 = 133 CP

Spoiler:

Age : 49 Posts : 1036

Meeting Idate's overhead strike with one end of his staff, Toshiro use the opposite end of his staff to make a quick strike at the monk's legs. A strike that the other combatant met with his own staff, locking the two together in a test of strength for a second before both jumped back to take stock of themselves and their opponent after nearly an hour combat. For the first ten minutes of the fight the two combatants had been getting the measure of the other, striking cautiously and giving as little away as possible. After that the real contest had begun as the speed and power of their blows had increased tenfold as each sought advantage. The search had seen the two in a near-stalemate since begin their trial of skill & strength in earnest - near because the advantage had see-sawed between the two fighters as ploy and counter-ploy had been used. A perceptive observer watching the fight could tell that both fighters were nearing their limits - having fought at a pace and intensity that allowed no respite until that moment.

For Toshiro, the picture was rather grim. His opponent had indeed rediscovered the Ten no Hi techniques; the young ninja's vest, shirt, and pants and the skin underneath bore multiple scorch marks that confirmed that beyond any doubt. And those were just the near-misses - he was sure to be much slower returning to the village if the way every breath hurt was an indication of the amount of bruising his ribs had sustained and the aching in his left leg that hurt too much to be broken. Of course things weren't completely one-sided since Idate was clearly favoring his right foot after it had caught a downward strike and he trying to breath shallowly to avoid aggravating the bruises that would blossom across his abdomen soon enough. Still, the ninja had clearly gotten the worst of the exchanges and that was using a weapon well-suited to counting his opponents technique. If he had tried to fight those scorching-hot strikes with a steel blade he would likely need weeks to recover from the burns alone from melted metal. No, things were definitely not looking good for the chuunin and he might have considered yielding the match. He didn't because of several things - pride that said to keep going until he had to yield, the stubborn streak that insisted he still had tricks (even if he was reluctant to use them in what had so far been a pure contest of skill at arms), and the fact that he was still enjoying his first really good fight in months and wanted to push himself further. His decision to 'ramp things up' came when he noted that, despite having to breathe shallowly, his opponent was grinning at him. And it wasn't just any grin Idate was sporting but one that said 'come on you have more than this - give me everything'. If his opponent wanted to face everything his opponent had then the monk would get his wish. The plan he concocted at that moment was insane and incredibly risky, but it was the one way he could see to

With a sudden snap Toshiro spun his staff from its guard position to his front and slipped both his hands to the center. Then a single exertion of the shoulders had the staff become a whirling blur that sped up with each flip of his hands. The traveler who had taught him this particular way of using a staff when the pair had waited out a storm in cave had called it 'single-stick play' or "jeu de simple-bâton" in his native tongue. Whatever its name truly meant, the chuunin didn't know but it had two major advantages - it forced his opponent to step back and try to find a way past that whirling shield and he could maintain it with one hand. That left his other hand free to dive into his back pouch then come back with a fist full of shuriken. What happened next the snowy-headed Hinamori would consider one of his craziest ideas ever. With a single motion he threw his staff, the one real defense he had against the burning strikes of his monkish opponent, into the air. Before Idate could overcome his shock at that action and launch an attack, the chuunin threw the forged-iron throwing stars then ran through the signs to for his strongest technique yet - Shuriken Kage Bushin. When four throwing stars suddenly became four hundred the monk had to abandon any thought of attack to instead make his own staff a blur to bat aside the sudden hail of pointy death. A feat that, with the exception of a few small nicks, was very successful. Instead of being distraught by the lack of serious damage caused by his attack, Toshiro had exploited his opponent's time on the defensive which was the attacks true purpose. In a feat of timing that was as much luck as skill, he had just finished the final seal for one of the more unique jutsu in his arsenal when the very staff it was supposed to affect dropped back to where he could grab it.

Bringing the staff back to guard, Toshiro grinned as the monk eyed the weapon that was in Toshiro's hand with a degree of respect and hesitation. It was still the same polished hardwood with rawhide wrappings in the middle (plus a large number of burn marks at both ends) but it had a new addition. Flowing around each end was layer of water that stayed with the weapon as it moved. He might not be able to match the others raw speed that caused the strikes to scorch, but Toshiro could do other things with that water that evened things up a bit. Sporting his own grin the chuunin launched a barrage of his own attacks as he finally went back onto the offensive.

Toshiro: 133 CP - 33 = 100 CP

Spoiler:

Age : 49 Posts : 1036

Ducking under a hasty counter from Idate as he closed, Toshiro jabbed his own staff at the monk’s belly, using the Suimeishi to extend the staff by a few inches that turned what would have been a near-miss into a solid hit. He had no doubt that once the monk overcame his surprise he would begin to regain the initiative but for now he intended to get as many hits in as he could. Stepping forward as Idate staggered back to take the majority of the force from the blow, the chuunin tried to sweep the monk’s feet from under him using one end of his staff. Idate avoided the sweep by jumping up and in a display of his unarmed expertise also deflected the jab sent at his exposed ribs with foot. When his feet again touched the water the monk counter-attacked using a flurry of strikes aimed at Toshiro’s upper body that the chuunin in turn parried except for the last strike - making sure to direct the water on his staff over the parts of that made direct contact with Idate’s weapon to avoid yet more damage. Briefly cutting the charka flow to his feet that was keeping him standing on the surface; the white-haired ninja sank just low enough to avoid the last of his opponents strikes - a particularly nasty jab to the face - before lashing out with side kick to the belly. Bringing up his staff in time to block, the monk was still forced back by the power in the kick long enough for Toshiro to regain his footing on the water’s surface.

Watching his opponent for the start of his next move the Konoha shinobi sported a wide grin between hoarse breathes. While most would probably question his sanity given how beaten up he looked, Toshiro was having some real fun. In just a few attacks Idate had already begun to adapt to counter the advantages the ninja’s jutsu gave him and was trying to retake control of the fight. Keeping up with the agile monk was forcing the ninja to improve his sill at manipulating his jutsu on the fly. Then he had no more time to think about how glad he was that he accepted this mission as Idate launched a furious series of swipes, jabs, and sweeps that forced Toshiro back onto the defensive. Ducking, deflecting, and evading the strikes before launching a counter-attack of his own, the chuunin ruefully had to admit that he was going to run out of options soon. That Idate was quick to adapt was apparent in that last barrage of attacks - every one of the attack could have easily been moved lower to turn any attempt to sink out of reach and his evasions were always kept at least a foot between his body and Toshiro’s staff. At the end of his ruminations that the white-haired shinobi noted that his opponent was again grinning. Then Idate did something that was as shocking to his opponent as it had been to him - he threw his staff into the air and began to run through a series of hand seals.

Watching the air around the monk beginning to shimmer with a heat-haze, Toshiro knew that this fight was going to be decided in the next move. Whatever Idate was going to do had to be very powerful if he had to take that much time and required actual hand signs. There was only one way he could counter what was coming and that was to break out one of his strongest elemental attacks. To that end Toshiro’s own staff went high into the air as he began the seals for the Suiryuudan, in the process ending his Suimeishi. Each landing on the final seal for their techniques the fighters called out the names of their ending moves at nearly the same time. At Toshiro’s shout of “Suiton: Suiryuudan” the water in the pond almost drained away (luckily the pond had no fish or other creatures in it) as the massive column of water rose skyward until it stood twice as high as the surrounding roofs before diving down on the monk. Idate’s own cry of “Ten no Hi: Handan” (Fire of Heaven: Judgment) was just as fierce but its effects only became apparent a split second before Toshiro’s water dragon would strike. Just then the monk wrenched his hands apart as if he tearing open a gate and the shimmer around him coalesced into a wave that if seen from above was shaped like a single-edge blade. That blade, made of super-heated air, sliced the water dragon into two halves that fell apart as the almost invisible blade moved through it. The wave kept on going until it burst through the water right in front of Toshiro, who had just enough time to go whisper “ow” before the attack hit him full-on. While the passage through the water dragon (and Idate’s understanding that this was just a spar) had blunted it, the attack still had plenty of energy left - more than enough to envelope the chuunin in a scalding mist before blasting him out of the pond and into one of the decorative bushes. Then the chuunin’s world went black as consciousness left him with a single thought of ‘it hurt but seeing that was worth it’.

Toshiro: 100 CP - 4 = 84 CP

Spoiler:

Age : 49 Posts : 1036

It wouldn’t be until several hours later that Toshiro returned to the land of the living, and when he did his action was to ask ”did someone get the species of that giant summon?” Not the most intelligent of questions but then again his head was still ringing like final bell of the Academy before summer break so his lack of eloquence could be forgiven. Then he opened his eyes to see a somewhat unfamiliar face that his mind finally placed as belonging to the guard Akira he had met that afternoon. When he tried to stand though his stomach vehemently objected to such ill-considered activity by trying to empty its non-existent contents. An action that brought the older monk to his side, where Akira both kept him from falling over while reminding the chuunin of something he should have known. “Welcome back among us Toshiro-san but I advise against sitting up so fast next time. While you weren‘t seriously injured getting knocked around as hard as you did is bound to leave your insides a little queasy when first waking up.” When the dry heaves had stopped the monk sat him back down before handing him a cup of something. Downing the contents in one shot, Toshiro almost wished he could die when he registered the taste. By all that was sacred it tasted worse than Tonbi’s last attempt at cooking! It did however rapidly clear the remaining cobwebs from his mind and calmed his stomach (though how much of that was due to its fear of being tortured again was up for debate).

That night Toshiro was invited to join the monks for their late meal and to spend the night at the temple, an invitation he readily accepted. In doing so he got to see Idate being the center of the evening as his fellow monks alternately congratulated him on reviving techniques long-thought extinct and ribbing him for breaking his sparring partner so badly that they would have to wait for another time before getting their own spars. Seeing the monk who had soundly defeated him looking so unsure if he should be happy or sheepish, the chuunin felt a degree of sympathy for the fellow. Enough that he said he would delay leaving tomorrow so that the other monks could also spar against him, but not enough to do so until after the rest of the monks had teased Idate. Of course Toshiro had to take his fair share of teasing as well, with Grandmaster Sato commenting that the next time the temple needed a pool drained he knew just the person to request. All in all the evening was one of the most enjoyable he had in a while. Once it was over he was shown to one of the small rooms reserved for visitor’s use to spend the night. Then with dawn he would join the monks for the promised spars - defeating some and being defeated by others but none as intense as the one he had with Idate. Then he joined the monks for their morning meal, wished them all well, and set off back to Konoha with a pack as rumpled as before. All together the only real loss had been four shuriken and one staff split in half. Compared to the gain of the copies of the “Ten no Hi” scrolls in his pack that would be added to Konoha’s library it was a more than acceptable outcome. The monks were happy to have gotten their spars, Idate had tested the skills he had so painstakingly learned from those old scrolls and proven them, Konoha gained some valuable knowledge, and Toshiro had gotten pounded on but came out a bit wiser and more skilled for it. It was this sort of mission that made being a chuunin worth the extra responsibilities.

[Mission End]
Toshiro: 84 CP