It was a habit Kiku was developing, being early. He'd arranged to meet up with Saio again today. Their last training had sort of fizzled out, and he was worried he'd upset the other genin. Good thing Saio seemed pretty friendly, he was taking everything in stride. They had agreed to meet back up on Kiku's usual training ground, at two this afternoon. It was currently 1:45, and Kiku was already there. He didn't want to keep Saio waiting, in case the Uchiha showed up early.

The nerd sat atop his favorite rock, reading yet another book about the Time of Legends. This was part of the reason he showed up early. If he read before leaving, then he might lose track of the time and be late. If he read after arriving, then his comrades could snap him out of it whenever they showed up. Sora's weather control systems were keeping things pleasantly warm today, with a nice cool breeze. He didn't even need the shade to be comfortable. Kiku wondered if it was his fire nature acting up, making him more comfortable at higher temperatures. He determined to research it later, when he had some free time to snoop around a library. For now, it was jutsu learnin' time.

Scrambling to put his hoodie on while running, Saio would be rushing himself out onto the training grounds, his prearranged meeting with Kiku currently on the ropes of happening late as Saio would literally be sprinting at the last minute, 1:59. At his highest speed, finding his spot in the training grounds, Saio would catch himself, breathing heavily as he seemed to arrive just on time, looking at the time as he was just 4 seconds early. "R-R-Reporting...for duty!" Saio would say, still gasping for a breath. "Just breathe softly..." The Uchiha thought to himself, adjusting his stature as he was now fully prepared for this meeting. "F-Forgive me." Saio began, "Time struck me rather...unexpectedly."

Finally managing to breathe at a normal pace, Saio would look at Kiku, only to see him reading. Peeking over the book, he would smile. "Ready?" Saio would ask cheerfully.

Kiku jumped a bit when Saio spoke up. How long had he been sitting there? He closed his book and stuck it in a pocket, discreetly checking his watch as he slid down. It was two on the dot. He turned to the Uchiha, giving him a smile. "Nothing to be sorry for, you're right on time! I always kinda show up early so I don't forget to go places." Saio seemed out of breath, he must have run quite a ways to get there on time. He became lost in his book again while he gave Saio a moment to recuperate.

He gave another little start when Saio peeked over the book. "Oh, um, sorry! Ready now!" Saio seemed to have recovered completely while Kiku was wrapped up in the exploits of his most famous ancestor. He pocketed the book again, grinning at his training partner. "So what were you gonna teach me?" This was exciting, it was probably some secret technique or something. Uchiha always had cool stuff.

"What am I gonna teach?" Saio thought to himself. If he could remember, it was actually the inability to think that caused him to evacuate the area, and so suddenly as well. Though guilt would normally fill the Uchiha's core right about it now, strangely, it didn't. Instead, a grin would appear on Saio's face as he thought of something. "How stupid of me to think of this last time..." Saio thought once more, "...To think that only Katon techniques were appropriate to this poor kid. Albeit, I have a different plan today, and it's going to be interesting." With this being said, Saio would kneel down, his head level now matching that of Kiku's. "Today we're going to learn a D-Ranked technique. However, despite its rank, this technique can be deadly: Temporary Paralysis Jutsu." With this being said, a smirk would cross Saio's face, hopefully to surprise or even startle the boy before him. Without question, the Uchiha would prepare the technique.

The winds grew strongly as the Uchiha would stand quietly, a short breath being taken as he would finally start. Rotating ninety degrees, Saio would inform the student of his lesson. "Watch." Saio smiled. It would be at a tree nearby in which Saio would use the technique, carefully channeling chakra through his veins and into the palms of his hands, performing the handsigns of a hare and a ram before successfully using the technique. The winds blew strong, but not strong enough to continue blowing on the leaves of this tree as it remained unaffected. The tree stood there with perfect stature, all leaves perfectly positioned upright or downwards, no bends- nothing. It was as if a frozen veil were covering the tree. Sighing, Saio was surprised to witness such remarkable results. He hadn't ever gone this far with a technique, and was rather startled to see what he had done. "Cool, huh?" Saio would ask, grinning.

He was intrigued by the idea of it. While Kiku had more than his fair share of destructive powers, this was something different. He liked the sound of this, a power that would let him get the job done in a less brutal way. “Sounds awesome.” he said with a smile on his face. Finally, he was going to get some utility jutsu besides that E-rank genjutsu he had.

The full effect of it surprised him. Kiku had expected something that froze the nervous system, but this was something more. It was almost like a brief stasis effect. Only a few seconds, but it could be enough time to bind an enemy or make a quick getaway. This was a lifesaver for someone like him. He was weak in close quarters, he could just freeze someone and get the distance he needed. He walked around the tree, watching with a huge smile on his face. “Wow...” He turned to Saio. “That's amazing! How do you do it?” He was thinking of the possibilities. If he had known this jutsu a month ago, he wouldn't have gotten that beating he did trying to catch that bail jumper. This was a pretty rare jutsu, one he hadn't even heard of before, so it was a neat trump card to have. Something that few if any opponents would expect, and it would give him the edge he needed. “Say, does it just hold them still or does it give any immunity to stuff around them?”

[Words so far: 252]

Saio would smile as it seemed the boy was impressed. "Thank you." The Uchiha would say in response, "I'll get you started." Albeit, the boy already seemed interest, and so Saio would go on. "First, form the hand sign of a hare, like this." Saio would instruct, nothing but seriousness held on his face, "After that, switch to the hand sign of a ram, like this." Saio would further demonstrate, "Now carefully let your chakra follow your actions. You will notice a cooling effect, so do not be startled. It just indicates the beginning of this technique." With this, Saio would keep things brief, awaiting a response from the boy as the Uchiha would be eager to see his impression.

Kiku nodded, forming the hand signs. It was weird, having someone show him the hand signs as if he didn't know what hand seals even were, but he didn't comment on it. Saio was teaching him something here, Kiku wasn't about to undercut him like that. He channeled his chakra through the seals, and he could feel the cooling sensation Saio had described. “I feel it, yeah. So I just touch something and direct it into that?” He looked to the Uchiha for confirmation. It seemed simple enough, but he didn't want to jump the gun. If there was a trick to it, he'd rather not waste the chakra on goofing it up. It was better to learn from the master.

[Words this post 121, total so far 374/250]

"Direct your attention and touch the object for now..." Saio would say in response to Kiku's question, "...But be sure to train the technique to the point where touching the object isn't necessary. Remember that you cannot freely touch the opposition in battle." With this, Saio would wink at Kiku, giving him a warning, yet an obvious lesson about the shinobi world. The shinobi world, despite all of its benefits, is generally a kill or be-killed world...eventually. It's not all fun and games. As a shinobi, you always have to be prepared for the worst, meaning you must know when it's time to defend yourself, and when it's time to attack. Additionally, you need tactics to support your actions at all times. This is but a simple lesson in the Book of Shinobi. "Keep practicing!" Saio would encourage the boy, smiling, "You'll get used to the technique very soon! Trust me."

“Yeah, I guess.” Kiku hadn't even thought of that possibility. There was precedent, after all. He'd managed to do a ranged Rasengan, despite it typically being considered a close-range technique. It might take more work with a more abstract jutsu like this one, but it was possible. He just needed time, practice, and study. He was good with all of those things.

Kiku pressed his hand to the tree, pushing the chakra into it. The effect spread out from the point of contact, and within a split second the entire tree was frozen. Not as fast as it had been with Saio, but it was a start. He just needed practice. Kiku grinned at his comrade. “This is really cool!” He formed the signs again, touching another tree. It was quicker to take effect this time. “This'll be great in a close fight, I kinda suck at taijutsu. But you already knew that.”

[Words this post 154, total 528/250. Training complete]

Saio smiled as Kiku seemed to really enjoy his technique. "Glad to know you like my jutsu!" The Uchiha would smile, "Now, when you feel fully prepared, try using the jutsu without touching the object. Just point at it, and greatly focus your chakra on what you're trying to paralyze with your technique. I'm sure it'll work!" Anko felt offended as the boy would speak of himself lacking the ability to perform taijutsu. "I am offended by your answer." Anko would say in a serious tone, "Keep looking down at yourself, and you'll never be a true shinobi, no, a true human being. You don't suck at taijutsu. There's always time for improvement." With this, Saio would try to give a relieving smile, although his thoughts remained the same. He had expected better thoughts from the boy than he had just displayed. Saio would now wonder if his last departure was worthwhile.

Kiku froze up a bit. "S-sorry!" He hadn't meant to offend the boy. Classic Kiku there, always screwing things up. He tried to think of a way to mend the situation. "What I mean is I'm not strong and I can't take much of a hit, so I don't do well up close. I try to work around it." He shifted nervously, staring at the ground. He was pretty insecure at the best of times, and being berated like this only made things worse. Maybe he really never would be a true shinobi, or person or whatever. It wasn't a comforting thought.

He tried to put it out of his mind, focusing on the jutsu instead. He made the hand signs and held out his hands towards a bush, sending out the chakra. It hit the bush, spreading out and freezing it in place. "So um, does this just hold it still, or is it more of a stasis thing?" He was trying to shift the conversation away from his own inadequacies. He got enough of that from himself without Saio pitching in.

Saio started becoming insecure as the boy had yet to compliment himself, nor attempt to relieve himself, even after the Uchiha admitted he was offended. "You honestly think of yourself that way?" Saio would ask, frustrated, "You don't think you're strong?" The Uchiha became silent, now believing his last departure was worthwhile, yet asking himself why his instincts still left him here. A smirk crossing his face, Saio would try to manipulate his anger. "Why don't we test the jutsu in a spar? Not only that, but bring our last spar to the next level: any and all jutsu allowed." Even if the boy were to decline, Saio's intention would forcefully continue onward anyway, and so Kiku wouldn't have much of a choice. Saio needed to show the boy that he should think brighter than he currently was, and this seemed like the best solution.

Kiku shook his head. "Never had been. Always been outmatched at close quarters, I'm just kinda scrawny. Can't do any good in taijutsu." He paused for a moment, thinking. "Maybe it's because of well, this." he said, gesturing to himself. "I'm kinda small. I'm fifteen, and I get mistaken for an academy student like all the time." Kiku let out a sigh. It was one of the unfortunate realities of his life, he looked like a kid. A dorky kid, at that.

His eyes widened at the suggestion of an all-out spar. "Um, isn't that really dangerous? We're both fire types, things could get out of hand..." He tried to raise objections, but Saio would clearly have none of it. Kiku jumped back, getting a little room. If things were going to get serious, he would be ready. But first, he would try to end this quietly. He formed the hand signs, shooting the paralyzing chakra in Saio's direction.

As Saio would notice the hand signs come in, no trace of any elemental power, Saio would counter with the jutsu he just taught. Using the Temporary Paralysis technique, he could see two colliding chakra forces touching, all surroundings temporarily frozen. Saio found this to be the perfect coincedence, seeing as nothing could move for a bit, and the two were now somewhat distant. "Are you gonna allow the perspectives of others get to you?" Saio would ask softly, attempting to calm himself, "What does your personal figure have to do with your inner capabilities? I'm younger than you, yet I always wander the world with pride. Why can't you do the same? Despite what others say, why can't you just think of yourself positively?" Saio really wanted to try and push a few buttons in Kiku's head- to try and show him what a real Genin should look like. He would smile towards the boy, still keeping himself distant. "As fellow villagers, we should not converse with each like this. As a friend, I should help you stay strong about yourself, even by force. Should this be a moment in time where I have to do so, or can the moment cease to exist? It's your choice." Saio's smile would fade as he would ask this. Within this temporarily frozen field, it would now be up to Kiku as to whether or not things should change. Otherwise, for the final time, Saio's last resort would be to head elsewhere, hopefully to witness a more mature shinobi.

"I'm a shinobi, I have to think realistically. If I convince myself that I'm great at taijutsu when I'm really not, then I could jeopardize the mission. Being honest about my abilities is more important than stroking my ego." Saio still didn't seem to get it. He wasn't understanding that Kiku just plain wasn't good at taijutsu, that he lacked the physical strength or resilience to fight up close. Instead, he was just throwing self-help platitudes. Kiku was beginning to have his doubts about this genin.

When the field unfroze, Kiku took a different stance. He stood straight up, eyes closed, with one hand in a half ram and the other with his palm pushed towards the ground. He could feel the Hermit Chakra flow through him, although he wasn't manifesting it yet. "I use my ninjutsu, that's where I do best. Keep my distance, support my team. If I rush in up close I'll just get in the way. I'm not going to put my comrades in danger for the sake of thinking positively." He hoped Saio understood him this time. So far, the other boy seemed too caught up in himself to really listen to what Kiku had told him.

"It's not about thinking of yourself arrogantly..." Saio would reply softly, "Everything you said would've been right had you not used your physical figure as an excuse." The Uchiha didn't have much to say to the boy at the moment. It wasn't because he couldn't beat the boy in an argument, but rather because he wanted to leave even the slightest trace of peace between them, and so he refused to talk to a great extent for the meanwhile. Just in case, Saio would prepare the hand signs necessary for the Phoenix Fire jutsu. "It's true that you must think realistically, but does it hurt to occasionally think outside the box? Before many eyes, you may be scrawny. However, is physical form the only thing that determines a shinobi? For all I know, you could be the scrawniest kid around, and yet destroy buildings with a single punch- all because you have a mind of steel. Have you ever thought about things that way?" With this, Saio would await a response, trying to tamper with the boy's mind more and more as he wished to see him spill more feelings.

Kiku frowned. "It wasn't an excuse. I'm bad at taijutsu, I'm not strong, I know that. I'm acknowledging my weaknesses so I can work around them." He was getting the sinking feeling that Saio wasn't going to get it. The Uchiha was too wrapped up in himself to even listen to what Kiku said to him. To be honest, it was starting to get on Kiku's nerves. Saio was an Uchiha, they were supposed to be smart. Why wasn't he getting simple concepts?

"You see that punching thing, that's taijutsu. The thing I'm not good at. The whole physical strength thing, it isn't my best point." Again, more platitudes. Saio was starting to give off the impression of being a bad motivational speaker, the kind who didn't know how to talk to people without buzzwords and bad examples. It was pretty frustrating to talk to. But for now, there were more important things to worry about. He could sense through the Hermit chakra that Saio was preparing to do something, Kiku had to be ready to respond. "I play to my strengths so my weaknesses don't get people killed."

"How exactly do you plan to work around your weaknesses?" Saio would ask, disappointed, and slightly confused as to why this boy didn't seem to even feel the slightest bit affected by his words. Saio's patience was growing low, noting that the boy was only nailing him with his own material, repeating similar thoughts over. "This boy is an Uzumaki, yet he is only digging himself his own grave." Saio thought. It was nerve-wracking, seeing an older Genin trying to counter him in any way possible instead of just settling things. Maybe the Uchiha should just launch the fire and see what the boy does when on the ropes: the ultimate test.

"I know what Taijutsu is..." Saio would say angrily, clinching his teeth together, "If I remember correctly, you took three direct hits from me the last time we met- all in vital points. You seemed strong back then. Saio would be laughing on the inside as, no matter how crazy he must've sounded from the outside, his intention was to tamper with the boy. The Uchiha family are indeed a smart clan. This boy had yet to realize that Saio's anger was an encouragement to fight. It was almost like a test; watching your friend go mad while he seemingly puts you on the ropes- at least this would be Saio's currently perspective of the situation, and it seemed perfect. What makes Saio smart, you ask? His manipulation with feelings and thoughts, he endless extents he can go to with any situation. Seeing as the boy seemed to ready himself in response to the crazy Saio's final action, Saio would unleash the Phoenix Fire, the flames set to surround the boy, and hopefully send him airborne. "I've gotten stronger...Kiku..." Saio would say as his chakra ran low. These were new limits for him, and Saio loved every minute of it.

"I have pretty varied ninjutsu. Not just fire, but non-elemental too. And I'm working on genjutsu. Still kinda iffy, but making progress." He hoped Saio understood this time. The Uchiha seemed to be having a really hard time grasping what Kiku was saying. Maybe the questions were a good sign, he was moving from wrongheaded lectures to actually having a conversation. If that was what was going on, it was a step in the right direction.

"I got my ass kicked last time, that's what happened. Got some nasty bruises to show for it. Kinda hid it at the time, didn't wanna make you feel bad. Sorry." Saio seemed angry, and Kiku was starting to think it had been a mistake to put on a tough face before. It had given the impression that he was tougher than he was. That simple sparring session had pushed him to his limits, while he hadn't laid a finger on Saio. He tried to defuse the situation, hoping his apology would calm Saio down. It didn't seem to work, as Saio fired off his Phoenix Fire jutsu.

As soon as the fire left Saio's mouth, everything changed. An ethereal gold statue took form behind Kiku, its thousand arms fanned out behind it. Hand pushed outward, each as large as Kiku's torso. Every fireball was blocked by a different hand, dissipating them harmlessly. The hands drew back to their previous position, and Kiku opened his eyes. "My fists are weak, so I come up with other ways."

Jutsu used:

Saio saw that his jutsu had been blocked like nothing. "He stopped my technique...with hands?" The Uchiha thought, a grin crossing his face. "I'm assuming that technique took a lot of your chakra to use, seeing as it turned one of my best techniques into nothing." Saio would smile, thinking impressively of the boy before him. By revealing this smile, Saio showed that both his outer and inner appearance now rested calmly, and how this spar would no longer become dangerous, but rather fun. Saio would begin charging at the boy, using his swift speed to unleash a bombardment of attacks on the boy. It would be a parallel feint technique: Saio using his left arm as a feint to 'aim' for the boy's face, while his right arm would be ready to follow up with an uppercut. Additionally, his right leg would be ready to 'trip' the boy, also acting as a feint while his left leg would be ready to stomp the boy in the chest. If all went well, the stomping would hopefully bring the boy's face forward, allowing for more physical damage to be inflicted by the uppercut. Also, if the boy were to try and move sideways, he would instead take one of the Uchiha's feints, and so he would be hit either way. With his swift speed, Saio would take advantage of this spar as, according to his knowledge, a technique such as the one Kiku pulled earlier should be a high-ranked technique, for it turned a C-Ranked technique into nothing, and it wasn't even made of water. With his perspective, Saio highly doubted that this boy could Body Flicker out of his way, and possibly not even be able to pull a Body Replacement technique either. Albeit, these were only predictions. Saio couldn't guarantee that his bombardment would work quite yet. However, he would still have enough energy to pull another off, and so his objective would be to run this boy out of chakra for the meanwhile while he would spare his own.

"Um, small problem." Kiku said as Saio charged. The Uchiha got close, and huge golden hands came out to shove him back, taking physical form just long enough to push him away. "This is a sustained technique." Kiku held him off, not budging. He didn't yet have the control to be able to move while this jutsu was in effect. He had to stand still, trusting in the Kannon to hold off all comers. Each attack was met by a hand, pushing back against Saio's offensive. Kiku started to breathe heavily, trying to hold his concentration. This jutsu was taking a lot out of him, he couldn't hold it off for too much longer. He would have to go on the offensive. More hands went for Saio, attacking with spear-hand attacks. Kiku was holding them back enough to prevent any real damage, but strong enough to be a good hit. It was taking more chakra, and he wouldn't be able to last too long like this, but Saio would probably have won a fight of attrition anyway. He needed to win this decisively before he wore himself out.

A smirk would cross Saio's face as it seemed the giant figure would hold him off. However, seeing as he was shoved back, now airborne, the smirk would be worthwhile as the Temporary Paralysis jutsu would come in handy. Saio would use it offensively to target this giant figure. Based on his analysis, seeing as he was only a couple feet away from the giant figure, and seeing as the giant figure had to move one of its hands to stop his assault, this Temporary Paralysis would seem inevitable to succeed, for it would be quite difficult for the hand to move back to its rightful position before being temporarily paralyzed. Even if it were to continue on with an attack, this Temporary Paralysis would ensure that the giant figure couldn't reach him and so Saio could proceed towards the boy with ease. "Even giants will bow before me." Saio would comment, watching as the freezing motion would begin. If all went well, seeing as this giant ability was sustained, it would surely have an impact on the boy, and so Saio would feel even more comfortable with finishing the boy off. Saio's position-tracking surely would come in handy at the moment, seeing as an attack would only having the paralysis feed itself into the giant figure before it could touch him. "It's over." Saio thought.

"Huh?" Kiku felt the chakra going over his head, aimed at the ethereal figure behind him. It passed through harmlessly, dissipating. The Kannon lashed out again, striking at Saio. "Um, I don't think they will." A hundred hands shot out, all pulling their punches. Their attacks all came within a foot of Saio before being pulled back into the fan of hands. Kiku broke his stance, and the ethereal statue vanished. He was breathing heavily, exhausted by now. "How about we call it quits for now?" He sat down, trying to catch his breath. Saio was good, but he had vastly overestimated the power of his paralysis jutsu. Either that, or he had mistaken the ethereal Kannon for a corporeal summon. One way or the other, he had made a serious error. Kiku kept his comments to himself, not wanting to hurt Saio's feelings. "I think we could both use a rest."

Saio watched as his technique was hardly effective, the giant figure surpassing his temporary jutsu, and aiming for him once more. Saio would have to go to his last resort, and Body Flicker out of the way before the hand would come, only to notice that the hand had stopped anyways. He watched as the figure vanished, and the boy began to breathe heavily. "Did I...defeat it?" Saio thought. The Uchiha thought about the power of this giant, and how it might've been connected to the boy. Maybe this is why it remained immune to his techniques, for it was a combination of its own power along with the user. "Amazing..." Saio thought once more, believing he could've been in jeopardy of losing his life if this giant still remained active. Unlike the boy, his heavy breathing giving Saio a hint that he had run low on chakra, Saio still had quite a bit of chakra left, and so all he could do really was watch Kiku until he would recover.

"That giant...it represents you well." Saio would compliment his fellow Genin. As you can see, Saio was once again firmly placed on the ground, seeing as everything had settled. "If you call it quits, I'll call it quits as well." Saio smiled, "In fact, if you're wondering why I was ACTING angry against you, it was to trigger you into doing something like that, to show that, no matter what you think, you're much stronger than you may realize. I mean, look at the giant that you summoned before. Imagine incorporating such a thing into your body. You'd drive people nuts, being a scrawny boy that can become a titan." Saio felt much more comfortable now, spilling his feelings out, hopefully making the boy feel more relieved. He did indeed require rest. What he just saw was insane; a giant that could render his techniques useless? What kind of jutsu is that? It seemed overpowered to the Uchiha. Just how much training has this boy done beforehand? "Mavis...look at this boy." Saio continued to smile. "Elaborate on rest." Saio suggested, Do you mean go to sleep or talk about random things? Either or is fine with me. In fact, to ensure your safety, I can keep watch while you go to sleep, then you can do the same for me." Saio would await a response, hoping the boy could understand everything he'd just said.

"Thanks. It's the Kannon, a bodhisattva. That's how the technique manifests." Kiku sat, starting to recover. He hadn't really pushed that technique that far very often. He wondered what it would be like if he ever used all thousand hands at once.

Kiku shook his head at the idea of incorporating it into his body. "It's a spiritual force, a kind of meditation. I can't do taijutsu at the same time, even if I were a master. You need a meditative pose to maintain it. If I practice more I'll be able to move around while using it, but that's as far as it goes. I can't make the Kannon a part of my body." He stretched, starting to relax a bit. It was a relief that Saio hadn't really been angry at him, although he was still hurt that the Uchiha had been so harsh with him. It didn't seem a very friendly thing to do. "It's a rare kind of ninjutsu, developed by an order of monks. I learned it from one of them after he taught me to meditate." He didn't mention why he'd sought out the meditation, Kiku had already dropped enough of his personal problems on Saio's lap.

"Talking's fine, I just need a few minutes. I've never used a hundred hands at once before, it's a lot of strain on the mind and chakra." Kiku sighed. "I gotta step up my practices. If a hundred takes that much out of me then no way I could use all thousand right now." Kiku gestured for Saio to sit down near by. "So, anything you wanna talk about?" Kiku wasn't great at social situations, he figured it was better for Saio to take the lead.