Chickety Chakra, the Chakra System [Class for Setsu & Hasumi]

[Tanuki Rinko]

Within the large academy building was a small room. A large, rectangular table was situated in the center with four chairs facing towards a blackboard on the wall. This room was reserved for small lessons, usually given to children that needed extra care. Today was no exception, as two students were scheduled to learn the basics on chakra and how to control it. One of the children was Suzuki Setsu, a young lad who was once a simple country bumpkin until the Chakra Potential Screening Service, CPSS for short, had whisked the boy to Kumogakure for training. The other youngster was Haku Hasumi, a girl born to a clan within the village. While their backgrounds were different, both had been recommended to the class. Setsu, by his teacher, Hasumi, by her parents.

Currently, however, the classroom was devoid of life. Despite the information given to the two children confirming that now was the time for class, there was no teacher to be found. On the outside of the door was a note instructing the children to enter the room. Once inside, there was a message on the blackboard, most likely from the listed teacher, Mochizuki Kimiki.

I don't like teaching so I'm forcing someone else to take my place. He'll be late because I didn't feel like telling him earlier. His name's Tanuki Kechi. If someone else shows up, scream 'stranger danger', kick them in the knee, and make a break for it. I don't need another lawsuit on my hands. Now you two kids play nice because I don't want to get in trouble. Respect your elders. Blah blah blah.

Below the message was a crude drawing of a stick figure with spiky orange hair. There wasn't much the kids could do but converse, or sit in silence while they waited for their new teacher to arrive.

 

[Haku Hasumi]

Hasumi was on her way to the academy, her parents had recommended her for an extra class, to learn about chakra control. Even though she was irritated with her parents deciding for her without asking, she knew that she needed the extra help, if she wanted to become a shinobi. So she went without any commotion.
On the door was a note, instructing the students to enter the classroom, so she went in and found a spot to sit. She was the only one here so far.
Her eyes glimpsed the blackboard, with the message, and a funny little stick figure. She could only assume that it was the supposed teacher who wrote it and that the stick figure was a rude drawing of whom he had forced to take his place.

 

[Suzuki Setsu]

Setsu’s first major class had been in a lecture hall. Large, spacious, and designed to hold more than a few students and withstand the punishment a group of children with barely trained superpowers could dish out. However, the class he had been recommended for today was in a wing of the Academy more suited to personalized instruction. Only one other student would be attending the course with him according to the summons, a young scion of the noble Haku clan. So Setsu had been instructed to show the proper respect and deference when interacting with them, or face some severe repercussions.

The young boy was a bit nervous after hearing that, and wondered what kind of person he would be learning with. Maybe they could give him some pointers on being a shinobi. Setsu figured that coming from a clan would give people a headstart on all sorts of things. While Setsu was perfectly happy with his family, albeit upset that he hadn’t been able to see them for several months now, the boy wondered if he had been born into a shinobi clan, would he still be as unsure of himself as he was now. Almost every other ninja he had met so far had confidence to spare, just where that surety of self came from Setsu didn’t know.

Pushing his self-reflections to the back of his mind for the moment, Setsu slid the door to the classroom open. He quickly spotted the only other occupant. A small girl, shorter than Setsu and with silky black hair as long as she was tall. She had piercing blue eyes that peered from behind the veil of bangs which covered her face. Setsu realized he'd been staring, and his face flushed as he walked to an open seat. This was his first time meeting anyone from an established shinobi clan, he couldn't afford to be rude.

The awkward silence continued for a few minutes as Setsu looked around for the teacher. He had been so distracted by the other occupant he hadn't noticed the notice on the chalkboard until now. Oh great, first I openly gawk at someone I don't know, and now the teacher's late. What do I say? I need to say something, but I can't just say anything. I mean talking about weather would be silly, we're inside. What would Rinko-chan say? Oh! She’d reference something popular, yet relevant! So she’s a Haku right, they’re masters of ice, and really pretty. And that musical about liquids that were turned into solids, it’s popular! He turned to the girl and with the the most serious, respectful smile he could muster asked, “Would you like to build a snowman?” A slight pause and then realizing that limiting their activities so might put her on the spot, followed up with, “well it doesn’t have to be a snowman.”

 

[Haku Hasumi]

The other student who was gonna participate in the class, entered the room. It was a young boy, a little older than her. She noticed his stare, only for a few seconds, because then her eyes searched for the ground, and her cheeks blushed, she was a shy girl. She could hear him closer, and she looked up again, realizing it could seem rude. As if she didn't want to look at him, because she was from some established clan. "do you wanna build a snowman" the boy asked, as she looked at him. She didn't really know what to answer, and instead she just giggled really awkward. She looked down again, and blushed even more than before. Why did she have to be like this.

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

Before Setsu could embarrass himself further, the door slammed open. In stepped a man in his mid-thirties with spiky orange hair and a goofy grin. Under his arm was a large batch of blankets. "Goooooooood morning students! Wait, is it morning?" The man walked over to the window and shoved the blanket bundle against it. "Is it morning Rinko-chan?" A loud hiss came from the comforter and Kechi laughed as he tossed it into the corner. "Hohoho! I take that as a yes!" The overly jolly man took a spot in front of the chalkboard and faced the children. "I'm Tanuki Kechi, and I'll be your instructor for this lesson. You can call me Teach. It's got a better ring than sensei." He pointed to the soft blob in the corner. "That is my daughter, Tanuki Rinko. Please treat her kindly, she's going through a phase." Kechi pulled out a sheet of paper from his pocket as he continued. "Now let's see who you adorable children are! Haku Hasumi?" He looked to the young girl and gave her a broad smile. "And Suzuki Se...tsu..." The man trailed off before sneering at the lad. This was the brat that had been making passes at his daughter. At the mention of Setsu's name, small racoon-like ears popped out of the blankets. Kechi glared at the child for a solid minute before his grin finally returned. The man's attention returned to the little lady. "It is a pleasure to meet you Hasumi-churoo. That's a Tanuki special honorific just for you!" He winked, then turned to face the board. "Let's get this lesson started, shall we?"

The teacher erased the board and began to draw a yin yang. His jovial tone became a bit more serious as he began his lecture. "Chakra is the energy that flows in everyone, at least to a degree. We shinobi use chakra to power ourselves and our jutsu. Within all of us is a Chakra Pathway System that runs separate from our cardiovascular system. Uh, you know, blood moving stuff that keeps you alive. Anyway, it is important to remember that running out of all your chakra can kill you, so that's why we need to learn proper chakra control."

Once he was finished with his drawing, Kechi pointed to it. "Chakra is created from two different forms of energy. Physical energy is what is stored in your body's cells. Through physical training, stimulants, and exercise, you can increase the energy your body can store. Spiritual energy comes from your mind. Studying, meditation, and general experience can heighten the power your mind creates. Shinobi that build up power in both of these fields are the ones that amount to greatness. Unsurprisingly, many of our Raikage have mastered this technique. It is possible to focus on one energy over the other and still wield mighty power, but there are limits to how much power you can gain from such a regimen."

Kechi walked over to his daughter and began shaking her out of the blankets. "By merely taking this class, we're already building that sweet, sweet spiritual energy. But to keep balanced, let's get in some physical training." Once the man had successfully removed his daughter from her man-made cocoon, he returned to the front and began doing jumping jacks. "Join me in some jumping jacks and let's take a moment to learn more about each other. Give a little background and maybe future goals or something?" He grinned at his offspring. "Rinko-chan, why don't you be a good example and start?"

The now revealed pre-teen grumbled as she stood up. She straightened her green and orange garb and glanced at the students to her right. She already knew Setsu, and so her eyes honed in on Hasumi. Rinko's lip pouted at the sight of such a slender figure. Damn it! She's cute! She's got harem best girl written all over her boop-able nose! Hmm...that sounds marketable...is this where I make my comeback from worthless hermit to successful business woman? Well, first I've gotta make friends before this plan can work. Rinko's frown turned up slightly as she tried to soften her features. It had been about a month since she'd interacted with anyone other than her father, so she took a moment to calm her nerves. Finally she began jumping and lifting her arms, though she was obviously half-assing it.

"Um, I'm Tanuki Rinko, like Pops said. I like money and..." She trailed off as she tried to think what Hasumi would enjoy. She finally decided on something vague. "Cute things. I've got yokai blood in me, which is why I've got these." She wiggled her ears and gently flicked her puffy tail. "For future goals, I..." Her voice grew quiet as she tried to avoid revealing her answer to Kechi. "I want to be really good at business like my dad." Rinko's cheeks flushed a bit before she gave a louder response meant for her father to hear. "I want to be the very best, like no one ever was." She looked to the front of the class to see Kechi nodding in approval. She let out a small sigh of relief and addressed the other students. "But yeah, that's about it. Your turn."

[WC for Rinko: 284]

 

[Haku Hasumi]

Suddenly the door slammed open, in walked a man with spiky orange hair, just like the stick figure on the blackboard. With him, he had brought his daughter. Before starting the lesson, he read up there names, and somehow it seemed like the teacher was a little tense with the boy.
The teacher started to tell about chakra, something her parents had already told her about a million times before. She just couldn't get the hang of it.
The blankets were removed from the girl in the corner. It was first now you could really see what she looked like. She had ears and a tail. Hasumi hadn't really seen anything like her before, though she had heard about it. But she was cute.

The teacher asked the students to join in on some jumper jacks, while telling something about them selves. The girl with the raccoon features started, she had yokai blood in her, which explained the ears and tail.
The girl was done talking and handed the turn over. Still doing jumper jacks all three.
Hasumi was already shy, and scared to talk with strangers, she especially hated to talk about being a Haku. But she decided to get it over with. "My name is Haku Hasumi, and as the name states I'm from the Haku clan" Her eyes sought away from the others, and she stopped doing jumper jacks for about a half second, then she realized she was about to space out and continued. "Well the reason I'm here is because my parents are worried about me not being able to manipulate ice, or snow yet, well I'm not really good with jutsu at all yet" she tried to hold a tear back, Hasumi had always been bit of a crybaby when it came to her parents approval. "Well, I guess for now my goal is to awaken my Haku, so my parents for once can be proud of me" That was her final words and she looked at Setsu, and gave him a nod, as to pass the turn.

[WC=344]

 

[Suzuki Setsu]

I’m saved, thought Setsu as the orange-haired adult entered the room with a bang. While not necessarily introverted, Setsu was more used to being approached rather than approaching others with conversation. The teacher, for he had to be since he addressed both children as students, checked the time by exposing the bundle of blankets to the light coming through the window. The hiss surprised Setsu as he didn’t expect there to be anything living inside the bundle. As the man laughingly tossed the bundle into a corner he introduced it as his daughter, Tanuki Rinko. Rinko? Rinko-chan?! Setsu inwardly exclaimed. The difference in personality between the last time he had seen her and now was comically extreme. The Rinko he had met was clever, vocal, entertaining, and had soft lips. Ah what am I thinking? Setsu pinched himself to clear his head. But this guarded, quiet, and anti-social being swaddled in a thick comforter was supposed to be Rinko. Did something happen? The boy wondered to himself briefly before recalling that something did in fact happen to her. Something he did, although he was under the influence of some outside force at the time. Is she like this because I k-k-kissed her? And her dad is the teacher, does he know? The thought made Setsu nervous, but he resolved himself to face the matter head-on, he had said to Rinko that he’d take responsibility for it after all.

That resolve was immediately shaken when the Tanuki patriarch called his name. The death glare sent his way chilled Setsu to the bone, He knows! And he’s going to kill me!! He instinctively glanced away from the sneering teacher, which didn’t make him look any less guilty. To make matters worse, he glanced in Rinko’s direction just in time to see her ears pop out of the mass of bedding in response to his name. He recalled their fluffy feeling and almost forgot the situation he was in. Setsu quickly turned his head back to the front of the class. Tanuki-sensei’s demeanor towards Haku Hasumi was extremely kind, the complete opposite of the treatment Setsu was getting. I need to make a good impression on him. Setsu racked his brain for a way to do so as the class began.

Taking notes should be good, right? Setsu thought as he jotted down the main points of the lecture. Chakra is necessary for jutsu, running out can kill you. “It can kill you to run out?” he said quietly to himself before hurrying to copy the rest down. Chakra is a combination of physical and spiritual energies, physical is from moving your body, spiritual is from exercising your mind. Setsu had just barely finished copying the last of the notes when Tanuki-sensei crossed the room and dragged Rinko from her world of down and fleece comfort. It really is Rinko-chan, I wonder why she hasn’t replied to any of my messages. Does she hate me now? The boy’s eyes watered slightly at this prospect. Then Hasumi and Rinko began doing jumping jacks. Hurriedly, Setsu followed suit.

They were to give a little bit of background information and a bit of where they wanted to go in life while doing this physical activity. Rinko likes money and cute things, huh. Setsu filed that information away for later. It was good to know what your friends liked, so you knew what kind of presents to get them on special occasions. She also said her goal was to be like her dad. That’s rather normal, Setsu thought to himself. He expected something like world domination, because he thought if Rinko put her mind to it she could probably achieve something like that. Though in a bit louder voice, she also said she wanted to be the very best. Though what she wanted to be the best at was a bit unclear.

Hasumi was next. The dark-haired girl confirmed she was in fact from the Haku family, but as of yet had not manifested the clan’s natural affinity for the ice element. But that wasn’t all, it seemed she also had issues with using any sort of jutsu. The other trait of the Haku was their excellent chakra control. Not showing either was worrisome indeed, and fed into the girl’s desire to be recognized by her parents by unlocking these abilities.

Setsu empathized with both girls. He too sought his family’s recognition, though the recognition of a lumberjack and his wife paled in comparison to that of the noble Haku bloodline, or an accomplished shinobi and entrepreneur. But the desire to make his family proud was the same. “I’m Suzuki Setsu, it’s nice to meet you both Haku-sama and Tanuki-sensei. And it’s nice to see you again Rinko-chan, I was worried when you weren’t responding to my letters. Oh, uh, that’s a little off-topic,” he glanced nervously at the older Tanuki before continuing, “I’m not from Kumogakure, I came from a small village in northern Lightning and was picked up by the Chaps, er, I mean the CPSS. Mochizuki-sensei recommended this class for me since I don’t really have any formal training in using chakra. Oh and future goals, well I originally just wanted to see my folks again. They said I could if I became a proper shinobi, you see. But some things happened,” he glanced at Rinko quickly, “and now I want to become a responsible adult too.”

WC: 900~
MFT

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

Kechi paused in his jumping jacks, holding his arms up in a v-shape. "Excellent! Marvelous! Stupendous! I am glad to hear that you all have such wholesome goals!" The man sneered and wagged a pointed finger at Setsu. "Except for you. Get your mind out of the Cronopolis and stay a kid for Raiden's sake. Once you're an adult, there's no going back." The scowl turned into a thoughtful expression. "Well...I mean there probably is. But I'm pretty sure that would take a Jashinist, a town of sacrifices, and the second coming of Aion in order to work." Kechi was quiet for a moment before letting out a small cough. "But let's not get into the abominations of the world. You kids can learn about that when you're older and might have to stop it." He waved a hand to signal the children to return to their seats and listen. Rinko grabbed the closest chair and plopped onto it with a heavy groan. The lecture continued. "Moving on, we'll quickly touch on your chakra signature. It is important to remember that every shinobi and kunoichi have their own type of chakra. There are shinobi that can naturally sense this different, which are referred to as sensor-type ninja. It is also possible to train in this ability. With this sensor power, shinobi can pick up on someone's chakra signature in order to track them. This signature is genetic, meaning that you, Hasumi-churoo, can be identified as a Haku through your chakra. Same as people could tell that Rinko-chan and I are related. While this knowledge isn't necessary at this time, it could be important to remember based on what type of kunoichi you two wish to become." Kechi smiled at Hasumi and Rinko.

"But now we should move on to what this class is focused on, chakra control. It is chakra that sets us apart from the common masses, and it's the control of it that makes us so useful to the shogun. What we mean by chakra control is the act of using what you need, and only what you need. While forcing more chakra out in order to perform a task will usually guarantee the task's success, it also means wasting chakra. And as I said earlier, if you run out of chakra, you're kaput, capisce?" The teacher placed the back of his head on his forehead and feigned exhaustion. After he recovered, he got a serious look on his face. "On the flip side, if you don't use enough chakra, the jutsu you cast won't be effective, or may not even work at all. So you can't be lazy with your jutsu either."

Kechi began to doodle on the board again. "Each village has a unique way of teaching youngsters how to control chakra. In Konohagakure, Leaf for short, they use actual leaves for their training. They place them on their forehead and focus their chakra on them to keep them stationary." Kechi placed a piece of chalk on his forehead and made a goofy face. "Ridiculous, am I right?" With the chalk still stuck to his head, the teacher stepped aside to reveal his drawing. It was of a person holding squiggles near their chest. "In Kumogakure, we use clouds for our training. Since our village is known for its Santaru clan, which use storm jutsu, it is believed they were the first to devise this training." Kechi walked to the window and slammed it open. With his body sticking halfway out of window, he began waving his arms. When he returned his torso to the classroom, he had a bundle of clouds in his arms. "Since clouds are little more than a collection of water or frozen crystals, holding onto one is simply a matter of controlling your chakra to keep it together." Kechi matched the pose of the basic figure on the chalkboard, holding the large puff up to his chest with his palms on either side of it. "For those with an affinity towards lightning, charging the cloud can help you control it better. For you, Hasumi-churoo, I suggest focusing on the water within the cloud itself. While you may not be able to control ice or snow yet, water is a basic element and should be the perfect stepping stone you need to get that recognition you deserve." He gave her an encouraging smile as he walked over to the Haku and gave her a small handful of the cloud. Kechi passed a chunk to Rinko as well. "You have to do it too missy. I saw you nearly collapse in the backyard. The last thing I want is a dead daughter." Finally Kechi handed the rest to Setsu, which happened to be bigger than what he'd given to the girls. "Just don't drop it pipsqueak."

The man returned to his spot in front of the chalkboard. "We'll practice for about a minute. It may not seem like a long time, but doing this takes a lot of concentration. Focus on your breathing. We're mountain folk after all, so our lungs are one of our strongest organs!" Whether that was true or not, Kechi wasn't sure, but it sounded cool. "In, and out. Slowly, not too hard, not too soft." He closed his eyes and breathed along with the children, attempting to demonstrate what he wanted them to do.

 

[Suzuki Setsu]

Setsu had a few more questions about chakra signatures, namely if there was a way to hide from sensor shinobi, or change your chakra signature. But his politely raised hand was ignored. He thought he saw Tanuki-sensei glance in his direction quickly before returning to talk to the two girls, but Setsu wasn’t sure.

Before he could try any further to ask his questions, the topic was shifted to the actual meat of the class, chakra control itself. The teacher reiterated the importance of control, as not having enough of it could spell disaster in a number of ways for a shinobi. Tanuki-sensei then brought up some methods of training that other villages use, which Setsu was intrigued by but didn’t understand. How would sticking something to your forehead help someone learn to control the flow of chakra? But Setsu wasn’t one to completely disregard the teachings of another village, no matter how silly they appeared. And it didn’t appear that Tanuki-sensei outright condemned the training method either, though it was obvious that he preferred the Kumo way of practicing control. Controlling clouds was definitely more akin to how Setsu imagined chakra flowing within someone. A roiling mass of energy that required a delicate touch, but if applied just right could unleash a torrent of destruction upon one’s foes. Which is precisely why the young boy was frightened of it. If he lost control, there was a chance he could severely hurt himself or others. I must not fail, I must not fail, he repeated to himself as Tanuki Kechi tossed him a large mass of clouds.

“Just don’t drop it pipsqueak.”

Ah! He really does hate me! Setsu inwardly sobbed as he struggled to keep the mass intact. It was really difficult, wherever he applied his chakra to seal the clouds in, they just billowed out from somewhere else. It was seemingly impossible to contain the clouds with pure force and Setsu could feel his chakra slipping away as he tried to coerce the clouds to stay in place. His frustration didn’t help as the negative emotions added more strength to his attempts but Setsu lost even more control. With a loud whoosh the clouds scattered everywhere before dissipating. The brief gust of wind scattering paper and ruffling hair throughout the room. The person who got the worst of it was Setsu himself. The bursting clouds had drenched his clothes and “styled” his hair in a very peculiar fashion. Needless to say, the boy felt miserable.

WC: 417
MFT

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

Kechi gave Setsu a blank stare as the papers settled on the table. "No wonder you got put in the special class." Feeling sorry for the boy, most likely from his residual empathetic chakra, the man sighed and began fixing Setsu's hair. "Kid. Listen. You need to realize that your emotions effect your powers, even more so than any other shinobi. Most adults are going to tell you crap like 'conceal, don't feel' and you need to not listen. Instead, learn to control your emotions. Your passion is your strength, don't forget that." Once finished, Kechi flinched back from the lad and coughed. "But, uh, make sure to get on that control train really soon." The teacher moved back to the front of the class and took a peek at his daughter. He visibly recoiled at the glare directed his way.

Recovering, Kechi waved a dismissive hand. "Anyway, we've only got a little bit left to learn, so bear with me kids. This next part will be vital if you are planning to be an active shinobi. General performance enhancement is vital to a shinobi's abilities. By focusing chakra into key points of your body, you can augment your physical prowess. With chakra in your arms, you can lift more weight." Kechi swiftly lifted the large table over his head, and placed it down a few seconds later. "Focusing on your feet, you can run faster." The man dashed around the room with impressive speed and dexterity. "Interestingly enough, by focusing chakra into your brain, it can power your ability to process information. While I can't demonstrate this to you, I wanted to make you all aware of it. When running at fast speeds or fighting in a large scale battle, the ability to process everything around you could mean the difference between life and death." The man was solemn for a moment, only to perk up a second later. "But for now, let's focus on my favorite way to use chakra enhancement."

Kechi moved the large table over to the window and motioned for the children to line up. "I'm going to flick the center of your foreheads. By shifting your chakra up to your head and forward, almost like it's pushing against your skin, you can cushion an attack. It's this handy little trick that has made legends of some shinobi." The teacher moved to his daughter first. "Rinko-chan, I want you to demonstrate." The fluffy girl flinched a bit as the finger met her forehead, but shortly after she gave her fellow students a thumbs up. "It still stings a little, but not as bad as it could. I would know." Her lips pouted at Kechi before shifting into a smile for her classmates. "Do your best."

You can take control of Kechi to deliver his Flick of Learning.

 

[Suzuki Setsu]

Kechi’s pep talk eased Setsu’s anxieties a bit. Maybe he’s not so bad, the young student thought as the tanuki teacher fixed his hair. Control my emotions, they're that connected to my chakra? He'd heard that people tended to hit harder when angry, but that was just from sacrificing accuracy for power. But the increase in power from just his frustration defied reason. He smiled at Kechi, then turned to try and catch Rinko’s attention to let her know that everything was alright, but faltered when he saw the glare she was giving her father.

Apparently the elder Tanuki saw his daughter's death glare as well as he hurriedly coughed and proceeded back to the front of the class to continue the lesson. The next subject was enhancing yourself through chakra techniques. Kechi described various examples of using chakra to enhance various characteristics. Setsu glanced at Rinko, who was sitting with an irritated expression on her face, and envied her aptitude for this side of shinobi life. He found his eyes drifting to the girl’s lips and he remembered how soft they were, and then recalled the odd feelings he had at the time he had kissed her. Ever since he had discovered his own ability to use emotions, Setsu had wondered if the two flamboyant twins had instigated the whole event. He didn’t think he would have kissed Rinko if he was thinking straight, not that he didn’t find her cute. Just intimidating, so in that sense he was glad the twins had acted the way they did. What troubled the boy was whether or not Rinko would have kissed him had she not been encouraged to do so by the empathetic suggestion of the Mochizuki siblings. The thought that she wouldn’t have made him feel really depressed. The emotion wholeheartedly confused him though, why did it make him sad? Was it some after effect of the Mochizuki twins’ abilities, were his own abiliities causing him to feel this way? The scritch of Hasumi’s pencil on paper brought Setsu back to reality, where he found he had simply been staring at Rinko instead of paying attention to the lesson. After hastily jotting down a few pointers, the class moved again to a practical application, defending against a small blow to the forehead.

The three students lined up, and Kechi flicked Rinko first. The boy saw her flinch, but was reassured that it wasn't really painful. Hasumi was next, and Setsu could hear the light thwack, as Kechi's finger made contact forehead. Setsu couldn't tell if the other student had succeeded or not, but he couldn't dwell on it for long, since he was next. Any hope that the teacher would show some similar restraint with Setsu was lost as the student saw an odd glint in the man's eye. He would later swear he had felt a sense of anticipation and extreme satisfaction exuding from him as well. Fear instinctively caused him to throw his chakra in front of his face, and he felt a hard impact as Kechi's finger smashed into it.

It held for a split-second before a shattering sound could be heard, and then Setsu felt the pain in his forehead. “Owww!” The young student clapped his hands to his forehead where a big red welt could be seen peeking out between Setsu’s fingers.

“Ah, I see you’re already getting the knack of using your emotions, young man. Practice reinforcement some more and you should be fine,” he leaned a little closer to Setsu and whispered, “Maybe next time pay more attention to my lecture instead of checking out my daughter, eh chip chip churroo?” Beaming with a sadistic smile, he sent the students back to their desks to continue the lesson. Blushing thoroughly, Setsu sat at his seat and pointedly tried not to look at the Tanuki girl as the class continued.

WC: 649
[MFT]

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

With the table returned to the center of the room and the children back in their seats, Kechi gave a thumbs up. "Time for the home stretch, are you ready?" The man turned and began writing on the chalkboard one final time. "Lastly we will talk about the methods used to form jutsu. Until now, we have moved our chakra around in our bodies, and put it into something to practice control. This last part will be the foundation to perform an actual jutsu." Kechi turned to the class and pointed the chalk to the left. "Shape transformation deals with controlling the form, movement, and potency of chakra. This form is used most often with non-elemental and medical jutsu. I hear there are also special ANBU techniques that fall into this category." The teacher motioned to the right of the chalkboard. "Nature transformation deals with changing the physical properties of chakra into an element. Easily enough, you use this form when crafting elements such as water and ice." He gave a nod to Hasumi. "There is also the nature transformation of Yin and Yang...but that's a bit of an advanced topic, so we'll leave it at that." The man shrugged. "Regardless, when it comes to the two forms, it's really just about knowing which jutsu requires which form to help the process go smoother. I have heard in rare cases that certain shinobi can use both forms at the same time, which can drastically change, and even improve a jutsu. But you know, don't feel bad if you can't do it. It really is a rare trait."

Kechi grabbed a seat and spun it around before plopping down. "So for your last participation point, I'd like you to let loose a jutsu. I would suggest keeping it simple. Maybe perform an elemental ninjutsu, or use the transformation jutsu." He motioned for Hasumi and Setsu to proceed.

 

[Suzuki Setsu]

Setsu had learned his lesson the hard way. This time he diligently began taking notes on the theories the older Tanuki explained. Shape transformation? Nature transformation? The concepts seemed simple enough, but he felt that Kechi seemed to be breezing through them a little haphazardly. I mean how does pure chakra become elementally aligned, actually? Through nature transfrmation. But how do either actually work? Do I just think of rocks and suddenly earth chakra? Or is it purpose based? Well that might not work either, using chakra for defense could just end up in a barrier of pure chakra. Trying to envision an attack might just result in a blast of chakra. The young boy’s brows furrowed as he silently pondered the information.

Unsatisfied with the explanation, Setsu decided to ask Kechi-sensei more after the class. He would have asked at the moment but it seemed like the Tanuki teacher wanted to move the class forward to another demonstration. Simply display a jutsu, any jutsu. “Um, Teach,” the boy muttered quietly, “you’ve only just explained the basics of chakra theory, but I still don’t understand how we are supposed to apply it to get any meaningful results at this sta--.”

“You can always leave if it’s too hard kid,” Kechi interrupted the boy with a smile, gesturing to the door. It was tempting to leave this frustrating and scary world behind, but it wasn’t an option. The only reason Setsu was given a stipend and a living quarters was because he was expected to serve the village once his training was complete. If he quit now, he would be homeless and penniless. There was his family as well, the only way to leave the village was to become a shinobi and be sent on missions. That snow siren had died because he couldn’t control his powers, and now there was Rinko, he still had to take responsibility for the kiss!

Setsu focused, My emotions are my strength. My passions give me strength, he repeated to himself. What was he feeling now? Admiration of the girls’ skill when manipulating chakra, he was amazed and proud to be friends with such talented individuals. But in the back of his mind a small thought persisted, If only I had their talent, I wouldn’t have to struggle so much. If only I could be like Rinko… Setsu tried to push that emotion down, it was heavy and dark and it scared him, but try as he might it seemed to just bubble out of him and mix into the meager chakra he was trying to manipulate. A cloud of smoke billowed around the boy and when it cleared moments later, there were two Rinkos in the room.

One Rinko’s eyes sparkled, “I..I did it!” But the excitement quickly turned to embarrassment as the exuberant Rinko tried another set of handseals, only to have nothing happen. “Um..,” the less confident Rinko flushed a bright red as she shyly asked, “how do I change back?”

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

Kechi's smirk quickly shifted as the annoying daughter-stealer transformed into his precious offspring. "Y-y-you..." The man's words were lost between his rage and curiosity. Silence fell over the room until Rinko finally spoke. "You pervert!" The girl created a Wood Hammer and raised it above her head. "BLACKJACK ATTACK!!!" She began lowering the hammer, but was caught off-guard by Setsu's reactionary skills. The boy turned towards her and stepped closer, causing her to falter in her footing. The hammer slipped from her grasp and her body fell forward due to the missing weight. The two Tanukis' lips pushed together. Another pause hung over the classroom before the true Rinko hopped back. The other one's gaze was dazed, before his facial skin tone shifted to that of lobster red. At the peak of his ruby hue, a puff of smoke exploded, revealing a teetering Setsu. He fell forward, and Rinko reflexively caught him. "H-hey!" The boy was out cold, and Rinko frowned at the goofy grin plastered on his face.

Kechi cleared his throat, pulling the girls' attention back to him. "I think that's enough for one day." The teacher approached Hasumi and gave her a worried smile. "You were rather quiet today. Let me know if you'd like a one-on-one class next time." The man loomed over Rinko and Setsu. "I'll take care of the body Rinko, you head on home." Kechi flung the boy over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and walked to the doorway. He turned his head and gave a two-fingered salute. "Class dismissed!"

[Topic Left]

-Suzuki Setsu completed the class, meeting the post count and word count.
-Haku Hasumi unfortunately did not meet the requirements.

 

[Suzuki Setsu]

When Setsu awoke the world was upside down. He could hear the sound of rushing water and saw the bustling city of Kumogakure instead of the classroom he had been in until recently. What happened? I was in the classroom and I transformed into Rinko. Then she attacked me and then…, there was a pause in Setsu’s thought process as he recalled the events of the class. “We kissed again!!” the boy exclaimed in a panic, though recalling it did bring a goofy looking smile to his face. “Oh no! Her dad’s going to kill me! If she wasn’t pregnant before she surely is now!”

A cold chuckle brought Setsu to his senses, and he felt the world right itself as he was set down. “Oh don’t worry I can’t kill you, you’re a valuable asset of Kumogakure. As long as you don’t do anything considered treasonous you don’t have to worry about that.” Setsu gulped in fear at the smiling face of the Tanuki family head. “But we have a more important matter to discuss, what’s this about getting my daughter pregnant?”

Setsu shivered under the gaze of Rinko’s father as he hurried to explain, “Oh well, we’ve kissed twice. And that’s how babies are made right? Don’t worry I intend to take full respon--,” Tanuki Kechi waved his hand for silence.

“Are you an idiot? Wait dumb question, you are an idiot. That is not how reproduction works, kid!” the man sighed. “And no I’m not going to explain it to you,” he added when he saw the question forming on his lips. “Look kid, I’m going to do two things for you now. First, I’m going to congratulate you for passing my class. Congrats,” Kechi paused to quickly shake Setsu’s hand once, “Second, I’m going to be giving you a special lesson in survival techniques.”

“R-really?” Maybe Tanuki-sensei is more understanding than I assumed he would be.

“Yes really, just climb onto that bridge railing, yep just like that.” Kechi then lightly pushed the boy off into the river below. “Lesson start!” He called out cheerily as Setsu plunged into the cold waters.

[Topic Left]
[WC: 356]
[Tanuki Kechi used with Rinko's permission]