[OOC: Sorry for the delay, I had the 48 hours, then had my birthday, then had a day of recovery]
The students reacted differently. The pair nodded and looked ready to take in more of Kushin's knowledge. The taijutsu boy asked about non-ninjutsu techniques. The boy who didn't know a jutsu questioned his sensei's knowledge suggesting that doing what he was suggesting was redundant. The red head asked about how to counter this tactic, then lectured the boy who knew nothing on manners. The boy who knew nothing then retorted and called himself a realist. The servant joined in on the gaggle holding a bell. The swordsman decided to stay out of it and offered another suggestion. Perhaps he sensed that doing that might spur Kushin into action where he might end the bickering.
But it was all so interesting to watch. How children interacted with each other. Who thought who was correct, who sided where, who felt what. They were all so very weak, and yet they all had such strong convictions.
Ahem. He falsely cleared his throat. An issue was raised about whether this was pointless actions or not. The argument was that these actions against an opponent already faster than you would waste what time is already limiting you with. Before I answer this I want you to all think about this scenario in full.
You are up against a faster shinobi. Perhaps they can use a Jounin ranked jutsu in the time it takes you to use a Chuunin ranked jutsu. Do you ignore what I'm saying here and simply cast your Chuunin ranked attacks at this opponent, deal what damage you can blindly because you believe that doing anything else is a waste of your time, when they can do more damage to you faster, and chances are you don't have the same stamina that they have in this same scenario, thus making your weaker attacks percentage wise even less effective than they already were?
Or do you do something different?
Use student level techniques, techniques which use up very little time to cast to knock them off balance, perhaps force that Jounin rank jutsu which takes so much longer to cast to miss, or do substantially less damage. To trick your opponent so that suddenly their using that jutsu was a waste of their time, and much more time than the time you used to confuse them? Even if it doesn't always work, if it does even only half the time you might be doing more damage to their plans, to how they thought the fight would go than you would if you went out and tried to go toe to toe with a stronger opponent.
Kushin stood there looking at the boy who knew nothing. If you took what you think you know about battle and wrote it in a book, I would name that book the dummies guide to dying in combat. Yes, as genin you are encouraged to fight as a team for protective reasons, and usually with a stronger shinobi with you in case something goes wrong. Yet there are going to be times when no-one is there to help you, and if you ever get to my level you will realize that these small tricks, as inane and pathetic as they are can be the difference to winning and losing a fight. It takes me one second to cast a jutsu of this rank, just one second. If in that second I can place an effect on an opponent of equal strength which might have him fail to cast a jutsu which takes him three seconds to cast, whether that is immediately or later in the combat that one second I had just wasted suddenly becomes something which edges the victory towards my side and gives me that slight advantage.
Idiot. But at least the boy was stupid enough to voice his idiocy. If he'd instead held onto that stupid concept, internalized it, decided it was truth and ignored Kushin's teachings then... well... he'd have been a dead idiot before he ever reached Chuunin. Perhaps if he allows himself to learn and listen to those who know what they're talking about then he might have a chance.
After a moment Kushin continued.
Someone asked how to counter this tactic. For each tactic there is a counter, and this one is pretty easy to counter. I have a one word answer. Barriers. He hoped they'd have at least heard of some barriers Barriers come at many levels in many shapes and forms. Not all jutsu types have barriers. Earth jutsu do of course. He looked at the boy who knew nothing when he said that, it was Kushin's attempt at an olive branch, of course only in Kushin's way it'd probably instead come off as arrogance. Barriers crush this tactics ability quickly, as these techniques don't cause damage, thus instantly fail as you attempt to cast something to disrupt your opponent and suddenly strike softly at something which isn't your opponent. Think of it like rock paper scissors. Rock is offense, your attacking jutsu. Paper is your disruption jutsu. Scissors are your barrier jutsu. When against an opponent who relies on barriers use offense, barriers usually can't take a single hit from an equivalent offensive jutsu, so a Jounin barrier will be destroyed by a Jounin offensive technique and will drain the user just as much. Offense when disrupted wont do as much damage as the attacker would like if it's disrupted, or might cause them to take more damage when you do attack. While barriers will simply stop any disruption from happening at all.
He frowned for a moment.
You are all young and either students or genin. The reason I'm telling you to learn these techniques isn't because they're the strongest or best techniques to learn, but because they're techniques which will prove their worth in years to come. They're investments into your future as shinobi. As you grow older and stronger you will gain access to much better offensive techniques, wait till you can learn those and learn real offense then. And I'm not saying don't learn anything which can help you attack now, obviously you need to still beat up peasants in the fields when you're tasked with doing so, just don't learn them blindly and without thinking. At your level disruption tactics are the techniques which can save your life, both immediately and when you're a seasoned veteran.
Turning his attention to the sword boy he added There are non-ninjutsu techniques for this but I only know a few. My mastery is in ninjutsu I'm afraid. Though I believe the Taijutsu equivalent is named 'buffing taijutsu' and usually affect yourself rather than the opponent directly.
He waited to see if there were any issues raised with what he just said. He was sure there would be, though would like to be pleasantly surprised.
