Training with a Psychological Madwoman

Bursts of wind filled the area with loud swirling sounds. It was as if thousands of blades were clashing into each other at lightning speeds, cracking the air with great force. The scenario presented itself on Kumogakure's Training Field #34. The winds blew on the layer of bright green grass that was in the large, wide, open space surrounded by groupings of small forests. The open space was circular and the ring of trees that surrounded it was rounded too. There were two rows of bushes, six in each, that existed within the space. Small puddles of water from a previous rainfall began to hold its liquidfying effects under some trees. The wind turned furious for a moment then settled down three seconds later. This was known to Kumogakure shinobi as a "sign of battle." A call for combat. Nature became the audience as it watches with pure enjoyment of the upcoming match that will definitely come. The leaves, the branches, the trunks, the bushes, the ground, and even the sky that stared down upon it were all witnesing the events that will occur. They have the utmost confidence that they will have their air, parts, and limbs shattered and spilled on it with blood, tears, sweat, and true might. They are sure that day will be this day. And while the wind swirled all around the arena and the earth beneath the tree slowly turned to mud, there was one thing that reminded them to lower their expectations. That one thing was a young boy, in his teen's, who walked and stopped within the field. The wind brushed against his pale face and the audience started to "observe" him, wondering whether this would be a spectator, a wanderer, or.... a participant. They attempted to hope for the latter, but something in his eyes had told them different. The boy waited within Training Field #34, completely unaware of the hell that might or might not come......

A young man walked into the open area from an open road that leaded right into it. It seemed that the path was the only spot that didn't have any trees. He stopped nearly at the center of the space, as if the road led him right into it. He had spiky black hair, swaying right in front of his eyes as the wind blew on his face. He had a dark leather shirt with a strap consisting iron chains tightened around his waist like a belt. There seemed to be small pockets at the back of the strap. A dark scarf was strapped around his neck, remaining attached until it is unattached. His face was round and pure white. Timid and cute. Perhaps too cute. He had black ninja leggings with pockets holes and iron chains. located on his right hip, was a shinobi equipment pouch. Attached to his back, was a steel katana. Sheathed. Sharp, clean, and shiny. The boy held a calm and tough expression on his face, something not rarely seen on a cute face of a Kumogakure shinobi. It looks like he was going to stay on one side and feel the funny feeling as if everything around him was watching him. As if the aerial level represented the signal for battle. As if the boy was expected to become a hero and achieve victory in this fight. The audience wanted someone who would stand tall with full valor and bravery, and fight to wit's end and come out as the last warrior standing. Winner takes all. And now this boy has presented itself in the stage, now completley involved with the standard of a deathmatch. Now then, who would live up to those standards? Who would give the audience the thrill and excitement they have been waiting for? Who would fight to kill or be killed?! Why of course! The boy right here, the one named Zen, has already arrived to the scene. The boy.... Zen........ he will............................................ not fight to the death and run away like a frightened COWARD!!

Zen Tankou retrieved great news yesterday morning. There had been a courier message from the Selection Cells office from the Administration Building, and after four years, they have finally found an available teacher for Zen! Zen had jumped with joy, as did his parents. He had waited for so long. Ever since he graduated from the Academy at age 10 and became an official ninja due to promotional ceremonies with his last tutor who had quickly retired a week after that, he only had this moment in mind. A sensei. Being the clever and smart one, he knew he would treat his Jounin with great respect and if all goes well, admiration. And now here he was, finally dressed and making mental caculations as to how his teacher might be. From the letter he recieved, his new Jounin sensei would be a woman by the name of "Yunji Malkav." Zen had studied extremely hard at the Academy, and even so he even made researches during his four year break about Kumogakure's history and thus families. The Malkav Family were said to be a bunch of people who possess rather "insane" minds and an abnormal human personality. Comparing that to this, he felt a bit nervous. Insane? Deranged? This would haunt him for a long time. And as far as he could remember, they had a special ability to cause humans to go into deranged mental states. How that can be done is fully known by the Malkav, but Zen knew that this would be over really quickly should it ever be used on him. Zen has a brilliant and intelligent mind, so he would feeel shameful if his will can be manipulated like that. Being smart and deductive was all he was ever best at. Zen looked around, with fearful eyes as he scanned the entire area. The chilling sensation ran down his spine and even appeared on his neck. Why does it feel that the trees are looking at me?! This is so creepy... and AH! The grass is shining in my eyes, what is it trying to say??!! wondered Zen. As he panicked because of the pressure, he suddenly fell down because the wind was deemed to be 'scary" for him. He looked up, acknowledging the clouds that slowly float above him. Dark puffs arranged in odd patterns, covering the entire landscape. That much is obvious from "Kumogakure." But Zen was pertubed. "No...... why are the clouds looking at me? I didn't do anything wrong...... What's going to happen to me?!" Zen mentally slapped himself awake, shaking the lunatic panicking within him. He grunted. He never seemd to have much progress developing a strong heart. He did not handle embarrasement and humiliation well, unless he could somehow force it as a joke. A row of eyes on him was not an exception, and that was what Zen thought of, metaphorically speaking, when he noticed the area. He slowly got up and rubbed his head. Not today, I won't go to pieces right before anything actually happens to me. This is just training... nothing more.... nothing less... and.... "Hey!!" yelled Zen, his voice ecohing. Originally, that was used to comment on a tree that he thought was strangely facing his direction, but saw nothing strange when he blinked. So he took the excuse as having that "hey" as a means of allowing his sensei locate him in case she was already here. Zen hoped that nothing like a deathmatch was expected of him because he lacked the courage to do something of that kind. The mere thought of it made Zen chuckled for a second. He bended his knees slightly and folded his arms, lines of grass now at the bottom of his line of vision. He waited for his teacher. I wonder...... who is Yunji Malkav? pondered Zen.

Yunji smiled, she was having a blast watching the poor genin suffer under her terrifying genjutsu. She bgean to cacklle madly, she noticed a young lad wandering around, seemingly looking for his sensei, she had seen him beforem around the village. As always he had a katana slung across his back, its condition was superb no doubt he was a talanted sword user, Yunji tried using a sword once, she ended up hurling into a wall where it was lodged there for several days, one stupid malkavian though it was god sent to deliver him from his madness and would lead him to a promised land. He tried to offer himself to the sword, but ended up stabbing himself through the stomach, guts and blood lingered all acorss the room that night... and for many nights afterwards too, what a smell that was. Yunji smiled and chuckled warmly to herself at the fond memories in Bedlam, Bedlam was the slang term given to the Malkavian side of the village, either that or The Asylum, kept nosy interlopers away, the last they needed was to wander into Bedlam. The last time some unfortunate sod found his way in, he wasnt heard from for 5 days and when they did find him, he was half crazed and thought he was raised by wolves and had a habit for eating the curtains. A thought passed through Yunji's head, she couldn't quite place her finger on it, the kid was familiar, and his name was Zen. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a crumpled note, the note said that she would be recieving a new student sometime later, and that day was today. She sighed and tossed the letter away, ignoring her current students and her Raikage, being insane had its perks, if she wandered off no one would question her, as they would assume it was one of her more interesting quirks.

She strolled at a bored and uninterested pace, and made it over to where Zen was standing, only then did she get a good look at him, he was small, as expected for a lad his age. He looked physically weak, but looks were always decieving, as Yunji had heard a tale of a blind shinobi, who defeated many shinobi effortlessly despite his blindness. Back to the boy, he was rather pale, like he hadnt seen light in many a day. His hair was styled and spikey, indicating a vain side? Or prehaps it was a preference, he wore alot of dark clothing much to Yunji's approval, there was a chain around his waist, a crude belt but it did its job. Yunji peered down at him getting very close to his face, uncomfortably so. An introduction was in order.

"By the clack smack cracking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes. I don't remember seeing you on the guest list for the dinner party, we're having a wrap up for misfits about 40 years late... cast and crew only...". She leaned forward a little more. "Maybe... I'm in your head... Uh-Oh! You might have one of those Psychosis conditions, so common amongst new genin. But we are talking... and you arent listening to me. Ahahaha... how do you even know I'm here? Maybe I killed the voice in your head, maybe I'm a ghost...

While Zen was thinking, he suddenly heard footsteps approaching him. Like a brick weakly pounding on the grass. The Genin turned around, and saw a woman with a terrifying ghoulish face walking towards him. Zen almost reacted had the mysterious human (or perhaps a non-human) stopped right in front of him two seconds later. She had purple and red high boots, something that appealed to Zen particulary given the fact that it wasn't raining nor will it rain today. She had makeup on and a distinguished style of clothing. But the thing that affected Zen the most was the expression on her face. Accompanied by the weak and lazy walking style, he felt as if the person was trying to kill him. Happy and mad with glee of that prospect. Zen gulped. He didn't want any trouble today. The Tankou slowly bent back as the woman's face was now a half a feet away from his. It seemed as if a shadow was over him. A maniacal figure waiting fo9r the chance to strangle him. Zen's heart started to beat faster, so fast that it could be heard from a feet away. Two beads of sweat dripped down the side of Zen's head, stopping when it reached his temples. He had a bad feeling about this, but his brain told him to remain calm even though his heart was about to fail him at any second. Who ever heard that looks can kill? He maintained the same look on his face, cool and tough. He did not panic, which is indicated as his legs would start shaking which they are not. Who was this lady? What did she want? Where did she come from? She wasn't THAT ugly, but she Zen is sure she originated from the land of creepies. And just then, Yunji gave her "greetings" speech, the sentences now memorized in Zen and stuck within it.....

Zen Tankou had reverted to a confused face after the woman was done. He did not understand any of it. What the hell is this..? he wondered. Zen slowly backed away, taking a couple of steps away from Yunji so there would be a good distance between them. What did she say? Was that a code? Riddle talk? Or random blabber? That first thing she said about her thumbs, it seems as if she is hinting she would kill me with her thumbs... And what is all this commotion about a guest list and dinner party?! My mind has been invaded? Seems likely though..... but wait.... WHAT?! thought Zen. He swiped away the sweat from his head. All of this racket has utterly confused my brain.... oh dear it hurts. Maybe I should forget it.... but if I do that, I'm nothing but a loser. I can't understand what she is saying... OH WAIT! Maybe she is telling me that she will annihilate me with no mercy and quickly, so no one can stop her! Ah yes..... my mind has decyphered well... huh..... WHAT?! Kill me??!!!! realized Zen. He quickly scratched his head, never taking his eyes off the woman. The only way he would be able to survive this day would be to respond to the lady. His guard is up, and fists were ready. If she is really trying to attack me... then I have to hold her off until my sensei Yunji arrives.... Suddenly, Zen had remembered something. The woman's face was looking down on him, carefully observing and analyzing him. It seems as if she was wondering if this was the right one, but there could be something else. The idea that a stranger who has found a young boy alone in the woods is no different from the idea that Yunji Malkav has arrived to the meeting area on time, as expected, and decided to scare the heck out of the kid. After all, malkavs have rather crazy minds. The maddening style of language is possibly a component of that mind. Zen has it all figured out, but is unsure if that is true. An idea came to his head that will assist him in doing so. And so, he proceeded....

"H-Hello ma'am..." greeted Zen. He did his best to keep his posture and body language intact. "Yes, your clacks and thumbs are fine I guess. Whoo! But the manipulation is turned on you. The head is the container of an advanced organic computer and I'm always in sync with it, so I know that you are flesh and blood because you are able to inflict emotions upon me. A endless list of possibilities await us! We will sail through our own fantasies..... and then cry hard in the world of reality. Hey, are you my imaginary friend? Not as expected, but you are real indeed because you were born and died from my heart. You standing here is proof of that indeed, because I can still see you and I can still see you. And if we can't see each other, then we can understand each other perfectly fine! But since I don't know a single word coming from your mouth, I guess you are a being and I'm still not dead!" blabbered Zen. He suddenly stammered. "I-I ssiggned up a few monthss ago. It'ss on the VIP listttt, check off.... Zen Tankou" End of introduction. Responding to a queer stranger by mimicing a similiar manner used against them is the idea Zen thought of. Although his was a bit more improvised. The boy stared at Yunji, allowing his mind to decide how he would deal with her. Would it be a strike or a handshake?

Yunji grinned as the lad stared, taking in the view prehaps he seemed to focus on the boots a little longer then anything else, prehaps the young pup had already figured one of his turn ons even at a young age?. He seemed... frightened, she couldnt blame him, she did cast a rather intimidating shadow amongst people. For example, a couple of months back she had... kind of made some poor person faint, turned out he had a weak heart, her odd speech got to him finally and it was too much to handle. Another fond memory which a cheerful smile to her face. The lad was also confused, posibly trying to figure what she had just said. Another understandable quality, if this lad was as bright as he looked, he would have no trouble handling the translations.

The boy was sweating profously, mostly around his face and temples, a very skittish lad indeed. Prehaps the overwhelming feeling of being murdered was too much for him? Yunji would not murder him of course, the note clearly specified that she had to train him and guide him, not kill him. It was even signed by the Raikage himself, all official like and such, with a fancy stamp. Her thoughts drifted off to what he could taught from someone like her, aside from the bare boned basics, there was walking up trees, walking on water and the like. Maybe she could put him in a genjutsu and see what happens? Maybe he'd finally crack or maybe he'd fight it, prehaps he'd wind up in Bedlam. Hmm the possibiltys were endless. Zen;s fists were up, he was expecting an attack. A cautious boy as well, even though he wouldnt last a minute in a fight with Yunji,

He finally spoke to her, mimicing her own speech patterns, much to Yunji's amusment. When he finished to had a little something to say. " Well little moth... flip flap, flip flap, manipulation is only as one see's it. Your head shall be liberated from the dark in due time, you were broken, but you stand tall. You were blind and now you see clearly, under my dark teachings. Imaginary friend would good.. I poke with mine a while back, he said he was fine and warned about the schleets... but... we don't want a panic on our hands, so I kept it to myself.". Zen was fairly good at random talk, but Yunji got to the point. "You are on the guest list afterall little moth, a cast member in our performance, shall I fetch an effigy of the Harlequin for you to wear?". She smiled warmly and offered a hand. "Yunji Malkav, in the flesh and spirit".

Once again, Zen's mind was racing and overwhelmed by the woman's words. Her unique style of incomprehendable language tied with a mixture of made-up words created a slight mental pain within his skull. Luckily for him, that's all it ever did. The pressure and unfamiliarity did not push him further, suggesting that his brain is stronger than he expected. Even so, he found her second comment to be a bit easier to understand. He was not sure if this was the work of his mind or done on purpose. Right now, he could say that this was a curious one.... with a curious past. I wonder if she has ever been to the Prison... pondered Zen. He dismissed almost everything she has just said, as it is irrelevant and will cause extra uncomforty later on. Something had told him to relax his guard. Zen blinked twice when she declared that she was Yunji Malkav, the teacher of him, Zen Tankou. At that moment, thousands of questions and responses popped into his head. But only two made it out.....


The Good news is that she identified herself as his sensei so she is not a killer and would not murder him. His life can continue on as it is. This would be where Zen would say..... "Oh there you are, nice to meet you Miss Yunji," but the other paused that thought. As always, with good news there is bad news. One is not without the other. The Bad news is that he knew his sensei is a psycho-blabber and most likely insane within. Quite hard to work with, so he predicted. Yunji simply said a few lines with no effort and easily sent his brain in a mixture of confusion and a little chaos. He could not allow his brilliance to be defeated like that. He had a feeling that he would have to get used to that way of talk. The journey would not be pleasant. He wondered if he would have to learn her style and come to understand it? Zen shook that question away. Certainly Yunji was a Jounin for a reason. He didn't know anything about Yunji Malkav, other than the fact that she is from the Malkav clan and possess the nature of one. But there was a hand in front of him, and how rude it would be of him to not immediately shake it...

Zen carefully shook the hand for a second or two, making sure to check if there were anything in her hand that would prove as a prank. He also returned the smile. Zen then stopped shaking her hand and got right to business. "Yunji Malkav? Yunji Malkav! Yes, we were to meet here during noontime. You must be my new teacher! I will have much fun under your tutoring! (Obviously he did not expect that much fun) Yunji-sensei, I was beginning to wonder if I might be stuck as a Genin for at least half a decade, but now I'm glad they could find a..... suitable availability," he said. His face looked as if he was ready to be taught by her but his body language might tell different. "So wha' are we going to do today? Mhm...... it's a little windy in here, hope it dosen't chill me bones. The decision is all yours. Where do you think our course would be set out today?" asked Zen.

The boy was certainly polite, if a little cautious, returning her smile and handshake kindly. Hhe seemed relieved that she had finally found her student, but he also looke dlike he had questions to ask, to he would plenty of time later. "Yes Little Moth, like the flame that would draw you unto an early demise, I found you, I am the one who will show you the way, the way of the shinobi. Under my teachings shall you go from a small flapping moth who wanders, unsure of his place, to an Angel. Creeping from village to village, taking life on a whim. I have never painted an angel before maybe I should." There was training to be done! What fun they would have, the first task that would need to be done was to move to a more private location, secondly Yunji would see how good the boy was by testing his physical strength as well as Accuracy, the methods used might seem... unorthadox but he would need to follow her instructions to the little no matter how odd they may seem. Yunji briskly took Zen by the arm firmly but not too rough, and led him away from the training field all while humming cheerily to herself. They eventually reached a seculded part of Kumo, plenty of thick trees surrounding the area, so no one could peek in on what was going to happen there.

Yunji stopped and released Zen once they reached the center of the area. There was silence for a while, the only sounds were the odd bird and slight cough from Yunji. She cleared her throat and turned back to Zen. "Open your pouch Little Moth, bring out a Kunai. I want to see what you can do, if you can draw the blood of a foe... or this case your teacher. I want to see how you throw, how your aim is. Toss the Mini Knife at me, as hard as you can. Don't hold back, be not afraid.". She stood waiting for him to obey, but while he figured out what she said, she started tapping her foot along to a non existent beat carrying with her humming.

Zen became excited on his future career as a shinobi. His sense must be of top-class if she was assigned to an..... unofficialized five-year Genin. Zen could almost get a picture of how he would look like after he's done with Yunji, but he was careful not to become too imaginative. he had learned that sometimes, the closer you get to something, the harder it is to see it. So the present is the only thing that matters right now. The journey from a mere moth to a glorious Angel. What a long process, and perhaps a bit of a stretch too. Then again, it's best not to doubt one's self when thinking of the future. Zen would have smirked when Yunji mentioned that she might make an attempt on painting her image of an angel. Perhaps his sensei did possess a perculiar sense of humor. But before he could even move a single muscle on his mouth, he suddenly felt Yunji's strong arm and he his body suddenly raced uncontrollably as Yunji moved towards the targeted destination. They arrived there in a minute or two, but it felt more like ten seconds. He immedaitely gained control when they reached the center, landing on two feet to retain his balance. Obviously, his teacher possessed great raw speed, perhaps a speed that is considered to be one of Kumogakure's fastest. He absorbed the teacher's information, his brain processing them two seconds after she said them. He understood it, and could deduced that this is a weapons or accuracy test. A smile flashed on Zen's face for a split second. If it is a test of accuracy she wanted, Zen has this in the bag. His accuracy and aiming is excellent, his marksmanship has always been of top-notch for a Genin. He nearly possessed all of the nessacary qualities and traits a military tactician should move, though some of them are still under slow development. Perhaps what Yunji has to teach would speed things up a bit.

Shifting his hand towards the pouch on his right hip (showing he is right handed), he quickly opened it, took out a kunai, and closed the pouch. With kunai in hand, he selected which way he would throw the kunai. He isn't as accurate when throwing kunai as shuriken, he is more used to stabbing attacks with the kunai. But the teacher had instructed him to do his best and to throw the kunai with no hesitations, nothing more and certainly nothing less. he has learned from his father while he was under the influence of Godaime Raikage, to concentrate on the smaller, simple tasks while larger things were around him. He must focus on what he has been asked, and slowly advance from there through baby steps, from which he would surely achieve mastery and success. His teacher is fast, so unless he "adds a certain flavor to his food", he won't do as much as scratch his teacher. The boy gave the kunai a few spins. Zen started to bend his arm like an arm shape so his joint is carefully concentrated and lifted it back, with his elbow slightly tilted so not so much stress is on his muscles. He enclosed the kunai's hilt, making a fist around it. The fist is slightly tilted towards Zen's right. From this style, it is easy to tell that Zen isn't going to swipe his vertically or horizontally like the basics he was taught at the Academy. No, he has designed something, though unperfected, based on the laws of motion, physics, and energy. Zen was prepared to give it his best, but when Zen kept a fixed galnce at Yunji, he noticed something appealing to him around her feet. It was the red boot she was wearing. So vivid and so bright, like the color of a firecracker ready to burst into a shower of dazzling lights. Since the first month of Zen's birth, his parents had taken him to see fireworks several times and he has been seriously attracted to the wonderful colors it produced. Although it dosen't happen all of the time when he sees a color of the same quality, her constant tapping and humming added to the effect of the boots that held some sort of control over him. And now, he couldn't help but stare at the boot and hesitate on doing what he was supposed to do. The boot bedazzled Zen. The boot amazed Zen. The boot controlled Zen. The boot LOVED ZEN. The power lies...... in the boots. He prepared to stop what he was doing, reach over to those magnificent articles of clothing, and hug it to death as if he was begging it to come back to him before he would try kis.......................... NNOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



A voice yelling at Zen snapped him awake from his blissful trance. It was if it came from his mind. Or perhaps somewhere around his abdomen. Whatever it was, Zen shook that queer side of him as his instincts has once again saved him from acting like a total fool. The colorful boots were a distraction, and while Zen was in a "cured" state, he took the moment to decide what he should do so he would be able to resume his actions. It seemed like Yunji was mocking him, as if her tapping and humming were all part of an intentional tactic to overwhelm Zen to make her boots more effective........ OF COURSE! exclaimed Zen's mental voice. Adding a certain flavor to his food. A certain spice to sweeten things up a bit. The Tankou knew exactly what to do. And it might also make his attack more effective. Luckily, the winds have calmed down. Zen quickly looked to the side, with a shocked expression on his face. It seemed as if he saw a mythical creature. There was a facial look of incredibility on him. Of course, the boots would no longer be part of his sight line and he erased any thought of it."Dear Lord of the Striking Heavens..... is that a Minotaur??!!" wondered Zen, with a look of disbelief. Surely, the Minotaur does exist in Kumogakure and they wander around concealing areas, such as this one. Even though it is rare to see one, he hoped that the emotional excitement would surprise Yunji and interested her too, catching her off guard as she looks towards her right. His acting and expression was flawless, as he pictured a Minotaur stalking around the area, adding a realistical sensation to it. Then he turned back towards Yunji immediately after he said that, hopefully which would be the time it would take for Yunji to glance over towards the supposed creature. There was a four meter distance between them. Once he turned, he instantly letted out a quick yet sudden shriek and threw the kunai at her. He extended his arm towards her with quick speed while twisting his fist towards the left so it will be in a steady position with wrist-snapping force (at this point the kinetic energy will speed up and increase) and with his pinky finger a centimeter in the hole attached to the bottom of the hilt, he flicked that before his arm can be straight again and released the kunai. From this formation, it is ensured that the kunai travels at rather high speed rate and at a straight line. Of course, he had to place some control on it. The kunai spinned while it headed for Yunji's middle chest area, like a dart. Zen's instant shriek and the spinning style of the kunai is bound to revert Yunji's senses and disrupt her thoughts of thinking how to dodge. This would force her to rely on her instinct alone. Zen accurately aimed at the diaphragm, exactly at the thoracic cavity area, which if the kunai should pierce through that, it will cause severe damage to the respiratory system (heavily uncomfortable and disrupted breathing) and blood circulation. Zen, of course, did not think that the kunai would hit through that. Yunji is a skilled Jounin, and he would expect her to easily dodge that, but there is still a high chance it will at least scratch her considering the style of the throw and the distance. When he released the kunai, he jumped back two meters to look out for Yunji's counters. The Tankou made sure that hsi head is a bit tilted up so he won't be looking at the boots. He already had his next move planned out if Yunji didn't give any instructions on his throwing style, but this test is now becoming a motivation for Zen. The training begins. He cannot fail right now, his teacher wanted to see if he could draw her blood. He cannot fail. For he had promised himself on this very day...................










......he would scratch Yunji Malkav..........

Yunji grew bored at waiting for her student to injure her. She sighed inpatiently and tapped her foot even faster. She smiled when she saw Zen reach for his pouch and draw a kunai, he was right handed, a minor detail really. But it could influence his aim and power, some shinobi had sworn to her that right handers were better at throwing. "Miss Malkav, right handers are superior!". He had said with a smugness that Yunji didnt like, so after she popped out three of his fingers for calling her Miss, she said to him. "You still your better then me? (Yunji is left handed), the man responded in an odd way, almost like he was in pain. He was all "Ah god please don't kill me!". She didnt of course for that would fall under the conundrums of the law and punishments. Zen was doing all manner of calculations with his throw, checking balance, spinning it several times for momentum, there was a certain flair to his technique, plenty of practice, his movements seemed so precise, so honed and tuned. Yunji halfway expected the Kunai to pierce her forehead right there and then, leaving a corpse for the ANBu to find, and for Zen to receive a lecture from the Raikage about how its poor manners for someone to just kill another out of the blue and unprovoked, maybe Yunji could send her corpse to the doctors for sceinctific research, maybe they could find the cure for accute... something or other, Yunji didnt know what she could cure with her rotting deceased fleshy husk.

Yunji's head tilted as she noticed something, quite odd. Zen was hesitating despite her vigorous demand that he do no such thing, he was staring at something, watching it, following its beat like an engrossed music listener. He was staring... at her feet, or more precisly her boots. He was enchanted by them, the tapping of her feet, the mixmatched colors of the boots themselves, he appeared to be so distacted, he may have forgotten where he was, like he was going to stop everything and just hug the boot. Yunji smirked, as he snapped out of it, this was something she could most definatly use to her advantage, she loosened the red boot ever so slightly that the smallest kick to send it flying, she wouldnt strike just yet, she wanted the boy to throw his projectile, show her what he'd got. She laughed as he kept glancing at her feet. " Getting distracted are we? ". She looked around confused as he mentioned a minotaur. Could it be? She never thought she'd actually see one... She began to yell in the direction the Zen was looking, turning her back on her eager possibly turned on student. " WE HAD A DEAL, YOU'D LEAVE AND NEVER RETURN... I HAVE A COURT ORDER HERE THAT PREVENTS YOU FROM BEING NEAR ME...". It was all nonsense of course Yunji had never sene one before, she was mad though so it was to be expected that she would react in such a way, it occred to her that her dear student was trying to distact and confuse her, and suprisingly it had worked much to her disdain.

Yunji turned and yelped as she saw a metal gleam zooming towards her, she moved to the left, attemping to dodge, it worked sort of the kunai still hit, but only scratched her side and tearing a bit og shirt. She smirked at Zen both pleased and annoyed at the same time. She lunged at him quicker then he could tell but stopped a few feet, and kicked forcfully sending the red boot spiralling towards Zen's face, while that happened she raised her left now bootless foot and lunged foward striking Zen in the face while he was distracted, and pushed down, with force but not a painful amount, but enough to knock him to the floor, she then planted the same foot on his face pinning him to the floor. The downside to this was Zen would have trouble moving, and also had a face full of black thigh high sock.

Zen smirked in success that his plan had worked. Yunji had fell for his prank and his kunai had even been able to scratch her side. Something minor and a bit small but it was his goal nevertheless and he is extremely happy that he inflicted it upon a Jounin. Working from the smaller things eventually evolve to larger things. He then had ideas that he might be able enough to beat her in a battle of wits right now but that was disrupted when he heard something or someone moving from in front of him and a fraction of a second later, he saw a red boot flinging towards him. At this close of a range, he could only see a dazzling burst of vivid red light, like one of those bright dots from a fireworks show. Of course, his cure ended and he felt himself faltering at the sight of the object. Using his instincts, he instantly caught the red boot with two of his hands, just two feet away from his face. He held his hands up in the air, so he could get a glimpse of the red boot. Staring at it with awe, he could feel his joystick ready to burst. At long last! He could snuggle the colorful item with his face! But before he could even bend his muscles, the boot was instantly knocked out of his hands and later he saw a black foot aiming right at his face. POW!!!!

The foot landed right on Zen's face, causing enough impact to flip him over and lose balance. "Argh!" letted Zen as Yunji's foot collided with him. Obviously, she did not allow his trickery to go unpunished. Or was that the reason? He landed, head first body later, on the ground that seemingly could have caused a concussion, but rather triggered Zen's senses. Unfortunately, the ground is rather solid so a slight pain did arrive within his skull. Luckily, he did not get a nosebleed. But before he could blink, a foot came down on him and squished his face, thus making it difficult for him to see or move freely. Now, he was surrounded by a world of blackness. And it felt as if a wooden crate is on his face, rearranging his facial features. The boy also found it hard to breath, as every inch of oxygen he could breath in was accompanied with a slight hint of foot stink. Zen's sword flew out halfway from its sheath and it seemed as if Zen slapped his right hand at the surface multiple times so he could grab it and cut off the foot but that ended in failure. What the hell is this?!!! wondered Zen. "Mhhhmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" yelled a muffled voice. The boy flunged out his hands and feet violently, trying to escape from Yunji's grasps but her foot was too strong for him. He then slapped his right and left hand at the sides of her lap, alerting her that he is about to vomit any moment now. "Battiea Sennina*! Get your bloody foot off my bloody face!" Zen demanded as he slapped her lap. In about a minute, tears would erupt from Zen's eyes if Yunji did not lift her foot off of him. He might also file a complaint to the Raikage and have him yell at her for "improper conduct." Zen's mouth opened and actually breathed in the sock, causing him to cough at her feet several times. Now slamming and slapping her lap, he shouted "Off! Off! Off of me!!!" This would turn out to be a rather memorable day for Zen. Most likely one he would prefer not to rememeber....



* Battei Sennin (Battiea Sennina in this post with Yunji's feet on Zen's mouth) is the Naruto Version of saying "Jesus Christ. It is a commonly used line to represent one of the world's most extraordinary ninja who once saved the village of Kirigakure, Kumogakure, and Konohagakure and has been a revered as the true son of Rikudou Sennin, The God of Shinobi.

Yunji smirked as the boy wriggled and flailed around under her foot. He didnt seem to be having a good time, not at all. She smiled wickedly and wiggled the toes that were obscuring the boys probably squashed face. She thought to herself that it was a good they were clean, anything worse would mean suffocation for the poor lad, who was now tapping her lap several times, signifying that he wanted her to remove the limb covering him. She would of course, just not right now, for he needed to learn that trickery rarely works on a Malkavian for long. At least in Yunji's case it didnt, for yelling at a non existant being like a Minotaur, and hinting at a possible realationship problem, kinda counts as "Working like it should". She turned her attention to the still squirming and muffled shouting of the genin beneath her, she laughed and removed her foot from his face, allowing him to take much needed breaths of fresh sock free air. She sat down cross legged, leaving her boot laying next to him, prehaps she would allow him to hold on to it for a while, as a reward for scratching her with his Kunai, his aim was alot better then she thougt and he had done rather well for himself. She grabbed her boot and dangled it in a way that it would be the first thing Zen saw when he sat up. The young lad certainly had an interest in her footwear, not that it was a problem, for she had been able to use it against him several times in their little practice.

"Did you enjoy that Little Moth? I figured since you enjoyed the boot so much, the real thing would be even better " . SHe laughed to herself and gently tapped Zen on the chin with the still bootless foot. " Your performance, was as expected, aim is sharp, swing is mighty... . SHe pretended to glance down at Zen's lower body, but in reality was staring at the ground. " Errection... still sporting ". Yunji giggled once more, and ran a hand through her hair. "Once you recover our next test is Physical prowess, I want to see how strong you are in a fight. So... recover and such... . She teased him by again dangling the boot infront of him only to whip it back and remove it from his presence.

Zen took huge intakes of air the second Yunji lifted her foot off his face. He looked to the side, coughing again. He then slapped his hands to his face, as if trying to hide his humiliation. But really, he wanted to check for any pieces of the sock left hanging around on him. Alas, his body had settled down and so had his mind, turning back to the next issue that Yunji would announce. But that relief didn't last long. YUNJI......... What the hell was that lady thinking??!! The moment he got up, he wanted to punch her hard in the face and step on it with his foot to see how she likes it, but he kept his cool. That usually helps the body recover quicker. No, he would instead yell at her for treating him this way. After making sure that the air he is breathing in and his own personal space is clean, he sat up to give his sensei a peace of his mind but stopped when he noticed a red boot dangling around in front of him. It was like a locket, suspended in air, that stopped Zen in his tracks. It had hypnotized him, and although not moving back and forth, the effect was the same and he felt himself being dozing off to a trance again. He neared his head towards the boot and got ready to hold the boot once more. He hesitated there, almost unsure of whether or not he should do it. This was a sign of struggle, perhaps he is starting his journey to a normal view of extremely vivid colors.........??? Wrong. Perhaps it is useless to resist. The boots neared towards him, softly tapping him on his chin. The only words he heard were "aim is sharp, swing is mighty...", His teacher has acknowledged his aiming, so he assumed he had passed. JUST GRAB IT ALREADY!! yelled a voice inside his head. Ironically, it was the same voice that had told him NOT to embrace the boots. Two sides at once..... no help at all. So he did. Zen held out his hands in preperation to take the boot, but before he could, the boot slapped away from him, the color drifting further and further away.... SNAP OUT OF IT!! the mental voice said. Battei Sennin....... make up your mind already.... replied Zen. But of course, he fell away from the trance. It had occured to him that obviously, Yunji has discovered the first disadvantage of Zen....

Zen of course was in a ecstatic state and all of his bodily feelings remained neutral when he fell "acquainted" with the red boot. He did not notice that his body was getting "pumped up" and now that it has settled down, he was confused by Yunji's third comment. But shades of red did pop out on his cheeks. Now he would have to control himself a bit more. Especially for the next lesson, which is a test of physical strength. Zen suddenly stood up, feeling rather refreshed. A spar of raw strength? Zen particulary excelled in Taijutsu among the other two general skills he had learned about, that being Taijutsu is the main skill of the Tankou clan. He has somewhat bulked up in muscles since the time he graduated from the Academy five years ago. He has done some weight training and has progressed much in terms of agility. But if it's going to be a display of hand-to-hand combat, Zen is up for the challenge. At least now he can get a sense of how strong his teacher is. "I am ready......" said Zen. He decided to plan out his movements. Perhaps he should reveal his clan's kekkei genkai and impress Yunji with greater strength even more. His blood started to pump and adrenaline slowly oozed its way into his body. He adopted a battle position, bending his knees with his right one pointing at Yunji and both arms at his side. He is aware that Yunji is a much more skilled combatant than him, so she cam crush him and beat out every bone out of his body in just one minute. But today is not the day of a deathmatch. Today is the day where the two ninja duke it out in a plane of equalness.... so to speak. He will unleash everything he had been taught about. So let the match between student and teacher commence!

Yunji smirked at Zen. Her little stunt seemed to have effected Zen more then she had thought, he was taking deep breaths, hinting that he was being starved for air, but not enough to kill him or even damage him. He slapped his face, he was humiliated, and Yunji felt a pang of guilt and sympathy for the boy. Maybe she had gone a little too far, maybe... maybe... she reasoned with herself, that if she had been a real enemy she would have done far then shove a foot on his face, indeed she would have ended his life, or tortured, or subjected him to an increasingly dry set of flat jokes for two hours. He also looked rather angry, as he sat up. He wanted to strike her with his rage, lash out, give in to the vice of anger and make Yunji suffer as he did. SHe was very sure that he was about to sock her, and rant to her about what she done. But... he didnt, for again he was distracted by her Red Boot. He tried to reach out and grab it, much to her amusment but he didnt, choosing to control his urge infront of her. She noticed his blushing at her errection comment, he was ashamed? Or at least embarassed about his kink, she would have to asure him that he shouldnt be so tense around her. She is a madwoman after all nothing could possibly freak her out. She slid her boot on quickly and quietly to avoid catching Zen's eye, as he might get the impression that she attempting another distraction on him. He seemed more entusiastic about the Physical spar. Presumably because he was good at it? If so then this would be his chance for revenge, whatever that may be. Prehaps he'd shove his foot in her face? Let he know what she had put him through.

She smiled when he told her he was ready, she nodded at him showing that she was ready. She tapping her foot again, and bobbing her head along to a beat. She was about to do something that would no doubt confuse Zen, but he should get used to working with her and prehaps her next bout of odd behaviour would help. She stepped foward once, and grinned at Zen while still tapping and head banging, while a song played in her head. " Put on your red shoes, and lets dance... HA! ". She jumped at him aiming a swift kick to his face, just before she hit him, she whispered... " Turn it up... . As she landed from delivering her kick attack, she cartwheeled around to his left on one hand and delivered a swift gut punch, using her momentum from said roll she backflipped backwards a few feet away from Zen... and then... broke into a dance! " I'm working hard, you're working too! We do it everyday! For every minute I have to work, I need a minute of play! ". She started humminh along to the song while gesturing at Zen to attack back.

Zen observed her constant bodily movements. Tapping of the feet and the bobbing of the head. The Tankou easily recognized that both of them were synchronized and in tune, hinting that there is some kind of rhythm going on. Perhaps this is her fighting style? How unique.... I will definitely identify the flaws. thought Zen. Yunji stepped forward. Zen's muscles tensed up, ready to show what he has got. I wonder...... how strong she is. And then....... Yunji started a nonsensical sentence. But of course, Zen deduced that this is probably part of her alien language and he guessed that it means that she is about to pounce on him. Which she did. Zen reacted, intending to fight her off. The first attack was a fast upper kick to the face. But no matter, he has already thought of a simple way to dodge close-combat kicks like that. With two short bursts of energy, Zen performed an elegant backflip just before her kick collided with his face. He maintained balance, bended the bone joints in his knees, and quickly landed several feet away back from his previous spot. But he heard what Yunji had whispered to him. Turn it up? Could that mean that she wanted him to do his best? To never hold back? If so, then Zen would be very much pleased to do that. His guard is up, and his bones are ready to inflict some heavy bruises on his enemy. But before he could move away, Yunji spinned on her sides like a cartwheel, only she is doing it in a curved fashion and with only one hand. How agile!! Perhaps her flexibility comes from her skill as a gymnast? noted Zen. She attempted to punch him in the guts, but since is attacking the middle chest, also known as the stomach area, she would have known that can be blocked by pure instinct since humans have the fastest reactions on the point around the ribs if they aren't pinned down. Zen's arms formed a cross around the area Yunji attacked, and the punch hitted rather hard on the bones. Then she flipped backwards from Zen.


The boy dropped his arms, allowing them a few seconds to recover from the strike. Zen guessed taht she might be using a joint attack, probably an elbow or from the knee next, but instead.... she started to dance! "............" It was one of those moments when Zen's eyes seemingly started to shrink and thinking "What on earth are you doing?!" He did not entirely understood what she is singing, but he chose to ignore that. Surely his teacher is trained in the arts of Taijutsu. Her speed and strength is without a doubt, greater than what he had expected. His arm started to throb, but he remained strong in order to block out the pain. He has to retaliate. And he had an idea. Well a hunch rather but if that would prove to be correct in his test, then he would have discovered a counter to her style. The moment she tapped her foot and her head bobbled to the side, Zen instantly rushed right at her with high speed. A fast movement that can be described as "incredulous" compared to other Genin. A small cloud of dust materialized the moment he took off. When she tapped the ground and bobbed her head to the side again, Zen launched two quick punches at her rib area. He expected her to dodge it instantly and using that instinctive response, he would immediately form a chop with his right hand the moment his left fist landed on her, and lunged it with great force at the space between her neck and collarbone, causing uncomfortable short-term suffocation should it hit. Timing it all together, the chop should head towards its target the moment she starts to block it. And about the time Zen did that, he thrusted his knee towards the root ligament located right under her left hip with greater energy, taking away any feeling in her left leg if that was successful. Although he doubt that any of his attacks would inflict anything major or severe at her, the youth did not stop there. When his first barrage ended, he would quickly stomp on her right ankle with his left foot, the bony heel preventing her from fleeing. Of course, that would be done when she her foot taps again to the ground. And to string it all up, Zen jumped and performed a powerful swift kick at Yunji's face with his right foot. This strike would the most greatest out of all of his attacks and possess fast motion. There was no hesitation there. The idea that Zen had was to follow the beat of her rhythm with the tap and the bobble. The moment her foot tapped the ground and the moment her head bobbed to the side, he guessed that was probably a call announcing "You may now attack!" since it's a "start" and "end" point. And when he lifted off her foot while her head is moving, he deduced that it was an interval saying "Stop." By following that and becoming part of it, he might be able to find the weakness. Other than it requiring great observation and the mental ability to deduce the rhythm and play it inside their own head, this might all be some random strange style that she suddenly wanted to use. It really didn't matter much to him, all he wanted was to pass the second test. After that, he jumped back three meters away from Yunji and squeezed his right wrist while analyzing Yunji's responses. "How was that Yunji Sensei? Would you call that working hard?" asked Zen. What will she do?

Yunji raised an eyebrow in suprise as Zen effortlessly dodged her kick with an elegant backflip much like her own, except lacking the rock song in the background as well her agile strike to the gut. Her palm throbbed slightly from the inpact of his blocking due his rather quick cross motion over his gut, not a pleasant thing to strike, even for someone her age, his technique was smooth and precise. The kid knew what to do in a fist fight. A good thing too, as Yunji wouldnt hold back, well she would but just enough to render the boy very sore, and brusied for the next session of training. Non lethality was such a bore... but this kid was her student, and she found herself growing fond of him, even though they hadn't known each other for very long. He was confused by her dancing, and song but it didnt seem to throw him off gaurd, troublingly so he seemed to have found some form of pattern, and thus precise moments of when to strike. He had responded with own attacks at last, and at such speed and grace as well. Yunji smirked and kept dancing and headbanging to her song while watching Zen carefully. His strike in his deadly assault were two quick punchs to her ribs, she effortlessly caught the punch from the right hand, and leaned to the right side to avoid the left hand's attack. She grinned at him and with her free hand waggled a finger at him as if saying "Tut-tut". Her grin was short lived however. She was struck in the neck with a chop of some sort, she gasped with what little breath she had left, and staggered backwards gasping for a eye with a look of suprise on her face, the genin had actually hurt her. His attack didnt end there, he ended her ability to run back or move efficiently, by stamping violently on her right heel, she yelped in pain and fall backwards, clutching her heel, grimacing she attempted to stand she was met with... painful treat. Zen's foot collided with her face, with a sickening sound her head flew back and she staggered, groaning and fell over, crumpling like tinfoil.

She wasnt unconsious or even dead, she was panting, and swallowing the blood dripping into her mouth. Zen looked pleased and asked how he had done. She sat up and yanked off the red boot and tossed it foward not caring that it might distract Zen, she began nursing the ankle, it wasnt broken, more like sprained and hurt like a bitch. She would walk albiet painfully for a few days. Zen had exceeded her expectations. " Little moth your technique was graceful, poetic even. I shall write a dirge about this moment. You have done very well, more so then I thought. I never imagined the crimson wold flow from me of all people. Your work was hard indeed and I am impressed. ". She sighed and leaned back, laying down on the grass, slowly rotating the bootless injured ankle, in an attempt to ease the pain.

OOC: Not as flashy of yours, but I think the message gets through ^^.

Zen's eyes were wide open. He cannot believe it. He actually landed a hit on his sensei! Three successful strikes, all that has done some minor but an overwhelming amount of power to her. Perhaps he is stronger than he had expected. Has he already surpassed Yunji? But then his eyes lowered and immediately destroyed that thought. He surpass a Jounin? Unthinkable. No, the only reasonable explanation would be that his sensei decided to go easy on him. Yes, she lowered her guard and relaxed a bit to allow themselves be "equal" in strength. She would still be able to beat the crap out of him, but still........ had his analytic powers succeeded? He cannot believe that his timing and thinking has given him the chance to bruise her a bit. Zen should be more proud of his achievements from now on. His display of power is quite remarkable. He did feel a bit sad for Yunji having to suffer like this, had he gone too far? But then he remembered how she placed a foot right in his face and nodded. This is the right thing to do. Revenge is sweet!!! But it can be dangerous..... Deciding to talk about his brilliance today later on, he noticed Yunji throwing her red boot towards Zen's direction and rubbing the area where it most hurt. But before the boot landed, Zen quickly spranged forward and caught the boot, grasping it as if it were a maiden of beauty. But the value suddenly decreased, and it looked as if it were a pretty but annoying little sister. He has been going into this state for three times now, and the more he enters it the less effective it gets. Even dazzling interests can quickly become boring. Although he still has a smile on his face, a quick look at Yunji diminished it.........

Blood. He could see blood dripping from her mouth and her swallowing it back. Did he shed that blood? Was it the kick to the face? It would most definitely cause her to bleed from her mouth. Zen also cannot believe he did that. Not the thing that he hurted his teacher, he really didn't care about that but the sight of blood being lossed from something he did saddened him. No, it made him feel guilty. He began to heave heavy breaths at rapid rates. Sweat dripped down his face. What.....? No....... no.... I didn't do that..... but i did.... so.... no...... The boy did his best to battle for his cool, and in the end he remained strong. His face was well hidden behind the boot, so Yunji would not detect the significant changes. Then he recieved praise from Yunji. He had exceeded her expectations. That is good. He should not be so afraid. The sight of blood, perhaps his second disadvantage, snapped him out of the trance. He prompty walked over to Yunji and placed the boot right besides her, as a way of saying "I believe this is yours." Zen then sat on the grass, his two legs bent and his knees right against his chest, with his arms folded around them. "What are we going to move on to?" asked Zen.

Yunji looked up as Zen caught her boot, and gazed at it longingly. He had gone into his dazed state once again, altough it seemed milder then usual. Zen was getting bored by it, or was showing some degree of control, maybe both. Yunji would to ask him about it later... or right now. Yunji yawned, and watched as Zen wandered over, with a look of... sadness? Either he was guilty of the injury's he caused Yunji, which she doubted as she did give him a faceful of foot earlier, that would make anyone a wee bit annoyed. He placed her boot next to her, she smiled and raised a arm giving him a thumbs up, a quick way of saying thanks. The taste of blood still hadnt left her mouth, and she certainly wanted a good drink of something. She grabbed her discarded footwear and slid it on her foot once more, instant snugness was felt and the chill on her leg was gone. She sat up and turned to her genin, he was sweating and the rapid raising of his chest meant an increased speed of breath, presumably brought on by guilt or sadness, or sympathy. By all means Zen shouldnt feel that bad, but she might have to reassure him, or take efforts to inform him that such feelings might land him in trouble. He wanted to know what we are going to move on to. Yunji gave it a little thought, he was talented with Taijutsu so her best bet would be to improve that even more. She spun around so she was facing Zen directly. She stared at him for a moment and then answered. " Little Moth, your obvious talent is Taijutsu, getting into the thick of things, seeing the whites of your enemy's eyes, before tearing him a new wordhole, with GUNS! AND BOMBS AND- AND KNIFES AND WITH YOUR BARE HANDS AND SUCH! . She cleared her throat, " We'll be working on that some more, I could teach you new styles, and techniques. You could give a phsycial on your Kekkei Genkei, if you have one. ".

Yunji wanted to ask him something, something personal. Hopefully it wouldnt bother him to much. " Little Moth, might I mine your grey matter? I have noticed your attachment to my boots, may I ask what you see in them? How and why do they appeal to you? What brought this on? And you shouldnt be nervous or embarrassed by it. However... if you don't to asnwer thats fine, I have a way of persuading you. ". Incase Zen had any ideas, it wasnt her genjutsu, it was more of a hands on approach involving a roll of tape. Nothing to serious at all. Maybe slightly unnerving for the boy, but Yunji could always mask it as restraints and escape training.

Zen sighed softly. Yunji did not blame him for his actions. Not that he expected her not to, but he had been getting a bit worried. A shinobi should not be so guilty nor concerned about shedding blood. It proves to be much useful in assassination missions. Though Zen could hardly see that about his older self. He smiled a bit when Yunji started to talk awkwardly again. That would be disguised at the fact that he is glad that his teacher is not mad at him. He is most happy when Yunji offered to sharpen his Taijutsu prowess more. Yunji is surely a master at Taijutsu, something Zen is very hopeful at since now he has someone else other than his father to teach it to him. Hand-To-Hand Combat has always been something he excelled at. In fact, many of Kumogakure's shinobi are trained in Taijutsu and most of them prize it. Yunji just happened to be one of the top at it. Zen wondered just exactly how many styles his body and mind can learn. Taijutsu trains the body in different forms of fighting, and Zen has already learned two as well as a few other techniques. He would definitely be looking forward to the physical training. Perhaps he could give his father a run for his money after he is done? At last, I have found a suitable teacher.... thought Zen. The boy considered demonstrating the Tankou Clan's Kekkei Genkai. It works extremely well for Taijutsu users, and therefore it can be said that most of the Tankous specialize in it. His bloodline ability can be said to "modify" the body to enhance physical Taijutsu attacks. He would have to show it to Yunji sometime, especially if he is to endure Taijutsu excercises with her. It would come in handy very soon. "Thanks Yunji, I would be looking forward to this Taijutsu training. You are correct, I am good in the Taijutsu arts and rely mainly on fast-paced brute force for combat. Uhh..... my bloodline limit will be known to you someday... just not sure when," said Zen. However, he became slightly startled when he interperted Yunji's additional words. He had a feeling "Might I Mine Your Grey Matter" pointed towards something very personal of him.

He suddenly felt his brain racing again when Yunji's question opened itself to him. ! He had wondered when she would ask him about it. He had quitely hoped that she wouldn't mind, but it seemed that she is very curious about it. But actually, Zen didn't mind a lot. He had no reason to not to share his interest in vivid colors, since only a few people know about that. It's good to let it out more. And it might actually help since Yunji could figure out a method of getting rid of that particular love. It is becoming very distracting lately and is definitely a burden when on real action. He needed it gone as fast as possible. "It isn't specifically the boots. When I was very young, I had taken an interest in extremely vivid colors. It heavily appeals to me as if it were an angel you could say as what I see. Angels are magnificent celestial beings after all. That interest has evolved to something a bit more powerful, and now bright colors such as your red boot dazzle me. I am not sure about the exact details and I am not sure about the workings of this condition, but I do know it originated from a fireworks show. With the few people who know of this, it is difficult to find out exactly how and why this is happening to me. But I think it has something to do with an adjustment in sensitivity in the retina and a change, an enviromental change judging from where I got this, in mental interests. I have done some minor research on things like that, but with no success. I call it Zen Syndrome, after me of course." replied Zen. The Tankou felt better after letting that out. He had his hopes up that Yunji would get to work on her free time to find a cure for this problem.....

Yunji smiled when Zen openly and willingly shared a little bit of personal infomation about himself. This meant that they were on good terms already, which of course was excellent. A good relationship between Teacher and Student would make life alot easier, Yunji knew a teacher a few years back, who treated his students like absolute crap. She found his body with several cuts and kunai jutting from them, when she questioned the genin about it, one of them told her that they'd all ganged up on him when he wasnt paying attention, reportedly they had said in a mocking tone after stabbing him, "Oop's sorry sir!". She kept it in the dark though, as the man deserved it. Back to Zen's explanation. He was interested in vivid colors from a young age, comparing such a thing to an angel. It started with a fireworks show, and he claimed he had done research thinking it was some kind of retinal condition, but he might just ne wrong. Yunji could tell he felt better after telling her this. She spoke up finally. " I think... little moth, that it isnt a retinal condition. I think... that you have a foot fetish, which to say sexual stimulation by feet, or footwear, in your case my boots. They are an object of attraction for you, as evident by... your... well you know. Its very normal and common, I met a guy who had the same preference as you. Nice guy... dead now... either way, you shouldnt think of it as some kkind of mental problem. However I need to help you control yourself so you arnet distracted in combat or otherwise. But if you want to... indulge yourself at home or with a friend your own age then feel free. . yunji began to remove bother boots, she placed them on the ground infront of her, and then also removed her socks. Thankfully the grass wasnt wet or damp, and the area was average temperature, no discomfort would come from waltzing around bare foot.

" I would like to try a little test, it isnt dangerous but it might be unpleasant, but hopefully won't make you feel like an oddball. If done right this should help you control yourself at least in battle. I want you to look me in the eyes for 10 minutes. Look straight into them, if I catch you so much as glancing at something else like the boots or anyother part of my body... ". She rasied a hand clutching both thigh highs, in plain view of Zen. " Then this one, is going in your mouth... and the other one, is being tied around your mouth to keep the first sock in, and I might put a foot on your face again, relax everything is very clean, so any bad tastes or odours are nill." . Yunji stared into Zen's eyes, waiting for him to look back.

Zen listened carefully to Yunji's opinion. A foot fetish? wondered Zen. With her senior expierence and analyzation of the obvious evidence presented, that would be something one would have pop up in their head. Footwear attracts the ones with this condition, pulling them in their grasp, and thus explains the trancelike state. So basically he is turned on by a footwear he finds interesting in terms of features? Sounds like a mental problem to him, even if Yunji disagrees. Zen was happy to find out that this he is not the only one with this "fetish." He remembered his father telling him that his condition might stem from his fetish of things with a certain common trait that appeals to him. At least that gave him some hope that this lust would be solved. But on a subconscious side, the Inner Zen starts re-thinking about the problem when Yunji mentioned she knew a guy who had a similiar lust as him. This would mean that Yunji only compared her knowledge of this guy's condition to the clear evidenting condition that Zen has for the boots. What she dosen't know is that Zen has done this so many times before, and not every one of them involved footwear. In fact, this is the first time Zen had the lust for footwear. Though, Zen cannot keep track of all the things he became lost in because of their supposed color vividness. But the Inner Zen knows. Zen would not remember since this is the first time he got out of a trance and remained in control, allowing him to remember the boots. His internal mind thought up of some of the things that this condition took place. The bright cyan-colored book....... the bright yellow gloves...... that bright red rose...... and even my mother's bright green panties.. Are they not all footwear products? Two deals with hands, one grows naturally, and another fits in an inner layer. Plus they have different colors. If it's a foot fetish, then how could that be explained? thought Inner Zen. But since Yunji nor Zen would know that nor hear it, that thought is meaningless in terms of presentation. Although Zen has dobuts about her theory since she knows only of this particular lust, he has no choice but to go along with it because of her method of repair. "Interesting..... so this is normal and common in Kumogakure..... perhaps the entire world even,' said Zen. He lifted an eyebrow when she said that she will help him control this condition.... and probably tame it to his will if he decides to further it. Obviously controlling it so it won't get in the way of important things is rather more better than getting rid of it.


He listened to Yunji's decision on a test. If it would help him control himself in battle as Yunji say it is, then he is ready for this. He understood it. Looking in her eye for ten minutes and don't even peer at any other part. He found the consequences a bit frightening, so he promised himself he would conquer this. Getting stepped on the face by Yunji again is not something Zen is looking forward to. Though this seemed all too easy, as long as he can blink. Perhaps she is making a second test to confirm his control? Whatever, he understood the general idea of this test. It kinda corresponds with a phrase his father had once quoted to him. "Mind over Matter." It means that one should not let a syndrome nor a diesease limit what they could possibly do. In this case, it's a battle of will between mind and mind. The inner mind and the inner mind's disorder. Whoever can overcome and surpass the other will gain control over their actions. If the disorder wins, Zen is prone to more vivid colors and even less attracting ones too. If the mind wins, then Zen can act without any internal distractions. Seems very interesting. This is a great chance to see how strong his mind really is. "Alright! I'll do as you ask. I'm gonna get this right!" shouted Zen. So Zen went on and looked into Yunji's eyes. Right into them. Two round eyes. But what was hidden behind them truly shocked Zen. Zen started to imagine things. A lifetime of insanity and hysteria. A man behind bars for running around town completely naked with his rooster. Then, he saw a fire. A fire burning on Earth, as if someone wants to see the world burn. Then.... nothing. A black space of nothingness. No matter, no light, no substance. Just a world of shadows with no one to live in it. Lonesome dark. Nothing but black. Nothing...... And then Zen stopped and he found himself still staring at Yunji's eyes. He was completly unfaced during that time and nothing changed on his face nor appearance, so Yunji would not determine that he had been seeing things just by looking at him. He looked for two more minutes. The field suddenly became quiet. Even the birds stopped chirping. Completely silent.... except for the breathing and intense concentration of Zen. He had a neutral face and maintained it well......... until three minutes passed by. On the third minute, Zen started to feel uncomforty. His legs started to twitch and he knew he was about to divert his attention. He tried to stop it with all of his mental power, using full force and tension to make his eyes fixed. But something was overwhelming him. The Genin is able to control his actions for thirty seconds after that. Zen fought it. He lost. Suddenly, Zen's eyes diverted and now, for a split second, it looked at Yunji's right hand. Then, it looked under it and saw Yunji's red boot. He stared at it for the longest second of his life. He wanted to take it. The image of an angel, the boot that is. However, he remembered the task and halted the "intruder" at last. Zen looked back at Yunji's eyes.... only to recieve an article of foot in his mouth and a very unpleasant punishment......

The test had begun! Yunji smiled and carried on staring into the eager and rather cocksure eyes of her genin. He seemed interested in what she had said to him, but could tell he was disagreeing somewhat, ah well whatever he thinks, this control lesson shall be good for him. The punishment for failure wasnt as severe as Yunji planned, but hopefully will teach him not to give in to his vice at bad moments, like now for instance. He shouted enthusiasticly that he would get this right, she smirked doubting his claim, get something right on the very first go was a tricky task, and one like Zen who so easily gave into his vice several times in only a few moments would make this even harder. They begun, after a minute nothing happened, so Yunji amused herself by humming once more, not tapping this time for this might throw off Zen's game, and which to say wouldnt end well for him. " Children have you ever met the boogieman before? No of course you havent, for your much too good I'm sure!. Don't you be afraid of him if he should visit you! He's a great big coward, so I'll tell you what to do! Hush Hush Hush... here comes the Boogieman! Don't let him come too close to you, for he'll catch you if he can! Just pretend, that you're a crocodile!. ". She carried on humming the rest of the song to herself. After the seconf minute, things had grown rather quiet, only the birds could be heard over the silent training but even then they had grown silent, only the breathing of Zen could be heard, Yunji childishly stuck her tongue out at him, grinning while she did so. After the third minute, Zen lost his concentration, he twitched and then his gaze shifted if only for a second onto Yunji's hand and then the boot set before him, still the red one, the purple one obviously did nothing for him, not vivid enough I suppose.

Zen had failed, and for his failure... punsihment. Yunji lunged foward, pinning him to the floor with one hand, with the other she scrunched up one sock into a ball and jammed it into Zen's mouth, he wouldnt choke on it though, Yunji was much to careful and precise for that to happen, and then she quickly tied the other sock around his head, and inbetween the teeth, forcing the first sock to remain inside his mouth. She tutted at him. " Only three minutes? Come now little moth, I expected better of you, you know the drill ten minutes of this. I'm still deciding if I should add the finishing touch... maybe... maybe... well have fun. . She sat besides him staring up at the sky waiting for the ten minutes to expire. She imagined Zen wasnt having the best time... she was almost completly tuned out... prehaps paying attention would be a good idea... genin are slippery people, and Zen might escape from this, knowing him some kind of pay back might just happen. Yunji shrugged it off and carried on humming the The Boogieman song.

As expected, Yunji did not go back on her word. His punishment was swift and tight. He believed that Yunji had hopes that he will succeed, but had stronger doubts that he will fail on the first try. That should be very well expected as well. Not often did people get things right on the first go. He did his best to circle around his urge, but in the end it caught up to him and persuaded him. And now, Zen has a ball of sock in his mouth stuck there by another sock which is tied around his head to his mouth. This would mean that the ball would be stuck there until he get the one binding it out. Now on the floor, he started to move on and kicked the ground, moving his body more upwards so now his legs are right besides Yunji. From such a close contact, he can detect a very unpleasant smell coming from it. Not bad.... but not exactly odorless either. He used his hands to grab the binding sock and pull it away from his face, but its toughness is much too strong for him. He used his teeth to gnarl at the part between his teeth, but that didn't work out so well due to the way it was also tied. He struggled to remove it. His muscles started to stress and his biting teeth started to grow tired. Small drips of saliva were now rolling on the ball of sock. This made Zen's expierence all the more uncomfortable. Damn it.... I knew this would happen. This is all because Zen Syndrome made it's attack on me. If I focus on combating it more, then dealing with it should not encounter any major problems. He took the time to analyze the results from just one try and came up with a more pronounced way of meeting this. Although he swore he would get Yunji back for this, he knew that this is mainly his fault and all because of his failure. Getting mad at her would solve nothing. He very well could tell that he would soon get over this and forgive Yunji for what she has done. Somewhat. But instead of being frustrated with his teacher, he should get back to the situation at hand. Gaahhh!!! Damn this!!! Why couldn't I maintain myself? This is becoming serious..... I might not be able to control where my eyes would look anymore. I have seven minutes left.....no, I was suppose to look in her eyes for ten and screwed up, which means I'm back at ten. I need to get back to the training.... but first, I need to untie this sock! He started to become more angry and he got more violent on this teet. At this point, the fourth minute passed by already. If Zen used all of his strength, then he would actually be able to rip it off and grab the ball at. But then that will exhaust his physical energy, and he has to save every last bit of stamina to aid him in controlling his lust. If he dosen't, then he will never succeed today. Which is why........ it's time........


Now that he has a plan, or specifically a half-way completed plan, he has to rid of his punishment without overusing his strength. Yunji had expected him to go above five minutes, so she had more greater hopes in him than he had thought. But not she is wondering if she should make the last piece, Zen can now act. The ball is now starting to become soaky, so if he tries to take out a kunai then that would most likely cause it to roll more deeper. Actually, it will move a bit deeper in just five seconds, and Zen cannot wait any longer. It is time. Time to show the Tankou clan's kekkei genkai! He wanted to save it for later, but this is now a good time to reveal a little trick he had been saving up for a spar. Zen used the chakra he had focused earlier to replicate the molecular structures of the substance he had touched earlier.......

Quote :

Zen's sword flew out halfway from its sheath and it seemed as if Zen slapped his right hand at the surface multiple times so he could grab it and cut off the foot but that ended in failure.

Seemed. In reality if one had the ability to percieve chakra, Zen actually swarmed a small amount of chakra all at the metal blade of the steel katana while he is touching it. This invoked his genetics, which sended a signal to the chakra particles through Zen's hand to copy every single molecule in the steel blade and send the information back via the hand also to Zen's DNA. Kinzoku Senshin! invoked Zen. While still holding on to the sock, Zen's body underwent a change. Suddenly, his skin had rapidly changed texture, luster, and color to be exactly identical to that of steel. His black hair also reverted to a silvery metallic color. His eyes, mouth & lips, ears, and his nose has also solidfied and changed. Even his nails became bright gray and had sharpened. Although it wasn't hard to tell, from general appearance, that this was Zen Tankou, it was hard to tell if this boy possess the same personality as him.... or even the same powers. For internally, his transformation had affected it the most. His senkyuu (Tankou "blood") had resembled liquid metal, his bones were now steel bones, and his muscular system were now composed of metallic muscles. What happened to the nerves, arteries, veins, vessels, tissue, and other vital organs are pretty much obvious from prospecting the ones mentioned. Within his skull, the brain was surrounded by a metallic coating. Everything on, in, and composed of the boy is now living metal. His genetics allowed this to occur without any damage to his body or mind, though Zen only wanted this to stay for a few seconds. Metal Zen grabbed onto the binding sock on his head, feeling a bit heavy yet relaxed. He placed a small amount of force on the sock, and then using his new strength, ripped it right off fairly easily. However as he did so, he flapped his two feet apart (metallic right now) and the toes of his right feet hitted Yunji's left side of her head with rather violent force. Not enough to cause brain damage as it didn't penetrate the skull, but since it is a sharp side, the toes did pierce through the skin and now she would be bleeding on that side. Then, he used his metal teeth to grind on the sock in between of them, loosening the strain on his mouth. He unstrapped the sock right off, left battered and destroyed. Unless she wanted to perform medical reconstruction on the sock, Yunji wouldn't be able to wear it so properly again. He then used his metal tongue to roll up the ball of sock from his mouth, only to reveal a soaking wet ball of saliva. He flicked it right out and punched it away with his left hand. Zen then jumped up into a standing position, having his right feet stomping on Yunji's left feet which would amplify the pain. He looked at Yunji, with a neutral and uncaring expression on his face. Perhaps this is why, when a member is in their metallic state, the Tankou clan were nicknamed the "Shinobi Androids?" He deactivated the state, cancelling out the absorbed information on his cells, and reverted back to his normal self. He bent low and rapidly moved Yunji's left leg. "Hey, hey, hey! Yunji-sensei!" called Zen. His nails crunched up on her leg, piercing through her skin. The smell of sock is left distinguishable on his mouth, but he tried his best to ignore it. His punishment was over. "Let's try it again. I know I can do this. I can do this. We restart to ten minutes. C'mon, you know I can do this. Give me another chance. Maybe three more. I can do it, here I will look at your eyes right now...." After he said that, he moved his head towards Yunji so their eyes would meet, except Zen moved it so fast that now his head smashed to Yunji's. Headbutt! Zen rubbed his head, his determination soothing the head pain. "Continue, continue! Look into my eyes and I will look at yours!" begged Zen.

Yunji had finished her song, and was begining to hum another, but a soud caught her ear, she turned right and saw Zen struggling to free himself from his bonds. She laughed to herself, doubting his abulity to escape... and besides that wasnt part of the plan, the plan was for him to remain bound, and stuggling for at least 10 minutes. His escape would only lead to more punishment... not violent ones for that matter, the Raikage looked down on harming children... too much. She sighed and carried on day dreaming. She was thinking of the most fun ways to punsih Zen for hi escape... she could make him eat his own eyebrows, or turn him into a bad idea! Or fall in love with a cloud... Yunji had a hole once and filled it with clouds, or was it clowns... it started to smell after a while so it must have been clowns... as cloud dont smell of anything, but like tears and butter. She thought all manner of interesting things while her genin struggled for release. She looked puzzled by his new movements, he wasnt struggling as much, and appeared to have a plan. She took no notice... until something had and metalic struk her in the side of the head. She yelped and fell backwards, rubbing the affected area. " FOR THE LOVE OF MALKAV WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT? It was... a bird... there planning something arent they... ARENT THEY, WELL C'MON YER FEATHERY FUCKS... I'LL TAKE YOU ALL ON...". She looked over and saw that Zen had torn away his bonds.. and turned metal for a moment. She groaned in frustration, regretting that she didnt tie his arms or hands. A sharp pain swept through her body as she roared in pain and rolled backwards, Zen had stepped on her foot... and on purpose at that! Most likley still anoyed for what she had done to him. She scowled at him and what to retort. However Zen inturrupted her, boasting about he could do it again, and get it right this time. While at the same time scratching her leg. This kid was either clumsy and carefully doing it on purpose as some form of revenge. He then crouched low and stared into her eyes again giving her little chance to respond with a no. Another punishment was required...

Smirking evily she slowly brought her hands closer to Zen's ribs... and while he was so focused on her eyes... she quickly wiggled her fingers under his ribcage, which would hopefully do its job, then she leapt up and planted a foot on his stomach, pinning him to the floor once more, but not causing any pain or discomfort. Thanks to her agility she was able to crouch low without hurting herself, and keeping her foot in place. She looked down him and smiled. " The agreed punishment was ten minutes little moth... but since you escaped more punishment is required... either the socks go back in your mouth... or... I do this for twenty minutes. ". Once again her quick and nimble fingers glided over Zen's ribs and stomach, hopefully tickling him beyond what he was used to.

OOC: Due to an agreeable conversation with Yon, he has given me permission to do a very small-scale timeskip and some "force-playing" that he has stated in his post can be legally done.

IC:


Zen felt a very funny feeling under his ribs. But because his mother had done the same thing to him so many times when he was younger, his sense of touch identified the action for him. Yunji is tickling him and trying to distract his eyes. Zen bitted his lips and hardened his entire chest, trying to keep himself from laughing. He kept staring right at Yunji for eight seconds, until Yunji pinned him to the floor a third time. Even so, he tried to slap her hands away or keep her arms apart and away from him. But Yunji's muscles had proven to be too strong for him. Then Yunji gave him two choices. Plant the sock back in his mouth or she will tickle him for twenty minutes. Zen thought about it. Die of laughter or die of disgust? He chose the shortest one. Unfortunately, the ball of sock wasn't so dry anymore. I am going to damn myself for this.... swore Zen. he bursted out laughing, but then squeezed his hands on Yunji's fingers to stop her tickling. "A-A!! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! Al....Al........ dam.! Alright!! Put the sock back in mouth!!" he yelled. And so it happened. Yunji shoved the ball back into Zen's mouth for eight minutes, which he tried very hard to endure and resist vomitting. Ninja of higher caliber is able to deal with this for extended periods. He, of course, is not yet near near that higher caliber. After those eight minutes, Zen and Yunji tried again, staring at each other for ten minutes. Zen made some improvement, being able to maintain himself for five minutes and a few seconds before staring at the boot again and recieveing the same punishment. After that, there was little improvement for the next 15 tries. On the 19th try, Zen made a fall on his results by being able only to stare at Yunji for a full minute before looking at the boots. Perhaps he was getting tired. On the 20th try..... well he chose the twenty minute tickle instead. After he expelled a puddle of saliva from his laughter, he began making progress again.... sort of. On the 22nd try, Zen looked at Yunji for seven minutes and before recieving his punishment, look at her shoulder. he did not look at the boot.... nor the hand. On the 25th try, Zen made a huge deal of progress by staring at her for nine full minutes before looking at her chin. On the 27th, Zen was just ten seconds away from completion until a bird flew over and tried to peck him, to which Zen dodged but it remained futile in Yunji's wrath. So close..... It had been four hours after Zen made his first try on the control test with yunji, but Zen took no notice on it. He could say that he is 98% close on controlling his little disorder. He had three tries left, and if he fails the 30th, then he loses. However, Zen started to muster every last inch of mental power he has left within him, and on the 28th.........


The Tankou looked at Yunji's eyes for nine minutes and thirty seconds. He felt no pressure, no overwhelming force, and no rival. Either his resistance has been breached and this is becoming pointless either way, or his lust is beginning to disintegrate. Nine minutes forty-five seconds...... a bead of sweat rolled down from Zen's forehead. he had been sweating a lot lately. 10..... Nothing. 9..... A trickle? 8..... A tickle?! 7...... A force?! With seven seconds left, he felt a want to look at the boots again. he fought it, widening his eyes right at Yunji. No! No! No! You stay the hell away from me! I don't want to look at boots. I don't even like the boots! 5.... Zen placed his hands behind his back, so that Yunji wouldn't see. he gritted his teeth hard. 4..... Zen started to sweat some more. 3..... Zen resisted, only to be pushed. 2..... Zen fought it. 1...... Fuck off! He squeezed it. Hard. His hands. The pain from his nails inflicted pain, as shown since a trickle of blood ran from his hand. 0..... Nothing. Zen smiled. It has been ten minutes. He had won. "HAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" he yelled with triumph and victory. He had beaten his mental disorder. He had won this mental battle. saliva splashed on Yunji's face. He did a victory dance. "I won! i won! Hey Yunji-sensei, it's been ten minutes and I don't even feel the want or need to look at your boots!!! Did I pass??!!" asked Zen. And it was true. He looked around the scenery, only to feel nothing but the freshness of nature's quiet beauty....

Zen had been at this test for quite a good while now, and Yunji grew slighty annoyed while he was doing better and better everytime, he still found it hard to control the urge to stare. By the 19th time Zen had only managed a minute, rathre crap in comparison to his other results, he was tired so it was expected. On the 22nd try Yunji wasnt rambling or humming. She said nothing odd or even remotly strange, she only stared at Zen... she was completely focussed on the task at hand, a very rare thing to see from her. As for Zen, he had managed 7 minutes this time, a new record. But ended up looking at the boots, he chose the tickling this time, which was a slight change from the usual boring sock in mouth punishment, speaking of the pair they were pretty much unwearable now. Luckliy Yunji had several more pairs at home. On the 24th try Zen made it to 9 minutes, another staggering feat, and on the 27th, a bird flew by and completely ruined it just 10 seconds before his completion. Not his fault by any means but he was still punished. It had been 4 hours before they started up until now. Yunji yawned wearily. She half heartedly yelled at Zen. "Little Moth, you can do this, just focus! ". She sighed to herself thinking it would be many an hour more before Zen mastered his training. But on the 28th attempt, Yunji leaned foward in suprise, Zen had almost done it... almost reached his goal. A smile formed on her face... but quickly dropped asuming something would happen, but nothing did... he had actually done it! 10 whole minutes had passed, and Zen had not once glanced at the boot, or anything other then her eyes. Yunji laughed proudly. Wiping her face as Zen did a fun victory dance, she then patted him on the back. " Well done little moth, you have done well, very well in fact. ".

" Yes you have passed, and now your urge shall not be a disctraction during combat. While it took longer then I thought, we can now move on if you are up to it... Our next lesson is... walking on water. And how to do so and such... . She led Zen a little deeper into the area, and they reached a rather small but good sized lake, Yunji gestured for him to watch, and then began to stroll lightly over the lake standing on the very top on the water itself. She yelled at Zen. ". THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN ITS DONE RIGHT, BUT IF DONE WRONG.... . She released all chakra in her feet and immeditaly sank into the watery depths. She emerged several minutes later soaking wet from head to toe, she momentarily wiped her face. ". Little moth are you ready learn, or is that enough training for the day? ".