Kouketsu Sat in his desk again, reminiscing about a time where he had begun to create new relationships. He now had even more brothers, two more. Not of blood, but of a strong bond. He remembered the day his brother, or sensei, had sparred him, ultimately giving him the third Sharingan.
SENSEI NOBU POV
Late.
He is always late. As older brothers we are tasked with being protectors and inspirations towards are younger siblings, yet no matter how much I pride my self on punctuality, Kouketsu never seems to pick it up. The field I stood on had been used for training purposes by our clan for many generations. The fences were rusted and worn down, and the grass had overcome the concrete below, making it appear as nothing but gravel and displaced stones. This land was as old as our lineage, and it held some meaning to me. I felt connected to these trees that surrounded the iron fences, the smell of fauna surrounding my feet, and even to the distant rustling caused by startled animals. This place was truly serene, yet for every moment Kouketsu left me waiting, the more the serenity seemed to turn sour.
Our brother had sent us out here for the purpose of sparring. He had hoped some of my wisdom could be pressed onto my brother, but I knew better. Father and I were cold, calculating men of war. Kouketsu on the other hand did not live up to his fearsome name. He was pure, and peaceful. His skill in ninjutsu was only rivalled by his brilliance in the martial arts. Yet he mastered these skills in order to protect the things he cared about. I doubt he would enjoy being cast under my influence. Being constantly subjected to war meetings, and plots for assassinations. It was not a world I believed him ready for. How could anyone be ready for such a thing.
My head was lifted towards the sky in a daze. In mere moments I would have to show my brother the true ways of war. A loss of innocence like that is enough to scar any child. Though at some point it had to be done. A controlled environment like this was perhaps the most suitable. Still, I did not relish in the fact that I despised what had to be done, I simply accepted it.
KOUKETSU POV
"Hehe get back here!"
The joyful sounds of a childs voice skipped through the air followed by the barking of a domestic hound. The dog had been a stray and Kouketsu's own personal friend for as long as he could have remembered; having grown up with one another.
Breathing heavily as he bolted through the thick forested chasing after the hound, Geki, Kouketsu slowed down after having realized he'd been late which only meant the beckoning of some penalty.
Frowning and grunt at the thought alone, Kouketsu arms folded as he sluggish moved towards and around towards the front of his brother, just a meager 5 meters away. Quickly, he crouched, seamlessly plucking a single rock from the beaten ground before he'd risen back to his full height. Juggling said rock with his right hand, his unwillingness to be within the middle of Hi no Kuni's forest with his brother was greatly displayed with the expression plastered across his face. Dressed in his traditional one piece robe and red obi-sash, his raven hair danced with the intervals of harmless, passing winds.
So Ni-san. . .Whats this all about. I'm not being punished I am I? Can't say that I don't deserve but I haven't done anything, at least lately."
Rocking his sandal covered feet back and forth against the ground, Akuma waited as patiently as possible to see just what was the meaning for meeting out in the middle of Mizy no Kuni with just Nobu and himself.
SENSEI NOBU POV
My daydreams had overtaken me for a moment. I was dreaming of another place, a place where men did not fight. Where there were higher paying jobs then assassinations and proffessional thievery. This reality however would only ever be a dream. I knew that there were many before me whom strived for that very same goal, and they only found ruin and despair, or worse yet, they would live to see their visions and ideals perverted and distorted. I could not bare it. I knew the world could never be the perfect utopia I imagined, but that did not mean I did not strive to make this place a little better, at least, for Akuma's sake anyway.
Soon a distant bark and the smell of an unwashed dog would tease my senses, snapping me back into reality. I would look down to see Kouketsu's pet staring at me with his own beady little eyes. I petted the beast, and offered him a small warm smile, he would respond in kind by licking my hand. The moment my face would rise to Kouketsu, the smile would be gone. The winds would pick up, causing my long braided hair to dance about in it's waves, my scarf fluttering next to it.
"You're not in any sort of trouble. Though brother and I are not ignorant to your constant slacking off. It's for this reason that you will be taught an important life lesson today."
I grimaced as I thought of the next part. My body would nonetheless rise into a stance. My left leg placed behind me, bent slightly while my right leg would be opposite of it relaxed, but poised. My arms were solid, as I held them to my chest, slightly extended in preparation for Kouketsu's future movements. My stance was unusual, but it allowed me to flow through my movements effortlessly. My eyes never left Kouketsu during my change in stature.
"Come. I should not have to explain to you what more needs to be done. You should have already known what brother intended for you when he sent us here."
KOUKETSU POV
Slacking off? That'd been true, but of course, through the eyes, ears, and mind of Kouketsu, both his brothers exaggerated just how much he'd been slacking off. After all, stacked against those of the same generation and age class, Kouketsu ranked as the highest, yet, to his family that didn't seem anyway near satisfying. Since his indoctrination of ninjutsu and the lifestyle of shinobi itself, he hadn't seen anything wrong with enjoying himself happily as long as he stayed sharp in both knowledge and skill.
And in truth, Kouketsu knew that hard times would've soon been upon them, he truly did, and as such discreetly trained himself to flick the 'off switch' to his happy-go-lucky attitude. War never changed and it wasn't a game, not even close and Kouketsu knew that just as clear as he knew the difference between black & white.
Laughter, joy, kindness, those were his 'escapes' from it all, everyone had an 'escape' of some kind, regardless of what it was. "Aw come on, don't you think that stuff is kinda just a hoax. Brother teaches 'life' lessons all the time, we're pratically men now, well, at least you but you know wha-"
He grimaced as his words were cut short by his brother's verbal interruption and his eyes failed to not notice the adjustments of Nobu's limbs that soon formed what Kouketsu knew as one of his brother's few combat stances. "I don't like this game Nii-san, it sucks." Once spoken, Kouketsu's eyebrows furrowed, as his legs slid shoulder width apart and his knees bent at a small angle. His left arm extended out towards his brother with his palm facing the Nobu and its fingers bent inwardly like a tigers claw. The remaining arm similarly mirroed the former, however, the arm was left held out to the side and bent at the elbow with its respective hand facing the same direction.
Taking a nervously deep breath, two steps were taken which effectively closed only a meter of distance between the two. His mind sharp and his heart racing, Kouketsu remained attentive and serious. Was this truly how his brother wanted him to feel all of the time? He wanted to know the answer however, given the circumstances, those answers were forced to wait.
SENSEI NOBU POV
Kouketsu's protests would not make me falter. I knew these sorts of lessons were not his favorite, and they only end with hurt feelings and shattered pride, but father insisted. I had to be an example for the little one, and what kind of example would I be if I shirked my responsibilities for personal reasons. I could always hate myself for bending so easily to my brother's behest, but for some reason I could never quite resist his commands.
Even though their was turmoil within my chest, my face was as cold as any soldier of our clan. I would take notice of Kouketsu's advancement towards me, and when a single meter separated us my heart would beat harder and harder. It sounded like war drums announcing the fight to come. For a moment I was motionless. My eyes scouring Kouketsu's face for any hesitation. There was none. He had grown adept at switching from his child like self into a small warrior. Part of me was proud. I steeled my nerves. A skill I had developed from my time in warfare. It would ordinarily allow me to execute my blade-work with unprecedented accuracy. Now, I would use it to test my brothers own mettle.
"Be prepared. I will attack with the intention of maiming. It would benefit you greatly to not take this bout lightly.
Soon my back leg that had tensed for action would push me forward towards Kouketsu, my left arm shooting out with the force of my advance in an effort to slam my palm into his cheek. My other leg would slam into the ground and become the center of my balance, but the tensed muscles within would tell a different story. My strike would be light, but forceful, I was curious to see how my little brother would react to this. My other hand would slip behind my back as I struck out. My senses peaked while I awaited his bodies response.
KOUKETSU POV
Nobu's warning regarding their brotherly bout issued by their other brother was unnecessary, however, Kouketsu did in fact acknowledge and embrace it. While he knew he wouldn't have died, his mind still rejected the idea of having his body maimed regardless of who they offender might have been. Breathing steadily, a huge inhale stored a great deal of oxygen within Akuma's lungs to which allowed him to briefly enhance the focus and control of his movements. "There!, he's coming!" Just as that thought flashed through Kouketsu's mind, he witnessed the extension of his brothers arm as well as the remaining, more subtle, movements he made thereafter.
Reflexively, Kouketsu's aforementioned knees would've bent even further, effectively allowing him to step in with his right foot with tenacity & swiftness. In tandem, he dipped down beneath and outside to the right (Nobu's left) of the incoming head strike. The wind from his brothers quick & fluent strike scraped across his face as it continued to pass over his shoulder & back. Going with the flow of things, Kouketsu's world seemed to have slowed down as the several openings presented themselves as clear as the open sky. With both mind and eyes working in milliseconds, the former mad the quick-second decision that finalized Kouketsu's entire singular movement.
Using the forward push of his body as his main foundation of momentum & power, Kouketsu's left palm (closest area to wrist) slammed perfectly into Nobu's solar plexus - the most ideal and vulnerable area given their difference in height. It went without saying that presuming the strike would've found its nest, the results had to have been devastating for such a simple strike delivered via a child's body. Whether or not, Kouketsu's strike connected, he had ace of his sleeve, he refused to lose like he'd done in their previous skirmishes.
SENSEI NOBU POV
My steeled nerves picked up every action Kouketsu took. I was not surprised at his evade of my attack, in fact I relied on it. Though I was proud of the young boy for his battle prowess shown thus far. Perhaps he would make me even more proud through this skirmish.
As young Kouketsu would dodge I could feel him preparing for a counter strike. Part of me was tempted to allow him to succeed in his attack, and to praise him on a job well done. But this would make him cocky, this would no longer be a lesson, but a sparring match between brothers. I would not allow his pride to win this match.
The moment Kouketsu dodged, my left hand would turn and grip his raven hair in almost an instant. There would be no gap between my movements as my hardened nerves made my reactions intricate and sudden. In tandem with gripping the boy, my unoccupied hand would come from behind my back with an unsheathed ninjato accompanying it. That however was not the true danger at hand. Even if my brother would proceed with a counter strike after the sudden grab, his hand would meet the edge of my blade, but seeing as the sudden movement would take him off guard, it was unlikely. I would pull Akuma's head downward as my back leg (the one I had launched off of) would shoot forward, kneeing the young boy in his stomach. the attack was light. Perhaps some part of me was holding back. Nonetheless the force of the attack would send the boy backwards. and I would quickly resume my stance, waiting for his next tactic.My nerves remained heightened.
KOUKETSU POV
Shit happens in life, interruptions just happened to be one of them, and not only as an Uchiha -but a shinobi- Kouketsu was groomed to effectively deal with last second alterations whether it'd been for the greater good or for the worse. In short, it hadn't been far-fetched for shinobi to make solid, sound decisions in an instant, not after the training they've received for years at a time. Nevertheless, as Kouketsu's hair was grabbed he dared not panic, not even for a second as it would've served no other purpose but to have allowed his brother's will to be imposed onto his own. Such was the first mental step that a great many took on their path to defeat.
Given the forward momentum and speed, his attack followed through, however, its force and severity were significantly mitigated, however, in hindsight, a simple touch against Nobu's body with an open palm beckoned forth a plan of Kouketsu's own. Head pulled down by his own brother's hand, his knee dug deep into the young lad's stomach, sending his entrails on a spiraling roller coaster ride that they cared very little for. Ironic how life worked, attempting to hit someone in a particular place only to fail and receive the same pain and discomfort. "Gackt!"
Sapped of air, a deep breath followed the attack in a quick second attempt to regain Kouketsu's air supply. In doing so, his fingers clutched the clothing worn just above Nobu's solar plexus, grabbing a fist full of its fabric without fail. As for Kouketsu's remaining arm, it looped and wrapped itself around the back of Nobu's knee keeping it pressed against his stomach. Acting as quickly as possible, Kouketsu kept his right leg as his main support while his left leg would've vehemently slid forward and to the side in an attempt to snuff out Nobu's only form of balance by knocking his remaining leg from beneath him.
Presuming that everything proceeded as planned, Kouketsu's left hand pushed forward even more, bracing for the pain that might have surfaced from having had his hair pulled.
SENSEI NOBU POV
I felt a wave of cold guilt rush over me as I heard the gasps of breathe escape from Kouketsu. My disgust in this way of fighting was more than obvious to anyone whom had seen me grace a battlefield. I found it hard not to restrict my movements when fighting my brother, that very fact alone terrified me. At this very moment, while my knee was buried into his stomach thoughts of sliding my blade around his throat filled my head. It was not from past animosity between brothers, but simply the blood of a warrior boiling at the thought of a challenge.
Kouketsu surprised me as he suddenly gripped the knee that bashed the air from his lungs. I thought for a split second what he could gain from holding my leg, and the very moment his leg would sweep my own, another sense of pride would swell within me. My brother was smart enough to take the full force of a blow in order to take his opponent off guard. Very good. Against a normal opponent he would have prevailed in slamming them into the ground. Perhaps from there he could further unleash his counter attack. I, however, would not allow him to get away with his movements so easily.
Chakra was steadily pumped throughout my body, keeping me on edge, and allowing me to react to the situation quicker than most. As my only form of balance would be compromised, I would bring the dis-shelved foot into the air, instead of simply falling on my back. I would then swing the leg around the back of Kouketsu's small neck and spin by body around lightly, using my weight and strength to slam him downward into the ground. With my hand gripping his hair and my leg around the back of his neck, with the other leg ripping deeper into his chest with the force of the slam, I was sure the blow would further push the recently recovered air from Kouketsu's lungs.
The moment he would slam to the ground I would lock the arm he had used to grip my leg between by thighs like a vice. My hands would then grip the arm, prepared to break it if need be, my blade pressing slightly into his wrists. Though I knew it would not come to that. I was simply curious how Akuma would escape this situation.
KOUKETSU POV
Kouketsu's plan seemingly succeeded in regards to compromising the balance of his brothers only leg, however, the efforts of the elder brother triumphed over the former due to the drastic difference in physical strength & conditioning. Shifting his weight over so fluently during their very brief moment of being airborne, Kouketsu's body involuntarily followed suit which would've left him flat on his back, fortunately, he had a small defense of his own. Granted, his brothers leg wrapped itself around his neck, but one leg hadn't been enough to fully suffocate a trained shinobi - child or not. In lieu of the situation, a moment of quick thinking allowed Kouketsu to devise that would not nullified, but mitigated the imminent damage done to his body.
It went without saying that due to the slight spin which would've pinned Kouketsu on his back, he could've hit the ground faster than his brother. As a result, only his upper back slammed into the ground, which only left his his stomach and legs hoisted as his knees bent (90o) and pushed upwardly, forming a 'BRIDGE' with his body. Its purpose? To momentarily lessen the damage from a full collision with the ground. Kouketsu knew that his brothters knee remained against his stomach, and as such knew that his back meeting with the ground -from the speedy drop- would've been the main source of the damage dealt.
Even still, his physically inferior body failed to hold up his brothers weight for an overly long time which resulted in his legs giving out and Nobu's knee which pressed into his stomach. Fortunately, Kouketsu managed to somewhat 'ease Nobu down' just as his legs gave out and descended bit by bit towards the ground. The end result remained the same, albeit less severe.
In tandem, (before the attempted arm & thigh lock), using the time he'd bought himself, his right hand moved out from behind his brothers knee before he had the chance to establish the weight that would've locked it in place. In that moment, through the pain and stiffness, Kouketsu grinned while that same free hand swung in an arc towards Nobu's face.
At the peak of the swing, his hand open, and from it emerged a rock, the same rock that he never let go since he plucked it from the ground. Presuming it the action went uninterrupted, its hand sized dimension sought to smash Nobu directly into his nose, arguably one of the most sensitive areas on ones face.
SENSEI NOBU POV
Hmph. Kouketsu always had a way of weaselling out of things. It would only make sense that his fighting style complemented that trait of his. As the boy would quickly lessen the full force of my knee slam, I had also began to form my own contingency plans. The lock on his arm may have failed as he quickly escaped my legs trap. One movement I did not expect however, was what came next.
As Kouketsu would bring down his arm in what seemed to be a blow of his own, a rock would release from his grip carrying the full force his little arms could muster. Even with my heightened senses and readiness, my actions were severely limited. However that did not mean I was helpless. The minute the rock would be released from Kouketsu's hands I would react in the only way I could at the moment. I would open my mouth and bite down against the stone, catching it between my teeth. It was then that I would decide to put some distance between us. Further short range fighting between me and Kouketsu would only mean that I would have to get serious, and a serious bout between us could leave him hurt.
I would quickly release the boy from my grip and roll my lower body unto my upper body. I would press all my strength into my arms as I would roll away from Kouketsu, and once my hand were flat against the ground again, I would push off as hard as I could, causing my legs to shoot up into the air, and have me land on my feet a meter away from my brother. I would quickly resume the same fighting stance I had used at the beginning of our bout, and awaited his movement. a proud smile on my face as I spat the rock onto the ground.
"Not bad. Not bad at all."
KOUKETSU POV
"EEhh!!?"
Had his eyes not witnessed the most unnatural way of avoiding an attack, he wouldn't' have believed it through word of mouth, even if it'd been from his own father. The chugged rock that was aimed for Nobu's mouth had been stopped dead in the middle of its trajectory, caught between Nobu's teeth like a fish stuck in a net. Fortunately, Nobu's following movements which carried him off of Kouketsu body freed his body up for a much desired sense of freedom. Immediately free, Kouketsu rolled onto his stomach and pushed himself up into a low crouch before his legs extended against the ground which sent him leaping backwards a total of 3 meters.
Adopting his previous stance whilst Nobu praised him for his efforts despite the outcome, Kouketsu's deep breathing ensured the return of a balanced breathing pattern. Once Kuma felt comfortable with his brief moment of rest, his arms whipped towards one another as his fingers interlocked with one another, forming a series of intricate seals that told countless warnings for what was to come.
Complete a mere four seals, Kouketsu's cheeks inflated and the moment his mouth seemed filled to the brim, he 'spat' out a ball (slightly bigger than a baseball) through his gullet as opposed to simply throwing it from the hand. Only a second behind the first, the second ball was spat with latter aimed for to pepper his chest and the former - his head. During the path of travel for both projectiles, Kouketsu's jaws filled once more whilst taking single steps back, knowing that his naturally above average chakra could facilitate a rapid-fire version of the technique used.
Nevertheless, his eyes remained attentive with an idea on where his brother would move, for he hadn't activated the Sharingan, he hadn't in a long time.
Sun Mar 01, 2015 12:56 am by Guest
Subject: Brother's Evolution 
