Hard Work of the Crimson Vulture[Training]

Training Speed, Staring Rank B1

Like a shadow Kotaro darted throughout the ruins, the shadow of death to be specific. Soundless and only noticed by those whom he wanted to be aware of his presence. His heavy black cloak, making what bit of him that was seen nothing but a shroud or screen of black, one wouldn't think this man was in fact human with the speed he was moving at. Only briefly would he pause, not to catch his breath, but to scan his surroundings. Swallowing decameters at a time, pebbles barely even shook from his speedy movements from pillar to pillar. His breathing wasn't harsh, it was controlled and calm, the Captain was in his prime and was trying to whip some new recruits into shape. Where they were was a mystery, currently they were tasked with hunting down Kotaro, but honestly they could still be in the forest that bordered these dreaded and desolate ruins.

The sun sat in the middle of the sky at it's peek at this moment in time. No birds dared to make a noise nor did the wind dare to whistle. The area was suffocated in absolute silence save for the dribble of forlorn pebbles dancing along the ruin floors. Hidden from his enemies sight, Kotaro pressed his back against an ancient pillar, but lightly careful to not topple the fragile earthen structure over. His single kunai held in a back handed grip in his right hand, he slowly looked over his right shoulder, thus looking out from his cover. Only the minimum amount of movement was made to complete this peek however, for he wanted to be especially sure not to give out his position. His lung's grasping desperately for oxygen for he previously sprinted to his current location, the Captain was selfish with his breathes or rather, he was cautious. His breathing was shallow and well controlled as to not cause noise pollution, all the art of stealth, but most of which came with his experience in this violence plagued world.

Footsteps being heard, three approaches precisely, Kotaro swiftly whipped his head back behind the stone beacon. His grip on his throwing blade tightened, as he planned his plan of attack. His foes hadn't detected him and they were on their way right passed his location. If his back was facing 6 o'clock, then his targets were going in the 9 o'clock direction or in other words traveling directly to Kotaro's left on a stone path. This path made their steps especially loud and that fact made the Captain hesitant on striking. Weren't they aware of such a thing. If they were truly trying to efficiently hunt the lone Hanagakure operative, then surely they would have chosen a more incognito style of searching.

They can't be serious . . . Kotaro was confused, but maybe this was their plan or maybe they were serious and just idiots. Nonetheless three recruits against a Captain of the Hanagakure military shouldn't be too much to deal with. Starting the engagement off with levels of caution, he allowed the three recruits he was in charge of training run passed him and his pillar. Once they were a fair distance away, his kunai was thrown to zip by them and grab their attention. The way Kotaro planned it out in his mind was for the kunai to draw their attention and even before then -as the blade was flying through the air- he would have hopped out form his cover and already began approaching his foes. "Hey!"

His pupils stopping in their tracks, things worked as Kotaro planned them, the kunai continuing forward to plant itself firmly in a toppled over stone pillar. Hand to hand combat was the idea here, but in the forefront of his mind while he swung and kicked at his pupils was why they had truly taken such a route so loud. Were they not aware of how loud they truly were or did they simply not care. "You guys are forgetting to utilize stealth in your hunting methods! How do you expect to survive out here if you're loud as a drunk in a fist fight!?" His pupils kept on battling, but he could scan over their faces and tell his words were absorbed and taken into account. That wasn't enough  however, Kotaro liked to teach with a bit more than simple words. Some of his anger bubbling over into his physical actions, as one of the Recruits jumped and lunged at him for a jab, he was swift to snatch the extended appendage in the air greedily. Pulling it in towards his own body, he weaved out of the way from the sweeping kick of another. All the while he was dragging this surprised Recruit inwards to bring his knee upwards into the boy's gut. In his mind's eye his next movements were pre decided in his head, but in a sparring environment, at least with Recruits, such movements would be frowned upon. A swift pivoted roundhouse kick could have been served hot with bone fracturing results. Or perhaps a sharp elbow to the back slamming the teen into the stone floor. Then again a simple crouched launching kick could do the trick as well sending the target skyward. Way too many choices, but none were chosen in fear of causing too much damage tot he Recruit, he was just a beginner after all.

Mercifully leaving the boy in pain as he clutched his stomach, Kotaro menacingly eyed the other two who were on his right and left preparing to avenge their comrade. He was excited to see what they had to offer. Nodding to each other, they approached in unison in attempt to pincer attack Kotaro. A simple evasive maneuver, Kotaro leaped backwards. Stopping before collision with one another, the two didn't stop their charge and they simply turned to redirect their charge back towards the distant Kotaro.   "I may be a bit rusty, but don't think that means you'll get an easy victory over me." His crimson optics shifted from one Recruit to the other, they had lust for a successful training session filling their narrowed eyes. He loved the look.

1059/1050 Speed=B2

Training Reaction Time, Starting Level B1

Ducking and weaving back not he defensive, a few forearm blocks were also utilized to effectively negate the assault form the two beginners. Though they were beginners, they were his beginners and they were showing great promise. Their strikes steadily backing him up as he countered each swing, jab, and kick, it wasn't long before the third little rascal was back up and charging full steam ahead in rage. Handseals being executed as he did so, he shouted to his comrades at the end of his hand seals and took a short hop forward. "Break!" This was their code from split or get the hell out of the way from an enemy attack or friendly fire. His lungs puffing up to such a size that caused his chest to expand as his cheeks puffed in turn bits of flames escaped his mouth. He was putting a lot into this attack and Kotaro was proud to see it. "Someone's a little pissed huh?!" Kotaro stood with his arms crossing in front of his tucked head as if he planned to block the attack or shield himself from it in such an ineffective way. A blazing stream of bright red flames blitzing out the maw of the recruit, they would quickly make their way to where Kotaro was holding his ground at. From such an angle his foes were at, the flames would block sight of him and that's exactly what he needed to slyly evade the fireball jutsu. Swiftly and hidden to his students, the Boar hand seal was weaved and allowed the Captain to burrow underground right before being engulfed in the raging flames.

Each of the combatants being within his sensory range with his Hiding Like a Mole Technique active, Kotaro waited for the sound of billowing flames to come to a halt before surfacing, but figured he could do something a bit more 'fun'. Testing his pupils, he sprung up from the earth behind one of the recruits who weren't spewing flames and gave them a light kick in the back. The roar of the fire covering up his surfacing act, his kick landed successfully and the Recruit was sent towards the flames. Kotaro of course had the speed necessary to catch him before he'd be burnt to ashes or burned at all, but he wanted to see his other students levels of control. It seemed painful, but by being alert and with adept chakra control the Recruit stopped his streaming of the jutsu, the only harm done being one scared shitless newbie. Hands in pockets Kotaro laughed out loud at the display and the frozen recruit on the ground clutching at his chest.

Eyes closed in laughter the sound of a sharp exhale of breath summoned his ruby optics to open. At this he saw a single kunai sailing directly towards his head. It was the recruit adjacent from Kotaro, not the one kicked -Recruit No.1- or the Fireball Jutsu user -Recruit No.2-, but the remaining one -Recruit No.3-. "Oi!" His head leaned tot he side to let the kunai fly by his face slightly cutting him on the cheek. Recruit No.3 didn't stop there however and with his kunai toss he came running at Kotaro just like the Captain did earlier. A line of blood rolling down his cheek, the Captain grinned deviously at the sight of such determination, his pups were maturing.

A true display of his students maturing, as Recruit No.3 drew in range, with split second near perfect timing, the katana on his back was drawn downwards aiming to cleave Kotaro vertically. Fair play given Kotaro's skill level of course, but it was such a ballsy move, was the Recruit really ready to cut into flesh or even beyond that kill? An assessment to Kotaro's Reaction Time again, utilizing a time lapse in which the Recruit had looked down to his shell shocked ally, the Captain had used Body Replacement. His own cloak used as a medium, back underneath he ground, he listened closely to how things played out. The katana digging straight into Kotaro from the shoulder cutting in about five inches deep, blood from the substitute would drip onto the blood and the barren ruin floor. The Recruit's face went pale for but a moment before "Gotcha." The decoy spoke with a mocking smile. *poof* A smoke plume dismissing the substitution causing a lone cloak to fall onto the floor leaving the Recruit with mixed emotions.

Reappearing meters away behind the katana wielding recruit, Kotaro had a devious grin on his face. His pupil sensing his presence fairly quickly turned around with his katana ready for yet another slash at his sensei. "Looks like you weren't phased as badly as I thought you'd be." The blade was coming fast and Kotaro needed to move fast, more so think fast. What he came up with was a kunai counter. His blade meeting the downward coming katana, the two clashed and a few sparks rained down and faded not he ruin floors. His blade held in a backhanded grip, he had one hand free and two recruits approaching from the other side. "Looks like we got him this time, hold him still with that katana pressure!" Kotaro could shed a tear at the moment. His students communicating effectively to take out an opponent many ranks higher than them and much more skilled than them. Sadly it would never be that easy. Holding off one Recruit with one hand, suddenly Kotaro's facial features began to darken and his grin grew much wider towards the two approaching recruits, daring them to continue their charge. Valiantly they did. Both jumping to deliver Taijutsu based kicks struck Kotaro square in the face only to find the ninja was unfazed. "Next time don't make it so evident where you're going to strike." His face covered by both their legs that hit him directly, they undoubtedly felt more pain than he did front he exchange. Back to the Katana wielder, suddenly he used the lapse in Kotaro's focus to attempt a dextrous reversal which was actually successful. Kotaro wasn't skilled in Weaponry like most if not all in the Hanagakure no Sato military were, so when it came to these things, he was at a disadvantage.

Disarmed of his kunai, he was wide open and the Recruit knew this. A jousting stab with his blade was initiated, but ended with his blade being reduced to shards as the Captain quickly reacted and hardened the targeted area. "Did you not just hear what I said, you gave away your attack by eyeing the area so hard." With that he gave the armed Recruit a quick round house kick to the gut sending him away. For the two who just landed form striking him in the face, he began to plan an appropriate punishment.

1190/1050 Reaction Time=B2

Training Endurance Starting at C-2

Suspended in air the two Recruits were and Kotaro lashed out with both arms to grab their legs. One slippery minnow escaped his grasp, while the other was pulled to the ground in a savage like manner. Slammed was a better word actually. Riling up rocks and dust as he made impact, the Recruit grunted as the Captain towered over him, hand still latched onto his leg. Thinking quickly the Recruit dipped into his tool pouch on his leg to withdraw a hunting knife. Kotaro's eyes ahead looking at the Recruit who got away, a sharp pain shot up his arm. The warm feeling of blood trickling down his arm, brought his eyes calmly down to the one with a blade in hand, which was wedged in the Captain's forearm. "If I didn't know any better I'd think you were trying to cut it off." The muscle was useless at the moment and the pain was pretty intense, but the Fuma didn't show any signs of such a deterrence and kept his grip cold on the Recruit's leg. They were both in shock, the recruits, this man acted as if nothing had happened having been stabbed in the arm with a hunting knife, in actuality Kotaro was weeping mental tears from tolerating the pain in such a nonchalant manner.

Reaching down with his free hand, he grabbed the blade and relieved it from it's uncomfortable placement in his arm, wrenching it from the grip of the shocked recruit all the while. Flipping the blade around fancily, he halted his display holding the hunting knife in a front hand grip, still grasping the Recruit's leg. "An eye for an eye is how the saying goes right?" He grinned devilishly and from behind him he suffered a concussive force towards his backside. Rocks upheaved in the process, damage wasn't sustained, but the force of impact was enough to send the Captain a short ways away and free the Recruit from his clutches. "The whole time he kept up that defensive jutsu, so I took it upon myself to deliver enough force with that explosive tag to knock him away." It was true and it was mighty observant of the pup to figure such a thing out.

Catching himself on his two hands, before pushing himself upwards to land on his feet, Kotaro was out of the newly smoked area. Skidding to a stop, Kotaro looked up in the cloud of settling debris to notice the smog become disturbed. Shuriken sailed out like hungry swallows, but that alone wasn't enough to cause the type of disruption Kotaro was witnessing. Mid-flight they found a second wind -literally- as one of the Recruit's utilized a wind based technique to propel them faster. Inhaling deeply, Kotaro exhaled a gust of wind from his mouth blowing the shuriken to a halt mid flight, but the wind technique continued to barrel towards him. No real damage, just a light buffet from the pressure, Kotaro guarded his face and closed his eyes from the torrent. The smoke cleared and clear sights on the area, Kotaro was welcomed with the sight of nothing. None of the Recruits in sight at all. "Watch the skies you bastard!" The katana wielder was sky high, blade held high above his head ready to bring it down on the Captain, the other two then caused the earth below and beside Kotaro to stir. Two bodies leaping from the ruins terrain latched onto the Captain tightly, holding him in place for the incoming attack. "Sly move, good strategy." Kotaro seemed the least bit phased as he gave credit where credit was do. "But . . ." Chakra pumping through his well refined body through years of Taijutsu training, the Captain showed why he was the one who bore such a rank. Muscles slightly expanding, he pulled his arms forward breaking free of their grip to place his palms upwards facing the incoming blade. A movement that involved physics used, as the blade was making contact, Kotaro lowered his hands simultaneously. That was until he got to a desired altitude, then he abruptly stopped the attack resulting in cut palms of course, but not nearly as bad as it could have been.

Gritting his teeth in pain, Kotaro classed the blade with two hands tightly before whipping it to a horizontal stance, then kicking the center of it. The blade shattered to pieces, the point remained in Kotaro's hand which he threw into the ground before charging his pupil. A solid palm strike to his chest sent him quite a small distance rolling away. Turning around to face the two others they were already coming at him. A barrage of punches came from one, while the other came in with a flurry of twisting kicks. Ducking and blocking with his forearms, he knew he'd have a few bruises when he went to wind down at night after this arduous session. After a couple failed attempts. Kotaro had finally gotten his hand securely on the leg of the kicker, but was welcomed with a stinging fist in the face of the other Recruit. Lip busted and bleeding, the Captain grained from the strike licked his lip then spat the blood away. From the blow he had lost his grip on the leg, but he planned on getting it back. "You guys are starting to give me an actual run for my money you know tha-" Interrupted in the middle of speaking a harsh aerial enforced knee to the back sent him barreling forward to the ground. It was the Recruit he had hammered with the palm earlier. "That's for the broken blade." Kotaro chuckled, he was beginning to enjoy this, fights were no fun when one was always winning. Of course he wasn't performing at his best, but still getting beat up a bit made things enjoyable.

"Like I was saying . . ." He began to press himself off the ruin's floor to a stand. "You guys are getting better every time I see-" One ran at him in mid recovery and tossed a messy kick at him, which was avoided. Pushing off all fours, Kotaro propelled himself into the air, landing a few meters back on his feet wiping his bloodied lip. "Every time I see you guys in action." He would have to start taking them on B-Rank missions sooner or later, C-Ranks would surely be too easy for them.

Staring at his pupils, he could make out mumbling, given the distance the speech was probably coherently to their selves however. Bracing himself for the assault to come, Kotaro bent his knees to be prepared to react to whatever they had in store. Two kunai's thrown at both his sides, he saw they were tagged with explosive notes. Leaping up to avoid the explosion that followed shortly after, Kotaro met one of his students in the air. Not a smart choice to engage Kotaro one on one in Taijutsu and it was proven. Easily avoided then struck, Kotaro found it was only a clone. From behind he heard movement and right when he turned, two large windmill shuriken were tossed by him. Thin wire glistening in the faint sunlight, the shuriken crossed in front of Kotaro and were yanked on. The wire snagged around Kotaro and brought him straight down to the earth. Into the smoke front he explosion and slamming agains the ruin floor, he grunted from the impact, but had moved his hands in such a way they weren't fully bound. Just close enough to form hand seals, he utilized the Wind Blade jutsu and easily severed the binds before his students could see through the smokescreen to see Kotaro was gone as were their demon windmill shuriken. Using the Hiding Like a Mole Technique, Kotaro had snuck off, unknowingly to his students he was headed back to the village.

[Exit]

C2 - C3: 600 words

C3 - B: 750 words

1,350/1,350 Endurance = B