Forest of Ash Stimulation {Closed: Snjor}

The grass gave way underneath her booted feet. Giving off a nice crisp crunch as she took a step. The environment around her was beautiful, very much captivating. The grass and vegetation was lush with green, and soft looking. Berry bushes sprouted here and there that surrounded her. The fairly young woman stood proudly yet calmly. The only thing that expressed the amazement that the Yuki was experiencing from this stimulation, was the dazzle within her crystal blue hues. Her eyes gazed over the lovely experience that was beheld before her. After taking her time to marvel over the new environment, Ookami would then begin to walk forward.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ookami had heard of the new upgrade that Kirigakure had established. Something to do with a brand new military training facility spread through the village like a contagious disease. Looks like the village was putting in it's funds to help improve the strength of it's shinobi. Something that Ookami didn't mind at all. In the end it would be a plus plus advantage for both the shinobi and the village. The shinobi gains the opportunity to improve faster, while Kirigakure gets to house more seasoned ninja. The white haired kunoichi soon decided to test it out for herself. To see what this facility was all about. Plus she needed some proper training for once. Ookami had spent so much time doing missions that she lacked being seasoned or shaped. Today the girl had finally made the decision to prioritize this day to training and just that.

Upon entrance to the new military training facility, she would be welcomed by one of the operators. She solemnly thanked them with a small voice. From there alot happened. The operator took no hesitation to help her explore the inside. As if she was a tourist to a new region, he kindly guided her around the place and explained what does what. Her little personal tour lasted about half an hour. She had to admit, there was a hint of amazement from what all the building contained. After the tour came to an end, the helpful operator would mention one last system. It was some kind of stimulation that gave the opportunity to experience reality in a different way. More like false reality. The procedure was said to be safe but almost realistic. The operator recommended her to try it out. With that Ookami gave in and agreed to try out the stimulation system. Just before she was directed to the room to prepare for the stimulation, the operator noted that someone else had also shown some interest and that they may encounter the same environment.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now here she was, venturing out through this marvelous experience. Then her boots went from crunching against the crisp ground with each step, to digging through ash upon foot impact. The grassy ground turned into a forest floor of grey soot. The smell of smoke and fire was heavy within the air. She was so amazed that her senses could be stimulated through this false reality. Trees now surrounded the white haired woman that was clothed in a beautiful white kimono. Strapped to her back was a rather large blade. Angled just right for such a massive sword to fit just perfectly and not be in the way. The change of the element and theme was astonishing. Then there was a crunch of dry wood as if someone or something stepped onto a charcoaled branch. Her eyes instantly shifted into the direction of the sound. Was it danger? Or perhaps the other person?

{WC: 593}

Hamako had been hearing the stories of the new military training facility day in and day out since it's construction. He wasn't entirely sure whether or not it was something he wanted to do, for he was sure it was going to be full of people that would want to...talk. The mere thought of being stuck inside a giant facility filled with people asking him questions or wanting to train with him was extremely exhausting and terrifying at the same time. But there was a certain calling from the facility. He wondered how much stronger he would get if he was to join in on a structured training regimen, he would get even stronger than he already was and would have proper tools to push him forward in the art of combat and battle. 

He was meditating in the training grounds early one morning when he was debating within his mind on whether or not he was going to actually go into the training facility and brave the idea of being surrounded by those he did not know and by those who he did not want to talk to. His pursuit of power would outweigh his lack of desire to socialize, but he did know that that was going to be a part of the package. The debate continued as he meditated by the waters, feeling the change in the sand and dirt underneath him as the tides began to shift. He thought for a few more moments about the decision to go into the facility. The worst that could happen is he gets overwhelmed and he leaves. 

Would it be beneficial to him? He was sure it would be. Why would they not build it if it didn't actually benefit those who used the facility. He knew that the benefits outweighed the cons, he was just trying to get himself over his aversion to speaking with others. He finally ended the one sided debate within his mind and he opened his eyes, looking over the waters that were before him. He stood up to his feet and stretched his body. It was time for him to get back to training and he might as well head on over to the training facility to see what it was all about. 

When he arrived at the facility, he was greeted by a higher up that was manning the entrance of the building. The loner did nothing more than nod at the man, not wanting to speak to anyone as much as he could avoid it. The higher up grinned and motioned for Hamako to continue on into the building. As the loner strolled through the halls of the training facility, he was very impressed with the structure. Every room seemed to be the top of the line, at least for their village. He saw a few signs that read about a simulator that would allow the users of the simulator to have their senses altered and stimulated in such a way that they would feel as though they would be in a completely different place and even time. Such a thought seemed alien to the loner, but he figured if he was going to train, he would want it to be in a place like that. 

He went to the simulator and he began to reluctantly speak to the one manning the registration counter for the simulator. He asked for his name and rank, and told him about a certain reality that was going to be produced for someone already in progress and asked if he wanted to join that person, or wait for it to be cleared in a few hours possibly. The loner simply grunted, not wanting either of those options, but he figured he'd rather try it out now, rather than have his trip over to the facility be resulting in him leaving empty handed. He began walking toward the door leading into the simulator. As the door began to open, he saw the same woman that he had been seeing around town again and again. His heart began to thump and his breath began to hasten. 

He walked up to the woman and did his best once again to speak like a normal human, rather than his sputtering self when it came to speaking to people. "Hel-" he began to speak the words, but he began to harshly cough instead, the nerves proving to be too much for him to be able to speak coherently. He cleared his throat and he tried once more. "Hello." His pale white face would begin to fill with redness. His frustration with his own body would grow as he just wanted to be able to just speak with people without being an absolute freak about it. He was then saved by the bell when the new "reality" began to form. 

The two were separated, which the loner could not have been happier about. But almost instantly after the new reality being created before them. The loner was dropped in the middle of a giant forest, or at least the charred ruins of one. A monster of a creature stood before him. The creature was twice the height of the loner, being almost five meters tall, standing on four legs and a tail that was as long as the body was tall. The length of the animal was nine meters and the head was that of a lion. The fur was a beautiful, yet daunting brown with black stripes going along the back of the creature. 

While Hamako was tempted to marvel at the creature, it didn't give him much of a chance due to it already charging at the loner. Hamako was able to dodge roll out of the way of the initial charge, but the creature was fast on its feet, already turning around readying itself for another charge at him. The loner knew that this beast would be able to continue his charges, but he wasn't sure how many of them he would be able to cleanly dodge. So his mind worked fast, but his hands worked faster. He performed the hand seals needed for Wood Release: Nativity of a World of Trees, creating a large forest, making the rushing paths much more difficult to run when hundreds of trees would pop up blocking the beast from continuing to rush the loner without restraint.

He was just about to perform a counter attack, when he heard even more footsteps coming in from the side of the forest he had just created.

WC:1092

Her crystal eyes shifted towards the noise. Taking in the view of a white haired man with a monstrous beast facing him off. The beast was beautiful and mysterious, it's slick fur gave off an illuminating effect as the sun washed over the elegant strands. She watched as the man calmly stood before it, not making any attempt to hide or cower before it's magnificent form. Then the beast started to move into a threatening stance, and Ookami knew that she had to act quick.

In an instant, the kimono that laid upon her shoulders fell to the ground of ash, as she discarded the unwanted weight. Revealing her under clothing of black shorts and a tank top. The large black sword that was just sheathed upon her back was not already within her icy cold grip. The blade was five feet at length and solid black, almost like obsidian. Luminescent blue runes carved onto the sword and ended with a dragon spiraling to the blade's deadly tip. The white haired kunoichi beheld her lovely Kuraokami blade, as she sprinted forward towards the beast.

Her slender body wove through the burnt trees as she approached the occupied monster, watching as it charged at the man. The longer man continued to dodge the charges, but she knew that it wouldn't get him far. There is only so much dodging you can do, and if wasn't going to stop the beast. She needed to distract it, turn its attention. With the element of surprise as the beast raged at the man once again, Ookami approached at it's back left flank. With a sudden burst of spring within her legs, Ookami would pounce upwards. Angling her massive sword to carve against the body as she rose within the air.

If the loner watched, he would see that her blade had covered with what seemed to be a slick black layer of ice, as she performed the lengthy slice against it's left back flank. After her attack the female would land on her booted feet as she went down with gravity. The sword looked fo be light within her hands despite it's size. Ookami would bounce backwards to put some distance between her and the raged monster.

{WC: 373}
{TWC: 966}

As the trees began to come out of the ground, the fellow white maned ninja sprinted through the opening that was becoming a thick forest. As she bobbed and weaved around the trees, she brought out the giant sword that she had on her back. This was when the loner had noticed that she had shed the Kimono that she was wearing when they had first met each other in the entrance of the simulator. She was now in a tank top of shorts, which Hamako thought was an interesting choice for combat garb, but he figured there would be very little in the means of inhibiting motion so it did make sense. 

The woman swung the sword and slashed upwards into the body of the raging monstrous beast. She was in the air and Hamako was concerned about a counter attack by the beast. The beast sent a raging claw in response to the slash going up its shoulder. The claw would be coming directly for Ookami, but would be stopped by one of the trees that would explode out of the ground. With the claw being blocked, the claw would be stuck within the tree, unable to pull it out due to the branches that Hamako had wrapped around the beast's arm. 

He would call out to Ookami, "Got for the arm. Cut it off and the blood loss would leave it very unable to fight." To be sure that this statement would be true, he performed the One thousand needles of death. 30 needles would be created with the loner's charka, and would begin slicing at all of the beasts other legs. The loner would target specifically the tendons and muscles that would be holding the beast upright. Should the needles connect and the slice from Ookami meet its mark. The beast would be enough to bring the beast to a laying down position. 

At this point, he would generate three very sharp branches from his body and use the sharp branches to slice the beasts throat, killing the once raging animal.

WC:345
TWC:1437

Ookami's attacked hit with success. Her black blade sliced through the beast's beautiful striped fur. This enraged the monstrous larger creature. Watching as it's claws came up to strike her in revenge for the pain she had inflicted upon it. Ookami was about to make a decision that would help her avoid the strike, but had no need to complete her decision. She watched with crystal hues as a tree formed out of almost no where and stopped the beast's strike. She glanced over at Hamako. Again there was the wood. She knew what clan possessed such abilities.

Then she heard his shouts. The white haired woman didn't hesitate. She rose her large blade and ran to the side. Lashing across the beast's mighty forearm. Blood would erupt from the wound. Her attack damaged alot of it's muscles and ligaments. It's injured arm was now useless. No longer would it arm support the weight if it's massive form.

She rolled back away from the monster. Watching as needles strike the arm she had just attacks. It's limp then fell limp to the ashened ground. Now being completely useless and detached. Ookami watched as the monster let out a horrid screech that ended with a depressing whine. It's body jerked, before collapsing onto the burned forest floor. The ground around them shook from the heavy impact.

Ookami watched as trees pierced into the dying monster's throat. Listening to the gurgling of it choking onto the overflow of blood. Her eyes remained calm and her expression was still innocent. One may feel a little pity for the creature's death. But there was no need for it. This was merely a simulation and everything wa just an illusion to them. None of it was real. The girl approached the limp body, running her blade along it's fur. Wiping off any access blood from her Kuraokami before returning it within it's shealth. The essence of crimson pooled thickly beneath the beautiful corpse. Despite this only being an illusion, it still seemed to real. Ookami couldn't help but brush her fingers delicately over the soft fur of the dead monster. "It is over~"

{WC: 358}
{TWC: 1,324}

Once the large beast was down, Hamako had his clone check to make sure that it was actually dead, not just lying there in misery. The simulation was a powerful one, one that would have you believe everything you saw was real. Hamako did have a very fond relationship with nature, including all of its inhabitants. He cautiously walked up to the large animal and knelt down beside the animal, hearing soft whimpers still exiting its mouth.

He laid his hand onto the beast’s head, just above its face. He ducked his head and closed his eyes for a few moments, showing the magnificent beast a few moments of respect, before plunging one of the branches coming out of his body directly into its head, putting it out of its misery. As the branch plunged into the animal’s brain, the simulation began to fade away. The loner stood back up, and he looked over to Ookami to ensure that she was not hurt or injured. He jolted his eyes over in her direction, ensuring that she was not actively nursing a wound. Once he saw that she was not doing any such thing, more just standing there, watching the simulation fade away, he looked away as quickly as he could.

He placed his hand on his neck and the other in his pocket, trying to think of what to say. “Good wo...work” He said just loud enough to where she could hear him, but only barely. He began quickly turning his body to face the exit and began walking towards it, being sure that she didn’t want to do much talking to the likes of him. Should she respond, he would be respectful and listen to her, should she just let him leave, then he would do that too.

WC:300
TWC:1737