Never to prepared

Having stopped on a rooftop just shy of the Military Training Facility, his gaze on the horizon, Koutaku found his attention drawn down to the street by several darting movements. Glancing down, Koutaku noted an unfamiliar young man--certainly a shinobi--making his approach to the building. Intrigued, the Iouchiryo dropped into a crouch and narrowed his eyes faintly, his awareness focusing in on the young man.

‘Who’s this now? Why attempt to move so secretively?’

Raising one eyebrow as the young man stopped before the entrance and looked up with what Koutaku could only read as either hesitation or awe, the Iouchiryo suddenly smiled.

‘A fresh genin. Shy perhaps?’

He could understand that. Pressing his fingertips against the lip of the roof, Koutaku took a breath and then thrust forth into a tremendous burst of motion--the Ram handseal held in one hand. He arrived a moment later as the stranger entered the building. Koutaku’s arrival was entirely silent, owing to a technique of his, and long practice. Rising to his feet, Koutaku deftly caught a corner of the closing door with a finger, and then effortlessly--and silently--opened it to slip in through the small gap. Like some kind of predator stalking prey, Koutaku followed the genin into the busy Military Training Facility. Perhaps he could offer him some guidance.

In fact, he’d do just that.

Stepping out from behind the young man, Koutaku revealed himself with a smile and a wave.

“Hey there, this your first time in the training facility?” There was a genial, welcoming quality about the Iouchiryo as he asked, attempting to show interest in the genin--and largely succeeding if only because his curiosity was genuine. One day, perhaps, he could fake it just as well.

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Chuckling slightly as the newcomer leaped forwards, turning midair to allow him a view of who’d snuck up on him, Koutaku couldn’t help but be tempted to respond in kind. Nonetheless, he kept that impulse in check, instead deciding to wait till the genin addressed him. “It’s nice to meet you Hafuma-san,” Koutaku replied, tilting his head ever-so-slightly before he decided to offer his own name in kind.

“Koutaku Iouchiryo, though just Koutaku is just fine.”

That said, he followed Hafuma, smile in place as he walked up beside the shinobi, observing the sparring match that was currently going on. “Ah, of course! There are few ways better than sparring to work out one’s strengths and weaknesses. It might not be the most useful in terms of learning new techniques or the like, but it’s surely an essential part of training.”

Giving Hafuma a sidelong glance as the younger man observed the fight continuing before them, Koutaku shifted his gaze. He’d decided what he’d be doing today. Signaling the front desk, the clerk nodded in response, effectively letting the Iouchiryo know that his room was open and waiting. Walking casually between the various areas where shinobi were sparring or engaged in other forms of training, Koutaku called back to Hafuma. “C’mon, let’s do some training together, get better acquainted. I’m sure there’s something I can teach you if you’re up for it. Besides, I find that training alongside someone is always much more engaging than doing so alone.”

That said, Koutaku walked to an open room, and unlocked it, leaving the key in the door for Hafuma to extract after he’d entered. That way, they could lock the door if it became necessary. After all, Koutaku had a second key already anyway.

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Nodding in response to Hafuma’s request for him to drop the honorifics, Koutaku heard him out as he continued on. He let the questions, and words, wash over him as he began a series of slow and deliberate stretches. Then, as he finished considering his training partner’s query, Koutaku replied. “Yeah, I’ve sparred plenty at this point. It tends to be in service of others though--at least recently. When I was growing up though...well,” he paused a moment and chuckled, “...it was always against my relatives, and they were, simply put, quite formidable.”

Moving on from that point, Koutaku finished his stretches and turned to face Hafuma. “So, I can either go all out and this won’t be very helpful for either of us, or I can more or less match your abilities. Your choice.” He paused a moment, glancing up and to the side as he considered another path. “Conversely, I can teach you a few techniques and then we can do a spar where I match your energy, so to speak. Would you prefer that instead?”

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It was early afternoon when Kita had left his apartment for the Military Training Grounds. Thin streams of afternoon sunlight peering through the thick fogs of Kirigakure illuminated the boy's pale frame as he trudged towards his destination. With all that had been going on lately in the boy's career, he'd decided that training was likely the best option for him. Especially if he wanted to measure up to his comrades after the debacle in Hoshigakure. The boy's blood still boiled, quite literally in fact, at the thought of that hellish torment.

It wasn't long before Kita had made his way into the facility. He gave a half-hearted wave to the receptionist as he began to head into the numerous training rooms they had in store. He'd been here multiple times before, so by now the boy fully knew what to expect. The only question now is what sort of training room would tickle his fancy? Maybe another whirlpool to simulate combat on a shifting lake? Or maybe a forest to attempt some stealth maneuvers. Kita sighed as he continued walking calmly through the various hallways as he attempted to make a decision. Whatever he chose, his training would still be stunted by the fact that he lacked a training partner. Previously he'd just used Shadow Clones, but those were nowhere near as effective as training with another person. Quite an unfortunate predicament for the young man.

It took a tiny bit of walking around before Kita found a pair of shinobi. Both of them seemed to be chatting before a training room door that stood ajar, one key hole inserted into the door. Kita's curiosity was peaked. He'd never attempted to utilize one of the private facilities available here. Too much effort to make an appointment in the boys eyes. An idea came to mind in Kita's mind as he looked upon the pair, realizing that this might be an excuse to hone his skills with other people. It would likely be easier than training with Shadow Clones. Kita put on a tired smile and began walking towards the chatting pair, and raised a hand in greeting.

"Hello! Are you guys also here for training?"

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"Thank you." Hafuma said kindly as Koutaku nodded to dropping honorifics between them as Hafuma was definitely not his superior and the way he snuck up in him silent told him they were not exactly equal either but Koutaku did not seem disrespected by the request so Hafuma assumed they were on good terms at least for the time being and hopefully going forward as Shinob, one could only hope. 

Walking through the training facilities Hafuma caught interest in a spar, thinking about his spars with his father that stopped as soon as he left him on his own. However Hafuma should have supposed he should have seen this coming as the boy suggested they spar each other, his earlier explanation of sparring being beneficial looking to be what he truly believed, inviting Hafuma to a room to spar him. A trailing thought hit Hafuma's mind and he spoke it with honest curiosity as he asked Koutaku if he spared a lot, his answer being Koutaku explaining he has but while it was originally against his formidable relatives it was now for the service of helping others. 

"I see, it seems you will be my hardest sparring session yet." Hafuma said not sugar coating, he already thought Koutaku to be better but with experience triumphing over his own he knew he should just make it a priority to learn all he can while fighting at his current best. Showed to a room Hafuma slid in leaving the door open as it was. 

Hafuma didn't make any attempt to give off an air that he was stronger than he was, outside of the villages as a missing ninja or a descendant of one that was asking for more trouble and if you were like Hafuma you wanted to avoid that. As ready as he could be Hafuma simply told Koutaku if he wanted to use weapons he could as his clan specialized in weapon use.

But between the two it was clear Koutaku was the stronger so a few options were given to make the spar more productive for them both ,Koutaku offering to match his level or teach him a technique before they spar . Originally ready for a fight Hafuma body relaxed again , 'Ill be enti-" suddenly a new face popped into the room, Hafuma not knowing how the grounds worked yet was just a bit confused but he answered anyway. "Yes we are. I believe my friend Koutaku here.." Hafuma said, turning to Koutaku, answering his question while both informing the new face, "was about to teach me a new technique and then we were going to spar."

Hafuma clearly didn't plan this nor could he but since his father left him he found three scrolls, opening all of them he quickly discovered that his father had left him behind the most basic techniques that Pendragons wielded in battle from a young age. For a year he trained his chakra just to be able to even get to a point he could use it and he accomplished that but the technique was much harder to grasp without practice, pulling out the scroll from his coat Hafuma throw the scrolls across the room to Koutaku, "The technique like to learn is called, Sokumen Henkō. Can you teach it to me?" 

WC:550
TWC:1,904

Listening closely until they were interrupted, Koutaku turned his head--stretching his senses long before he could see the stranger--to take in the newcomer. It wasn't anyone he knew, but apparently, they were also looking for someone to train with. Well, as far as he was concerned, the more the merrier; besides Hafuma didn't seem to mind either. Turning his gaze back to the fresh genin as he explained their plans, Koutaku nodded, Hafuma had chosen the wiser decision. While the first option might have seemed brave to some, the truth was that only a fool stepped into a situation without first considering the consequences. Beyond even that though, it was good to know where one stood with others, so long as it didn't keep you from attempting to rise above your present self. Shifting his attention to the matter at hand, Koutaku gave the newcomer a friendly smile and a nod of acknowledgment. He was about to address the fellow when Hafuma said something that shouldn't have been possible.

The young man's eyes grew wide and a flash of suspicion crossed his features before he guarded his emotions and steeled himself for the coming conversation. Not knowing Hafuma very well--and not knowing the other genin at all--lead Koutaku to choose caution rather than to simply blurt out what he was thinking. So rather than saying demanding to know how the boy knew a technique exclusive to his clan, one of their secrets--if not one they guarded as jealously as a great many others--Koutaku instead smiled genially, snatching the scroll from the air, and opening it to read.

After several moments of pretending to read--and deciding how exactly to handle the situation--Koutaku rolled the scroll back up and nodded. “I actually know this technique myself, so I’d be glad to teach it to you. I’m curious though, how’d you get your hands on this scroll? I hear they’re rather...difficult to come by..” There were the subtlest hints of tension in his voice with those last few words, but Koutaku didn’t betray the slightest bit of it in the rest of his demeanor. He seemed utterly at ease despite how he’d sounded as if he were simply among people who would soon be friends and allies both.

He hoped that was the case. If it weren’t, there’d be a blood price for stolen shinobi arts.

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