Breath of Fire (Solo training Katon Training X2, Int training X2)

Enja's body was still sore and scratched up from the previous training from Augus. He had worked him to the bone. He had done stretches, push ups, sit ups, punching trees, ran around an island 20 times while he was throwing rocks at him and finally making him dodge pebbles the speed of sling shots at him. He had spent the entire time upon his return asleep in his bed and resting well into the afternoon.

Finally, having enough, Enja crawled out of bed and fell to the floor. He picked himself up and decided it was time to go back. He was though concerned that his sensai would put him through hell again. After all the exercise and stress he had put him through, he was not up for another run through it.

A knock suddenly came to his room's door as he turned to it. "Who is it?" he asked, his voice still betraying a sense of weariness.

"It's me Aki. Can I come in?" a female voice responded.

Enja's heart jumped a bit, and paniked as to know it was Aki, his distant relative to the Asakura clan. He looked around his room, and typical of it-- it was quite messy. "Um... just a second. I'll come out," he said, rather her not seeing how the array of papers and objects were around his room. Despite the aches, he moved to his door, opened it and stepped out.

Closing the door behind him, he turned to realize he stood inches away from Aki-- a young girl who had been training along with the Asakura clan. Unlike Enja, she had shown great respect with the clan and wanted to follow in the teachings of the priests. She was actually a decent ninja, knowledgeable and helped him when he started training on his own. While he had never seen her abilities for himself, he knew she was dedicated.

And naturally, she was very cute and caught Enja's eye often.

"Was wondering when you would wake up, sleepy head." she replied with a smirk. "For a moment I thought I would have to heal you from yesterday... just what kind of training were you doing anyway?" she asked.

Enja didn't know how to tell her the hard truth of it. He couldn't tell anyone really. "Well I might of overdid it with the physical training. Ran, punched, lifted weights. I did alot yesterday." She continued to look Enja over, seeing the clear cuts and scrapes he had gotten the day before. "It's nothing really!" he insisted.

"Who do you think you're trying to fool!" she said, almost causing Enja to sweat a bit. "Look, training is fine but it means nothing if you over exert yourself. You should have come to me after so could heal you." she said.

For someone so sweet, she could be surprisingly insistent and strong willed. It was hard to say no to her when she made that firm face and had a serious tone. "I-I'm telling you I am fine. No pain, no gain as they say..." he said calmly. With that, he slid out from next to her and proceeded towards the outside of the building. "Look, I am gonna practice chakra control or something so..." Enja replied as he softly began walking out. "See ya later!"

He pretty much blew Aki off, making her wonder why the change in his behavior. However, she had other duties to perform and she didn't want to crowd him . With a sigh and hope he didn't get hurt, she turned down the hall and headed for the shrine to pratice her own jutsu and teachings.

Enja emerged out into the open air, stepping off the wooden floors of the mansion. Not even bothering with sandals, he freely walked on his bare feet through the woods and towards the small pond in the asakura estate. It overlooked the cliff side that showed the other mountains and ocean nearby. With a sigh, he looked at the water and tried to relax.

This was the result of training with someone who knew what he was doing. It was nothing compared to him learning on his own.

"Nice place you got here," a familiar voice said.

Enja's hear nearly stood on end at the tone and he jumped around. Laying down on the grass, his arms behind his head as he rested against the base of a tree was none other than Augus. The rogue ninja was now here, inside the Asakura estate and just resting as if he had strolled into a park!

"Wha--?!" Enja shouted, startled to find his sensai in the estate. "What the hell are you doing here?!"

With his eyes closed, he let out a sound of content as he laid against the tree. "Gotta hand it to you, you got a nice place. Didn't think you were a rich kid," he joked.

Enja however was not amused as he marched over to him with an angry look on his face. "Don't give me that crap! How the hell did you get in here?! They catch you here, things are going to get real ugly, real fast" He clearly was afraid of what might happen if the heads of the Asakura clan knew that he was associated with a rogue ninja.

Harboring a fugitive was 5 to 10 years minimum, and he wouldn't have much luck with ladies in prison!!

Augus gave a grunt as he continued to rest his eyes. "Then maybe you wanna keep it down. Haven't you heard the phrase 'let sleeping dogs lie'. " he replied and stretched his arms out. Finally he opened his eyes. "So how about you shut up for a while and enjoy things. "

Enja was unsure how the hell was he to enjoy his teacher tresspassing on his family estate. He wasn't going to let it go so easily. "How the hell did you get into this place anyway?" he asked, confused as well as upset. "The grounds are marked by many types of barrier jutsu. Non-asakura members who wander into the estate set off an alarm!"

It seemed that Augus, by some mastery of skill or ninjutsu had bypassed the seals that surrounded the estate. He was able to get in undetected and moved about without a sound. However he did it, he did it so well he had no need to worry. Either he was that arrogant of his abilities, or he had indeed done so with ease. It baffled Enja to think of anyone that powerful.

"Heh... I wouldn't be a good mentor if I just told you all my secrets, boy." he said as he sat up and rested an arm on his knee. He opened his eyes, revealing the glowing white to his irises. "So... you are a member of this high class family. Funny, you don't strike me as stinkin rich. I find it hard to believe someone like you with such a family requires help being a ninja." The words he was saying was rather irritating, hitting Enja with a cheap shot. "You would think these guys would train you if they know so many powerful jutsu."

Enja let out a growl of irritation. There was a reason why he didn't turn to the Asakura clan for severe training. For one, they were just as occupied as Kumo was as a whole. ANother reason, they were focused to the profession of being priests. That was a path Enja had no desire to walk. "They are priests. I don't want to be a priest. You do the math, smart guy." he retorted angrily.

Augus still layed back and rested. "Hmm... well maybe you should be paying me then, since your so loaded?" He jested once more.

Enja sighed once more. This guy was a handful. "No... we are priests. Powerful, and inherited alot but do you see priests making alot of money? I barely have enough for scrolls, ya lunatic."

The white haired man laughed as he took enjoyment in ruffling Enja's feathers. "Relax, son. You need to learn to live in the moment a bit more," he said. "Anyway... I came here for our next training session. Though... since I am here, I am a bit hungry."

"Good for you," ENja grumbled, his arms crossed impatiently.

Augus raised a brow at his young pupil. "Got anything? I could use some food," he insisted, smirking at him.

The red head glared at him. "Why should I bring an intruder food? Get your own," Enja retorted.

A chuckle escaped Augus as he rested back once more. "Well I got to say, I am disappointed. I would imagine more gratitude from someone who wants to be my student," Augus said, using a rather cheap shot with his words. Enja frowned at this, seeing what he was doing. "Maybe I should pack up and go. Good luck finding another mentor in this worthless third rate nation."

"Alright! Alright!" Enja interrupted, raising his voice. Augus just grinned, knowing well that would work. "I'll get you some food. I hope you choke on a turkey bone. " Enja replied as he left to head back to the house. Augus just sat there and waited.

Moving as quietly and quickly as possible, Enja made his way to the Asakura kitchen, a rather large kitchen with many utilities and storage units, including a massive fridge. No one was around so he was happy that he didn't have to explain himself. After he made sure no one was around, glancing left and right nervously like any common thief, he got to the meat fridge and took out one large object. A wrapped turkey which was probably common for a good dinner. They had several to span over the month so he was sure one wouldn't go noticed. Hauling the heavy turkey into his arms, he quickly got out of there.

Using his own chakra it made it easy for him to lift it and run, so he made his way back to the spot where Augus was resting. It really pissed him off that just because his family was 'wealthy' that he wanted to be treated to dinner. "Pain in my..."

"What are you doing with that?" a voice spoke.

Enja felt like he could freeze. He literally stopped in his tracks and sweated nervously. Behind him was none other than Aki again. She could clearly see the large turkey he was carrying. "I know boys tend to raid the fridge but isn't that a bit much? What the heck are you doing with that?" she asked, her hands on her hips, her pink kimino worn a bit messy from the action.

Turning around, Enja was a bit short on words. "Ah... well um-- I just felt really hungry, is all." he said, trying hard to make it casual. "he felt nervous confronted by Aki like this, especially with Augus on the grounds. "Ya know-- can't train well on an empty stomach."

"And you need a WHOLE turkey for that?" she asked. Enja only gave her a smile and nodded. She stared at him for a moment, and sighed. "Honestly, you must have the appetite of a wolf to want to eat that whole thing."

Not wanting to waste any more time, he backed up further. "Yeah... you got me there. Well, I better hurry back to training... See ya!" he said and hastily. She watched him take off, once again feeling like she missed something.

She indeed noticed that Enja was in fact acting far more strangely than he used to be. It was starting to make her suspicious.

Rushing out of the mansion and heading further to the same pond, Enja found Augus once again 'napping' against the tree. Surprising him, Enja tossed the turkey at him, landing in front of him with a thud. It weighted a good 20 pounds so it did leave a nice thud to wake him up. "Here's your dinner. Satisfied?" Enja said grumpily to his mentor.

Letting out a yawn, Augus looked at the uncooked turkey wrapped in the sheet. He smiled lightly as he finally got up and picked it up. "This will do nicely," he said. "Now was that so hard? Actually this is good ... raw meat is good for you but I have a better plan for this."

Enja really wished he could knock that smug look off his face. "Enough with all the cryptic smug crap. Will you just tell me straight of what you are intending to do." he asked.

Standing fully, Augus tossed the turkey up and down with his left hand. "What else I been doing with you? Training you," he replied calmly. "After all, this will be a good demonstration." However, Augus could still see the results of yesterday's training and the injuries Enja had sustained. It was clear Enja was in no mood to undergo that sort of abuse again. "Relax, kid. You won't be doing yesterday's training. I figure I teach you more about how to use your chakra. After all, we did touch briefly about chakra nature."

This surprised Enja. He wanted to know more about Chakra nature, so it seemed he was going to do just that with him! This definitely put the doubts and agitation inside him at rest for now.

At that time, the two of them sat crossed legged facing one another. The turkey that Enja had brought was now skewered on a metal pole Augus had and used it to keep it off the ground. For the moment, it was out of Enja's frame of mind as he listened to Augus' words. "Alright, pup. Listen up," he explained. "As we discussed yesterday, chakra is your inner energy. It is essential to even the most basic technique in a ninja's power. Through various methods chakra can be controlled and manipulated to create an effect that would not be possible otherwise, such as walking on water, exhaling fire, or creating illusions. Chakra is ordinarily not visible to the unaided eye unless it is highly concentrated or manifested in large amounts." Augus explained.

Enja listened carefully. He had read some of the basics of chakra and practiced chakra control, but he never understood its founding principles like this. "The training you do yesterday, through physical activity and endurance, increases a person's chakra reserve and power. " Augus continued, " While that is extremely important, it is also important to understand that chakra nature. Nature transformation is an advanced form of chakra control that entails the molding and defining of one's chakra into the elements of our world for special techniques. There are five basic elemental natures of chakra and they govern the very principles of a shinobi. "

Enja nodded to this. "Yeah I understand some of that. I have tried to train to bring out my fire nature more." he explained.

Augus released a small chuckle at this. " Ah yes... Then you are in luck. " At that moment, he brought up his own hand and with but a flex of his fingers, fire sparked to life. The flames wafted off his skin, and he moved it with ease, as if his skin itself was emitting the blaze. Enjin looked with renewed delight to see fire chakra in action. Further, it was almost more like Augus was one with his fire nature to the point he used it no different than any other muscle of his body. "You see I too possess a fire nature. Fire is the element of power. Those who possess it have desire and will-- and the energy and drive to achieve what they want. " he explained. With his words, he grasped his hand and extinguished the flames with the strong grip.

The rookie ninja looked on with interest. He had only seen Augus use a similar fire jutsu before when they first met, which he called "scorch release" but never heard of it. He had not met another person in the land of Lightning with another Fire nature, but now he had. Didn't matter to Enja if he was a rogue ninja or not. "Impressive," Enja admitted.

"To use fire, one must first embrace those natures. Naturally, it is safe to say you have," Augus said. He then stood up, and turned to the turkey on the pike. "Even a small amount of it can be used for great things. For example...." Augus then quickly weaved hand signs, moving them in the span of a second. FInally he stopped with a fire sign and took a deep breath. His chest heaved, his muscles rippling as he soon let go of the air. "Katon! Dragon Fire Jutsu!!" With a shout, fire erupted from his mouth like that of a dragon! The hot thick blaze scorched the very air and flew outward over the pond.

Enja braced an arm over his face, the heat intense as he saw the fire had all but eclipsed the turkey there. After a few seconds, the fire dissipated with Augus' last breath. Finished, they looked to see the results. The once raw bird was now fully cooked, lightly blackened and now smoke softly wafting off its crispy body.

This sure lit a fire under Enja's butt as he found himself far more determined to master Fire Chakra Nature more. "Pardon the poor puns but, that was hot." ENja commented.

Augus let out a laugh of amusement as he walked over to the turken. He grabbed a leg of it and ripped it free from the crispy corpse. "If nothing else, it makes cooking your food easier. But yes, fire is my natural talent. So we can start your fire training ." he said as he took a greedy bite of the turkey leg. "But first, eat."

There was no argument from Enja as he took a bit of the turkey and ate it happily. That was a handy trick. Now truly hungry himself, Enja greedily ate his food beside Augus.

After they had finished, eating a good half of the bird, Enja faced Augus with a serious determination. Augus grinned at him, all the more at ease but started to explain. "Alright. As you may notice, fire style focus much on a person's own breath. Simple question even a moron like you can understand." He said, causing Enja to frown a bit at the friendly insult at his expense. "What does fire need to burn?" Augus asked.

Enja scoffed with a huff of air. "That's easy. A flammable substance and air," he replied.

Augus nodded. "That's right. More importantly, air. Fire needs oxygen to burn. As such, when one uses Katon, one must emit it usually from their breath or the air around them. The exercise that we will be doing is simple but it will increase your affinity to fire. "he explained, raising up a finger to emphasize his point. "You're task is to utilize your breath. Focus your chakra into your lungs and inhale and exhale. "

This was an interesting concept to Enja. Chakra control always involved drawing chakra, focusing and maintaining it in a certain part of his body. Never did he consider to try and focus it to his lungs. "Alright," Enja said with a renewed sense of determination. He made a hand sign with his left hand and began to focus his chakra.

Augus grinned as he saw him begin. "Don't try to force it. Little by little, increase the amount and see how long you can hold it with each breath. " he instructed.

Out on the edge of the pond, Enja did just that. Slowly, he would inhale and exhale. Each breath he worked for at least three seconds, going slow and savoring each one for as much as he could. Each time, he put a little bit of his own chakra into his breath. Each time he inhaled, the chakra seemed to flare up inside his lungs and when he exhaled, the chakra shrunk. It felt like a small fluttering bird in his chest, moving with each breath he took. After some time, it felt easier to manage. He took each breath with care, taking his time with it. As he did, he would notice his breath grow warmer. His body was heating up, like a fire brewing in his heart.

"Enjin!" a voice called out. "Are you out there?"

It was Aki! Enja nearly coughed as he broke his chakra control, the breath in his lungs feeling weird by the panic of the tone. Augus and Enja turned to the sound of the voice as she was quickly approaching through the trees. Enja panicked, feeling as if if she saw Augus, she would freak out and demand answers!

"GAAAH!!" he gasped, seeing as she was about to enter the clearing .

She soon emerged from the trees, pushing a branch out of the way as she strolled up. "Hey, there you are! What are you doing?" she asked with a calm look.

"Um, I can explain-- HUH?" He looked to the side of him where Augus was-- except he was not there any more. He had vanished from sight as Enja looked around. There was not a trace of him. Enja looked around with wide eyes, looking as if he was going crazy. "What the...."

Aki approached him and looked at him, concerned by the expression on his face. "Something wrong?" she asked, blinking at him. "I heard you talking. Were you talking to yourself?" she said.

A bit of sweat dripped from Enja's brow as he realized he had to lie his ass of now to her. "Um... well that is less incriminating. Yes..." he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"You're so weird," she said with a laugh. it was then she looked at the area, noticing the scorched grass and the turkey that Enja had stolen. She saw as it was now a cooked shade of color and further she had caught a glimpse of him through the trees, training. "So you were here training alone?"

"Uh-Of course, " Enja said, trying to keep calm. "I mean you don't see anyone here do you. I mean sure I tend to talk my thoughts out at times but ---"

He was silenced as she stepped right up to him and looked him straight int he eye. He stood back and erect, knowing that serious look in her eye. "Oh drop it. Do you take me for a fool. I know EXACTLY what is going on here."

Enja gulped nervously. "Um... you do?" he asked.

"Yes," she said with a calm face and even tone. Then after a moment, she smiled and pushed a finger at Enja's chest. "You finally mastered a fire jutsu, haven't you?" she concluded.

If Enja had not been so focused to keep up his front, he would have fallen over from that statement. "Huh?" he replied almost instinctively.

"It's pretty obvious," she said and turned to the smoked turkey nearby. "So that is why you wanted that food. You finally gotten the hang of Katon and were practicing it. Congratulations!" She had a smile on her face, having been feinting the more serious look to try and surprise him.

He was silent for a moment. He could see why she would assume that. If she knew he was alone, then all the evidence there could point to her indeed. His shocked look soon melted into a calm smile. "Ah... haha... you got me," he said, lying once more that it was indeed him that he had cooked the food with Katon. "I'm sorry, I just didn't want to make a big deal out of it. It's far from perfect anyway."

AKi backed up and shook her head with a smile. "Are you kidding? This is good news. You are getting better. All your training is paying off." she said. "I know its been hard for you without a master of your own and I know how hard you been trying on your own. You should be proud of what you have done."

Enja now could smile sincerely, glad she thought so highly of his efforts at least. "Don't worry I am," he said, "Thanks, Aki."

She smiled back as she looked to see it was getting late. "Well I better get back to my shrine duties. See you back at home," she said and turned to leave.

Enja couldn't help but blush a bit. He always did like it when she had such faith in him like that. It made all his troubles with his family and such fade to see her warm smile. As Enja watched the last of her figure vanish through the trees-- something heavy pushed his head down. He felt his neck make a painful lurch but nothing serious as he felt it was none other than Augus.

The man had reappeared once more and had rested his arm right on Enja's head as his way of a greeting. He too watched as Aki left, glad she had left and he came out of hiding. Where ever he went, it was a mystery that Enja was unable to solve. A chuckle escaped Augus as he glanced down at Enja, pushed by his arm's weight. "Heh, pretty cute. She you're girlfriend, boy?" he asked with amusement.

Enja growled at the rather annoying arm press on his head. "What? Gau um... no she isn't. I mean, come on what is that matter!? She is just a member of my clan is all!" he protested.

"Is that so?" Augus replied. He looked on as a lecherous thought and look crossed his features. "I do like those innocent types. The kind of girls a man can teach a few things to, if you know what I mean."

He really wanted to punch the guy now as Enja twisted and got out from under Augus' arm. "Knock it off! She is like a sister to me, so knock it off!"

AUgus just chuckled but said nothing on the subject. Enja just growled at the comment. Augus was a powerful fellow, one that Enja probably wouldn't know the extent to. But damn was he a lecherous pervert.

(4,382 words)

Roll for training points. First two numbers-- Katon training= 6 Tp total. Int training= 2 Tp. (Quick Learner boosts all numbers by 2)

The member 'Enjin' has done the following action : Dice

'Training Dice' : 8, 5, 2, 7