Post by Matsuda Katashi on Jul 24, 2021 7:08:42 GMT
Matsuda approaches a small cave a couple kilometers outside of Kumogakure. This is his solace. Located on the side of a mountain overlooking a large lake, he believed it to be a good place to sit and think and even meditate. It's just past noon and the sky is clearer than usual so he didn't need to light his torches but he would have to wait for the sun to finish crossing over the mountain. He takes a sip from the waterskin he keeps hung on the wall and sits at the mouth of the cave.
A gust of wind came and Matsuda took a deep breathe. He would start training soon but it had been a while since he last meditated. Assuming position, he began to pattern his breathing and clear his mind. It was hard today though, to clear his mind that is. He kept thinking about how it was he was ever able to graduate the academy. He was always sleeping! It's as if he soaked in the knowledge from his books through osmosis by using them as pillows. Taking tests was always easy even though he'd read the material once and never take notes. Then there were jutsus.
Jutsus were his favorite part of class. Matsuda would tune in and heed every work and gesture carefully. When he learned new hand signs he would practice them all day every day, because they made him feel super cool. Even when he learned the basic techniques he'd go home and practice them, though he didn't necessarily need to, just because he could. He began to think about how easily he passed those rudimentary tests for the academy jutsus.
First was the Transformation jutsu. He remembers the excitement he felt getting to step forward and show off his technique to the class. "Matsuda Katashi", the sensei called, "Step forward and when you're ready transform into someone to the best of your knowledge". Matsuda stood and knew he could simply look at one of his classmates or his teacher and get an easy A, but he took a glance around the classroom and saw a picture of the raikage on the wall and knew what he was going to do. He grinned and did the hand signs for the transformation jutsu, and in a puff of smoke became the spitting image of the raikage. The class applauded and his teacher was amazed. He passed.
Next was body replacement and the clone technique. Students would need to make a clone and then avoid thrown kunai using body replacement. Matsuda waited eagerly in line for his turn to show off. When it came time, he took his stance, formed 4 perfect clones of himself! He ran full speed at his teacher and when the kunai came flying they sunk into him. He flew back and landed on the ground and his clones disappeared. The class looked and for a long moment say Matsuda laying on the ground motionless. Their teacher began to worry and approached him but as he got near their was a poof of smoke and what lay on the ground was a training dummy. "Oh gosh! Is he alright?!" The class whips around to see Matsuda alive and well and there was a training dummy missing from the rows behind him. He passed.
Finally was water and wall walking. In the days leading up to this test Matsuda's parents had worked with him on these techniques as he was a little worried he would have trouble with them. They had taught him proper chakra control and technique and was able to do it without trouble in just a couple of days. On the day of the test, he needed to walk up a tree, back down and over the nearby lake. When they got to the testing site Matsuda looked and saw the tree had a large branch that hung over the lake. He knew then what he was going to do. His time came to perform and he flawlessly strode up the tree and instead of coming right back down, stood on the branch that hung over the lake. "Ok Matsuda, come on back down so we can finish", called his teacher. "Alright I'm coming down", he says, but as he moves to come off the branch, he begins to wobble. He's lost his balance! He wobbles and wobbles until he slides off of the side of the branch. The other children gasp and their teacher move in to catch him, but there's nothing to catch. They look to see Matsuda hanging upside down on the branch by the bottom of his feet. "Alright that's enough now", says the teacher. But Matsuda isn't quite finished. As the teacher begins the walk back to the rest of the class, Matsuda releases himself and falls towards the lake. He turns himself feet first. There was a big splash and everyone paused. The children laughed thinking their classmate had just fallen into the lake. The teacher turns and as the mist and water clears, they see Matsuda standing on the surface with a big grin. The teacher rolls his eyes. He passed.
The sun was now over the mountain. Matsuda opened his eyes to see the scenery and took a long sigh. He had a smile on his face. After a moment of taking everything in he looked into the sky and glanced at his training cave. Taking another deep breathe he stands, straches, and says to himself, "Alright let's get to it!"
A gust of wind came and Matsuda took a deep breathe. He would start training soon but it had been a while since he last meditated. Assuming position, he began to pattern his breathing and clear his mind. It was hard today though, to clear his mind that is. He kept thinking about how it was he was ever able to graduate the academy. He was always sleeping! It's as if he soaked in the knowledge from his books through osmosis by using them as pillows. Taking tests was always easy even though he'd read the material once and never take notes. Then there were jutsus.
Jutsus were his favorite part of class. Matsuda would tune in and heed every work and gesture carefully. When he learned new hand signs he would practice them all day every day, because they made him feel super cool. Even when he learned the basic techniques he'd go home and practice them, though he didn't necessarily need to, just because he could. He began to think about how easily he passed those rudimentary tests for the academy jutsus.
First was the Transformation jutsu. He remembers the excitement he felt getting to step forward and show off his technique to the class. "Matsuda Katashi", the sensei called, "Step forward and when you're ready transform into someone to the best of your knowledge". Matsuda stood and knew he could simply look at one of his classmates or his teacher and get an easy A, but he took a glance around the classroom and saw a picture of the raikage on the wall and knew what he was going to do. He grinned and did the hand signs for the transformation jutsu, and in a puff of smoke became the spitting image of the raikage. The class applauded and his teacher was amazed. He passed.
Next was body replacement and the clone technique. Students would need to make a clone and then avoid thrown kunai using body replacement. Matsuda waited eagerly in line for his turn to show off. When it came time, he took his stance, formed 4 perfect clones of himself! He ran full speed at his teacher and when the kunai came flying they sunk into him. He flew back and landed on the ground and his clones disappeared. The class looked and for a long moment say Matsuda laying on the ground motionless. Their teacher began to worry and approached him but as he got near their was a poof of smoke and what lay on the ground was a training dummy. "Oh gosh! Is he alright?!" The class whips around to see Matsuda alive and well and there was a training dummy missing from the rows behind him. He passed.
Finally was water and wall walking. In the days leading up to this test Matsuda's parents had worked with him on these techniques as he was a little worried he would have trouble with them. They had taught him proper chakra control and technique and was able to do it without trouble in just a couple of days. On the day of the test, he needed to walk up a tree, back down and over the nearby lake. When they got to the testing site Matsuda looked and saw the tree had a large branch that hung over the lake. He knew then what he was going to do. His time came to perform and he flawlessly strode up the tree and instead of coming right back down, stood on the branch that hung over the lake. "Ok Matsuda, come on back down so we can finish", called his teacher. "Alright I'm coming down", he says, but as he moves to come off the branch, he begins to wobble. He's lost his balance! He wobbles and wobbles until he slides off of the side of the branch. The other children gasp and their teacher move in to catch him, but there's nothing to catch. They look to see Matsuda hanging upside down on the branch by the bottom of his feet. "Alright that's enough now", says the teacher. But Matsuda isn't quite finished. As the teacher begins the walk back to the rest of the class, Matsuda releases himself and falls towards the lake. He turns himself feet first. There was a big splash and everyone paused. The children laughed thinking their classmate had just fallen into the lake. The teacher turns and as the mist and water clears, they see Matsuda standing on the surface with a big grin. The teacher rolls his eyes. He passed.
The sun was now over the mountain. Matsuda opened his eyes to see the scenery and took a long sigh. He had a smile on his face. After a moment of taking everything in he looked into the sky and glanced at his training cave. Taking another deep breathe he stands, straches, and says to himself, "Alright let's get to it!"