Shadowcatcher

Welcome to Beacon Academy: A RWBY RP

Time skip posted!

Welcome to Beacon Academy: A RWBY RP

The Next Day


Ignis Opal sat behind her desk, her chair turned around facing the large window behind her. She gazed out towards the rising sun, her blood red hair hung around her face and cast a shadow over her golden eyes. She was lost in thought, wondering if she wanted to carry through with her twist with the test that the first years were going to participate in on this day. She had hand selected 12 first years who were going to set the standard for her. If they could not carry out the mission as planned, she would simply go back to the original test that her predecessor Ozpin had set in motion. The woman sighed an turned around as she felt the presence of someone in the room.

"Thank you for coming so quickly Pewter." the woman said to the blonde who had silently walked in. On her desk was a slip of paper that contained the names of the 12 students she wanted to use in her 'experiment' for today. "Gather these students and tell them to meet us at Beacon Cliff no later than 10 o'clock." she said. Pewter nodded and stepped forward, retrieving the list from the desk of her headmistress. "Are you still going to go through with the plan?" she asked as she turned and started to walk out.

"Yes." Opal said. "And I have high hopes that they... wont disappoint me. If they do, they'll be out by tomorrow morning. I'll be sure of it." was all she said before the door of her office was closed behind Pewter. "If they survive that is." Opal mumbled to herself as her gaze drifted back out towards the landscape below her.

---

Beacon Cliff - Moments before the Start of the Test

Once the twelve student had arrived and were gathered at Beacon Cliff, Headmaster Opal approached the group. She looked out among the student's faces before her and a smile would form on the woman's face. "Good morning students. Its nice to see such young and eager faces to once again grace the halls of my school. You are the first of many first years who will face a test today, to truly show me if you are ready for the dangers of becoming Huntsmen." She walked up and down the line of students as she spoke, her red hair fanning out like behind her as the wind blew. "Now im sure you all have heard rumors from the upperclassmen about the objective for today, but want to say just one thing...." She stopped in front of a girl in a red hood who seemed to not be listening to her and reached out towards her, taking a lock of the girls hair in her hand and gripping it in a fist, but not causing harm to the girl. "Whatever ideas you have about the test, forget them. You twelve will be set out to achieve a different objective. In this test, there is no pass or fail. It is pass... or die." Opal said menacingly, letting the hair slowly fall from her fingers.

"This test will not be like the ones your seniors took. This one is different. New. Never been attempted before.... likely very dangerous. So, based on the files presented to me from the first years, I have personally selected all of you to carry out this objective for me." she turned away from them and looked at Professor Pewter who nodded and stepped forward.

"The twelve of you will be sent to the ruins of an abandoned city located on the outskirts of Veil. It is a hot-spot for some of the most aggressive Grimm in the world, and so the mission will be carried out in teams of two. The first person you make eye contact with when you reach the city will be your partner for the mission as well as the duration of your time here at Beacon. While you are on mission, Opal and I will be watching you closely, and should you succeed and... not perish, you will be placed into teams of four." She paused and looked at Opal who nodded for her to continue.

"The objective is to get to the church located in the center of the city. Inside there will be six relics that are placed at the alter. Each pair takes one relic. There are two of each of the following: a cross, a small gargoyle, and a wooden spoon. No doubt you will face monsters in your path that are set to protect them. They are some kind of source of dark energy we want you to bring back so we can destroy it. You are by all means authorized to use deadly force. If you don't well, you know what happens. After all six relics are retrieved, it will activate a spell that will transport you back to this cliff. Be warned however. If there is any presence of the Grimm withing 20 meters of you, the spell will deactivate and you will be trapped there. We will not be coming to get you." she said.

"I hope all of you were listening closely and you are prepared to face these trials. The standards here at Beacon will be going up from this year forward, and I trust you all will set the example of those coming behind you." Opal spoke up then again. A hand rose to flick a bit of hair out of the woman's eyes and then she outstretched it towards the sky, closing her eyes. "Oh. And one more thing students." she said, a smile raising to her face. "Good luck."

With those last words, the woman would snap her fingers and the group of students would be individually circled by a white circle made of runes and small words. In a flash of light, they would be gone, all sent away to a different part of the abandoned city. The woman's eyes opened and she looked to Pewter. "They will survive." she stated to the professor.

"In all honesty Opal... I am not so sure."

---

~Moments Later~

Music Accompaniment

Add this to your post when writing the part when you reach the city.

Rielle felt her feet touch the ground, and not even a moment later, she heard the sound of a nearby Grimm. Turning around, she saw an Ursa lumbering around, shuffling through a building just behind her. Though her first thought was to scream, she covered her mouth with both hands and stepped backwards. She stared at the creature for a moment before turning and running in the opposite direction. Before she would be ready to fight, Rielle had to find a safe place to calm down and think. The only safe place was up, so with a hop, Rielle outstretched her wings and flew to the roof of the nearest building. There she would sit down and formulate some kind of plan in her head to survive. Her objective was to locate a relic. Sure, that was doable. But first, she had to find a partner.

After a moment, Rielle would rise and look out upon the city, getting a clear view from here. Grimm had begun to gather around the bottom of the building she was at, and though she wanted to fly to safety, that would only make her a giant, red, moving target. "Alright Seraphine. Let's kill these soulless bastards, huh?" she spoke to her bow as if it would reply back. Readying her bow and aiming it at the head of an Ursa, Rielle would pull the string back and stick her pointer finger out as guidance. Then using her semblance, she would create a thin arrow made of fire and hold it in place. The words of her father would echo in her head as she focused her energy, taming it, and allowing it to do her bidding. "Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun's rays do not burn until brought to a focus." With the last word spoken in her head, Rielle release the arrow, watching it fly and hit the beast dead on. It let out a shrill cry and fell, dead, then all Grimm heads in the area looked up in the direction the attack had come from.

A smirk formed on the lips of the girl as she pushed her head back and flapped her wings. "Did somebody order a handful of torched Grimm?" she said with a light giggle as she jumped from the roof and created a flurry of arrows to rain down upon the Grimm below her. She just let loose, not caring what caught aflame in the process, and afterwards, landed on the ground, transforming Seraphine into a spear and charging at the closest beast towards her.

Welcome to Beacon Academy: A RWBY RP

well since we moved a few pages, ill post the completed announcement

*****ANNOUNCEMENT*****

Headmistress Ignis Opal
~"The headmistress was only five-foot-one, shorter than many of the assembled freshmen, but the contrast of her flame-red hair and leonine gold eyes against her dark blue suit made it clear that she was not one to be taken lightly."~


Professor Pewter
~"Pewter, on the other hand, was the tallest and strongest person in the room. She was a well-known Huntress before taking a teaching position, and she remained highly imposing even in civilian clothing."~


Accepted Characters
Rielle Rouge
Press Dalton
Oren Haul
Kaesicius Kay
Indigo Lillemore
Gen Hio
Ashart Gin
Vask Allic
Lupus Argentum
Fir Juneau
Eurwen Mavros
Priscilla Montgomery
(Submissions are currently closed)

It seems like everyone should be ready for the timeskip by tonight, so no more games. There are 12 of us which means 3 teams.

Team 1: EPGR - Epigram
Rinnee: Eurwen Mavros
Scarifar: Press Dalton
Jedly: Gen Hio
Shadowy: Rielle Rouge

Team 2: LVKY - Lucky (Pending Approval. Subject to Change)
Vask Allic
Kaesicius Kay
Indigo Lillemore
Lupus Argentum

Team 3: APFO - Aphorize
Ashart Gin
Priscilla Montgomery
Fir Juneau
Oren Haul

Grimm Bosses for Test
*Expect them to be around the same size as the ones Team RWBY and JNPR faced. So dont worry if they look big!*

Team 1: Rage Raptor
Specifications:

About the size of the Death Stalker faced by Team JNPR, but twice as long.

Always fights in a pair (so we will be facing 2)

Moves at very high speed

Uses tail and clawed feet to attack. The tail can break bones if hit by it.

Sharp teeth and a jaw that can easily snap a tree in half

Can only be killed by cutting off the head

Team 2: Aggromantulas
Specifications:

About the size of the Nevermore Team RWBY faced

Has 3 children, the size of a modern school desk

Though relatively weak, extremely elusive because of its legs

Dont get caught in its web! This is very dangerous! Its web is coated in acid

Spews acid venom.

Kill by cutting off its abdomen (the end part ^^)

Team 3: Ghoul
Specifications:

About the size of the Nevermore Team RWBY faced when standing

Can walk on two legs and has hands capable of grabbing things

Legs and arms can be easily taken out, but still move after being seperated from the body

Hands have a death grip and can kill if you are caught in it

Moves very slowly, take advantage of this!

Can be killed by stabbing the heart

~Shadowy, your wonderful co-GM

Welcome to Beacon Academy: A RWBY RP

oh well its the choice of the team members lol

Welcome to Beacon Academy: A RWBY RP

1Charak2 said
kso the names so far as pointed out areLLAK (Lilac)Gamers:LVKI(Lucky)KVIL(Coil)KVIL(Cuil... I give you a hamburger... @.@)and the sirnames.as show bu gamerLAAK(Lack)KAAL(Call)ALAK(Alack)out of the 3 i perferCallLucky and Lilac XD

well the two that i like the most are LVKI (Lucky) and LLIK (Lilac) but im not sure where the other L comes from

Welcome to Beacon Academy: A RWBY RP

1Charak2 said
^^The team name is weird

it says subject to change...

Welcome to Beacon Academy: A RWBY RP

TEAMS HAVE BEEN OFFICIALLY PLACED. EVERYONE LOOK AT THE ANNOUNCEMENT AND SEE WHERE YOU BELONG AND WHO WILL BE YOUR PARTNERS. THE TIMESKIP WILL BE POSTED IN A FEW HOURS.

caps lock is awesome ^^

Lumos

Rin woke up early the morning she was meant to be off to Hogwarts. So early in fact, that the sun haden't even risen yet. As she lay in bed for a while, her mind wandered... no, buzzed with thoughts. All kinds of thoughts, but one in particular. Some news that her older brother, Corentin had told her the night before. For once in a long time... Rin was feeling sad, angry, and confused all in one. She had gotten only around three hours of sleep, and despite that fact, she rolled out of bed and began to go through her things, doing some last minute packing. She kept herself busy until after the sun rose, at which time she would hear the front door open and close shut.

"Rin. Are you awake?" she would hear her brother call as he stepped into the house, returning from work.

"Yes. I'm getting ready." she said simply. "I would like nothing for breakfast."

"I'm going to make you pancakes. You will eat them." was his reply in a bored tone.

"I'll hate them just like everything else you cook." she said, glaring at her door as if her eyes could pierce through it and into his skull.

"Yes, but you'll eat them all the same." he said with a light chuckle, and then she heard his steps fade away followed by the light clanging of pots.

Rin sighed and rubbed her tired eyes just as a light mew from Sebastian signaled his waking up. A light tap followed his jumping off her bed and prancing over to her. She turned her blue eyes to his, and after staring into them for a moment, Rin's began to fill with tears. The warm liquid pooling at her lids before slowly slipping over. "Oh Sebastian." she said picking him up and pressing her face into his fur. "I am... so sad Sebastian..." she said as she began crying into the cat who just accepted it. Silently comforting the girl as her shoulders shook from her quiet sobbing. Rin sat there in her pajamas, allowing herself to let go of her feelings. Afterall, it was better here and now instead of in front of her friends. Rin wouldn't allow herself to cry or show any kinds of negative emotions around her friends. They didn't such a trouble... so she was always happy around them, always carefree, always hiding if she ever felt sad. But... those emotions were always easy to bury. At school it was alwyas just someone picking on her or doing poorly on a test. Nothing like this... nothing like what he had told her about her-

"Rin? What's taking so long in there."

Her eyes flew to the door when she suddenly heard her brother's voice. "DONT OPEN THE DOOR!" she screamed.

"Woah, tone it down. I figured you were naked anyways. Just hurry up or else you will be late." he said in his normal monotonous voice.

She said nothing, just sighed and wiped her eyes and stood, releasing her cat and proceeding to dress up. Her outfit was of a style she would normally wear on a normal day. After a look at herself in the mirror, she noticed her eyes had prominent bags beneath them that stood out against her pale skin. Another sigh escaped and she turned from the mirror, grabbing her lone large suitcase and her purse that contained her important things, Wand, a camera, a snack for the train, etc. With a click of her teeth at Sebastian who was pawing at her ankles, she picked him up again and carried him out of the room along with her things. Corentin was sitting at the dining table reading a newspaper, and Rin said nothing when she came out and took a pancake from the table in her hand and ate it, chewing slowly.

"I'm leaving." she said softly before turning and making her way to the door.

"Are you sure you still want to go? Despite what I told you last night?" he said in a bored tone.

"I have no choice. What else will I do with my life? Its too late for me to just stop now." she said to him, opening the door.

Suddenly he was up and out of his seat and had gripped her shoulder gently. "Rin." he said softly, the tone in his voice changed into a sad one."I never blamed you for her death you know. It was out of your control." he said to which Rin was quiet for a long moment.

"No. You never did.... but Dad did. That is the point." she said, her voice trembling as she was on the verge of tears once again. Corentin said nothing, simply removed his hand from her shoulder. Rin reached into her purse, setting down her suitcase, and took her wand out. Her tierd eyes closed and she pictured the platform 9 3/4 in her head before waving her wand and aspirating to the spot, not bothering to say goodbye to her brother. When she got there, her eyes opened and she looked around her, making sure Sebastian and all her things made it as well. Seeing she had everything, she would step through the wall and slowly make her way towards the train where many students bustled about, making their way aboard. Sebastian silently followed Rin as she boarded the train and shuffled down the isles, peeking into compartments, looking for her friends. When she finally spotted them, she smiled a smile that didnt reach her eyes, and went inside.

"Hey guys." she said softly when she saw everyone was already there, not bothering to scream and jump on everyone like she would normally do. She put her things above them with everyone else's belongings, and Sebastian made his way over to Oberon and the two sniffed eachother as a hello. Plopping down next to Adelie, Rin leaned on her bestie's shoulder, allowing her hair to cover a bit of her face so no one would see how horrible she looked. "I'm sleepy." she said, a twinge of guilt stabbing at her heart for not being honest.

Welcome to Beacon Academy: A RWBY RP

1Charak2 said
LLAK Lilacusing so farLupus's first nameIndigos secound name XdVask's secound name and Kaesicius XDthinking of more .

that one sounds cool

Naruto : The Rise of The New Generations

Haruhi Suzumori and Takeshi Shun - New Comrades

Plot: Takeshi finds Haruhi training and shows her a few moves and the two find they have a few things in common.

A collaboration between Chromehound and Shadowcatcher

Part 2 of 2

Part 2

Laughing softly as the girl ran excitedly out of the restaurant, Takeshi slowly took the money out of his pocket and placed it on the table. Thanking their server he rose to his feet and calmly made his way out, both hands in his pockets. Making his way across the street towards Haruhi, Takeshi shook his head, an amused look on his face. It was gonna take a long time to teach this girl patience...

Haruhi frowned at him. He was walking so slow but with a sigh she waited, tapping her foot with her arms crossed. It was going to take some time adjusting to his teachings coming from Mika's. As he finally caught up, she said "If Mika caught me walking that slow, im pretty sure she'd hang me. So..." Haruhi moved behind him and pushed him from the back. "C'mon, lets go to the training fields. You... why are you so slow all of a sudden? Move it, Takeshi sensei, fast as lightning!" she told him as she struggled to push him.

Takeshi grinned as she tried to push him, making it as difficult as possible for her. "Mika never has been known for her patience either." He said, barely holding in a laugh. Letting out a small surge of Chidori Current to discourage her from pushing him further, Takeshi continued with his relaxed pace. "Would you agree that perception is important to a shinobi?" He finally asked.

With a squeal, Haruhi moved her hands away, taking the hint. She fell into a slow step beside him, giving up and just going at his pace. She was eyeballing another food stand as he asked her something, and her focus was shifted back to him. "Uh, yeah perception sure its important. ...do you mean like being aware of your surroundings"

Smiling as Haruhi finally stepped into pace beside him, Takeshi turned to look at her. "That's a part of it yes. But I also mean that it is important to be aware of how your enemies perceive you. Being able to manipulate that perception to your own ends will give you a great advantage in a fight." Staring at her for another moment, Takeshi figured that it would probably be a little easier if he were to give her an example. "For me, speed is one of my greatest skills. In a fight I will make sure that my opponent is not aware of that until I can use it to my advantage. So I always move slow, and I have gained a reputation of being lazy. This works out in my favour during a fight because my enemies will think of me as being less skilled. If you can get your opponents to underestimate you Haruhi, then you already have a much greater chance of winning. Do you understand?" He figured that he may as well teach her a little bit before they got to the training field. If he was going to get her to learn patience, he would have to take it slow.

She listened to Takeshi talk with great interest, as it made good sense to her. It explained why he walked so slow to a certain point. "Yeah i get it. I think i might be able to do that..." she paused as she thought for a moment. "But, what do you gain from your opponent thinking your weak?"

Pausing, Takeshi turned to her, a glint in his eye. "Everything." Locking eyes with Haruhi, he continued, "If your opponent thinks you are weak they will become careless. They will take chances they normally wouldn't. And you can use that carelessness to your advantage. You can use it to destroy them in that moment. Believe me when I say that there are some fights that you will need every possible advantage you can get."

His words had made an impact as he had said them. A shiver snaked its way down her spine as she thought about it. It was almost as if he were warning her about the former Hokage. Likely that would be one of those matches. "I understand what your saying, but it seems to me like its a gamble as well. You have to make yourself vulnerable... and what if your fighting someone who attacks before thinking? How would you still keep the upper hand if your element of surprise ends up failing?" she asked genuinely curious.

Even more so than fighting straight away, Haruhi was all for trying to plan ahead. Mika had taught her that her plan D needed a plan D and a last resort if all else fails. Though it seemed to her that the drawback of trying to execute a plan would be time. Time was never on your side. It was always working against you.

Thinking carefully about her words, Takeshi tried to formulate a proper response. "There will always be enemies who attack without rational thought, and enemies that will see through your deception. Those foes are truly dangerous on another level. You need to train yourself to the point where you are comfortable improvising in any situation. A ninja is only as skilled as their ability to adapt in battle. Having a trump card is a huge advantage, but you are right. It doesn't always work, so you need to rely on your other skills as well. You have shown yourself to be quite good at improvising Haruhi. Better than most I have seen at your rank. But we will need to work on getting you to the point where improvising is a second nature to you, and adapting to a fast paced life or death battle comes naturally." He paused, realizing that it was a lot of information to take in at one time. Looking at the girl, he wondered if she was truly understanding what he was saying.

Haruhi took a long moment to think about what he had said. "Improvising... so being unpredictable right? I think if i practice enough i should be able to do that." Haruhi was satisfied with his answer to her question, but still she said nothing more and continued to think about it. Knowing my surroundings, being unpredictable, not letting your opponent know your strengths until you strike...I need to practice that. If i get those three things down, the odds of winning may change in my favor.

She brought a finger to her lip like she did when lost in thought. She started thinking about ways to practice it outside of training. ...many ended with an angry Mika as a test dummy, but she could work with that.

She seemed to be digesting what he was saying, and Takeshi was satisfied that she at least seemed to grasp the concept. Walking ahead a little further, he could see the training fields in the distance. "So, Haruhi-san. What would you like to work on first when we get to the fields?" He would let her choose, if she were able. If not, well, he had a few ideas, but he first wanted to see what kind of tricks Haruhi had up her sleeve.

Haruhi scratched her head. "Well, i mean...there is room for improvement in everything but since you have the same chakra nature as me, why not just focus on my ninjutsu?" she offered. Haru knew it would be a big help since Hayashi sensei had little to teach her in that regard.

Nodding his head, Takeshi noted that they had arrived at the fields. Looking back at the girl he spoke. "To be honest with you Haruhi, I don't actually have a chakra nature. It took me a few years to be able to use Lightning Release, and even longer to master it. But I can teach you everything that I know." Takeshi wasn't sure why he still felt ashamed to admit that he didn't have a nature. He looked away deep in thought

Haruhi was surprised at Takeshi's words. "You dont have one....well, what does that mean? I thought everyone was supposed to have a nature and there are even some shinobi with more than one affinity right? I never heard of someone having none." she asked not in a rude way, but a curious way. A light breeze blew through the firlds, rustling the grass and her hair flew in front of her face. Scoffing, a trait she had inevitably pick up from Mika, she moved her hair back and pulled a ponytail from her pouch to tie her hair up. Once she finished she looked back at Takeshi who seemed to still be pondering something. Making a fist she said "Heyy, i'm still here! Why do you and Hayashi sensei do that? You say something super deep and then take a dramatic pause and when i'm trying to ask a question you're still pausing dramaticly." she crossed her arms and turned away from him. "Dont give me that crap about how i remind you of a brother or something. Mika's already used that one."

Hearing Haruhi speaking, Takeshi snapped back into the present. Looking down at the girl, he tried to regain his focus. "Hmm? Oh, right. Sorry." He thought about how to explain properly for a long moment before finally speaking again. "I suppose I am not being entirely accurate when I say that I have no nature. It is more than my chakra nature does not have an elemental property. It could be compared, I suppose to Yin and Yang Release, wherein there is no element attached. You may have noticed, for example, when we sparred, that I was able to absorb your attack?"

Takeshi paused, raising an eyebrow. "I was able to do so because my chakra nature is quite simply put, pure chakra. I can release and absorb pure chakra, which also means that I can convert incoming ninjutsu attacks into pure chakra, and then absorb them. Does that make more sense?"

Haruhi smiled at him then. "That sounds so cool! So why were you upset about it? If you ask me, that makes you really unique...and i dont think it was something that should have bothered you." She crossed her arms and looked around. She noticed a line in the grass and stepped over to it. "Hey, this is where i practiced my aim with Mika. Takeshi sensei, go to that tree over there and see if i can hit the bullseye she drew there." she said excitedly before putting on her gloves.

Turning a little so she wouldn't see him blush, Takeshi smiled at the compliment. He knew that he definitely hadn't felt cool when he was young. He had felt useless, and different from everyone else. Growing up he knew that his bizarre chakra nature gave him an advantage, but he still felt different. Looking over his shoulder as he approached the tree, Takeshi spoke to Haruhi. "Should I be worried how close I stand?" Flashing her a grin, Takeshi turned back and took his position beside the tree. "Alright Haruhi-san, let's see how good you really are."

"I think you'll be alright." Haruhi stood behind the line and took out a kunai. I'm not just good. I'm nearly perfect. she thought confidently as she narrowed her eyes and looked at where the bullseye was. She breathed in and turned fast, letting the kunai fly out of her hand as she turned back forward. There was a loud thud sound as the kunai hit the tree.

"Sensei, did i get it!?"

Watching Haruhi throw, Takeshi remained silent. Mika must have trained her well. Reaching out a hand he plucked the kunai from the tree. It had hit dead center. "Nice throw Haruhi-san. Can you do the same with moving targets?" He began walking back towards her, placing his hands back in his pockets. "I take it Mika hasn't only been training your throwing though, so why don't you show me what else she has taught you?"

Haruhi nodded but did not throw anything. She remembered that previously, he had deflected her attacks with ease before so instead she made two clones who ran at him. Both reached for shuriken and coated them in chakra before throwing them at him. Haruhi herself took out another kunai and waited to see where he would move. Then she would strike.

Instead of using his Great Whirlwind technique, Takeshi simply waited until the shuriken were just about to hit him in the chest. Focusing his chakra, Takeshi prepared, and at the last moment released a burst of chakra from his chest. The shuriken seemed to slow and then get thrown back as Takeshi continued walking forwards, his hands still in his pockets. He noticed the two shadow clones coming towards him but he didn't react. Not yet. He would wait to see what else Haruhi was going to throw at him before showing her his hand.

As the shuriken flew off in different directions, Haruhi thought of a different approach. Yeah...so its pointless to throw tools at him. Alright, i guess i'll just have to get up close and personal. Frowning, Haruhi ran at him and threw her kunai as well. Her clones sent out another flurry of shuriken and as the two before her reached within a few feet of him, they both sent chakra to their hands, ready to get him with a fist. She was unsure if they would hit him and release the chakra at the right time. Earlier, she had been struggling with timing, but in case they were to miss, she would be upon him soon with a punch of her own. Hopefully, she would be able to get her timing right this time.

Seeing the second volley coming towards him, Takeshi sighed to himself. It seemed he was gonna have to work a little harder this time. Pulling his hands from his pockets, Takeshi moved. He would appear almost as a blur as he dodged out of the way of the incoming weapons. Moving to his right, Takeshi jumped back towards the closest shadow clone to him. Putting a little chakra into his fist, he launched a chakra enhanced blow to the clones chest. If it were to hit a normal person it would have likely broken ribs and sent them flying. If it were to hit her clone however, it would most likely just poof out of existence. Spinning his body, Takeshi launched a chidori spear towards the second clone, before turning back to face the real Haruhi.

Her eyes widened as she watched Takeshi take out her clones, but it was too late to back down now. As the others turned to clouds and faded, Haru kept going at him, fist raised until she was only a few steps away. Throwing her fist towards his chest, she narrowed her eyes as she thought about a back up plan.

Her fist came towards him and Takeshi noted with a small smile that she was attempting to use her chakra to enhance her attack. She definitely showed promise. Moving swiftly, Takeshi shifted to the side and grabbed her by the wrist, turning her off course. Letting go of her wrist as she passed by him, Takeshi turned to face her. He wanted to see how she would recover. So far she hadn't disappointed him yet.

Haruhi squealed as she was easily turned off course. It had caused her to start to fall forward but she caught herself just in time. She did a one handed cartwheel before turning back to Takeshi and continued her attack to him. She did a small jump as she lowered her fist.

I'm going to time this just right.

Hmm. Seemed the girl managed to catch herself. Takeshi raised one eyebrow, smiling slightly. Preparing his body, Takeshi watched as Haruhi jumped and came down at him with her fist. Reaching up quickly with his right hand, Takeshi simply grabbed her fist. His body was already working to absorb the chakra in her fist and, though he did feel the pain of her fist hitting his open palm, Takeshi managed to absorb the chakra before she had a chance to turn her punch deadly. Still holding her fist, Takeshi was impressed. She had shown good control over her chakra during the attack. Something that most genin would struggle with.

Haruhi gasped as he simply caught her fist in his hand. She was shocked to say the least because she didn't know he'd simply absorbed her chakra. She frowned as her feet touched the ground and her fist was stuck in his grasp. "Why do i get the feeling i need to be more creative with you sensei?" she asked as she thought.

Okay, i cant use any move involving chakra, as he just absorbs it...i cant use my tools, he'll just deflect that...so whats left? What are my options? she pondered.

Grinning, Takeshi responded. "Because creativity will make you ten times harder to beat." Releasing her hand, he stepped back slightly. "So far you have done quite well Haruhi. But if you want to hit me you are going to need to think outside of the box." Takeshi kept a close eye on her, hoping that she would take his advice. The girl had a lot of potential, and if she was able to get more creative with her techniques, she would make a serious foe.

Haruhi furrowed her brow in thought. Oh man...what do i...wait. Thats it! Her eyes widened in realization and she gripped Takeshi's wrist with her free hand. She sent chakra to both of her hands then, and saw as sparks started to fly out of them.

As she grabbed his wrists, Takeshi realized what she was about to do. Clever girl. He thought, as sparks shot out from her hands. As the sparks hit Takeshi however, they seemed to simply vanish into his skin. He was absorbing the chakra yet again. "Right idea Haruhi, but wrong choice."[b] Using the chakra she had charged into him, Takeshi released a burst of chidori current, targeting the girl. He had toned it down significantly so that it wouldn't hurt her so much as discourage her.

Haruhi bit her lip and didn't let up. She even started forcing more of her chakra out as he absorbed it. [b]"You cant possibly absorb all of my chakra can you, so lets see what happens if you absorb too much. Stop absorbing and i'll hurt you right?" she smirked then, this was certainly out of the box. Dangerous as well, but she had no other ideas.

Grinning, Takeshi locked eyes with the girl. "Good work Haruhi." He was truly glad that she had thought so far out of the box. Her approach truly was unorthodox. Unfortunately it had one flaw. "I must say I am impressed. Normally your plan would work very well. Unfortunately Haruhi, I am not simply absorbing your chakra. I am converting it and using it to power my attack as well. As long as I am releasing your chakra in equal amounts as to what I am absorbing, I can keep doing this for as long as necessary." To emphasize his point, Takeshi increased the potency of his chidori current. It would now be causing her some pain.

Haruhi looked surprised as he spoke then squealed when he sent a stronger current through her. Haruhi didn't want to give up but she had no other ideas, so she slowly stopped releasing her chakra. "Okay sensei i think you win this one too. I dont know what else to do." she said, breathing a bit heavier

Allowing his chidori current to fade away, Takeshi removed himself from Haruhi's grip. "You did very well Haruhi. I am sorry if it doesn't feel like that right away. You took my advice and used it creatively. Had you been facing another, your skills would have given you quite an advantage. You should be proud of yourself." Takeshi smiled encouragingly at her.

With a smile Haruhi gave a thumbs up. "Thanks! Though, really why arent you like, Mizukage or something? Your way strong. No one can even touch you." she wiped her head with her arm as she noticed some beads of sweat rolled down. "I'm going to figure out your weakness. Just you wait."

"Heh." Takeshi turned away briefly, his thoughts somewhere else for the moment. Turning back he let out a sad smile. "I am not as strong as you might think Haruhi-san. And I am sure you will find my weaknesses soon enough." He left it at that for the moment. Putting his hands back into his pockets, Takeshi leaned against a tree. "So, Haruhi. Aside from sparring, were you hoping to get anymore training in tonight? Or shall we leave it for another time?"

"Hmm...i should probably get home and make sure Hayashi sensei ate her dinner." she said. "But...would i be pushing my luck if i asked for a piggyback ride?" she asked sweetly.

Letting out a loud exaggerated sigh, Takeshi moved away from the tree. Looking at Haruhi for a moment he couldn't help but smile. The girl had certainly managed to keep her optimism, even after spending all that time with Mika. And that alone was a feat. "I suppose, since you managed to impress me today, I could give you a piggyback ride... Just don't be thinking I'm gonna be giving out free rides every time we train though." Takeshi had one eyebrow raised and his expression appeared serious, but his amused tone gave him away.

With a happy squee sound, Haruhi removed her gloves and ran to Takeshi's side and smiled. This was great knowing that not everyone in Kirigakure was mean or upset all the time. True, Haru had brought Mika's mood up but she was still hurt, still scarred and she knew it was something that kept her from opening up sometimes. Jumping on Takeshi's back, she giggled and climbed up a bit farther until she was instead sitting on his shoulders. She knew she wasent heavy and likely he wouldn't struggle unless he was a wimp. At one point she pulled on his dark green hair when she felt he might fall and she giggled. "Haha oops. I bet if i pull out this patch you'll really look like an old man. Okay lets goooooo!" she said kicking her legs.

Haruhi smiled really big as she thought back to when her father would run around the house with her on his shoulders. Her mom would chase them around yelling not to break anything. In a weird way, she felt if Mika was there...it would kinda be like that. As if i'd ever say that out loud though. she thought, not realizing she actually did quietly. I bet Takeshi sensei dosent even run anymore...the lazy bum. she joked in her head.

As Haruhi jumped on his back and clambered up to his neck, Takeshi had let out a small grumble, which was once again more of a facade than anything. Holding on to her so that she didn't fall back, Takeshi began walking out from the training fields. He felt Haruhi pulling on his hair and grinned, despite the temporary pain. Adjusting his hold on the girl so that she wouldn't fall of, Takeshi prepared to move forwards again. He almost didn't hear Haruhi as she spoke quietly, thinking it was just his imagination. As he realized that she had actually spoken, Takeshi glanced up at her. "You're an interesting kid Haruhi-chan, you know that?" He smiled and then stared forwards. The way ahead of them was almost entirely devoid of obstacles. Suddenly, Takeshi grinned wickedly. "So you want to see fast hmm?" He asked, waiting to see how the girl would respond.

Haru leaned over his head so she could see his face and visa versa. Smiling she said "As long as you promise not to drop me. I wanna go super fast!" she said excitedly.

Continuing to grin, Takeshi nodded his head. "Hold tight Haruhi." Adjusting his grip once again, he made sure that the girl was holding on tight before suddenly dashing forwards. As his speed grew, the world around them seemed to blur and it would be difficult to make things out. Takeshi was used to the speed and so he had a better grip on how to move, but he wondered how Haruhi would react to going this fast.

In no time at all they had cleared the way back into the city, and were getting fairly close to Mika's house. Takeshi decided to slow down so that they could walk the rest of the way. As he came to a gradual stop he looked up at Haruhi. "Well, how was it?"

"I might throw up on you." she groaned simply as her grip on his head stayed tight.

Laughing out loud, Takeshi made no attempt to move her. Continuing to move forwards, he let the silence hang for awhile. "How is Mika doing?" He asked, a little sheepishly.

She finally felt stable enough to let go of his hair as he started to walk slowly. It took her a long moment to answer. "She has withdrawn from me slightly. She feels guilty for what happened to me...recently. And a fe other things..." she said refering to her permanent unwanted visitor she had sealed within her. Her mood had fell then as she thought back to the few days following the event, and the time when Mika and Haruhi were in the cave...

"I dont know if maybe it was a mistake getting so close to her so soon. I only wanted good memories with her but...its hurt both of us. I didn't feel right for a few days afterward because i felt betrayed. Even now I still don't...Though now...I regret everything i didn't say to Mika about it...." she sniffed and wiped her eyes with her arm, saying nothing more.

Takeshi stopped walking for a moment. Staring ahead he paused for a long time. Finally he spoke, his voice quiet, saddened. "You had a right to feel betrayed, to feel angry. You still do. But it wasn't Mika who betrayed you Haruhi-chan. And I know that there's a part of you that understands that. I can tell. It shows just how much you care about her, and that probably means the world to her. Unfortunately Mika isn't the type to show it." Looking up at the girl, Takeshi locked eyes with her. "If I know Mika like I think I do, then nothing you could say would make her feel worse than she is making herself feel right now. If you truly want to make it up to her then show her that you forgive her, that you still care about her. I know it probably won't be easy, and it's not the kind of thing you just get over... If you ever need to talk to someone, if ever you feel like you can't talk to Mika, then know that I will be here Haruhi. Anytime."

Haruhi said nothing for a long moment as and after Takeshi was speaking to her. She deeply regretted pulling away from Mika. Though the bond was there, it was so much more fragile than she'd expected. "I will try...my best to get things back to where they were with Mika and I. I'm sure i can figure it out. ..,thank you sensei." she paused and looked down at him. "Can you put me down now so i can hug you?"

Letting out a small smile, Takeshi set Haruhi down and turned towards her. Pausing, he looked at her for a moment. "Mika is not one that is easy to bond with. As you have probably noticed she finds it very difficult to trust people, and I hope you can understand why. But she is worth it. That much I know for certain. It will take time and work Haruhi, but I think that she needs you just as much as you need her. Just don't let her know I said that." He said, winking. "Now come here and give me a hug quickly, I can't have too many people seeing me as a softie now." Takeshi held his arms out, awaiting the hug.

Haruhi nodded then laughed as he reminded her he needed to maintain the tough guy facade. She hugged him tightly then stepped back and gave him a smile. "You forget who i am sensei. Im a Suzumori and we dont give up. I dont care how long it takes. One day Mika and the whole village will trust me."

Smiling back at her Takeshi nodded. "I don't doubt that for a second Haruhi." In some ways Takeshi was glad that she was the one who had been chosen to receive the beast. Not because of the power it offered, not for any strategic reasons, but because of who she was as a person. Takeshi felt confident that the beast would not be able to change her, and despite its hefty burden, he thought it was one that Haruhi was strong enough to handle. He could not help the sad look that touched his eyes despite the smile on his face.

Haru held out her hand towards Takeshi. It was in a fist but her small pinky finger stuck out. "I say we make a promise right here." she waited until he linked fingers with her.

"I, Haruhi Suzumori, promise to work hard and never give up, no matter what obstacle comes my way. I promise to make everyone who has faith in me, proud to be a part of my always growing family. ...Now you gotta promise me something. Anything you can think of."

Hmm... Takeshi thought as he stared at the girl for a moment. Finally he reached out his hand and locked his pinky with hers. "I, Takeshi Shun, promise to train you to the best of my ability, and to always be honest with you. I promise to be around for both you and Mika if you ever need someone to talk to, or if you just need a friend. And I promise to do everything in my power to never let either of you down..." Pausing briefly, he scratched the back of his head with his free hand. "How was that?" Takeshi asked sheepishly.

Haruhi smiled. "Its average." she said simply as she removed her hand from his. "Thanks alot for tonight. I really needed your...charm? Not sure if thats what you call it. Anyway, you'll probably find me running laps in the training grounds tomorrow maybe midday. Stop by if your free. I'll try to bring Mika." she said that last bit while elbowing him gently. It was going to be great teasing him about this. She turned and walked towards Mika's door before she paused. Was she forgetting something...?

Just average? He thought, She's been spending too much time with Mika. Letting out a laugh, Takeshi listened as she continued. A small flush briefly came to his face as she mentioned bringing Mika, but Takeshi quickly concealed it. "Thank you as well Haruhi. It was fun. Tommorow huh? I shall be there." Smiling at the girl, he was about to walk away before he realized he had forgotten to say something. "Goodnight Haruhi-chan. Try to stay out of trouble before then okay?" His tone was lighthearted and he once again turned before remembering something. "Oh and, say hi to Mika for me... If you don't mind." Scratching the back of his neck absent-mindedly with one hand he tried to think if there was anything else he had forgotten to say.

Haruhi turned back around and walked towards Takeshi. "Sensei...take this for me." she said reaching into her pouch to retrieve the bingo book. She looked at it before holding it out to him. "I dont want to stay stuck...blinded by the past."

Opening his eyes wide in surprise, Takeshi reached out to take the book. Pulling the book towards him, he looked down at it. A sad look filled his face before Takeshi looked back up to Haruhi. Upon seeing the girl, he smiled. "I am truly glad to hear that Haruhi. The past... the past is important, but it has a tendency to cause far more pain than it's worth." Staring at the girl for a moment longer, Takeshi slid the book inside his pocket. "Now come here and give me another hug, before I change my mind."

Haruhi smiled back at him. "Weeeell i guess since you asked so nicely... Okay!" she said excitedly before practically jumping on him. She hugged him tightly, silently thanking him for everything he did for her today. He had reminded her that she was not alone even if sometimes she felt like no one was there. He reminded her so much like her father. Even though he was dead, he never really felt too far away. He was a part of Haruhi, but she didn't know if her fathers influence in her life would be good or bad.

Only time would tell.

After a moment she reluctantly let go of him. He gave good hugs. "Sensei, you know...your a bit more squishy than Mika. She's like a stone. ...well i mean accept for her boobs. Her boobies are really squishy, i mean not like i grabbed them or anything." she said, making a boob squeeze gesture with her hands. After a moment she realized it was kind of innapropriate and stopped. "Haha sorry. TMI right?"

After letting go of the hug, Takeshi had stepped back. When Haruhi started speaking, his eyes filled with horror. Wh--why... why was she talking about Mika's... His face turned a thousand different shades of red as he tried to stammer a response. "Uh...um... th--thank you? I think...?" Haruhi certainly knew how to throw him off guard. Trying to regain his composure, Takeshi scratched the back of his neck.

Haruhi blushed slightly out of embarasment when she noticed how uncomfortable her sensei looked. "I swear i didn't intentionally squeeze them. It was just.... Okay you know what i'll just stop talking about it." she said with a light laugh. "I'll see you later."

With a wave to him, Haruhi turned back around as she reached to get her key. As she opened the door and walked inside, she wondered how she was going to get her two sensei's to fall in love. Closing the door with her foot, she rubbed her hands together.

"Step One: getting them to meet..."