Where the rain never stops.

The sky roared with thunder as the rain fell over the land. A place called Rain Country, where it rains eternally. This is where I decided to go to- it wasn't far from Konohagakure, and I enjoy the rain. I noticed that I was alone, for the most part... On my way through, I noticed a few corpses, dried blood painting their clothes red. This would upset the normal person, but I had already undergone training to avoid losing myself at the sight of death. It was a requirement, in case things got.. 'rough'. I made my way to the top of a hill, noticing the waterfall that dropped over the cliffside, making for a very beautiful scenery. I began to think about home... I was told I wasn't to look back, or wish to go home, but I desperately wished it. Being so far from home, I'm homesick. But the thing that caught my mind mostly, was that my father was the first thing I thought of. His elegant posture and stern, but loving gaze... it set him high above everyone else. It was his techniques that I so wished to learn, but I didn't have the chance before I left. But... then I thought, What if I could do it without his guidance..? I knew I already had the affinity... it was just a matter of controling it.

After all the training I had gone through, it would be pointless to slack off now. I raised my hand and closed my eyes, letting out a deep breath. As I did, I could feel my chakra as I channeled it through myself and into the air around me. It felt unlike anything you could normally feel, like some sort of heavenly embrace. It's the best thing about controling ninjutsu. But I got lost in the moment, and suddenly, I felt a sharp pain as the chakra backfired against me, and I moved out of the way, before what I knew was to happen: the rain turned quickly into sharp needles of ice, tearing right through where I was. I didn't let it scare me, a mistake is a mistake, and it won't happen again, I thought to myself. I focused my chakra once more, and gathered it until it formed needles of ice out of the rain around me... only a small number- any more and I doubt I could control it. Hyouton isn't like other affinities- it takes a very precise amount of combined wind and water elemental chakra to create it. If I made a mistake, it would be over... so I decided to start slow. I guided the needles with my chakra, weaving them through the air as though I were dancing, and when I felt ready, I shot them forth, almost like a cannon. They stuck right into a nearby stone, though.. one or two of the needles shattered.

I quickly noticed another mistake and corrected it by preparing the technique again, focusing on my chakra in such a way that the rain formed into needles, careful to ensure that I didn't create more than I could handle yet. I shaped them into small slivers, about the size of pencils, and launched them at a tree, where each needle found their mark. Perfect. More practicing of that, and I should have it down... it's pretty simple- though it takes some getting used to. It isn't at all anything like controling just water. My chakra flowed once more as I began to manipulate the water around me, forming several needles to command.. I tried to create more this time, though once again, I made a mistake... it could be that there was too much water around me, so when I noticed the swarm of needles again, I tried to single out the cause. Perhaps it was because I didn't have total control yet? I have a feeling I'll need a true teacher to learn what my father perfected using our hidden chakra art.

With a few more repetitions, I gathered that I was ready to use it on command. And just as I turned to leave, I heard a twig snap nearby. Quickly, I drew my sword and turned to the direction, and called out. "Who's there?" Silence was my answer. I called out again. "Who is there? ... I'm not looking for a fight, but if you don't show yourself, I can only assume you're trying to harm me." Then, I saw a strand of silver hair peek out from behind the stone, as a young girl poked out and looked at me with curious eyes. "Ano... did you erm.. did you do that?" I nodded. The girl had tanned skin and golden eyes. She looked almost like a young oni from the tales, though she had no horns... and I didn't believe in such things. "You're ahh.. a shinobi, right?" Once more I nodded. She popped out from behind the rock, showing a priestess's robe, and she smiled brightly. "I'm Maka. It's nice to see a shinobi from fire country again. You see, I have some uh.. problems..."


I made a friend that day. My first friend from my stay in Konohagakure.

Always raining... I went to see Maka again. I returned to where I last saw her, and looked to the sky, seeing the eternal rain. I waited for what must've been an hour... and without her, I began to think. About what I did for her... I faded back, to three days ago, when I finished the task she asked of me.

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"Ano.. a problem?" I asked her, curiously. She looked cross and nodded her head slowly. "Hai. You see, uhm... I've been having some trouble with a bandit group, not too far from here. They come to take the earnings from our shrine, but... the temple priestess won't let me leave Rain Country to ask for help." I closed my eyes and let out a deep breath. "Where are they? ... I'll deal with them for you, Maka-san." Her expression grew happy and she explained. "They have a camp north of here, right over the mountain." I smiled and set my hand on her shoulder. "Alright, then... I'll be back, and you won't see them again. I promise." Soon, I left towards the north, where she had mentioned. I didn't realize how far it actually was, until I got there, having been walking for several hours. When I got to the mountain she had mentioned, I quickly hid behind a stone, having heard voices. They were quiet, almost hushed, but it was enough to alarm me before I made a mistake.

"Hnnn.. Last week, they didn't have much to give us." A voice replied to the first. "Then let's hope this week they've got enough... I don't want to make a mess of the place." I crept closer, and noticed that they looked rather tough... but it wouldn't stop me. I made a promise. I jumped between two rocks, careful to conceal myself. When I got close enough, I scanned the surrounding area, making sure that I was where I needed to be- near the center of their camp. I didn't even realize it was their camp, until I got closer however, as the place was actually carved into a wall in the mountain. I reached for the hilt of my katana, and waited until their backs were turned to me... when they were... "Oi, I'm gonna go piss, watch the place, will ya'?" ... I struck. As the first one left, I moved behind the other, reaching over to cover his mouth as I sent my blade through his back, severing his spine. Then, I moved it out of sigh, hoping to catch the second off guard, and make this an easy job. Though... it didn't turn out that way. The moment he returned, he noticed that he was missing, immediately drawing his blade. So, I tried to get a quick blow at his throat, though he caught me. Out of the corner of his eye, he must've seen me, as he quickly parried my blade and struck my back, knocking the breath out of me.

"So, you were the little bitch, eh? I'll be sure to deal with you." I coughed a little and rose to a knee, looking over at him, my silver hair concealing most of my face, my mask covering the lower half of my face. I stood back to my feet, and he seemed generous- at least fair, as he allowed me to regain my posture. I hid my headband, just to be safe during the job, so he didn't recognize my village. "What's with you, some crazy little girl, lost?" I spat at his feet and readied my katana. "Heh, sure... Let's get this over with."

He immediately stepped forwards, driving the blade towards my chest, and I gracefully stepped aside, catching it between my arm, as I turned to fling it out of his hand- countering with a strike of my own to his back. I cut deep- but not deeply enough... it seemed only to anger him. And that's when I realized, I wasn't fighting a bandit. "Tch... Stupid bitch, try and stop this!" When he regained himself, he handsealed, ending with the tiger seal. ~ Katon : Fireball Jutsu! ~ My eyes widened as he set his fingers to his lips, releasing a rather average sized fireball towards me. I tried to evade it, and escaped, barely. It caught my foot and burned it, though I escaped with my life... upon recognizing the fact that he was a missing ninja, I decided not to hold back. When I stood back to my feet, I reached out my hand towards him. "Hah, what's this? You giving up?" I only grinned in response, as the rain that dropped over him suddenly turned into a swarm of ice needles, more than just a few- it looked like all of the rain just shifted into icy shards, and aimed themselves at him. Apparently... all it took for me to get what my father could do, was a little encouragement. I grinned and repeated the words my father said to me, when I was trying to learn from him. "Do not fear the ice... embrace it." ~ Hyouton : A Thousand Ice Needles. ~ .. And almost exactly like I remember... when he showed me a demonstration, the combat dummy looking like a pincushion... he turned into a living cactus of ice needles. Though, I was always told not to look into the eyes of those I kill... When I saw his eyes, I didn't understand why, he looked beautiful, with the ice turning him into a cold corpse.
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I looked down from my memory, and heard something again. Of course, I reached for my blade, and drew it in preparation for what I could only assume was the worst, and faced the sound. Though, what I saw wasn't the death I expected, it wasn't a murderer or a missing ninja.. It was that same silver haired, golden eyed girl I remember from before. I smiled and said to her: "Ohaiyo, Maka-san. Enjoying your time without the bandits?"

// RP Training for Hyouton : A Thousand Ice Needles (C Rank)