Katriana - Path of the Dragon Sage

Katriana was born to the clan bearing the Night-Lotus seal, not especially gifted by any means, simply an average member of it with the talents of the clan presenting at a regular interval. Neither born with blessings or curses she easily took to the clans Night-Lotus seal and entered the academy at the regular age of five with nothing but regular problems for the clan, by the age of six she had already taken to Strawberry wine, sharing that vice in common with her mother, and using it as a crutch after numerous complaints of her acting out in school, depending on the power of inebriation to get by even at a young age. Luckily the problem was not at all uncommon for her clan, and protecting children from liver (and brain) damage from alcohol. Life was easy enough, there were deaths as all ninja families suffered, but the dead never simply vanished in her clan, even her father though passed away had long been with her still, becoming more and more a spirit of the woods he still kept with her mother. This was never strange to her, though her father having bark growing here and there was a bit odd.

The Night-Lotus seal, would be uncomfortable as it is for almost all those of the living, requiring a keen sense of self, and an understanding that the soul rebels from being held in the grasp of even the most protective fuinjutsu. However, all those in the clan know it be a great gift, ensuring that their loved ones all bear it, for those with the seal are all united in death with nature and through that one another. The seal encouraged a certain temperament of one vice, and in all other matters an unworldly calm (save for those bound by fire and lightning – who often find themselves to certain though short and brief, fits of utter rage). Not wanting their little ninja's to get drunk most children would shy away from her on their parents orders, but not all, nor in angry fashion. She would gain slightly above average marks for the class, not because she had any special talent for anything in particular, but simply because of the calm temperament that marks the majority of her clan.

So it would come to pass, her friends not available, she would go on an expedition into the woods, as she had come to do at that time and ever since, she had long since awakened her spirit sight, another hallmark of her clan. And with her great, great, great, grandfather a spirit of the woods, she would go about her business of talking and playing. Learning to jump from tree to tree, training, truly, but she didn't think of it this way, mostly on the account of most of the trees she was on top of was actually an extension of her relative so long as he was near them. But, soon, he would be called away, a summoning, and dragged away by the clan's duty Katriana would be left to her own devices, sitting near a clearing her great, great, great grandfather had tended especially - though she never thought to ask why, she would look about her 'sight' still grasped as she waited for her grandfather. She would see a strange sight, a small creature.. huddled away, crying for all it was worth over a mound. A spirit of one of the dearly departed, still bound to this world its life cut all too soon - the spirit of a dragon.

Drinking heavily of the strawberry wine she had with her she'd wander nearer to the dragon, smiling at it - standing just a bit taller then it. The dragon perked up immediately surprised having died, not even its own mother could see him. They would spend time together talking and conversing as she had nothing better to do then to converse with the odd spirit dragons bearing many things in common with the push towards nature of her clan... minutes would turn on to hours, having fast become friends, though with a few breaks in their conversation as Katriana could not fully maintain her spirit sight for so long, playing games and the like out of sheer boredom while waiting, she and Grimm the gold dragon, would play even on top his grave.

That was until a blast of wind came down to send Katriana, a most abrupt encounter, with a much larger, angrier dragon. A grave of a dragon killed by humans was no place for a human to play on top, and even the noblest dragon mother has her limits on patience. Slammed back along the ground Katriana would try to grip the ground with a kunai only to be pulled along yet still like a garden trowel until she let go being forced back against a tree. Finding herself... rather nose to nose... and a bit bruised about the head... with a rather large, very -not dead- dragon....

(I used this: http://kitsune-oni-stocks.deviantart.com/art/113-Parchment-Letter-Paper-14044745 and this http://oblivion.nexusmods.com/mods/36495 )


Translation: (Dragons don't have a capital or lower case, nor do they have punctuation.)

dear diary it has been two days since i last wrote to you

in that time much has changed i met my first true friend outside my family his name is grimm he is sadly dead but also a dragon and that’s awesome but i can still see him with my soul sight and we fast became friends. his mama however saw things a bit different after a vicious spanking i managed to make peace

i had made the rather unforunate mistake of playing over his grave and his mama was very upset but when she found out grimm and i were friends things got better and she told grimm and i we should be better friends

special note avoid getting spanked by dragons

after saying that she scratched my cheek really hard and blood spilled and grimm then everything went kinda fuzzy and i ended up back at home and now i cant stop writing in these funny scratches grimm says its perfectly normal

Excellent job on both submissions =) I am looking forward to reading moar <333

EDIT: Paid

And so, with Grimm’s mother’s permission, Katriana and the little dragon from beyond the grave would laugh and play all day between the time of her turn to the academy once more, and a short vacation. Though hide and assassinate would be a little one sided, Katriana’s soul sight consistently giving away his position. Leaf was a quiet village in those days at least for the children safely away from harm and practicing simple arts that would prove more then necessary when they become older.

Soon… she would return…


Dear Diary
It has been awhile since I last wrote to you in that time I have mostly been playing with Grimm biding my time until I am put back in the academy with basics of controlling chakra down and the twelve seals down Mama tells me this year I will be able to begin learn jutsu

For his part Grimm is content to play with me and intends to go to school with me I worry that the sad times will continue my drinking puts off the teachers and many of the other students so much but without it I feel like I go crazy Mama says that it is just the way of things and that I will understand better when I am older.

I love my mommy very much though father seems to be growing more and more distant from us becoming more and more of the forest Mama says its just the way of things but if he fully joins the rest of my ancestors I think Mama would be very lonely I get a bad feeling in my tummy when I think of how close father used to be with me and how he struggles to hold on now Mama says tree spirits react to the seasons and with fall approaching father is drawn to a standstill but he should be more of himself in the spring

Yours truly
Katriana

The days of the academy would begin once more, Katriana packed up and ready to go, with Grimm no less to keep her academy a new sensei today for her class things would go remarkably downhill from there. Katriana sent home for her drinking problem, and being a general disruption to the class with her “imaginary friend”. The last straw the “chicken scratches” she wrote on everything. Katriana’s mother would just pass it off passively as always … always believing in her daughter – giving her a little pick me up with a special glass of wine the wine that day still marking the page until this day….



Dear Diary
Today I started out in the academy again and failed the first portions of everything I was yelled at so much I bursted into tears and eventually was sent home The teacher said all I did was claw at the paper and drink wine all day Its not even fair I was only drinking so much because he was yelling at me so much because of my writing

Mama says I need to learn how to write in kanji again and not like a dragon and Grimm is no help on the matter he just talks about how much the monkey languages lack power and voice I do not really get it but Grimm says I will learn in time which is what they all say to me

Grimm however has come up with an excellent idea instead of me writing things for class Grimm will be doing it instead apparently he is proficient with monkey languages after all

Truly your keeper Miss Diary
Katriana

Great Job hun =) * Would like to know what was said though! * lol <_>

EDIT: Paid

(Additional things used: http://festering08.deviantart.com/art/lotus-flower-design-36390456 , http://ibrokemyumbrella.deviantart.com/art/flowers-17709056 )
Flower Picking
The second day of class would go a bit smoother, the boys and girls splitting off for need-to-know information about things important to espionage. The girls separated into a class on flower picking to learn the language of flowers, and the boys brought elsewhere to do something to this day unknown to Katriana. The day Katriana made a new friend… a friend with “Gentootsu”.

Little would she know just how much her teachers kept an eye on her, and just how upset a member of the Yamanaka clan might get if things go sour. Only time and effort would tell. Perhaps though Katriana could finally get close to someone outside her family of the living though. Perhaps flowers would unite her. Perhaps... she was wrong... she still keeps several flowers she collected pressed between the pages of her diary~ waiting and hoping for Suri to come back and make friends...



Dear Diary
Today we did flower picking in class I learned a lot about what different flowers meant and made a friend with a nice yamanaka girl named Suri she taught me a lot but became bothered by my drinking she tried to use something called gentootsu in order to make me quit drinking

I got a really bad headache and ended up drinking more though our pairing did really good in the class she said that I had a bad head and that she needs way more practice before fixing me of my habit.

Somehow I do not think she will be coming back to me any time soon

Truly
Katriana

The following day would be most painful for Katriana, eager to meet up with her Yamanaka friend, she would find her guarded by several boys in the class, who wouldn’t let Katriana through. Threatening her as boys do in order to impress Suri, Katriana was left to her own devices to cope. Naturally turning to wine to shed her woes from the depression forced upon her.

She’d try again during lunch only to be rejected again, told she was a ‘trouble maker’ and that she ‘didn’t belong’ and many other cruel things. Having her limits she would talk back calling one of the boys ‘pimple faced’ (at seven he really wasn’t but she heard someone else hear that before)… and she was promptly beaten on by most of the group. Suri finally protesting after a minute with a passive “stop it you’ll get in trouble”. Telling Katriana she was better off waiting until Suri was better at mind control (gentootsu).

Katriana knowing her mother would avoid putting any of that in her diary she would however tear the page to void the lie. The rest is as per reality, she learned rope escape, and could finally tie her shoelaces. She likely would never had suffered such problems if not for her drinking.



Dear Diary
Today I learned my first jutsu my Yamanaka friend as predicted wants nothing to do with me for the time being which caused me to drink more of Mamas wine then usual getting a bit dizzy again during the lesson I somehow managed to pass with flying colors.

Teacher marked me down with an average score saying that I must have already of been taught the technique Teachers so mean I had never seen it before and all he wants to do is yell at me

But today was a good day because with the Rope Escape Technique I can finally tie my shoelaces

Sparkles and Sunshine
Katriana

Katriana, continues to realize her gift of drunken memorization~ beginning to realize she is different then other people… in the deepest levels of drunken stupor she does not pass out or black out, no, she gains amazing powers of mental and cognitive skills (for a genin~) and finds herself fully able to memorize jutsu after jutsu with little or even no practice.

With this new found ability she learns the cloak of invisibility jutsu and uses it to stalk her friends, family, and co-workers. Drunken logic slowly guiding her towards greatness/being a total creep! She still however is only seven so bear with it~



Dear Diary
Today I learned yet another Jutsu having been drinking heavily I watched one of the older classes practicing during free time playing with little sheets and tossing them over their heads they’d attempt to blend in with the area around them I watched them do it a few times from the window during lunch time It was the same as with the rope trick technique I didnt even have to practice it and am using it to hide under my blanket outside as I write to you… not even Suri knows Im watching her right now.

I am a shadow... I am the night... I am.. the Suri Stalker Its kind of like being a super secret friend that only you know about I see her there playing with her flowers oh yes super secret friends she would never think I would know such an advanced jutsu

Oh thats right I started taking my lunches on the second floor away from the classes since I drink the most with food and when I’m lonely its the best of both worlds to avoid them I dont feel lonely when Im alone just when other people push me away

Grimm tells me that he counts and he does but Id really like some of the girls in my class to relate or even some humans the more time I spend with Grimm the more I learn how to talk like him they make fun of me for sounding like Im roaring all the time but I know their the ones missing out because they dont know my best friend Grimm

Yours
Katriana

Katriana proud of her cloak of invisibility technique continues to stalk classmates using it. Her instructor takes notice of this ‘bizarre’ behavior, after numerous complaints of “giggling walls”, finally having his excuse to send her off for more proper ‘discipline’. She would find herself sent to a strange office, in the center of the village after being caught stalking one of the boys in her class.

Suddenly finding herself a bit timid, she’d walk into the Hokage’s building, her sensei having told her to expect ‘serious’ punishment for all her distracting behavior. Walking up, to the receptions secretary she’d wave over the counter with a pile of paperwork and complaints in hand no great guardians aside from Grimm, which would be awesome except no one could see him. “Hewwo!” Katriana would say as cutely as she could, adults loved cute kunoichi, it was her only hope to not suffer too much.

The receptionist would grab the papers from her hand staring at them abruptly. “I see... I see… room 6-C… NEXT!” the receptionist could not be colder. Katriana would go to inquire more but the next shinobi in line already bumped her out of the way.

Lost and forlorn, and growlingly scared she’d set about trying to find the office she was supposed to go through, winding offices piles of papers… eventually she would find her way to an office marked ‘Head of Training 6-C’ such a busy place with people moving this way and that. She would wonder if these people were Ninja or accountants… then she wondered which would be scarier come tax season. Managing to procrastinate long enough with her imaginings of ninja accounts eventually a passerby would lean over, stare at her paper work and put her in the office while she stood in a complete daze mumbling something along the lines “Finally something sorted in the right spot! Shinobi these days can’t even sort themselves!”.

Bewildered Katriana would mumble “Teleportation jutsu! I knew it existed~!” apparently entirely unaware she had been moved with her daydreaming of the terrifying Ninja-Accountants. With a sigh a looming figure would already stand over her, sake bottle in hand and white hair, in an office filled to the brim with paperwork she’d be stared down at by a large breasted woman who smelled strongly of sake bellowing down at her, or rather talking softly and Katriana exaggerating things in her mind she’d simply say… “Do you know why you are here?”.

Katriana’s reply would soon follow, “for stalking?”. The towering figure replies sternly “No, try again”. “For the chicken scratches?” Katriana replies. Again a stern “no” from the woman. Katriana would huff searching her head “Talking to grimm”… again another “no” from the high towering figure… after several for minutes of attempts exhausting all the possible wrong doings Katriana has ever done in her life, including wetting the bed once when she was three, the woman glaring down at her indeed would bellow, “Because you got caught!”… the conversation continues from there…

(Next time on, Katriana path of the Dragon Sage!)

Excellent <3

EDIT: Paid

(Addition Resources Used: http://chibi-manga.deviantart.com/art/Chibi-Aya-chan-321364899 , http://naruto.wikia.com/wiki/Hand_Seals , http://hirokugawa.deviantart.com/art/Scroll-71058727 )

A dawning realization came upon Katriana, her brow furrowing cute as could be, as she realizes her error, the woman across from her however continues, walking behind her desk and sitting there… a pile of papers having stacked half way to the ceiling on top of her desk going onto the floor… “You young shinobi are supposed to be here for punishment, however I find that ever so illogical, teaching a shinobi every day to lie, spy, and cheat, the fact they actually use their talents should not surprise”.

Katriana sighed with relief, what luck, she found the one shinobi with a chip on her shoulder that might play to her favor, and with little to lose she’d humor the woman! “Hai! I absolutely agree, I am told to train so what’s wrong with training with my peers even if they don’t know it.” A smile crosses the woman’s features as she goes over Katriana’s paperwork she’d roll a scroll across to her. “Today we work on the only close to a sure way to know you never come back to bother me in my office, teaching you to not get caught”

Unrolling the scroll Katriana would find some “complicated” instructions~


“What does the circle mean” she’d finally ask having stared a long while at the scroll mostly at the chibi girl with the brush. The instructor still nameless and perhaps always so explains “The circle represents the approximate portions of the three internal sources of charka, experience, body, and soul, while there’s no simple way to understand how to control these things, through practice you will grow to understand such things” the woman would glare at Katriana as the little pipsqueak of a girl drinks from a strawberry wine bottle… rather heavily zoning out it would seem in drunken stupor before she could even finish her explanation no less! Nevertheless the instructor clenches her teeth a solid moment before continuing “after manifesting the appropriate portions, you must then perform the hand seals and execute your charka to complete, this, bunshin no jutsu!” clearly upset for all the drinking… which would only worsen as Katriana once again demonstrates her drunken mastery… now there were two pip squeak girls drinking in her office…



Dear Diary
A special note to myself

Dont get caught

Sincerely
Katriana

Excellent Job =)

EDIT: Paid!

Several weeks of rather apparently perfect attendance without any upset, Katriana for the most part hiding behind the cloak of invisibility while maintaining a clone through most of her classes, things would steadily have improved for her – at least from the perspective of her sensei. Children would instigate her into all kinds of terrible things and troubles but Katriana seemingly wouldn’t respond at all, showing restraint of a shinobi many times her years. Returning from lunch period a bit earlier then usual one day, she would be informed that her progress and new found attitude had not gone unnoticed by her senseis and that… she would now be attending the ‘advanced’ class, so long as she would continue to behave herself… oh dear.

She would stay the rest of the day stone cold silent, not because she was a clone, but because she was terrified that she might be undone by her wonderful clone, and its amazing ability to... sit still and pretend to pay attention...

Meanwhile in the teachers lounge Katriana was nothing but a success story, and several -more- students would be sent in for troubleshooting, this would likely go... terribly... terribly bad for Katriana...



Dear Diary
Major problem major problem
Ive been inducted into the advanced class but it was totally my brain dead clone who did all the work I dont even know how to handle this Ive resolved to fake it as best I can

Diary if I dont make it back and mother ends up reading this I want you to tell her that I loved her very much and that permanent detention is not the end of the world eventually ill be sure to escape and then we can all be family again

Ill be taking papas old equipment to class tomorrow just to be sure if I need to flee and go missing

Sparkle beams and rainbows forever I must prepare – farewell dear diary
Katriana

Excellent Job! =)

EDIT: Paid!

The next morning Katriana would be all set, a bag of ninja tools in tow, several spare sets of clothes, and an escape route planned if she gets caught for having faked competence through stationary clone. Today would be harsh day, and she would start drinking at breakfast, arrival in the class was of little benefit, only one person who looked around her age was in the room, a small girl, black hair, more textbooks then anyone would need, assuredly she was a Nara. Taking a seat next to her Katriana would be introduced to the class in the usual fashion, several older boys admiring her hair – the class ranged from 7 year olds to 15 year olds progressively more of each age by count. This was the graduating class, and things would become much more difficult from here on out for Katriana. Who knew that an illusionary statue would take her so far… she did seem to have the talent after all – she only had to remain calm!
“Katriana~! Cease your drinking in class!”
Katriana instantly lost her cool, hyperventilating and drinking more to calm down. “I said stop drinking!” Katriana would manage to stop, still hyper ventilating, that is… until she found herself paralyzed from her head to her toe… and then smiling politely… her body moving of its own accord.. she would mouth an apology – Katriana would go with it.
The nara girl next to her leans over to say “you owe me one” … Katriana didn’t quite get it, but as the day went on… she found her behavior quite suitable… and her pen to occasional find its own course.. some sort of magic afoot in the class! Though Katriana finds herself very happy to have Lucy's company~! Lucy for her part was a control freak, without many friends and none in the class she was in she upon seeing the pink haired wonder resolved to keep her as a friend - and shadow possession practice 'dummy'
Katriana for her part wouldn't need to escape after all...


(Atashi is a cutesy feminine version of I in Japanese)
Dear Diary
Class went better then expected today I made a new friend of sorts her name is Lucy of the Nara clan she was very kind and inviting with me I apparently owe her for something but I have no idea what for Ill be sure to ask her tomorrow.

I got away with it anyways Im in the advanced class now and it looks like Im there to stay apparently once your in it your in it until you graduate usually a period of about one to three years through the advanced class Im likely one to eight years ahead of my former classmates at this rate I must not squander my good fortune

Sincerely yours
Katriana

Excellent work =)

EDIT: Paid!

Several days of this continued, Katriana being tamed by sorts by Lucy, smiling more easily those days, and drinking only at meals, Katriana began to gain the self control she was thought to of managed by her various teachers. However there was a glaring problem, she had missed out on the better part of review, things she never practiced before – this was natural, she was expected to graduate next year. But Lucy had other plans, inviting Katriana over for ‘special Nara strawberries’ a plan would be hatched to ensure Katriana and Lucy had a fair chance of ending up in the squad.
The Nara prodigy Lucy would, attempt to teach Katriana ~ Starting with things physical and working her way up…meditation through shadow possession… Katriana for her part figured that was all normal – she had never been invited to someone’s house before, perhaps all shinobi paralyzed their guests bodies and taught them jutsu?



Dear Diary
Today I went to my best friend Lucys house Mother says I have a crush on Lucy but the last thing I want to do is crush my best friend
Lucys family seems strange though most of them seeming though perhaps impolite for me to say a bit lazy Lucy however is quite active and today she spent several hours teaching me something called inner focus apparently it qualifies as a jutsu and I will be required to perform it to pass the academy
The training is harsh my body is not my own to command I perform the technique ten twenty times but the actions are not my own I take to it though slowly its not like before it seems clinical but I suppose I should be more appreciative if only Lucy would let me drink
However on that note after mastering this technique today Lucy said I could come over tomorrow and I even saw her room Lucy is a huuuuuuge nerd everywhere I looked there was all sorts of science books most of them looking like hand me downs though she also had an impressive ribbon collection and I dont mean awards I suppose she does have her soft side I get the feeling thats my favorite part about Lucy
She keeps on telling me to think more with my brain and I try to but really while Lucy tells me Im something called a genjutsu type I just cant quite get it – Lucy says thats the point the gap between different perspectives of reality being bridged
Lucy has also been encouraging me to use bigger words annoying she has already learned the language of dragons the only one aside from me to do so Grimm has a crush on her too I bet
I suppose diary with the teaching of inner focus I had a huge lesson in sitting still and remaining calm and now Im anything but so Im going to make more strawberry wine

Toodles
Katriana

Excellent work! =)

EDIT: Paid!

After learning to hold a calm and focused body, the next step in Lucy’s difficult journey of making Katriana a competent shinobi, fell upon genjutsu. Within the Nara clan, genjutsu was a commonly used technique, but to train someone with it in the short term, would prove difficult. Lucy however had her enough ‘control’ over Katriana to get her to come over, from there hard pressed lessons were needed…. What was worse was the drunken stupor Katriana arrived… in… at least she was happy though Lucy always thought Katriana was ever, so happy-go-lucky.

~Katriana arrived for their playdate after drinking a now ready batch of wine, hazily staring Lucy would go on and on about “today you learn genjutsu” Katriana, wasn’t so into it remembering her Yamanaka friend who wanted nothing to do with her from quite some time ago, but perhaps this time it would be different. Sitting down with Nara they would try to practice genjutsu on one another~

Katriana with her pink hair sprawled out behind her would stare at Lucy as she demonstrated the technique. “Hai this is the bloom technique…. Watch closely~” Lucy would draw up two hand signs one by one… Katriana’s vision twisting a bit… vines lashed to her arms dragging them down the floor seemingly out of nowhere. “Neat a plant Jutsu!” Katriana exclaimed, though Lucy Nara scolded her “No no – no! This is genjutsu an illusion the plants aren’t real – its an effect on your mind, in this case I’m making you think of flowers while directing your mind to draw your hands elsewhere as if held by them”. Katriana would just stare blankly at that though Lucy continued “Listen… think of strawberry bushes and me covered on them and then focus your chakra from your mind to mine”. Katriana didn’t think that would work at all, but Lucy did seem confident enough that she was a “genjutsu type” so she did as she was told.

Lucy was kind of frightened that a drunk katriana, could over whelm her so easily.. finding her arms covered over in strawberry bushes… she could swear she could even smell them… “Errh.. yes.. That’s perfect” Lucy was dreadfully confused, though her intuition reinforced, she’d spend the rest of the day trying to figure out what the heck was in the water Katriana was drinking as that was not normal… only to find out that it was strawberry wine almost as the only thing Katriana ever drank.



Dear Diary
Today Lucy taught me to make someone’s brain turn into strawberry bushes I am very talented at this technique I then got to spend the rest of the day getting her drunk as she tested what I was drinking Lucy was rather well dressed in her usual black outfit she’s sooo sooo pretty Im kind of jealous she got even more fun when she got drunk telling me all about her families place in the forest which they tend

It sounds lovely I demanded a picnic which Lucy agreed to I also demanded a cake and several other things all of which Lucy agreed to Shes so nice I hope she remembers tomorrow

I really dont get the concept behind genjutsu but apparently Its all about messing with someones head apparently Im quite good at that too.

Yours
Katriana

Excellent!

EDIT: Paid!