Meeting New Friends [P, Kiigan, June]

Kirito had been busy with missions that he hadn't taken the time to settle in and do any training recently, so he decided that now would be a good time to work on training some chakra. He had arrived rather early to the training field that he useually used, dressed in his normal garb. It consisted of a black gi, tied by a white sash. This was topped by a white haori with the Kanji for three on the back bordered by a black diamond. His wakizashi tied to his back as is the norm for shinobi swordsmen. He sat down and started to meditate. He was glad that he had taken up sage training, as it had helped him with meditation immensely. Before he started sage training, he had such a hard time sitting still and focusing inwards, but now it was almost automatic. He had gained such an intimate understanding of the ebb and flow of the chakra in his body that he was able to sense how it moved, what state it was in, the elements it had, everything. He was pleased but not satisfied with the progress he had been making over the past year and a half, he had grown so much that he almost didn't recognize himself, though he looked the same.

1/3 (Chakra training, using a 2-post discount claimed at Christmas)

It was unfortunate that anyone was trying to meditate in the training ground area, since there was a very frustrated man loudly taking his anger out on a training dummy nearby.

Taking a short break, the red-headed man dressed only in standard issue, black shinobi pants and boots paced around the area, grumbling and tightening his arm wrappings. His brows were furrowed and a vein pulsed in his temple. Kiigan didn't seem to notice anyone else in the area, but then again he wasn't very observant and honestly didn't consider or care about disturbing anyone else.

He'd brought this all upon himself, something he'd never admit. He chose to move out of the Wakaichi home, away from the endless funds he didn't realize he took completely for granted until now. He'd also chosen to abandon his ninja training as much as possible, because that decision meant when he was desperate for rent money and forced to actually use his Genin skills after so long, he couldn't even catch a stupid cat because it heard him coming form a mile away!

Yes, this twenty-one near old man failed to catch a cat. He could feel Matatabi's amusement at the irony, which only pissed him off more.

"I hate cats!" he roared, punching the dummy and breaking it off its wooden pole. And that is why he wasn't blowing off steam in the company of semi-drunk people. Authorities usually frowned upon a bar brawl actually ending in hospitalizations.

Kirito continued to meditate until that is, he heard something that drew his attention away from the intricate ways his chakra moved. Looking over through a few low lying shrubs, he saw a man going to town, in a completely non-sexual way, on one of the training dummies. Even without trying to eavesdrop, Kirito could hear him yell about hating cats. Upon a bit of further searching, Kirito couldn't help but chuckle as he heard Isobu speak, "I sense Matatabi is in that man. You should go and speak to them, we always got along well enough." Deciding to take the old turtle's advice, Kirito would stand and make his way to the man. When he got close enough, he would say, "Hating cats? That's a tad Ironic, don't you think, Niibi-san?" The thirteen year old jinchuuriki asked in a playful manner. He found it very amusing that the man hated cats, yet held the largest cat inside of him. Either way, he knew it would be best to speak to him. As he spoke, he made sure to keep his chakra circulating freely through his coils. He could feel them ever so slightly enlarging as he took the time to focus on increasing his chakra reserves.

2/3

Cheerily, June walked towards the training ground as her fox companion, Puu, rode on the top of her head. Today felt like a great day. She managed to get up early and was set to try and get better at summoning. A slight smile crossed her face at the thought. Summoning... it was always a tricky thing for her, but she wanted to get better at it! Usually, it was great. But sometimes... well, sometimes.... A shudder went down her spine as June thought back to the time she de-summoned her small fox buddy and failed to call him back for an entire day.

"Ehh.... We'll make sure we don't make that mistake again." She randomly blurted out without context. Then, suddenly, June stopped as she caught sight of two familiar looking people. A kid with white hair? A shirtless red-haired man?! Her eyes widened in shock before she tried to rush over and hide behind a nearby training log as a drop of sweat dripped down her face. Instinctively, she took Puu off of her head, holding the animal tight to her chest as he seemed to wake up before looking around in confusion.

That kid... she heard of him before. A lot of people had been talking about the newcomer who held a demon inside of him. Someone incredibly powerful despite being a child of average rank. Kirigakura's 'Monster Rookie', Kirito! And the other one.... While she hadn't heard much about him, she knew he had some talk around him for also hosting a legendary demon inside of him. Kiigan of the Two Tails. Just what were these guys doing together here? Were they planning to do something horrible? Should she run or should she keep hiding? Ohh... if only there was a Jounin around to deal with this, she wasn't nearly prepared enough to even try to stop either of those two!

Her grip on Puu tightened in worry as her mind instantly went to the worst possible outcomes.

Kiigan turned to look at the white-haired kid, blinking his crimson eyes that were just a touch off shade from his hair. It was that kid... he'd heard of him. Some up-start, big-shot child. Basically, a younger mirror of what he could have been had he not rebelled against literally everything. His distaste was thinly veiled, but at least he didn't start yelling.

Even if they had made very different decisions in life, he did feel a strange familiarity swell within him. It was probably Matatabi. But..this kid was a jinchuriki, too. He'd never met another person with his "curse", so what he felt was unfamiliar to him. Like something gnawing and empty was just slightly less irritating. It was confusing.

"It's not like I asked for it," he replied, idly rolling his shoulders. He pulled a cigarette from behind his ear and put it between his lips, though he didn't light it. It was just habit. He had no money, so this last cigarette had to last him until he could earn some money. Kiigan wanted to light it so badly... "I hate all cats, though. They make everything harder than it needs to be."

Pulling chakra around through his coils he finally felt them enlarge enough that it made a difference somewhat. Listening to the older man speak, he could sense some hostility. He wasn't sure exactly what brought it on, but he knew it must have something to do with his presence, and whatever had him upset in the first place. "I know you didn't ask for it, neither did I.. But did you ever think what your tenant asked for? At least you still have your mobility, your ability to do anything out here you want to do... that was taken from your Bijuu. They get caged simply for existing, and are unable to do anything about it. My bijuu wasn't even attacking a town or anything, just wandering around when he was sealed away. So, no, it isn't immediately convenient, but its much less so for them. On the bright side, you will never be alone." He spoke from his own experiences, hoping that this common bond could help them find even ground. He couldn't help but sense the other chakra that had entered the fray so close to them, though this one seemed to be hiding. Calling out to her, "You there in the bushes, you can come out! We won't hurt you!" He was ready to go and get her if he needed, but he hoped she wouldn't be too intimidated by the two jinchuuriki.

3/3 (+100 Chakra gained, -1: 2 post discount)

In an instant, the woman flinched as they seemed to know generally where she was. Her eyes slowly glanced over to the bush several feet away from her before she looked back up at the log she was hiding behind. Did they want her for something? Were they going to take her hostage? June shook her head at the thought before she swiftly raised the fingers on her right hand to un-summon Puu with a forced smile. Before she could even reassure him, he was gone in a puff of smoke like he had never been there to begin with.

Sorry, Puu.... I don't want you to get hurt by these people. I don't want you to get wrapped up in whatever they're after. Slowly, the white haired woman took a few deep breaths as she tried to calm her nerves before she stood up, drew her katana, and walked out into the open to face them. The fear was clear in her eyes as her body shook in anticipation. Her thoughts seemed to suddenly leave her as she struggled to think of anything to say before she finally forced herself to spit out the first thing that came to her mind.

"I-... I have a sword! .... It can cut people! So... I'm so screwed...."

"Yeah, never alone," mumbled the man, sighing.

Never being alone was less comforting than the boy probably intended. While he felt a twinge about how miserable the beast inside must be, he wasn't one for much compassion. He was a bit selfish in that regard, especially when the Nibi was the reason everyone in Kirigakure treated him "special". They either wanted something from him or resented him for wasting his potential. Kiigan was more interested in enjoying the present rather than the future, and he needed money to do that. Living on the street wouldn't be fun...or good for his love life.

When the kid directed his attention to the hiding figure, Kiigan turned to look. What was it with the sudden increase in the white haired population? His own brother had white hair, and he'd never seen much of that trait until the two people within his field of vision right now. They were both weird, too, especially the girl.

"And what about us just standing here is threatening to you?" Kiigan asked the newcomer bluntly, his arms crossing across his chest. "Two jinchuriki together must mean we're planning the destruction of any village in our path? Crap, we've been found out, kid. We should take her out, right?"

So, it would seem things were going to get out of hand. The man, identified as only the Nibi jinchuuriki, yet to be named, and the as of yet unnamed girl seemed to be odd characters to say the least. The boy seemed brash and rather aggressive, while the girl seemed to lack confidence? Or maybe she was just nervous? Either way, Kirito needed to diffuse the situation. Bowing lightly to the two Genin, he would speak softly, "I apologize for my rudeness, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Kirito Samejima, Chuunin of Kirigakure! Pleased to meet you both..." He left it open, as though asking them to introduce themselves as well. It was only fair after all, he needed to meet new people and he felt that given time, these two could make good friends and allies! He wasn't sure of their levels of strength, but he knew that training could fix that. He wondered if the nibi boy had any training in the use of his Bijuu, or if he, like many other Jinchuuriki he had met, simply avoided their beasts. Perhaps that was a question for a more private setting, Jinchuuriki only, as it were. He looked to the girl, she had white hair like him, though something about her screamed power. He wasn't sure what it was though, he would need to keep an eye on her for future developments.

"I.... I!- ....." June muttered as her face slowly turned red with embarrassment. Was she really the weird one here? Were they really just not up to anything nefarious at all and she was completely misjudging them purely because they both had demons inside of them and were both somewhat well known with notorious sounding titles? Was it possible that this was all just a huge misunderstanding purely based on what they were that she instantly jumped to with no other information whatsoever?

"I'm not racist, I swear!" The woman randomly shouted, completely unprompted, before she suddenly turned around and tried to run from the situation only for her to immediately stumble and fall flat on her face with a solid THUNK. Oh... so that's how this was going to be.... Just her making a giant idiot out of herself in front of one of the strongest people in the village. That was fine. It's not like she wasn't used to messing up in front of people before, right?

After a solid moment of lying on the ground without moving, June eventually, finally, carefully, pushed her body off of the ground before slowly getting up before turning to face them as she hung her head down. Refusing to actually look either of them in the eye. "I should go now...." She muttered. "Don't want to get in your way...."

"Everyone around here pretty much knows your name, Kirito," the man responded, quirking a brow at the ridiculous girl and seemingly opting to ignore her. Either way, he couldn't let the younger boy show him up in the maturity department, so Kiigan seemed to ease up on the outright aggression. "Kiigan Wakaichi. Genin," he offered in return.

After a pause, he turned back toward the woman present, seeming to appraise her. He had an arsenal of quips to make, but decided to try and get information about her instead. "There's nothing to get in the way of. Who are you?" he asked, now calm and curious. Why was she lurking? Was it really because she was scared of the two of them? He wondered if she was even from Kirigakure. Fear wasn't a reaction he'd ever gotten from someone.

Kirito noticed the man, now identified as Kiigan, seemed to have eased up on his aggressive attitude for the moment. For now, the main issue would be keeping the as of yet unidentified girl from leaving. He wasn't sure if she was afraid of them for what they are, or for thinking she interrupted a training session. "Kunoichi-san, perhaps we could all train together? I'm certain that there is a wealth of knowledge to be gained from our collective experiences. I have a lot i could offer, depending on where you both specialize. If you were interested." He didn't want to seem arrogant, but he knew that he was a step above even some of the Jounin in the village, so it wasn't a stretch to say he had something to teach or help either of his new companions with. He only wanted to makemake new friends and to help his vivillage prosper. Either way, his blue eyes would look on in hhope that they wouldwould at least take bimhim up on his offer to train together.

Finally, June began to calm herself a bit. While the anxiety could still be seen clearly on her face, she slowly did start to lower her weapon a little more as she looked back and forth between the pair. They were offering to help? But... why...? Sure, she wanted to get better, but they were both people with monsters inside of them. Even someone normal wanting to train her would feel suspicious, but the 'Monster Rookie' himself? She heard he was incredibly powerful, but did that all come purely from his demon power? Or maybe there was some way she could gain that strength for herself?

Either way, the reality quickly sunk in. If they wanted to do something, she wouldn't be able to escape anyways. Even if they were against her, she might as well accept their offer. "Sorry.... I'm June. June Maywell. I... I guess I could train with you, but.... I don't know.... I'm not that great at all, so I'll just slow you down more than anything else. All I've really got going for me is this sword and Puu, so...."

Kiigan suppressed a groan. This little pipsqueak know-it-all wanted to teach two adults a thing or two? His pride flared. He'd rejected this all before, and once again he felt like giving up on it and walking away.

The fact remained that it was hard to find steady work. He was volatile, so since leaving home holding a steady job had been a challenge. In desperation he'd resorted to taking up a mission, one he failed. If being a ninja was the only way to have money for what he needed, he was going to have to improve. Going back home to make boats was not an option he wanted to entertain.

"Alright, smart guy," Kiigan started, the corner of his mouth quirking upward. "Know anything that can make me more quiet? The cat always heard me coming..."

Kirito would allow a large grin to spread across his features. It would seem that they both would accept him as a training partner. So, the girl, June, seemed to relu on Bukijutsu and something called Puu.. was this some form of Taijutsu? Or perhaps it was the name of a summon? He did not know, but he was sure he could help her with Bukijutsu. And the man, Kiigan, he wanted to be more quiet when he moved, this was easy enough to achieve using the silent killing technique taught in the academy. So it would seem that he would be able to help them both after all. Looking for Kiigan first, "The Silent Killing Technique is extraordinarily useful when trying to remain...well...silent. Use your chakra as a buffer between your feet and the ground and take away the sound it makes when you walk. Think of it like cushions on your feet. As for you, June-chan, I dont know that many Bukijutsu techniques, but maybe i can help you spar or something to give you a bit of experience in using your skill in practice?" He was rather skilled with a sword himself, so it wasn't a stretch that he would be able to help her through a simple spar, or even showing her some Katas, whatever she wanted.

Oh... huhh.... So maybe he did really just want to train them, after all. And after she made such a goof of herself, too. Slowly, June took a deep breath before carefully bowing to him as well as she could. Well, she was already this far.... There wasn't any point in giving up now, was there? So she might as well just show him what she could do and hope for the best. Hopefully, he wouldn't mind if he somehow got injured or something.

After a moment of hesitation, June raised her sword up, holding it in both hands as she slid her right foot slightly behind her left to try and widen her stance more. A determined look crossed her face as she stared Kirito head-on, ready to give him the best she had. "I know I probably don't stand a chance. But I'm still going to come at you with everything I have, so... if you get hurt somehow, I warned you this might happen, but you asked for it."

Before he could respond, the genin rushed forward, before suddenly raising her sword as it to slice right down at his head! But then, before attacking, she suddenly pulled back, bringing the weapon to her right side in a quick feint as she stepped forward and aimed a slash diagonally up at his chest, instead! A tricky trap to try and catch her opponent off-guard if he tried to underestimate her.

Cushions on the feet, eh? That analogy made sense. While "June-chan" played with her sword, Kiigan zoned out and took some time to himself a few meters away. He made it sound so easy. He sensed his own chakra. It wasn't hard to push it down toward his feet. Walking on water and climbing trees used a similar method.

He pushed it down further, concentrating in his feet. To make a buffer between his feet and the ground...so it needed to sorta extend beyond his physical foot to keep his feet from touching the ground. Like cushions. He concentrated on that, finding the balance awkward. He'd get a chakra buffer under one foot, but not the other. Or he'd get both, but one would just disappear.

With his hatred of the cat he'd been chasing fueling him, his focus narrowed. This simple technique would solve his problem. He'd catch that cat if he could get this. Balance. Breathe...

When he looked down again, he'd done it. Now to test it! He dashed off into the misty forest, silent for the first couple of minutes. His control faltered a couple times, but with just a little more practice he was consistently silent.

He silently reappeared near the two white-haired people, feeling better about the day already.

[1/1]

Kirito smiled internally as his two new, hopefully, friends started their training. He made sure to keep mental tabs on Kiigan as June prepared to rush him. She drew her sword and then gave him a final bit of warning banter. It would seem her biggest weakness was her confidence levels. He couldn't do much about that, other than offer her reassurance. The only way t get more confidence is to realize that you are better than you see yourself. She dashed at him far faster than he anticipated, faster than he had seen Kiigan move even. It was so sudden in fact, and added to the fact that he was somewhat lost in thought, that he didn't have time to draw his blade. Sure, he knew that sword couldn't cut him, but this was no time to get lax on his training either. He clapped his hands and his right fist seemed to be encased in steel before a two foot long blade would extend from it just in time to attempt a block of her initial downward strike, but she was a crafty one it would seem, switching it up like that, he almost wasn't able to shift his blade some and parry the strike. Almost. "You are better than you give yourself credit for, June-chan." He would say honestly. Sure, he was holding back, but he just wanted to see where her strengths lied, so that he could make up a plan to help her. He was also keeping track of Kiigan as best he could. He would hear him every now and again, but at one point, he just vanished. That is until Kirito caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of his eye. It would seem the Two-tails Jinchuuriki had gotten the hang of the Silent Killing technique.

"Well, you know...." June suddenly replied. "Even if I'm not great, I've still practiced how to use this thing!" Swiftly pulling back on the sword, she immediately formed a plan for her next move. Even though he parried her attack, she was still incredibly close. Which meant that, at this distance, with this stance, she could easily get the advantage! Kirito... she still didn't know what type of person he was... but maybe, if she could just show what she was capable of, he could help her become better!

While she still could, she extended her right leg forward as she bent her knee, quickly sliding her right foot behind his left to try and keep him from jumping backwards while she simultaneously gripped the spine of her sword with her right hand to steady it for her next attack! "I'm sorry!" The woman randomly screamed as she stabbed forward with the weapon aimed right below Kirito's collarbone, hoping to just get a hit off and stop things with this one blow.

Kiigan continued to stand and watch the silly girl spar with the kid. He was forced to admit that they both had things going for them. It looked a little funny for a presumably grown woman to be fighting a boy, but as much as he hated to admit it, this boy was really skilled and strong. He could just tell by how he acted.

The red-haired man was also impressed with the steel jutsu. He'd once considered fighting with a weapon, but he was much more suited for punches and kicks. It didn't mean he couldn't wonder. Maybe he should get a sword, just in case he brought his fists to a knife fight.

Kirito was impressed with the skill June had shown with her attacks and tgeir ferocity. Sure, she could learn more refinement in her movements, but these things would improve given time. Her next attack had caught him off guard, he noticed her foot slide behind him to, hopefully, prevent escape. He also saw the blade coming straight for his upper chest, just below the collar bone. His jutsu had already ended and his makeshift blade had receeded and his skin retutned to normal,  so that option was out.  While he was confident it wouldn't break his skin, he didn't want to get over confident in his own durability. His mind flashed with potential options to escape this trap, he hadn't placed any Hiraishin seals yet, so that was out. He had his flicker, but using an S-rank technique to escape this felt like overkill. Plus, it seemed an unspoken rule of this spar, that it was a bout of tainutsu and bukijutsu only, not ninjutsu or genjutsu. So, he decided to raise his hand, all in a split second and catch the back of the blade just as the tip touched his haori. He was able to stop the blade with very little effort with his right hand. He would then raise his left hand, and smile. "I conceed. You are very skilled, that last attack left me with very few options. I do not know many sword techniques, but if you ever need a sparring partner, I'm sure i can help there." He would then turn to Kiigan, "Seems you got that technique down fast enough, what else do you have an interest in learning? Have you learned to access the Nibi's chakra yet?" It was one thing, he felt, that he was obligated to do. This was a burden shared by few and he felt it was his duty to help his brothers and sisters learn to use their powers.

A heavy sigh escaped June as she pulled the sword away before stumbling backwards into a sitting position. Catching the sword like that wasn't something to underestimate, that was a feat of pure strength and speed. Even so, it helped to think that she forced him to keep from holding back for just a moment... somehow.... As much as Kirito seemed to praise her, she still felt exhausted from the sheer stress of that type of situation. Somehow she had managed to quickly think of the right moves to get in, but there was still no way she'd survive a serious fight.

Her eyes closed for a moment as she took a series of deep breaths before her pulse finally began to slow back down. If only she was a little stronger, maybe that could have worked. If only she had the physical strength to overpower him. Maybe she could work on that in the future? That didn't seem like too difficult of a goal to go for. Just raw strength.... She could handle something like that, right? Maybe if she was physically stronger, it would have kept him from parrying her sword attack, as well, wouldn't it? Yeah... maybe then... just maybe... she could find a way to win next time....

Still on the ground, June finally wiped some nervous sweat away as she glanced over at Kiigan. "I... I don't.... Uhh... I.... What did you think?" She stuttered, not quite sure what else to say. Her face turned slightly red as she suddenly realized she was trying to fish for a complement from a stranger who just saw her lose. "S-Sorry! I don't know what I'm saying most of the time and I'm still excited and- I mean, no! Let me rephrase that! I don't- Why am I such a mess at this...."

Before he could respond, her eyes shifted towards the ground, not wanting to look directly at the red haired man.

"You talk a lot," he answered her, tilting his head slightly. She might not have been able to look him in the eye, but he didn't have anything against staring at her. She was an odd one. June seemed to care what he thought, even if her lack of confidence made her sound like a blabbering fool after. Maybe she thought he was cute? Kiigan smirked. That wasn't too unusual. "Not bad with that sword," he continued after a moment. He wasn't a complete jerk.

Turning back to Kirito, his slight frown returned. Was this kid looking down on him? His impulse was to snap at him, but he'd been nice enough to teach him the Silent Killing, so perhaps he really was just being altruistic. Kiigan still suspected he was after something like everyone else he'd ever known was, but for now he'd give him the benefit of the doubt. "Eh...no. I haven't. She and I don't agree on much."

Kirito couldn't help but smile at the antics of the two. The girl seemed to want Kiigan to offer her a compliment, but Kirito was genuinely surprised when he did, somewhat. Kiigan seemed to dislike Kirito's offers to help, most likely assuming it was being offered to rub his strength in his face. It was far from that though, the real reason he was helping. "I've always wondered of the personalities of the other Bijuu. Mine is pretty nice and helpful, but ive heard that some of them can be hard to get along with. Well, if you ever wanted, I'd be glad to help you. One Jinchuuriki to another. After all, it is our duty as Shinobi of Kirigakure to help each other grow in strength as best we can as our collective strength is the strength of the village. As for you, June-chan, confidence is key! I know now for a fact that you are far stronger than you seem to believe you are." He wanted to help them as best he could, this would include sparring and training jutsu if that is what they needed.

He could tell that she was stronger than she thought? That didn't seem right.... How did he come to that conclusion? Sure, she gave it her best shot, but all she really knew how to do was fight with a sword. She couldn't rain meteors on someone or create giant waves or call lightning or really do anything special. She was just... this. Was that really enough, though? Just getting better at this one thing and hoping for the best? It was a weird thing to comprehend, but it would probably be necessary for the future. Maybe Kirito could help her figure out what to go for?

But before she could ask, the conversation quickly shifted to Kiigan. As intimidating as the Tailed Beasts were to her, she never imagined that they would have actual personalities with their own wants and needs. Sure, they were talking about that before, but it never really clicked for her until now. "So... 'She'...." June muttered blankly, still looking away from Kiigan. "The... the monster, I mean.... What's she like exactly? I guess you can talk to her, Kiigan, but... I don't know.... Can you get someone else to talk to them? Because, if so, maybe I could try to help you out or something? I don't know much about these things and I know even less about you. But... maybe all you really need is someone off to the side to find some middle ground? You know... someone the two of you can talk to to help you work through things? Would that be possible? Or........"