Extra Training

The idea of being given special training was a giddy thought to Hiroji, a recognition of his clan status. All the words that his father had told him about how special the Senju clan was and were superior to the other major clans must've rung true. He had doubts of it sometimes as when he namedropped his clan name, people gave a courtesy nod and that was really it. There wasn't much respect to that, but a gesture like this? he felt like it was finally a long time coming. He graduated a while ago as a Genin, and someone must've realised his potential. That was the only thought he came to as to why he got singled out.

He wears the forehead protector correctly on his head, he sports a mesh top that's very hard to see through, with most of it being covered by the blue jacket he sports, with a small light white fur collar covering his neck. For his lower half of the body, he wears white shorts that just end slightly above Hiroji's knees and towards his feet, he wears the typical, mundane blue sandals.

The training grounds itself is rather expansive and there might be a shinobi here or there doing their own training, but Hiroji is right in the centre, arms crossed, smiling and proudly waiting for when the person who called this meeting would show up. He isn't impatient, as he knows that some people can be fashionably late. The issue only occurs if they start to be unreasonably late.

Casual Appearance:

Luna was assigned a full team, though given scheduling conflicts she could not officially start until next week. However, she was capable of breaking in at least one of her students. Her most recently assigned team was perhaps an ultimate test of her worth as one of the lead instructors on Konoha. She was given a team built around the three great clans of Konoha: Senju, Uchiha, and Hyuuga. Under her guidance she was tasked with raising the three into Konoha's most formidable warriors to be used in times of need. Although Konoha had no enemies thus far, the potential for danger always lurked the darkest corners of the world and sprung out when one least expected it. There was no time for lollygagging, but no urgency for quick deployable troops. Business was as usual.

Luna's footsteps echoed the empty corridors of the Konoha Training Facility, the facility once closed down due to a recent biohazard which required extensive cleaning before it was operational again. Room #117... Holding a small slip of paper in hand she double checked the contents of it clearing any doubts she had for her assignment before stopping just outside the double doors as the echoing ceased, Luna's shadow present from under the doors as she stood in brief silence before turning the handle and welcoming herself in the dojo-styled room. Her eyes picked up the presence of a single young male with spiky white hair and a fairly standard outfit for the tastes of young men his age. He waited with a hint of determination in his stout posture. He was once in deep thought, likely eager about his training he was about to forgo.

The Jounin approached the Hiroji in a straight path as the doors remained opened letting in a little more natural light which lit up the hallways of the training facility. Luna stopped just a couple meters before Hiroji before a subtle grin warmed up to her face. Bending both knees she elevated herself down to his level, placing both hands on her knees when doing before speaking. "Hiroji Senju...it is my pleasure to make your acquaintance." Her grim flashed into a teeth-blaring smile before her facial features relaxed. Overall her greeting was somewhat condescending as if she was speaking to a very young child. And this was done intentionally to break any ice between them that may exist and fire up the passion in the boy's heart. "I will be your Master for your ninja career until you one day may stand by my side as a Jounin. You will address me as your instructor until then. Do you understand?" Luna wanted to get formalities out of the way first before cutting into the lesson. She wanted to identify as much as she could out of her new student before designing a lesson plan.

[Analyzing Hiroji: 1/2 rounds]

He hadn't minded waiting as long as he did, and his eyes lit up when he heard the door open, watching as the woman had walked in. "Okay... maybe someone else is using it." he quickly thought, surely they couldn't think of having a woman teach him how to be a ninja? but when she had bent down to his level, hand on knees and talked to him like he was a toddler, his crossed arms had toughened, as if he was trying to look like more of a man. His chest had puffed up. The words that she spoke made him feel like his career was dead before it even started, she mentioned that she wanted him to stand by her side as a Jounin at some point... honestly, it'd be lucky if he even made it to Chuunin with how she looks. "Is... this some kind of mistake?" Hiroji just outright asked, surely they wouldn't send some random ninja to be training him? he expected someone with more recognition that's worthy of training a Senju, and instead he got... her.

"I don't think I understand." he said in back to her question, clearly, something wasn't right with him. "You know I'm from the Senju clan... shouldn't I be trained with someone a bit more, and pardon my manners, known?" he knew how that might sound to her, but it's his belief that a five-star recruit should only be trained by the best, and from what he's seeing with her, he's not seeing the best, he's seeing it as someone in the kage's office assigning random people to train the bright future of their military. It was... an insult, as one would put it in his eyes.

Hiroji's response was one full of conceit rather than actual confusion. From his body language he felt intimidated by her introduction believing it was necessary to match her energy despite the obvious power difference. This alone gave Luna all the information she needed about the boy. He was going to be a tough student to break in, that's for sure. Generally the ones with a predetermined outlook on the world were. Ninja started their career so young in order to grow into the life and be guided towards success by their instructors. But in some cases, eight years isn't young enough. Especially when dealing with students of some of the greater clans, such as the Uchiha or in this case, a Senju. The principles taught during their developing years often becomes their primary perspective. Hiroji was fifteen and Luna could tell the boy had heavy influences from his clan already.

Her nose and forehead scrunched up and lips pursed together giving an overall look of disappointment regarding his comment. Standing upright she placed her hands right on her hips taking a more standoffish posture than before as she glared up into the boy's eyes. She tried the carrot, but sometimes she needed to use the stick. "You are a Genin. Your lineage has no stake here. All you have done thus far is disgrace yourself and your family. You possess a childish mentality of 'wants' without putting in effort. You fantasize about honor and praise, yet are unwilling to earn it." After finishing her statement she stepped aside as both arms folded beneath her bosom. And it was within that deft movement Luna slyly formed a single Tiger hand seal with her right hand. It was the hand further from Hiroji's sight. Needlessly to say it was performed with so much finesse and speed that he would not have noticed anything out of the ordinary; to Hiroji it would appear as if she just folded her arms.

"If you believe I am incompetent, head out those doors. I will not reprimand you or even try to stop you, and upon leaving I will seek out the administration and organize you with an instructor more suitable to your preferences. Perhaps a Senju, even. Otherwise if you choose to stay you will recognize that I am the superior ninja and have been grossly generous taking you under my wing. You will also accept the terms of your punishment. Now, make your choice. I do not have all day." Luna's face was in all serious, though within she fought the urge to smirk. She played a simple trick. One where if he was able to see through it he would have some sort of merit to his name. Otherwise it was fool-proof for overconfident Genin such as Hiroji himself.

---

[Analyzing Hiroji: 2/2 rounds]

Technique Used:

Sly Mind Affect Technique | C-rank

Stats:
Strength : D
Constitution : B
Stamina : B
Speed : B
Coordination : A (B w/one-handed seals)
Intelligence : A
Perception : B

Chakra Usage: 180/185

The iron will of the Senju wasn't broken so easily, and this teacher thinking that a few snarky words would get him to be complacent had a rude awakening. "On the contrary, my clan has everything at stake here. I naturally have a high potential compared to the average genin and for that, a good instructor is needed." he stood hard to his stance, but when she said the administration, he had thought back to his earlier thinking... he would at least give a chance to believe in the system before being so crude about it, if the administration deemed her as a sufficient teacher for Hiroji, then he would comply for now. He can at least give her a chance and if she fails horribly, he has grounds to push for a new instructor.

"Hmm... that's a fair point." he had thought and said to her, all though her actual point completely went over his head, only sticking to his close-minded logic. "If the administration deemed you worthy enough of training me, the least I can do is give you a chance." the arrogance was still there, but it wasn't as rude as before. He hadn't picked up on her fast handseal usage, nor picked up on the fact that he's now under the effects of a genjutsu. "But... if I don't learn enough to awaken my potential, I want to get a new instructor, is that fair?" his own way of trying to set down the terms and conditions, thinking that she'd adhere to them.

Luna's face lit up smugly in response to Hiroji's remark. There was no doubt a haughty Senju such as Hiroji picked up a few facts to spread to bolster his reputation. There was no doubt the Senju had less dropouts compared to those without a clan. Though, that goes without saying there were a lot more clanless ninja signing up to the ninja academy compared to the Senju clan. It was funny how statistics worked. When being used argumentatively there was a good chance some essential details were missing. Especially when coming from someone younger and not as experienced. "Oh, is that so? Then you will be pleased to know that the majority of military seniority comes from those with no exceptional background. And of that majority, roughly sixty percent consists of the kunoichi. Which I am sure you know are the female ninja. So to me it sounds like you lucked out."

As Hiroji began to back down he made a final attempt to bargain. He was certainly a funny Genin. One Luna has never seen the likes of. Although she was incredibly insubordinate, there was something he was always concerned about. And that was securing his future. She couldn't exactly reprimand him for being anxious, though that left her with the struggle of earning his trust. Despite the fact that she was his commanding officer, if they are going to work on a team there had to be faith in each other.

"I think you will do just fine. But moving forward: get on your face. I want you to give me fifty push-ups as a warmup. As a young male you must build muscle so you mature. The next few years of your development are crucial, and in order to capitalize off them, you need to start physical training immediately." Luna ceased her Genjutsu, having Hiroji as her student now. There was no reason to keep the technique up. Now it was time to get down to business. "While you warm up, answer me this: what is your motivation? I want to know why you are so set on receiving the best of the best for your development. Is there something you're trying to prove?" Luna watched Hiroji like a hawk, folding her arms once against beneath her bosom as she stood next to her Genin to count his pushups.

That statistic sounded fake to him, the backbone of Konohagakure's military being headed by women? it sounded like a bad joke to him, one that he almost shared his thoughts on until her feminine features struck upon him, realising that it may come of some insult to her, and the last thing he needed to do was upset her. She seemed pretty defensive about his request, so that told him he had to be more careful with his words around her. Regardless of his views, she is the superior ninja here and even he knows that she boasts more experience than he does, something that he's hoping to leech off and suck up his pride for now.

After the request of doing push-ups, he complied, depending on who the person was, fifty push-ups may seem like overkill but with how naturally durable and physical the Senju were, it was more menial than training to the eyes of Hiroji. He set himself up, legs extended, stomach just a few inches from the ground and with his elbow extending, he began his first push-up, one after another.

Seemingly focused on the push-ups, he had heard her question and one goal came clearly in mind, the one entrusted to him by his father. "To become the new Senju Clan leader." while the goal was there, he understood her question is specifically after the reasoning. "I want the Senju to remain dominant, if not to be the top major clan in our village..." his words had some pauses as he lifted himself up and down, giving a bit of pause sometimes to make sure his words are coherent enough. "And to do that, my father has, in his own way, entrusted the future of the Senju to me. I cannot let him down, or our clan... even if they don't appreciate it. They need a figure, a strong symbol, and I need to be that symbol and for that, I need the best."

He didn't settle for average or good enough, he wanted to be the winner, the top shinobi there can be, believing that once he's achieved that, he can do what needs to be done for his clan. He remained quiet after telling his goals, if nothing else, he would do the rest of his pushups and once that was done, he'd stand back up from the ground, looking towards his new sensei. "You know my name, but I do not know yours..." he was clearly hinting towards her introducing herself, only knowing that she is his sensei, but not knowing her name.

Hiroji first mentioned the desire to become clan leader only to go further in depth stating how the goal was entrusted to him by his father. It made Luna wonder if Hiroji really desired the role as clan leader, or only pursued it because it was bestowed upon him. As such a young man it could often be stressful to have such an enormous task given. Whether he was brainwashed into wanting it or if that was what he truly wanted it was Luna's goal to make it happen. As Hiroji was cranking out his pushups she felt it was best to increase the difficulty for his last twenty. As Hiroji pushed up, Luna sat down. Sending her weight onto the young man's back she used him as a bench, casually folding one leg over the other while having her arms crossed as usual. A foot rested gently on the gymnasium floor, though primarily to maintain her balance and to not support him during his set.

"We have a lot of work to do, then. To get you stronger." Although it was slightly humiliating for Hiroji there was a method to her madness. Hiroji was still young and in development. Gaining muscle mass through a standard workout routine would not help him achieve his goal. Luna followed a workout routine herself every three days a week, but these were merely meant to maintain her average physique. The Senju were known for their strength and durability, which easily were admired as extraordinary among ninja standards. Weighted exercises were perhaps the first step for achieving the ideal body. Only then when Hiroji gains enough muscle mass can he move onto greater exercises.

"I am Luna Yamamoto. But of course, you will be referring to me as Yama-sensei or any of the other proper honorifics we discussed earlier. You and your two other squadmates, that is. We will be meeting the rest of them tomorrow after this remedial training exercise." She said smugly in an attempt to provoke the young, proud Senju.

Her sudden sitting was surprising, and he nearly collapsed face-flat on the ground if it weren't for his instincts kicking in, and his arms straining to keep him up, along with her weight. The slight tingling of irritation had been dormant in his head, and when heard her words, her justification for the random sitting, he was a little snarky. "A heads... heads up... would've been nice..." the pressure was clearly there, he had trouble keeping the pushups now with the extra weight. He might've been able to do two pushups in just roughly over a second, but it took him a few seconds to nail down even one. His irritation alongside the struggle of doing even one pushup made him question why it was so difficult to do a pushup now, with his first thought being that she's fat... which was unrealistic. He saw her figure, she's a trained kunoichi. Not willing to admit the fact that he didn't have enough strength to outdo her weight, it was a burst of adrenaline that he needed to speed his pushups along, it still took a few seconds but he had motivation to go all the way through.

He didn't even reply back to her, as his focus was sorely on getting the pushups done. As he went towards the end, his pushups got slower again but he wasn't giving up so easily. A mutter could be heard from him he was nearly done. "Fourty-nine..." and with one struggling release of his hold to get back to the ground, it felt like an eternity for him to get back up to doing one more pushup... as soon as he did it, he collapsed to the ground, finally catching his breath out of exhaustion. "Fifty..." he said, taking the time he needed afterwards to catch what breath he could. As soon as it stabilised, he finally went back to her words. "Squadmates... who?" his wording is limited, but understandably so. "Wait... remedial?" he also asked. It was as if his brain was slow to process what she actually meant.

The sudden drop of her body weight and tensing up of Hiroji was satisfying enough to make his punishment. Weighted training required a lot of focus to accomplish, so she let the boy work in silence for the remainder of his set. Luna would be lying to say she wasn't surprised watching him complete his set at the pace he did. His body was tougher than the average Genin, that was for sure. His muscles didn't break down as easy and he resisted the burn allowing him to force through the fifty pushups. Though, as expected, his body collapsed after the set. Luna made no attempt to stand up or help reduce the impact, but instead let her rump sandwich Hiroji's body against the gym floor. It'd be a bit painful on his abdomen and ribs, but nothing debilitating. "Looks like you are special after all." She chuckled softly, setting her feet on the ground and standing upright.

Hiroji at least deserved a breather and she imagined it would be tricky with her body on top of his. As oxygen was restored to his brain he finally caught up on everything she had been saying during his exercise. Luna habitually placed her hands on her hips and nodded. "That's right. You will be placed on a team with two others: Tsuyu Hyuuga and Chiaki Uchiha, two members of equally prestigious clans. Are you shocked to find out you aren't the only 'special' Genin under my wing? And yes, this is a remedial training course. According to the statistics I was given by the academy during your graduations, you appear to be the only member of your squad to score notably lower than the rest. If I were to host
an ordinary training session at your current level you would be considered deadweight. That is why you must work hard now. Only then can you meet the rest of your team and the real work can begin. But enough of that."

After giving Hiroji a minute to recuperate Luna prepared herself for the next lesson. "As a male Senju your best weapon is your own body. Your incredible regenerative abilities, naturally hearty build, and robust strength serve best in combat. Now you may choose not to invest in Taijutsu, but I will require you to at least be proficient in the art. Now, as for Taijutsu basics: you want to remain fluid with your body movements. Do not remain a static target for your opponent. You want to strike from different angles and make your movement the least predictable. This is a good practice with teammates as your opponent will often be too distracted with you to focus on your allies, but even in a solo fight you have a significantly higher chance in throwing off your opponent. For starters I want you to come at me, and from there I will take things slow and walk you through the process." Bending her knees slightly Luna rose both hands up in a basic guard with her hands splayed and near her body, ready to respond with striking or grappling.

He continued to listen as he relaxed ever so casually on the ground, that is, until his ears perked at the mention of an Uchiha and Hyuuga, in one squad? their names did mean something, but as soon as she said "equally" prestigious clans, he felt a need to correct her. "Excuse me, maybe the Uchiha and Hyuuga are equal, but the Senju are above." after his correction, her words were quite cutting, deadweight? scores lower than average? he wouldn't deny that written exams are his forte, but he imagined that his practical exams made up for more than enough for what he lacked in written writing. It appears she isn't of the same mind.

After she was done talking, Hiroji tried to take advantage of him being on the ground by making it appear he's still getting it together, but as soon as he had an outcome in mind, his body was quick to be in action, quick on his feet, he had a palm thrust ready and he would do his best to close the distance between her and him, palm thrust ready in hand, if it hit, he had hoped to break through her guard.

Learned - Arhat Fist

Luna was amused and somewhat worried at Hiroji's seemingly endless zeal for his clan name. It was probably viewed as patriotic by his kin, but Luna saw this as mindless brainwash. Something she would without a doubt need to work him out of mentally. But he was eager to improve at the very least. In fact he was so eager to prove himself to Luna that he attempted to get the drop on Luna. What would normally be slow and clumsy by regular standards was almost painful to watch in the eyes of Luna. Although he was well-coordinated in his actions in the sense that no movement was wasted, he lacked the speed to lunge proper. This resulted in a linear attack without much room for flexibility. Something going against what she expected from the lad.

Luna would nonchalantly attempt a parry by using her leading hand to swat away his strike from the outside. In doing so her body worked like a clock to adjust her distance and strike in return. Using the same leading hand she let Hiroji's arm slide against the outside of hers keeping the barrier between his threat separate from hers. In her position she jabbed her knuckles to the right side of Hiroji's jaw. Given the properties of her strike it would cause some minor discombobulation and immediate pain to the area of impact and his head, but nothing debilitating.

During the process she spoke briefly hoping her words would still sink in given the heat of their spar. "Remember to work the angles." Was her last piece of advice before their spar had officially begun.

He thought his quick initiative would've landed something, but the fact it was so casually parried and he got a hit to his right side of his jaw had sent him back by a meter. It definitely hurt, and the pain was distracting him. The only thing that could distract him from it was the overwhelming sense of wrath, a need to punish her for the way she's treated him so far, and that punch was something that really sent him over the edge. Her words would've been taken in criticism, if it weren't for that rather direct punch she just landed. The pain of it and his tad bit of anger almost let the criticism slide right over his head, if it weren't for the way she worded it that gave him a hint as to how he could go about it. "Work my angles, you say?" he said condescendingly, taking a step back with a strategy in mind. He could work his "angles" as she worded it. 

It was made evidently clear that he wasn't going to get her from the front, which is probably why she suggested what she did. If he had to get her, he had to be unpredictable. His speed is too slow, but surely he could do something that's fast enough for her passive thought process to overcome. He had an idea, she had never said jutsu weren't allowed... in what would averagely be considered the blink of an eye, Hiroji suddenly sunk into the ground. The earth that he entered was as if Hiroji never entered it in the first place.

He wasted no time to try and close the few meters between him and Luna, sensing where she is through the magnetic forces. He aimed for a dirty spot as one of his legs stretched from right under where she is, aiming for the private part.

Learned - Earth Release: Hiding Like a Mole Technique - 150 WC
Strong Fist - 150 WC
Total WC - 315

Luna never planned to beat Hiroji, but it appeared her first jab was a bit too hard as it staggered the young man. She never saw herself as a strong person. In fact she was below average compared to many ninja. But she knew technique, and that was enough to beat down most opponents if it came down to a Taijutsu match. Hiroji was staggered, stunned, and overall wasn't feeling well after the hit. He gave a snappy remark following her advice before attempting something unpredictable. The prestigious heir of the Senju Clan dove straight down and immediately pancaked into the floor. The thud was telling enough to Luna that it was completely unintentional. She tried to piece together his train of thought. Did he expect the wood to simply give way since he was a Senju? Did he expect his hyper-durable Senju body to plow through the foundation and disturb the ground beneath her feet? Or was it just a sad attempt at performing Shadow of the Dancing Leaf, an intermediate Taijutsu technique of the Strong Fist style?

Regardless of the excuse, Luna seized the opportunity of victory. Lunging down to his level she dropped her right knee against the side of his jaw while her other leg laid over the side of his torso, clamping his body between her calf and thigh. To finish the bind she grabbed his outside arm, which was the only arm that wasn't pressed between his own body and the hardwood floor. Having locked down his upper body and head, he was in a helpless position. From here Luna could press her knee on his neck to choke him out, apply pressure to his jaw to break it, or snap any joint of his arm. Given his sideways position the best he could do is attempt to throw a weak knee in hopes it would strike her hindquarters, but frankly all Luna needed to do would be adjusting her position to avoid contact. He was truly out of options.

"Yes, work the angles. Like this." Luna strained Hiroji's arm at his elbow causing discomfort, though no pain to not draw damage to his limb. The discomfort would be enough to give the boy the idea that he was in a bind. "Is this the epic Senju clan I keep hearing about? I will ask this again, and I want you to give me a straight answer: will you recognize that I am the superior ninja and have been grossly generous taking you under my wing. Will you also accept the terms of your punishment. Make your choice. I do not have all day." Applying more pressure to his joint she caused a bit of pain this time to force an honest response. Although she was serious, deep down she had a sense of smugness, practically 'rubbing in' his blunder and punishing it.

He was way too focused on trying to get back at her but he didn't really think about the limitations of the mole technique. He thought that wood was apart of the earth and through that extension, he could climb through it. He apparently was very, very wrong as he dived firsthead into the wood. If that punch from before hadn't done the job of completely wrecking any thought he had, that thud would've done the job. He wasn't knocked out just yet, but it was obvious that his head wasn't in the best place. A sense of doubt creeped in, he raved about being superior and yet he just thudded himself down so stupidly... who was he fooling?

Any further chance to clean up his attempt led to that tightening hold of hers, his arm strained and his strength couldn't overpower her technique. He gritted his death as he let out a painful grunt, a way to try and save some dignity by not screaming from the pain, but the fact that he tried to hold it back was enough in itself to tell of what he's going through. Hiroji is proud, but he's not stupid. A part of him knew that this match was thrown from the start, he just didn't want to admit it.

He may not admit it out loud, but he'd at least "Yes! to all!" he tried to speak out, as if struggling to. He shortened it as well as he could to give her the idea that he agreed to all her terms and conditions.

Hiroji would experience a sudden release of pressure as she stood up and let go of his arm, blood flow returning to the areas normally giving intense relief. "Wonderful! I am happy to have eager students in my program." Placing her hands on her hips she resumed her 'neutral' posture looming over the boy taking the petty victory. "So here are the terms of your punishment, and don't worry, I will send you a message so you don't forget. Our team will meet up in three days at nine o'clock in the morning. When you wakeup and dress yourself for the day, you will wear everything you normally wear backwards. Your underwear, pants, shirt, equipment, and even your forehead protector. When it is time for introductions, you must introduce yourself like this: 'I am Hiroji Senju, an eager, ready-to-learn pupil of the legendary Yama-sensei. In our previous interaction in my remedial training exercise she has proven to me that I am only a Genin with much to learn, and as a Jounin, Yama-sensei has a wide array of knowledge to not only teach me, but all of us. I hope you both stay with the program because I would very much love to keep you all as company during our journey through Konoha's military. I love you all.' And make sure you are earnest."

Turning her back on Hiroji she started to make her way towards the doors she came in from. "Gear up and get ready for training. And practice your script. You will have it by tonight. Don't disappoint me. A live training exercise is a bad place to suffer injury. Especially in front of your female team." Taking her leave she left the building through the double doors and made her way home. She needed to do some preparing of her own.

[Exit]

Hiroji may have said yes, but he wasn't expecting something so vengeful. It was subtle perhaps, but he knew punishment firsthand. A speech to appeal to her ego? that's one thing, but wearing everything backwards was obviously malicious, to embarrass him. He caught onto that pretty fast. He was still recovering from the hold and the damage he sustained, but his brain wasn't as stunned or dizzy as before now. He didn't say anything to her or did anything to incite further punishment. He expected some form of professionalism out of her but the fact she's willing to let personal feelings get in the way of it was... making him reconsider taking her as a trainer.

Still, he gave his word and if there's one thing he held himself to, as soon as he gave his word, it is as good as done. A principle that his father taught him, that words are so easily broken nowadays but as Senju, when they say they will do something, it is as good as done. "Yes... sensei." if it weren't for the hold and the jaw-hurting punch, he'd have a bit more backbone but the fact that she did both of those things and shamelessly humiliating him in-front of his new squad in three days time.

With a bitter defeat, Hiroji wasn't far behind to leave the scene.

[Exit]