Quote:Good point, that.
Oh, and I think that a lot of Kakashi's problems teaching likely have to do not with the difference in learning curves, but with the fact that being a ninja is literally all he knows - I mean, I'm six years younger and I can barely remember being twelve, let alone less than five. I'd be shocked if he had any real appreciation for, any clue what the 'civilian' viewpoints that his students can't help but have actually entail.
... I only just thought of it, but do you think that could be bent just enough for him to have a second hobby besides H-manga? Namely, playing the bongos... because the image of him plopped down with one of his eye-smiles, drumming away while Sakura practises her combat dance style is just too funny.
- CD
ETA: scenelet, so I won't forget
Naruto had regained consciousness at some point during the battle, but between the injuries he'd taken and chakra exhaustion preventing them from healing as they normally would, it had been all he could do to roll onto one side, watching the shadowy swirls of his two defenders and their opponent through the mist, twitching slightly whenever one of them took a hit and weakly cursing his inablility to get back up and help. Eventually, though, the mist cleared, revealing Hinata - battered but unbroken - over the beastial, armored, dead form of Kimimaro, and an equally roughed up Rikou who staggered over to her rival and gave her a hug somewhere between congratulatory and consoling... unless the rumor mill had missed something major, the soft-spoken girl had just become the first of her year to directly take a life.
"Yatta!" Before either of them could consider this too deeply (or remember that they were supposed to be rivals) they were distracted by Naruto's somewhat shaky cheer, and rushed over to his side, helping the foxy boy to get up and then seat him against a tree, themselves following suit to either side as the reaction to the battle set in. "Heheh... I guess you saved me this time, ne Rikou?" he said, looking over his shoulder to give her a tired smile. The blond faltered a moment, then shook his head clear and turned to the Hyuuga heiress. "Hinata-chan... sugoiyo! Never knew... you were so... strong..." Adrenaline wearing off, the boy's voice trailed away as his body gave in to its wounds, slumping back against the tree as awareness slipped away again. Realising that more enemies could still be around, Rikou cast a minor concealment genjutsu to cover their location with the image of a large branch knocked down in the summon battle. Warmed by the words of praise, both girls snuggled into his shoulders a bit more, and concentrated on trying to keep an eye out for any more enemies while they recovered.
(Yes, Hinata really does get the first kill here, even though the rest of the Sound Five buy it shortly thereafter. Up to now, enemies either died from accumulated wounds, their own mistakes, or were finished by the jounin sensei.)
ETA2: Also, while some are recogniseably close to standard hand seals or the half-seals used by some other familiy hijutsu, as you get further into the series of the 108 Stars, they become more intricate, larger, and gestural, until at 108 the user must hold the right finger positions, wave their arms just so and piroutte, then come to a stop with just the right timing and position. And that means you. That which does not kill us... has made its last mistake.
SERVO: Loook *deeeeply* into my eyes... Tell me, what do you see?
CROW: (hypnotized) A twisted man who wants to inflict his pain upon others.
Next morning, Harry found himself butt-naked in the other side of town, mouth tasting of lima beans. - from Uzumaki Harry by Shadow Crystal Mage
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"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows