Lava Walking (Solo Training: Tengan X1, Nexus Int X 3) + Reward Dice

Asura had been practicing his jutsu against the training dummy for a while now, but at the moment, he was sitting cross legged in the forested section of the Jiin complex. OUt of all of Iwa, the Jiin estate probably had some of the nicest grounds with trees and foliage. It made Asura feel more comfortable than just endless stone and rock around Iwa as usual. 1

Despite all Asura had done and strove for, he felt restless. He would train, practice his jutsu, read scrolls. He was unsatisfied with all he was doing. Even worse-- he still had not been able to unlock the power of the Tengan, his clan's known Doujutsu.

"Hey there, Asura," a familiar voice spoke out to him. Asura turned to find the familiar voice and kind face of his master. "I would of expected you to reduce the training dummies to ashes by now. Are you okay?"

Asura sighed and stood up. "I'm alright... Master, I just feel like I haven't accomplished alot. Which is stupid cause I know I am stronger now." Asura said. "I have great mastery of Katon style and even more, but now that i am even doing more and more missions-- I feel this is not enough. Like I should do more. "

Roku thought about this, stroking his black beard as he looked at his young student. "Perhaps you need a reminder what makes a Jiin Shinobi so powerful." he asked. "Something to rekindle the fire in you. "

Asura rolled his eyes at this. "Master, I have been trying to awaken the eyes but I--" he argued but was silenced by a raise of Roku's hand.

"I was not talking about the eyes, Asura." he said and had an idea. "I think there is a training you have not done yet that may interest you to see. Grab your things here. We are going on a little trip." he said. With that, he turned and began to lead the way.

Asura followed Roku as he led the way out of the town, and towards the outskirts of Iwa.

***

"Um Master?" Asura asked, a look of concern and confusion on his face. "Are you sure this is the place?"

Dark clouds blanketed the lands and smoke rose that joined the darkened skies. The heat of the air cooked everything, stemming from the blackened and ash covered land of this wasteland-- marked by the mountains and the glowing veins of lava that ran down from the tops of them.

Lakes of lava were freely formed along the landscape as both Asura and Roku were there. The lava lake was before them, slow bubbles of molten rock flowing and popping before them. Asura had come here to train-- to learn how to use Enton properly without hurting anyone as the flames were extremely hard to control. However, he was unsure why Roku had brought him there.

"There is nothing but lava here..." Asura said, looking over the place. "I am not sure what you want to accomplish here," he said.

Roku turned from the lake back to Asura. "We are here to remind you the potential not just as Shinobi but of the Jiin clan. Yes, we master fire, but we command and shape it to our will. ALL forms of fire. It is here that we shall explore that potential. "

As the lava bubbled nearby, Asura was unsure to what kind of training it would entail. "Do you mean Enton? I have been working on it but still, Master--"

Roku shook his head again. "No, Asura. Open your mind" he said as he reached for the hem of his robes. "Fire is a part of nature, no matter if its embers are not seen. These volcanos are such an example-- heating the earth and rock into a liquid state that would burn all and encase all beneath it. As the Jiin, we have dominion over all forms of fire."

At that moment, he discarded his long black robes. Despite his older appearance, he was very fit and lean, sporting muscle considerable of a shinobi. It made Asura more aware of the real potential that Roku had whenever he was not his mentor. With that, he also took off his shoes one kick at a time, till he was only wearing the light pants he wore. With that, he turned once more and made his way back to the lava pond!

Asura wasn't sure what was happening, till he saw Roku step right up to the edge. Alarm struck him as he shouted and reached out to stop him. "Master, wait! Are you crazy!?" he shouted as he reached... but was too late.

Roku stepped off the edge as his feet fell forward and made contact with the lava! Asura first adverted his gaze, afraid his master had willingly stepped upon his death but he heard no screams or sizzling. Still he couldn't bare to look till...

"Asura, look at me," Roku said in a patronizing tone, clearly trying to end Asura's more childish behavior.

Asura cracked open an eye and looked. He first blinked, then looked wide eye in surprise. He saw Roku was in fact alive. Despite the raging heat and molten lava around him, he was not harmed at all. He stood there with his arms at his side as Asura got a better look. He was standing UPON the lava itself, no different as if it was a solid surface.

The young ninja was speechless for a moment as he looked at the site of his master. There wasn't even a look of pain on his face. "Wh--wha.... how...?" Asura said, perlexed.

"Have you so soon forgotten, Asura? We are immune to the powers of fire used against us for we ARE fire." Roku said kindly, gesturing a hand to the lava he stood upon. "Lava is no different. True, any normal shinobi to try this very well might not come out of this stunt alive. However for us, it is no different than walking on water."

Roku began to explain it to Asura. "As you know, walking on water or on walls require chakra control, using a fluxuating amount to maintain balance and to stay above the surface of it. " he explained calmly. "This takes chakra control to the extreme, finding the proper balance and proportion to maintain on a far more chaoticly fluctuating surface-- the heat the lava generates. Heat is far more changing than water, such as how a flame moves when it burns. "

Asura still couldn't pull his eyes away from the sight of Roku standing barefooted on the lava. "It is because our chakra is so adept to fire that we can even attempt this safely. Granted a skilled katon shinobi could do it with enough practice but we can do this just as easily as I described." Roku explained to Asura as he crossed his arms. "Now Asura, I want you to do it as well."

To Asura's own surprise, he was hesitant. The idea of willing stepping onto a dangerous surface made anyone nervous. And Roku instructed him to do so willingly. "Uh... I'm ... um..." he said, clearly scared to do such a thing.

Roku smiled, finding the sudden hesitance rare on Asura, who was usually so hot headed and willing to jump into anything. "You will be fine Asura. And I will be right here to help if something should go wrong," he said, "Though I recommend you take off your sandals before stepping into it. Till you are more praticed at trying this, it will still burn material that is flammable. "

Asura was still nervous but followed Roku's instructions. He took off his shoes and tossed them next to Roku's robes. He stepped to the edge of the lava pool barefooted, feeling the already hot black stones against the soles of his feet. He was still hesitant but he remembered what Roku said.

To focus chakra as if it was walking on water. Focus to the soles of the feet, concentrate and to not be afraid.

The hum of chakra buzzed around his feet as he did so, acting like a barrier between him and the other material he would step on. With one step, he lifted his foot up and after a moment of hesitation-- stepped into the lava himself.

There was a soft splash of lava as he landed, but it felt like stepping on a bed of grass-- in texture anyway. Asura brought his other foot forward, a bit surprised. His feet felt significantly warmer, as if they were buried in hot sand on a beach-- but no burning. No extreme pain. He looked down, seeing his own feet move and squish the lava around, glowing brightly below him.

Roku smiled warmly as he raised a hand and patted Asura on the shoulder. "See? You can do it," he said kindly. A sense of pride was on his face as he congratulated Asura. " You are capable of great things Asura. Even the village acknowledge that. And I am confident you will find what you are seeking. You just have to keep persisting. "

Asura was grateful to him as he stood there, feeling the lava below him. "Thanks, Master..."

"In time, I dare say-- you could probably even take a bath in the lava, though I wouldn't recommend you try that just yet," he said, laughing a bit at that. "I tried that once, but ended up burning off my clothing and some of my hair. "

Asura felt a bit put off by that news. "Yeah... I wouldn't recommend it. I rather take a regular bath at a hot spring any time," he joked.

A laugh erupted out of Roku as stood there. Both of them were at ease now, letting their chakra keep them from sizzling death. it seemed as if both of them enjoyed living on the edge when it came to their training.

They simply talked at that point, allowing the time to both test their endurance of the ability to stand upon lava and more so just get closer. For Asura, Roku was like a father to him-- and though Roku never showed it, Asura was like a son he thought he never would have again.

And so, Asura began to understand the path of Jiin Shinobi could be and grow to understand also just how powerful his master was.

End.

(1752 words.) 2 Reward rolls

Rolls: Tengan Training X 1, Int Training X 3.

Reward Dice: 2 rolls.

The member 'Enjin' has done the following action : Dice

#1 'Training Dice' : 3

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#2 'Training Dice' : 2, 10, 5

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#3 'Reward Dice' : 2, 9

Tengan Mastery : 3 +2 from Quick Learner = 5.

Int: 23 total.