[Michiki Family Home]Katsuro's Mind Palace(Training Topic; All training will be posted here)

Justu Being Trained:

The Michiki Family house is a square house designed to look similar to a compound, though there are no walls. The house forms a square around a large garden that hosts several trees and plants, most spectacular of which is a large Sakura Tree that dominates the middle of the compound and a small Koi pond. Living quarters are on the opposite side of the main entrance while the kitchen and dining room is to the left of the main entrances. The Living area and storage area is to the left of the main entrance. The training area, where Katsuro was currently at, was located at the rear of the compound in in a separate building from the rest of the house. The entire building was built by the Katsuro's father before his passing to allow the Senju who called the area home to train.

The building was large enough to easily train ten individuals without worries of it becoming too crowded. At the moment Katsuro was the only one currently inhabiting the building. His normal skin tight, black attire was replaced by a traditional dark grey, male kimono. Starting from the traditional sitting position, legs bent beneath the body with weight positioned on his feet. Spread out before him was an aging scroll that contained details of many jutsu that belonged to the Senju, stolen by his ancestors when they left Konohagakure. Since then it has helped every member of his family, who could use Mokuton, ascend in power and respect within Kumogakure.

At the moment Katsuro was looking at a high ranked Jutsu he had yet learned. A more advanced version of a jutsu he already knew. This particular jutsu would allow him to create multiple houses at once, instead of just one. Which would be useful should the village be attacked. Of course it had little use inside of combat, other than to possibly distract an enemy. Completely useless in reality but it was a personal goal to master every single Senju jutsu he could find. Knowing that the jutsu would require a large amount of chakra and chakra control, Katsuro decided to train on chakra control before he would move onto the jutsu. Closing his eyes and relaxing his shoulders, Katsuro began meditating on what was to happen.

First he would need to enter his mind palace. This would take him into a deep level of meditation where he would be able to visualize what was required to learn the jutsu. First he began walking down the fictional stairs in his head. One wooden step. Two wooden Steps. The third step creaked. As did the fourth. As he moved further down the steps he felt his pulse slow and his mind begin to ease. By the time he reach the fiftieth step, his mind was completely void of thought and he was at the door to his mind palace. His mind palace resembled his his family's dojo on the outside but once the entrance was opened he would find it completely devoid of training equipment with rows and rows of book cases instead. Each book varied in appearance and length. The biggest books were filled with memories of his family starting from his first memory as a child and ending with his most recent. The smallest books contained detailed reports of every battle he had ever been in. Some books contained jutsu he had learned and other books contained information about people he had met. Certain colored books contained information on places while other colors meant completely different things. He could what seemed like hours in his head flipping through these memories but was actually only a fraction of a second in the real world.

He knew exactly where he would need to go to find the information that was needed. Towards the back of the large library was a bookshelf that contained several identical books that held the information regarding chakra control. He then moved to a bookshelf that contained scrolls of jutsu training methods. The book he was looking for was one that detailed how one could adapt a jutsu to create a stronger variant, which is exactly what Katsuro needed in order to create multiple buildings of the size detailed in the scroll.

The first book he opened was the one detailing training methods for Chakra Control. The easiest thing to do would be to hold a leaf to his forehead using only chakra. That is what he would have to do. Placing the books on the table that was placed in the middle of the room, he began his ascent back to the world of the living. As he ascended he felt his mind become more active and his pulse speed back to it's normal resting heart rate. On the last step his eyes opened and he immediately missed the silence that he knew as his mind palace. But he had a mission to accomplish. A few simple steps brought him outside where a small sapling sat awaiting him with a few simple green leaves on his small branches. After muttering a small apology for plucking the leaf off of the sapling, Katsuro returned back to the middle of the training dojo where he resumed his prior sitting position. He simply focused the entirety of his chakra into that single point as he held the leaf there. Once he was certain he had it, he removed his hand from the leaf and closed his eyes. He felt the leaf still in place as well as the chakra that was pouring into that single point on his forehead. He knew he could maintain this training for several hours before he even came close to feeling the effects or gained anything from it.

And so he waited. Eyes closed, chakra focused in one spot. The first three hours passed without a problem. After the fourth he began feeling the fatigue from constant chakra use. By the time he was on his twelfth hour of concentrating, he eyes were still closed but beads of sweat were visible forming on his forehead that was the focus of a massive amount of strain and chakra. He could hold out for another house but he didn't want to completely exhaust his chakra pool before he could get to the second form of performing the jutsu, so he slowly ebbed his chakra away from the point until finally the leaf would fall from his forehead to the floor before him.

Though exhausted from the constant expenditure of chakra, Katsuro was not yet ready to call it a night. The combined effects of the chakra training and the amount of time he had spent awake over the past twenty four hours was causing him his head to spin. Groggily, he stood up just enough to allow the blood to flow back through his legs. He performed a few stretches to make sure the blood was flowing before he began shadow boxing. He felt his heart rate begin to quicken as he began through punches at an invisible opponent and blocking, or dodging, equally invisible attacks sent at him. Of course this was purely a rest tactic for his brain. It was a way for his blood to begin circulating while he rested his brain from the exercise it had endured for the past twelve hours.

The shadow boxing lasted only a few minutes before Katsuro ended the impromptu show with some light hopping. He then stepped out of the dojo and looked for an empty space nearby that would be able to fit the apparent number of houses that would be created using this new jutsu. Of course it didn't take that long to locate one and for Katsuro to begin preparations. His first act was to make a wood clone who made a wood clone who made a wood clone, all of which were tasked with keeping civilians far enough away so that they wouldn't get caught up in the jutsu and possible injured.

With a slight sight, and the popping of his knuckles, Katsuro set to work performing the jutsu. As it was his first time he thought it would be best if he proceeded with both hands slowly performing the hand signs needed to activate the jutsu. The first handsign brought a flattened palm over a clenched fist(Dog) that quickly transitioned to both hands together with index and middle finger pointing up and the left hand on top(Ram). The final hand seal was both of his hands clasped together, left thumb outside(Snake). The he felt the ground to begin to rumble. Slowly, yet steadily, houses began to grow from the ground on either side of the street he stood in the middle of. The houses' growth speed increased until finally the complete houses, lacking paint and glass windows, were formed completely. The two story buildings would provide homes to the new arrivals while also served as furthering his goal.

He casually dusted his hands off as he recalled his wood clones back to him. After which, he ended the jutsu and went back to the Michiki family compound to rest. He had accomplished his goals. He had successfully used the jutsu. Though he would have to make one last trip into his mind palace to file away the information he gathered as he performed the jutsu.

After getting back to the compound, and subsequently his quarters within, he began the slow trek back into the deep recess of his mind. Starting with the first squeaky stair. Slowly and surely his heart rate slowed and his mind grew quiet until finally he arrived at the sliding door that matched the one he had just left. After sliding the fictitious door open, he immediately made his way to a pile of blank scrolls and brush on one of the few tables. He sat down and began memorizing the data, writing it down inside of his head. It took a few minutes to write down all the information for the jutsu but once he was finished, he placed it on the shelf with the rest of his memorized jutsu.

He then maneuvered himself to where the two books he had previously recovered and moved them back to where he had gotten them. Once the memories were placed where they belonged in the library that had become his mind, Katsuro began the climb back to reality. What seemed like ten minutes in his head was merely a fraction of a millisecond. Though by the time he had reached the top of the stairs, his body had already fallen asleep.

He had just opened the door when he awoke the next morning to the sound of birds chirping. He had ultimately slept in the sitting position the entire night. Dispite the restful sleep, when he awoke he still felt tired but he knew there was one final thing he had to do to fully master his new jutsu. Use it many times to make sure he was doing everything just right. His male kimono was quickly replaced by his normal shinobi attire before he walked outside to the fresh scent of cherry blossoms.

It didn't take him long to get to the same area of Kumogakure where there were less buildings. He then repeated the handsigns he had done the day before. Dog then Ram then Snake. His plan would be to finish the construction of the houses that would take months for the civilians to complete. Slowly and surely houses began rising from underneath the ground until they stopped growing. The were completely identical to the ones he had done the previous day. He continued this practice for nearly an hour when he had run out of room to build houses. By that time he had mastered the perfect amount of chakra to use and the time it would take to grow the houses. With a mission accomplished he returned to the training Dojo where the scroll was still laid out flat on the mat. He lifted the scroll and carefully rolled it until it was tight and then he slipped it in it's airtight container. As an act of security, he placed it underneath the hidden floorboard that was located inside of the dojo. After it was successfully hidden, Katsuro closed the doors from the outside and went about his business as a shinobi.

Jutsu Being Learned:

Katsuro, having previously designed and created jutsu based on growing facial hair and using it to attack, stroked his now nearly four foot long bear in anticipation. He had created a jutsu that allowed him to form his prodigious facial hair into a fist and incorporate that into his fight style alongside his real fists. Of course this required a lot of concentration on his part until he could full master it but that was not the reason he was currently sitting on the wood paneled floor of the Senju Training Dojo. He had recently designed a weaker version of the jutsu that was mainly him stabbing people with his beard after hardening it into a spike. And that's exactly what he planned on testing out that day. Despite his usual routine, he wasn't going to retreat into his mind palace to prepare himself. This time he was going to rely solely on his awake mind to perform the jutsu.

Already having his beard fully grown, he decided it was time to practice sending chakra to his beard to harden it. Once he could harden it, he would begin with the transformation and once that was mastered he would move onto actually using it in combat. Of course for the first two parts he would need a volunteer and that is why he brought in a young Senju cousin of his to monitor the hardness of his beard.

And thus he sat there, eyes closed focusing on every single hair, instead of just one. His meditated state allowed him to think he could feel his chakra flowing through his body to his face and then to his facial hair but that was impossible, right? He continued this until he felt his head being forced back as his young assistant began raising his hardened beard into the air. Smiling, Katsuro opened his eyes and felt the beard go limp once again. With a sigh, he thanked the young Senju before he began forcusing his chakra back into his beard. This went on for several minutes until he was able to move around with the beard in a hardened state. He then set about working on the transformation.

This time he kept his eyes opened so he could watch the beard form into a spike. Which it did after a few minutes of focusing. He slowly watched each strand of hair form into a spike that jutted out from his face. If he were to run into a wall at that moment his beard would have to penetrate several feet before his face would even get close to it. But, as like the first time he tried to move with a hardened beard, as soon as he stood up his beard lost hardness and the form. This would take longer to master. Nearly an entire day in fact. It was merely the fact that he had to yet to master focusing on so many strands of hair while also focusing them into a shape. But it wouldn't take as long as it took him to master the Manliest Beard Technique which involved a moving each strand as one while also keeping them hard and moving his fists in conjuction with all three. By the time he could harden the beard, transform it into a spike, and then attack with it at his full speed, both him and his young helper were incredibly tired. And that was another jutsu created and mastered.

500/500

((OOC: Spacer Post.))

Jutsu:

Katsuro once again found himself within the Senju Training Dojo just outside the residence compound.  This time he was sat across from a Senju who he had enlisted aid from, and who was also a genjutsu user.  This time Katsuro was learning something most shinobi should have already known, and he beat himself up about it as well.  How could the head of a family as predigious as Senju not know the most basic of jutsu known by most academy jutsu.  Funnily enough it was because he was lazy as a youngster and figured he would never need it, cause who actually used Genjutsu.  Right?  Plus couldn't pain bring you out of a genjutsu?  Sure but who wants to stab themselves when they can simply use chakra to get out.  This guy didn't care either way, he just didn't want to be in a genjutsu for extended periods of time.  And that's why, ladies and gentleman, you shouldn't be afraid of asking for help when you need it.

As they had already discussed what was to be done, Katsuro nodded for his compatriot to begin. First thing done was a set of quick hand seals, by his compatriot, which was quickly followed by a clapping of his hands.  As per the instructions, his compatriot left the building quickly so as to not see the clan leader in such a distressed position.  The genjutsu took effect nearly immediately as Katsuro heard the thump of what could only be dead bodies behind him.  He hid the mounting dread he was experiencing deep in the put of his stomach as he turned around.  What he saw caused emotions to well up inside of him.  He knew it was a Genjutsu that was effecting his mind but he couldn't bring himself to look away.  Laying in a straight line across the training floor room were the people he cared most about in his life.  First one he saw was the broken and bloody body of his missing best friend, Achilles Raiki, who was right next to the twisted body of the missing ANBU Captain, Utsukushii Hana.  The one woman who he had romantic intentions towards but never summoned the courage to talk to about them.  Then his friend Achilles swept her off her feet and he never had the chance to tell her due to her disappearance.  He felt the emotions warring inside of him.  Anger about the inability to save them and the sadness having lost them.  Then, just as he brought his hands together to dispell the genjutsu he spotted the blood, twisted body of his young sister who was not yet quite dead.  He watched in horror as she mouthed a string of words directed at him.  His eyes grew wide with horror as the jutsu finally forced chakra through his system causing the images before him to become hazy and then suddenly disappear but not before he spotted a shadowy silhouette standing over the bodies who had his blood covered face.

He had literally seen his worst nightmare fold out in front of him.  The smell of blood still invaded his nostrils as his mind processed that it was just a genjutsu and not really there.  Sweat beaded on his forehead from the concentration of trying to perform the jutsu.  Suddenly he could no longer control himself, and with force someone in pain could muster he slammed his closed fist against the wooden floor that easily gave to his strength like a hot knife through butter.  Several more holes appeared in the ground but was quickly stopped when he realized that someone was screaming.  It wasn't until a seconds later he realized it was him.  His voice had become hoarse from the screaming and he simply sat there panting as if he had run a marathon to the Land of Fire and back.  That was another jutsu learned but at what price to his mental state.