The Power of Taijutsu [Private - Training]

"Push, baby, push!" The sound of Jigoku's mom's voice rang clearly in his ears, mixing resolutely with the sound of wind whipping past his face. A voice spoke in Jigoku's head as he tried to motivate himself. "Listen to your mama, Ji, push! Don't slow down! You're not tired, you're not! Breathe... Breathe... Don't let up." Jigoku sprinted to one line in the dirt and touched it as he turned 180 degrees to sprint back. He felt his foot slide in the dirt, heard the gravel slide against other gravel. He turned and sprinted back. The sound of his mother's voice was still clear as she cheered him on. "There we go, faster baby, faster! Make mama proud, this is nothing for you! Go, go, go!"

As if he was given some sort of extreme energy drink, he moved even faster. Back and forth... Back and forth. His breath became rapid and the cold air stung his throat. If he was going to become skilled in Taijutsu, he would need to be faster. Faster. The word echoed throughout his mind as if it was a command. He pushed himself. He moved. He turned. He sprinted. He turned. Until finally, as much as his mother cheered him on, he could not move. He laid down in the dirt where he was, breathing heavily, watching his chest rise and fall, until his mother appeared in his vision. She was smiling... Good. Jigoku smiled back. He knew she was proud of him, and the feeling warmed his lungs and throat. He'd missed her while she was away... He was happy to have her back.

WC: 271
N3 -> I1

"Gah. Eugh. Hah. Pssshht." Ping... Pang... Ding... The grunts of the 11-year-old Uchiha and the sound of iron making contact with iron could be heard in the lonely gym where only two people stood. Mei, Jigoku's mother, and Jigoku were the only two in the gym. Mei stood behind Jigoku, who was lifting on the weight bench, ready to grab the weight if his muscles failed and help him to hoist it onto the rack to avoid it falling and injuring himself. The weight seemed to move up ever so slowly as he bench pressed more than what made sense for someone his size. He thought it must look hysterical that his feet couldn't even touch the floor and yet he was lifting more than most grown men. The bar was much longer than he was tall too, and he needed help reaching it when it was racked for the longest time until the thought had occurred to his mother to adjust the height.

It was about 2 hours after he had nearly passed out doing his sprints. He had eaten breakfast since then and felt completely revitalized. The two Uchiha had spent a bit of time eating, but most of the two hours had consisted of Jigoku lifting weights and his mother cheering him on. He appreciated her support... Often times, without her there to cheer him on, he couldn't find any motivation to actually train. However, with her presence, it seemed like he couldn't stop. She believed in him... That was something he wasn't used to.

As if the thoughts in his mind had been a cue, the next time Jigoku had lifted the weight, she grabbed it and pulled the bar to the rack. Then she spoke to him, "You're doing great. Almost too great. If you push your arms too much, you could hurt them, or have reverse effects on your training and get weaker. You should move onto another area."

WC: 325
TWC: 596

Taijutsu I1 -> I2

Working out in the gym was always fun for Jigoku. As the day wore on and it became late enough in the day that people with half a brain were out and about and began filing into the gym, no one could take their eyes off of him. He bench pressed weight no full grown man in the gym could and was curling weight they could only dream of. What made it so funny was the fact that he was 11 and around 5 feet tall. Mei smiled as everyone marveled at her son. She was proud of him. He was ridiculously hard-working and he was achieving his dream to be called a hero to the village. Her son would one day become powerful enough to rival his father, and she was there while he growed. The charms of parenthood were impossible to replace.

Jigoku looked at his mother and spoke after she had pointed out the dangers of pushing himself further. "Yeah I think you're right. I'd like to do something different. Maybe some core or lower body stuff, what would you think?"

Mei smiled as she replied. She truly could not be any more proud of her son. "Well... Some of the best core workouts don't require equipment right?"

Jigoku nodded, a bit confused as to her knowledge on the subject. "Yeah, how did you know that?"

"You mentioned it to me once. Anyway, considering you have a limited amount of time in the gym unless you want to pay more money, I'd recommend doing what you can't do at home. Go lower body."

Jigoku agreed and approached a squat rack. He unracked the bar and set it on the ground to adjust the height so that his shoulders could reach the bar. He then put the weight bar onto the rack and loaded an absurd amount of weight onto it. He stepped forward, legs bent underneath the bar with the weight bar lain across his shoulders. The boy then stood to lift the bar off of the rack and stepped back. Supporting the weight on his shoulders, Jigoku squatted, knees hent and back erect, until his knees made a 90 degree angle. He repeated this process 10 times, took a two minute break and executed the set 3 more times.

WC: 383
TWC: 979

I2 -> I3

WIP

The two left the gym, Jigoku with an aching body from working out so intensely, and Mei, his mother, with a sore throat and weak voice from cheering him on so much.   Exhaustion... It ate at his body and threatened not to allow him to move.  But... He had to keep training.  It was important that he keep training, he had to become powerful.  He had to become a force to reckon with within Konohagakure.  He had to become a man with a résumé like his father's with a better character.  Maybe even become Hokage one day... The possibilities were endless, but he knew it started here.  As a Genin, at the beginning of his Shinobi career. That meant there was no taking shortcuts... Not now.  No taking the easy way out.

Jigoku spoke, a bit of concern in his voice.  "Ma... I feel I'm not improving fast enough.  That Grey guy... He graduated recently too, and he is already much more powerful than I am.  How do I match up to that?"

Mei smiled.  Jigoku didn't understand why she smiled, he was distressed.  But she did.  "Baby... The fact that you even ask that question proves you will become a powerful Shinobi.  You work hard.  You improve every day.  And besides, you have someone as awesome as me to coach you."

Jigoku laughed.  "Haha, thanks.  I was thinking maybe go to the training grounds next and practice stances and striking Taijutsu dummies."

"Hey, don't call them dummies, that's not nice!"

Laughing, Jigoku made his way to the Konohagakure training grounds.  The day was pleasant, so he made no attempt to hurry.  He preferred to enjoy the walk and the company of his mother.  Friendship was important to him, because when worst came to worst, and one has nothing they can do in a situation, it was your friends who had to get your back.  His feet padded against the ground and with every contact his feet made, his legs threatened to buckle in their weakened state after having pushed himself so hard at the gym.  It amazed him that the human body had to become so weak in order to become more powerful.  It was strange... He was capable of so little right now, but when he recovered, he would become stronger. The world worked in mysterious ways.

Jigoku thought again of how much he appreciated his mother's presence on his training schemes. She cheered him on, whether he was doing terribly that day or quite well.  He wasn't used to someone believing in him.  It was strange, foreign even.  Someone screaming at him that he was too weak to be an Uchiha was usually the norm for him.  The difference between training under his father and training with his mother was drastically different.  Even though his mother was no ninja, and she knew nothing of combat or Shinobi skills, she kept Jigoku motivated instead of feeling sorry for himself while his father screamed at him.  Gratitude warmed his heart as he thought of how much he appreciated his mother, so he decided to tell her.

"Ma... Thanks for being here to support me.  I know it's easy sometimes... The conditions I train under, watching me hurt myself sometimes..."

"No, it's my job as your mother to support you.  Besides, it's not everyone who has a son who will become a greater hero to the village than Naruto Uzumaki one day.  I love being here."

This was exactly the type of talk that kept Jigoku going.  Kept him moving.  He missed it while she was in prison... He was a different person back then.  Always angry, never making opportunities come to himself.  Never allowing himself to be happy and training all day with no progress because he did not believe in himself.  He even quit the academy. "Really though Ma... Without you, I would never have the motivation needed to push myself so far. It means a lot for you to cheer me on."

A smile crossed the lips of Mei Uchiha as her son spoke.  It warmed her extremities to be appreciated so much by someone so dear to her.  "Well... One day, it will all be worth it.  No more struggling to become powerful every single day.  You will become a hero to the village one day, son.  You will."

Jigoku marveled at the thought of being Hokage one day.  He would surpass Hibari Hyuuga... Grey Uchiha would respect him... Minoki Senju, Kritika Hyuuga... All of them would look up to him and respect him for protecting Konoha.  For becoming a hero.  For saving the lives of everyone in the village. "Ma... I'll make you proud.  I will. One day. I wish I could show you now, but I can't. It will happen one day, I promise you that."

There was no doubt in Mei's mind that Jigoku would be able to live up to the promises he made her.  It was like he was all grown up, but he was only five feet tall and eleven years old.  It amazed her.  "Well, that all comes with training, so let's continue working hard today.  We have about 6 hours until nightfall, let's make the best of it.  Let's become that powerful Shinobi that you wish to be."

She was right, they needed to pick up the pace.  Jigoku quickened his step in an attempt to get to the training field more quickly.  The beautiful village passed by him like a slideshow. The scenery was amazing... The village bustled.  Children ran around playing games.  Hide-and-seek, tag, and ninja were just a few games being played around him.  People went about their business, on their way to work or spending tine with family.  Some were on their way to restaurants, or to go shopping, some were doing their own exercise by jogging.  And some were just enjoying their daily stroll.  There was a beauty to the chaos. There was some sort of underlying network to it.  A network that kept the village running like a well oiled machine.  That helped it maintain its status as the most powerful nation in the world.

Jigoku and his mother arrived at the training grounds.  This particular training ground was said to be the same training ground that the Legendary Sakuro Hanuro, Sasuke Uchiha, and, most importantly, Naruto Uzumaki had their first training session with their teacher, Kakashi Hatake.  The thought of it filled him with a sense of wonder.  He thought about how Naruto had probably easily passed all of his training sessions with flying colors and how he was probably respected by all of his peers.  Such a hero... He had to be an elite since a young age, it only made sense right?

The ground was a bit soft, probably from the light mist the village had the night before.  It was fairly large, not some random square that people sparred in.  There were small, light forests sprinkled about and a few lone trees, though much of the training field was simply grass and dirt.  There were some training dummies standing here and there, and a few teams practicing their tactics, lightly dispersed throughout the massive field.  Jigoku assumed there were more teams hidden in the woods, probably practicing covert tactics and stealth.  Jigoku longed for a sensei... Not someone like his father, but an actual sensei... He was jealous of the kids here.

Jigoku approached one of the training dummies.  He lowered his stance and centered his bodyweight, automatically feeling the burning in his legs that told him he had trained well that morning.  He pivoted on his left foot and raised his right to kick the dummy, leaning into his kick a bit.  Many people tended to make the mistake of leaning away from their kicks, which lessened the force one struck their target with but heightened the counterforce that could set someone off balance and allow their opponent an easy counterattack.  This way, one could meet the counterforce with their weight and maintain perfect form and balance.

Planting his right foot back firmly on the ground in front of his left and keeping his knees bent in his lowered stance, Jigoku then lifted his left foot and rotated counter clockwise and struck the head of his training dummy with the heel of his left foot in roundhouse kick.  The force was enough to knock the head off the dummy, but he kept moving with his combo anyway.  Back in the position he was in before the roundhouse kick except with his feet shoulder width apart instead of together to prepare for the kick, Jigoku pivoted on his left foot so that his right was further away from the dummy and leaned back as if he was dodging an attack.

The Uchiha then stepped forward with his left foot and jabbed the dummy with his leg hand where the head would be.  However, he didn't stop as he prepared for one last strike, bringing all of his weight forward along with his right knee, knocking the dummy off of its post and onto the ground.

WC: 1517
TWC: 2496

I3 -> A3