First Gate [Video/Action]

[niceguypose]

[Video]

[The video feed suddenly kicks in with the sound of rushing winds and the sight of a blue sky. And soon, falling into view is bushy-browed teenager with a bowlcut, confusion and panic written all over his face.

Upon arrival, Rock Lee and his book open have begun freefalling through the sky to towards the village. Lee keeps his eyes focused on the open book and pushes himself through the air to get a closer look. Just enough to tell that it's some kind of communication device... and that it seems to be recording his face, and his movements.

Can they hear him, too? A million thoughts rush through his head. What happened? Where did everyone go? Why am I floating through the sky? Somebody help me down! But... if people could see him, he wouldn't want to look weak, would he? He's Rock Lee, after all. The Green Beast of Konoha. He can figure out a way out of this.

What would Gai Sensei do?

So he opts to force on a smile, one full of shining teeth, and he flashes a thumbs up towards the camera and shouts as loud as he can.]

DYNAMIC... ENTRY!

[Lee can find his way down. After all, his training weights are gone. He feels so light.]

[Action]

[If anyone misses out on the high-paced action, they can find Lee after he lands - either traveling to the item shop for his headband, weights and equipment or to the clothing shop for his valued green jumpsuit and vest. He'll also jog around to survey the village and some of the forest afterwards, eager to greet his new neighbors in the process.]

Comments

[breezing]

How'd it test all that? [ That sounds difficult and less fun that the contest she was picturing, man. ] Did you have fun? Well, it sounds hard, but you sound happy about being a chunin!

Ah, although to become a master airbender you have to master all the forms or create a new one. [ NOWHERE NEAR THAT. ]

[niceguypose]

These are closely guard ninja secrets, but the first stage was a written test, where we were supposed to cheat without being caught! Then we had to live in a forest. And the last stage of the exam, we had, uh, friendly matches with each other. I did indeed have fun, but it was not until my second attempt that I succeeded in passing!

Ohhh and are you a such a master Airbender, Ikki-chan?

[breezing]

You were supposed to cheat? How'd you do it? Didn't anyone get caught??

Nope! You'll know a master if they have their mastery tattoos - they're blue arrows, which would go here, and here, and here - [ she traces the paths on her skin, lightly. ] Girls who're master airbenders shave their hair back to here, too; the boys shave their whole heads. How do you tell if someone's a jounin or chunin?

[niceguypose]

My teammate, Tenten, used signals to inform me of the correct answers. And yes... some were caught and disqualified. No one I really knew, though. My peers all advanced, but Shikamaru-kun was actually the only one to advance to the chunin rank that year.

Ah, that sounds like a fascinating practice. I am sure you will earn gorgeous tattoos one day! As for the differences... a ninja receives this flak jacket upon becoming a chunin! [He tugs at his own.] Jounin have a minimal difference in uniform; their primary difference is in their power and authority!

[breezing]

He's really amazing, so that's probably why! [ SHADOW PUPPETS. ] So your peers're Ino and Chouji and Shikamaru and Neji and Tenten? [ Confirming that she has this straight, here. ]

The tattoos were modeled after our flying bison! They were the very first airbenders, and our first masters learned from them.

[ She looks at the flak jacket, curiously. ] It's got a lot of pockets! That's neat, though. So anyone with that jacket is a chunin OR a jounin?

I guess you can only really tell airbending masters from looking at them - the other benders don't have mastery tattoos. [ So. Only one real way to tell one form of mastery at a glance. WELP. ]

[niceguypose]

Yes, and they are only a portion of the Konoha 11! There is also Naruto-kun and Sakura-san and Hinata-san and Kiba-kun and Shino-kun!

This is most fascinating! They sound like truly wonderful creatures. And yes, the many pockets are useful considering the many tools a ninja can carry on their person. The jackets are used for both chunin and jounin rank, yes. And that is good to know. The tattoos alone sound like a clear way to tell the difference.

[breezing]

But you said three man teams! Did they have a five-man team? Who was their teacher?

Yep! Although there's only one master airbender here, and he's my grandpa! And the Avatar. The other two Avatars haven't mastered airbending yet, so they haveta take lessons along with me!

[niceguypose]

Oh, uh... they are actually two different teams. Hinata-san, Kiba-kun and Shino-kun all form one team which is led by Kurenai-sensei. While... Naruto-kun and Sakura-san are on another team with Kakashi-sensei. [He bites his lip; he dreads having to describe Sasuke's story to anyone. Luckily... there is an easy solution at hand.]

I almost forgot Sai-kun! He is the teammate of Naruto-kun and Sakura-san, yes. [Knew you were good for something, Sai.]

That sounds most interesting! He must be a very wise old man. What is this "Avatar" you speak of?

[breezing]

Soooo you're the Konoha 12? [ This is simple enough math that she does not get a headache, although Lee can watch Ikki count them up on her fingers one by one. ]

Are all of them chunins now? What about jounins, are any of them jounins? Do you have to pass an even bigger test for that?

Nope! Grandpa's fourteen. He's from a long, long time ago for me! An' he was actually made a master at twelve 'cause he made up a form.

Ah, remember bending? The Avatar is the only person who can use all four forms. That's 'cause he's the link between the spirit world and our world, and he keeps balance in the world, and between the four nations. He's a really old spirit - the Avatar spirit is reborn one lifetime after another. Korra is grandpa's reincarnation, and grandpa is the reincarnation of Roku, who's also here!

[niceguypose]

...Yes! Yes we are!

We are all still of chunin rank. There is another test to become a jounin, but as I have not yet gotten that far, I do not know what it entails. [Disclaimer: All of this paragraph may be subject to jossing because everyone may actually be jounins already.]

Ah - a fourteen-year old grandpa? That is most interesting. [And frightening. Better stay away from that guy.] He sounds powerful for his age. Especially considering all of this stuff regarding the Avatar. There are... three who incarfnations here, you mean? [His head is reeling from all of this.]

[breezing]

[ time skips are confusing and jossfilled ]

Is Sai really forgettable?

Yep! He's really super powerful and fun and nice! He's mastered all four bending forms. [ She nods. ] They're from different times. Uncle Roku is from reallllllllllly far back, Grandpa is from something like seventy years ago, and Korra's from my time!

[niceguypose]

[He hazards a nervous joking laugh.] You could say that! If it's not him being forgotten, it is Shino-kun! [...And he really hopes neither of them show up soon and speak to Ikki, or his ass could be endangered.]

Truly powerful, I see. But it must be nice for you to have your grandfather in three different forms!

[breezing]

[ SHE WILL REMEMBER THIS REMARK IF THEY EVER DO, TRUST ] What're they both like that they're so forgettable?

Yep! They're all really fun!

[niceguypose]

Shino-kun is very quiet and usually keeps to himself, or to the bugs that live in his body. And Sai-kun is... well he is quite odd and reclusive himself, and he spends a lot of time drawing.

[breezing]

Bugs that live inside his body?

[niceguypose]

Yes! His entire clan has a special connection with certain types of insects, and they live together symbiotically!

[This is a thing to tell a little girl, right.]

[breezing]

Ummmmmm.

That's a bit weird! [ ALSO GROSS. ]

[niceguypose]

Many ninja practices may be considered unusual. But they provide a variety of unique battle advantages. I believe he would be offended by that remark.

[breezing]

...Oh, well I don't want to offend him! [ it's just that bugs are sort of really gross but no okay she can deal with this ] It's just not something I knew people did! But, um, I guess it's...nice that he gives them a home?

[ ew

D: ]

[niceguypose]

It is. Both Shino and the insects do respect each other very much, at the least.

[breezing]

Do they talk?

[niceguypose]

I do not know the specifics, but they do communicate in some ways. The insects can understand Shino-kun's orders, and they can relay reconnaissance information back to him.

[breezing]

...So he speaks bug!

[niceguypose]

Sure! That is one way of putting it. [If anything, Shino could clarify if he ever came to meet her.]

[breezing]

Do you speak anything like that?