| abstract | - The sun sits high upon the village of Konohagakure. In the market, crowds of people huddle around the stores, all spending their money on goods they want or need. People get their fill of food from the village's many restaurants. At one of the tables of the more high end restaurants sits a girl, garbed in an intricate dress patterned with hues of gold and white. Her hair, matching the color of her dress, flows carelessly with the direction of the wind. Her golden eyes look down at her drink of choice; Shochu with a blend of two different flavors of wine to help enhance the taste. Holding the goblet in hand, she takes a slow sip of it before returning the glass to its resting place on the table. A waiter brings her food of choice; A plate of Yakitori Sukune, skewered meatballs made from chicken, egg, and different blends of vegetables and spices. "Here you are, miss Inochi." The waiter speaks up as he opens the lid from the food and sets it upon her table. Placing a handkerchief through the neck of her dress, she straightens herself in her chair before she begins to eat. "Merci beaucoup. (Thank you very much.)" Inochi replies. As the waiter embarks away from the table, Inochi takes hold of one of the skewers and begins eating the Yakitori, slowly chewing the meat to savor the taste. She was always fond of food that had plenty of meat, and was always considered a big eater, which surprises many because of her small frame. Her fondness for alcohol came from her godmother, who drinks from time to time. Inochi herself is something of a teetotaler, and doesn't drink heavily. Her clothing was somewhat informal, composed of a solid white t-shirt and snug blue jeans that matched her blue eyes, golden flecks appearing where the sunlight cast over them. Apparently today was a day to meet the other portions of the team she was assigned to. Her russet red hue flowed behind her as the wind played between the strands of her hair. Despite approaching the higher end establishment in such casual attire, her face remained impassive as she gazed about the restaurant. Unlike her sister, who obsessed over the latest fashion trends and all the clothing that this world could offer, Shikahime was more practical. Finally, she spotted the person she sought, dressed in finery that would make Sumire jealous. She bore the same expression of comfort and self-assuredness that Shika felt. Upon making some light conversation with the hostess of the venue, she walked over to the sitting woman. Her eye color lightened as she reached the table. "Is your name Yamanaka Inochi?" the redhead asked, before sliding into the open space across from the woman. While waiting for the woman, she flagged down a waiter before ultimately ordering the same dish as Inochi, ultimately seeing as it delectable. "Oui, je suis Inochi. Et vous devez être Shikahime, oui? (Yes, I am Inochi. And you must be Shikahime, yes?)" Inochi replies. As she sets one of her skewers down, she takes a drink from her goblet. As the waiter returns with the food Shikahime ordered, Inochi signaled the waiter. "Mettre sa nourriture sur mon onglet ainsi.(Put her food on my tab as well.)" As the waiter nods, he walks away to prepare the check for when they finish eating. "Il semble que nous avons beaucoup à discuter. Pour vous aider, je suis entré dans la partie de la langue de votre esprit pour vous permettre de comprendre ce que je dis. Jusqu'à un traducteur approprié est trouvé, il est tout ce que je peux faire pour vous aider à comprendre ce que je dis. (It would seem we have much to discuss. To help, I have entered the language portion of your mind to allow you to understand what I am saying. Until a proper translator is found, it's all I can do to help you understand what I have been saying.)" Shikahime sighed. "I could have paid for myself you know. There's no need for flattery, we're a team after all. Or at least we will be as soon as our third member arrives." she responded. Upon having Ino enter her mind, she nodded, the logic of her partner's statement appealing to her. "That would definitely help, I'm afraid French wasn't in my curriculum during my academy days. Though my parents tried to assure I was as cultured as possible considering my elder sister was a lost cause." At this Shika snickered before settling comfortably into her seat. Beginning to sample her food delicately before eating in slightly more ravenous fashion. Having cleaned her plate of its contents, she wiped her mouth with the available cloth napkin before setting it down on the tabletop. "It appears we do have much to sort through. Though perhaps my question is why was this team started so late. Even I, the youngest of the trio, am 17 years old. Such a cultivated relationship typical of Ino-Shika-Chō normally occurred when the members were academy students if not younger." Shika commented while pondering the circumstances. "I assume that is because of the special circumstances we are currently in." A voice spoke from the side of their table. As they turned they would see a fair skinned man. He wore a pair of baggy white pants and a blue coat lay on him, leaving a good part of his midsection exposed. His blue hair hung down to his shoulders with a long braid running down to his calves. All around him butterflies of various colors fluttered about. The young man smiled at the two and gave a small wave. "My name is Hakaze Akimichi. I am to be the third member of this trio of ours." He spoke softly as he pulled a chair up to the table and motioned to the waiter, asking him for a bowl of barbecued pork on a bed of rice. He then turned back to the ladies, giving them his full attention. "So how are you two today?" "Would you care to elaborate on those special circumstances?" Shika asked pointedly. Only to realize their third teammate had decided to make his presence known. "Shikahime Nara." she responded, extending a hand towards the Akimichi. "You might want to clue him in as well Ino, I doubt he's had french lessons recently." Shika said confidentially to the golden-haired woman before grasping her drink. She sipped it lightly before placing it down, noting the massive amount of butterflies in the area. "I suppose I'm doing well, no missions today so it looked like I would have the day off. But alas this came up, and my parents believe I could work on my team bonding skills. Apparently they're worried I spend too much time with my nose buried in a book as opposed to doing girly things such as shopping, ogling over boys and the like. Or at least my mother is. I'm just not interested in such played out material." she said, making it clear that she was an independently minded individual and prone to ignoring the whims of society if they didn't suit her. "Donc, il semble que nous sommes tous ici. Comme la lettre dit, tout le monde est arrivé à temps. Maintenant, nous devons commencer à parler de cette équipe. Tout comme avec Shikahime, je suis entré dans le centre de la langue de votre esprit pour vous permettre de me comprendre, que le japonais est pas ma langue maternelle, Hakaze. (So it would seem we are all here. As the letter states, everyone has arrived on time. Now we must begin talking about this team. Just like with Shikahime, I have entered the language center of your mind to allow you to understand me, as Japanese is not my primary language, Hakaze.)" Inochi speaks up. With her voice clearly understood by both parties, she finishes her goblet of Shochu and sets it on the table. "Nous étions tous réunis par un bienfaiteur inconnu pour commencer la prochaine génération d'une équipe connue sous le nom Ino-Shika-Chō. Il semblerait que vous deux ont été contraints à la situation. I, d'autre part, on m'a donné la lettre par ma marraine. Elle a dit tout ce que je faisais était à moi, et que je devais prendre la décision. Donc, je suivais les instructions de la lettre et attendu pour vous deux. Quant à savoir comment je fais, je le fais bien. (We were all gathered by an unknown benefactor to begin the next generation of a team known as Ino-Shika-Chō. It would seem you two were forced into the situation. I, on the other hand, was given the letter by my godmother. She said whatever I did was up to me, and that I should make the decision. So I followed the instructions of the letter and waited for you two. As for how I am doing, I am doing well.)" As she picks up another skewer of Yakitori and takes a bite, swallowing the food after savoring it. "Well nice to meet the both of you." Hakaze spoke kindly addressing each of them with a small nod of his head. He then turned to Inochi and smiled. "I see, well thank you for that it will making communicating much easier." He then turned back to Shikahime. "As for those special circumstances well we were brought together by someone we do not know, two of us against our will. Along with this we all use our clan techniques in different ways that most. My personal assumption is that Konoha is attempting to create a force with different tactics as most of the normal Ino Shika Chō combinations have been figured out." Hakaze spoke as his food arrived and he took it with a smile. He then took one of his pork pieces and placed it on a separate plate before pushing it to the edge of the table. As he ate the butterflies that swarmed around him dived onto the meat, sucking it's of juices away in seconds. Hakaze continued to eat like nothing happened. "I guess I'll tell you a bit more about me. I'm a jonin in Konoha and I'm 23 years old, I'm also a butterfly sage." He spoke as the butterflies fluttered back to him. "In terms of specialization I have none. I can do a little bit of everything but I'm probably best at healing and taijutsu." The young man spoke as he finished off another piece of pork. "So they wanted try something new and see what the result was. Heh, how interesting." Shikahime spoke before raising an eyebrow at the ravenous butterflies. They appeared to have not eaten in quite a while. While she was familiar with the term sage and well-versed in the workings of natural energy, Shika had never encountered a butterfly sage in all of her days. Listening intently to the rest of his introduction, Shika decided how much she should reveal about herself, noting her family pedigree was likely part of the reason for her presence here. When Hakaze had finished introducing himself, she decided she might as well do the same. "You already know my name and my age, I'm the baby of the bunch at 17 lol. I'm a part of Konoha's Anbu Black Ops, so as much as I would love to tell you what I do on a daily basis, such information must remain classified. Like the lad here, I'm a bit of an all-rounder, though my personal cup of tea remains my clan hiden and my medical background. Though I have plenty of surprises up my sleeve as well." Shika continued thoughtfully. She wondered if she should bring up her family members, despite the woman remaining keen on leaving their legacies behind her. "Je suis vingt ans et un enfant unique. Mes deux parents sont morts il y a quinze ans lors d'un assaut sur le village. J'avais été regardé par-dessus par ma marraine depuis ce temps. Elle m'a formé sur la façon d'utiliser les deux techniques de signature de mon clan, et a également formé mon dans l'art de l'épée. Je mets à la fois à utiliser la défense du village d'un autre assaut il y a un an. Bien que j'ai hélé un héros depuis, je garde pour moi et aide chaque fois que je peux. (I am twenty years old and an only child. Both of my parents died fifteen years ago during an assault on the village. I had been looked over by my godmother since that time. She trained me on how to utilize both my clan's signature techniques, and also trained my in the art of the sword. I put both to use defending the village from another assault just one year ago. Though I've been hailed a hero since then, I keep to myself and help whenever I can.)" Ever so humble, Inochi takes another bite of her Yakitori and sets the empty skewer down. "Je suis plus âgé que Shikahime de trois ans, et Hakaze est l'aîné, trois ans de plus que moi. La règle de trois est forte entre nous. Qu'est-ce que dire que nous nommons notre quelque chose de l'équipe qui tire profit de cela? Je crois que dans votre langue, le mot que je cherche est Mittsu, ou "Trois". (I am older than Shikahime by three years, and Hakaze is the elder, three years older than me. The rule of three is strong between us. What say we name our team something that takes advantage of that? I believe in your tongue, the word I am looking for is Mittsu, or "Three".) "Heh that seems to fit well doesn't it." Hakaze spoke aloud, his butterflies beating their wings rapidly in approval. "Well it seems I was right. We have two jack of all trades shinobi and an all range Yamanaka. This is far from an ordinary Ino-Shika-Cho team." The young man laughed. He then removed an envelope from his pocket and placed it on the table. "We already have specific instructions from our "benefactor". They want us to take these next three days to become a working team before we're sent off on our first mission." Hakaze sighed as he leaned back in his chair and sighed. "I was really hoping we had some more time but alas they're hell bent on getting us into a team as soon as possible." Hakaze sighed as he finished his bowl and called the waiter over before handing him a couple bills to cover all their meals. "Good news is we also get a ton of money." Hakaze spoke happily as he turned back to the two and tossed them each a green envelope, filled to the brim with cash. "Anyways I'm ready to begin training whenever you two are." The man spoke with a smile. However in his mind it was different. He was really just hoping for a nice day at the hot springs. Shikaime nodded at the Yamanaka's suggestion. "That appears to be the most apt naming for our little group. And yes, we're quite far from normal as far as any of our clan's are concerned." Shika grinned, noting the red hair she inherited from her Uzumaki/Senju mother and the blue eyes gained from her father. She played with a ball of shadow in her hand, noting its shape to be rather similar to the rasengan. Perhaps the woman would expand upon it later given time to study the technique on her lonesome. For now though, a game of teamwork was in order. Shika caught the envelope before peering in. Sure enough it was flush with cash, the likes of which she had seen her father carry, but had never owned herself. "Damn." Shika said, tucking the envelope away for safe keeping with the help of a jutsu. "The sooner we start, the sooner they'll be off our back. So let's began while the day is young. Everyone's finished eating correct?" Shi asked as the waiter took away all of the empty plates before depositing the check on the table. Shi snatched it before any of them could react. "I'll be the lady my father raised me to be and pay the tab. Don't worry, you can pay back later or something if it makes you feel better." she stated, seeing words of protest rise unbidden to the Yamanaka's lips. "Shall we?" "Ensuite, il est réglé. Nous voyons tous ce que cette mission est tout au sujet et de montrer Konohagakure la véritable puissance du travail d'équipe. (Then it's settled. We all see what this mission is all about and show Konohagakure the true power of teamwork.)" With a smile upon the Yamanaka's face, she finishes her drink and sets the goblet on the table next to the empty plate of skewers. Cleaning up her face with the handkerchief in her dress opening, Inochi takes it off and sets it on the table, neatly folded. "Nous aurons besoin de regarder le dos à tout moment. Nous ne saurons jamais quels dangers nous allons faire face jusqu'à ce que nous y arriverons, il est donc préférable d'être préparé pour quoi que ce soit sur le voyage. (We'll need to watch our backs at all times. We may never know what dangers we'll face until we get there, so it's best to be prepared for anything on the trip.)" "Let us go then." Hakaze spoke as he stood from the table and headed for the door, his posse of butterflies in pursuit. The three shinobi walked out of the restaurant and through the crowded streets of the village. The man glided through the people with his teammates in pursuit as the three of them took to the roofs. As they landed in a secluded training field Hakaze began to speak. "I guess we might as well list off what we are capable of in terms of abilities. Personally I am capable of using wind, fire, water, and yang release. However my water is solely healing. I am capable of using both the Multi-Size Technique and Calorie Control though I am far better with the latter. I am also capable of using my own brand of medical ninjutsu as well as senjutsu." The man stated as he awaited his teammates responses. "I guess I'm next then." Shikahime said as she dropped to the field. "I've already mastered all of my clan's hiden, so I had to start making my own. After all, there's no need to rest on one's laurels. So there's that whole field. I'm a capable medic-nin, using the typical Mystical Palm Technique and Delicate Illness Extraction Technique among others. I also have my own brand of medical ninjutsu. For ninjutsu, I'm a Yin, Yang, and Wind release user. Though I'm working on my fire abilities in order to add that to my repertoire. I'd say I'm decent at fūinjutsu thanks to my mother, along with the usual taijutsu skills to boot. I've tried to keep my hand in several cookie jars in order to make sure I have plethora of tricks up my sleeve." she grinned at the end of her sentence, experimenting with drifting wind that settled over the field. The woman then turned expectantly towards Inochi, curious to note what she had to offer. Following behind the others, Inochi forms a few handseals, transforming her casual dress into an adventurer's outfit, complete with a compass, her hair tied together at the ends. "Je suis bien versé dans l'art de la Terre. J'ai aussi acquis saisir pleinement les techniques de mon clan. Je peux entrer dans l'esprit des gens autour de moi, de manipuler leurs émotions, même changer leur esprit tout à fait. Permettre aux gens de comprendre ce que je dis est une capacité que j'ai créé. Je veux apprendre à parler la langue correcte, cependant. Je suis aussi très efficace à l'art de l'épée, après avoir été largement enseignée par ma marraine. Je peux aussi utiliser les techniques de mon clan avec mon épée pour manipuler les parties du corps my coups d'épée. (I am well versed in the art of the Earth. I have also gained full grasp of my clan's techniques. I can enter the minds of the people around me, manipulate their emotions, even switch their minds entirely. Allowing people to understand what I'm saying is an ability I created. I wish to learn how to speak the proper language, though. I am also very efficient at the art of the sword, having been taught extensively by my godmother. I can also use my clan's techniques with my sword to manipulate the parts of the body my sword cuts.)" "Wow looks like we got one hell of a team here." Hakaze commented. They had an amazing amount of potential as a team, no wonder this was so heavily funded. "I guess we should start doing stuff then huh." Hakaze spoke as he swept his hands before him, conjuring a mighty gust of wind that surrounded the three before lifting them into the air. The wind soon became a layer over them, keeping them afloat. "So with this you guys can fly with me, though it might feel a bit weird to move the wind will respond to the direction you want to go." He then looked to Shikahime. "Any ideas on how to incorporate this into a combination, you are the Nara after all." "Must I do all the thinking here?" Shika teased her teammates before turning serious. "Hmm...since the wind is at our beck and call, I would suggest something that allows for greater movement in our attacks. Like a Human Bullet Yo-Yo but with greater speed and dexterity thanks to a "tail wind". Allowing us to hit fast moving targets with considerable accuracy. Said wind could also be used to inhibit the opponents, greatly improving our chances of connecting. As with the original, Inochi would act as our guide, picking up details about our opponents location while we give them all they can handle. And then some. Obviously since you can manipulate your size, we can increase the destructiveness of while using your wind manipulation to maintain the same levels of speed. Then there's the mind games Inochi can play on our adversary while they are distracted by the blunt, physical portion of the technique. Redirects or feints if you will. So much potential. Plus I can maneuver Ino out of the way should anyone seek to harm her will left in the vulnerable state that is a consequence of her clan's techniques." she said thoughtfully. Integrating the past to create something new for the future. "What do you think Ino?" With her mind set on the infinite possibilities, Inochi looks down at the earth. With a quick breath, she taps the ground. As it lifts her up, the ground begins to move on its own accord. As the earth rises up on both sides of her, pieces of it form clones of Inochi's likeness, smiling and waving towards Shikahime and Hakaze before breaking apart into small barriers that revolve around the two. "Je peux guider la terre pour vous donner les deux une infinité de manières d'utiliser vos pouvoirs. Shikahime, je peux utiliser ma terre pour créer des piliers pour vos ombres de se déplacer librement, peu importe à quelle distance vos ennemis sont. Hakaze, je peux créer une grande incline pour vous de rouler vers le bas lorsque vous manipulez votre taille, vous permettant de déplacer rapidement et gracieusement. (I can guide the earth to give you both infinite ways of using your powers. Shikahime, I can use my earth to create pillars for your shadows to move freely, no matter how far away your foes are. Hakaze, I can create great inclines for you to roll down on when you manipulate your size, allowing you to move fast and gracefully.)" As the earth propels her forward, it creates pillars the slowly spin around Inochi. "La terre est vivante. Je vais à l'être, et il va me protéger, même quand mon esprit est pas dans mon corps. Cela vous permettra de passer moins de temps à se soucier de moi et plus luttant temps. (The earth is alive. I will it to be so, and it will protect me, even when my mind is not in my body. This will allow you to spend less time having to worry about me and more time battling.)" Hakaze listened intently as both Shikahime and Inochi tell of their plans. Then after they finished spoke up. "Ok we'll I can definitely do most of that with the wind and I'm glad the earth can support us. However I have a little problem." Hakaze spoke as he sighed. It was funny how this had happened the technique had become so famous from it's most powerful user, Choji Akimichi. However Hakaze had never bothered to learn it. "You see I never learned the human boulder technique. It apparently requires a lot of work to master and I was much more obsessed with the butterflies." Hakaze spoke with a small smile of apology. "My knowledge of the multi-size technique only extends to changing the size of my body not shaping them." He was quite sorry he had never put the effort into it but it wasn't all bad. It would give them a chance to work on new ways of combining their power. Shikahime nodded. She liked Inochi already; as with her brethren, she had a good head on shoulders, one that lent itself to strategizing. When Hakaze proposed his dilemma however, the smile melted into a frown. "Well, there's no time like the present. Are there resources you could utilize in order to address this lack of knowledge?" Unlike Hakaze, Shikahime full immersed herself in her clan's hiden, retaining the workings if not mastering all of her clan's techniques by the time she became an anbu. It served as initial proof of her prodigious excellence, earning the envy of her academy classmates and the respect of her clan, who saw her as their most likely candidate for Hokage should Kakashi finally succumb to old age and die of natural causes. "So where should we start?" Shika asked, the shadows drawing towards the woman as they recognized her as one of their own. Her blue gaze remained sharp as she took in her teammates, finding their potential heartwarming to Hime's powerful ambition. Plus, friends were few and far between, so perhaps they could change that trend. Clearing her throat, Inochi looks down to the ground, a sharp breath of air escaping from her nose. "W...w-we...should.. as-assess our, weaknesses. So we can... make them our s-strengths, no?" Twiddling her fingers, she felt she no doubt revealed her weakness already, given her having difficulties forming the sentence. She was never taught how to properly speak Japanese on the account of the death of her parents, which made even attempting to learn the language something she always shoved away. But seeing how she was going to be part of a team, she felt it important to learn it now more than ever, and felt like this would be the first step in learning how to speak such a universal language, one she always delayed in learning due to the death of her parents. Hakaze sighed and placed his hand on his head, running it through his blue hair. "I really don't want to. Honestly the entire attack is completely away from my style of fighting. though the main reason I don't want to is I hate the idea of turning into a ball." Hakaze stated plainly. He was stubborn about it, giving the same reason he gave his father all those years ago. However his train of thought was interrupted by the stuttering of his teammate. "You spoke Japanese, that's awesome." Hakaze spoke happily as he gave the stuttering french speaker a thumbs up. Though the girl was right they had talked about all their upsides but one of the things they needed most was the downsides of their team. "I'm pretty horrible at two things, spatial awareness and analysis. Also most of my power comes from senjutsu. So when the butterflies go, so does most of my power." Shikahime nodded. There was a bond forming between the three of them that seemed worthwhile. Enough to delve into such a conversation. Hearing Japanese leave Inochi's lips was a surprise for her, noting the pauses and occasional stumbles. But if the woman had enough faith to attempt such conversation, the least Shika could do is air out her own. "Like I told you, I'm a shadow lady with prowess in ninjutsu. With natural extensions to nature transformation, medical ninjutsu, chakra control, and maybe just a dabble of genjutsu and fūinjutsu. Though my taijutsu leaves much to be desired and my reserves aren't the greatest either." Shika said while biting her lip. It embarrassed her to admit her shortcomings, causing the rise of a blush to her cheeks; she had been raised and praised as a prodigy, so the idea of having failings was something foreign to her. One that reminded her of the teammate she couldn't save during the course of that A-rank mission. Turning embarrassment into shame and sadness. "I see... sadness. Regret of the past. I know that face we-well. It is, one of loss, no? But mo-more than just lo-loss. Loss of some-someone close. I know it all too well. We hi-hide our mistakes because they, they remind us of, of the past. But we cannot begin to heal, unless we hold on to those, those painful memories. I still, mourn the loss of my parents, but I don't try to, try to forget. Because if you want to find wisdom, you have to know, to know how it feels to be, be hurt." Though she struggles still with the sentence, she felt more confidence in each word she spoke. Inochi could see Shikahime was hurt by the past, and has experience in it. Her godmother always told her to embrace both the beautiful and tragic events in her life, because they helped shape her. "My, my godmother, she always told me to embrace, embrace every moment. Good, bad, hurtful, happy, sad. They are all part of what, what shapes us into the people we are today." Hakaze nodded to Shikahime as she spoke of her shortcomings but then her face changed to display a weird look. Though he couldn't put his finger on what it was, Inochi clearly could. He listened as the young woman spoke of her own memories and painful past to comfort Shikahime. She spoke how her godmother told her to embrace every moment, they were some amazing words of wisdom. Hakaze however kept his mouth shut, he was never good at sympathizing with people. He barley shared any of the same experiences with people, mainly because he never had any friends. Despite his standings in his clan Hakaze was close with only his parents, he barely knew the names of anyone else in the village. His entire childhood was butterfly this and butterfly that. Though some may regret it he didn't, they were his friends and he was their's. So there Hakaze sat, watching this emotional conversation with an unmoving expression on his face as he stared at the butterfly perched on his finger. Shikahime released a shaky sigh. "She's right. Just that's its....difficult to remember that time. I was supposed to be the prodigy, the one capable of punching above their weight. Yet I couldn't save a teammate in their time of need. Only able to watch as he was murdered. Revenge is hollow though. It won't bring back those that were lost." she continued. She remembered that promise she made to herself that day, to build up the strength and aptitude to ensure that scene didn't happen again. And to live out the dream of her teammate, becoming a full-fledged ninja and proud representative of the leaf. "That's enough about me though. We came here to learn about each other and how to work together so that we can retain seamless coordination in the most trying of times." Shika said, ending the digression while wiping any tears away. She looked up at the hazy afternoon sky, beginning to change colors as evening descended. Somewhere above Nariko was watching. She hoped that he had found peace after such a violent ending. "It's not fair to put someone in that kind of light. It's okay to be renowned as a prodigy, but when you're expected to be one constantly, it means you start doing things that you aren't comfortable with. It forces you to do things out of your power. You won't have to do that with us. You don't have to prove to us how much of a prodigy you are." With a burst in confidence, Inochi grasped the Japanese language perfectly by taking note of how both Hakaze and Shikahima spoke, allowing her to fluently speak how she wants to. "A team should never force a single individual to pick up the slack, it's up to the entirety of the team to pick each other up, because together, our strength is greater than if we were alone. So as a team, let's always watch our backs, and pick each other up when we need it. No one has to prove anything to one another." Finally speaking Hakaze stood from his place on the ground, the butterfly fluttering away from his hand. "Well spoken Inochi." He made sure to allude to that fact that he was also talking about her speech improvement. "Sorry I couldn't be of much help in this, I'm pretty horrible at it." He spoke as he put his hands on both of their shoulders, smiling at the two. "I think I got and Idea for a great formation, You guys wanna try it out?" He spoke happily as he explained it to the two. "Inochi you can use your earth to create a constantly persistent attack. Mean while Shikahime you can pursue them with your shadows. I have a certain type of butterfly that can emit large pulses of light, we can use this to bend and move your shadow faster and for blinding them. Meanwhile I can utilize my own speed and flight to land a butterfly bomb on them." The young man finished as he removed his hands from their shoulders and stood tall, beaming with eagerness. Shikahime nodded slowly; where Inochi had been all of her life the woman would never know. But what mattered now was that she stood in front of her, helping Hime confront a time that was nearly forgotten. It was typical for the Nara to be hard on herself, expecting to meet and exceed the highest of expectations, given the strength of her predecessors and the capabilities that lay at her disposal. Nothing less than the best was her aim, especially when it lay within her reach. She shook her head to clear it, catching Hakaze's combination suggestion. "That sounds reasonable. The multi-layered offensive coupled with sensory inhibition would be an excellent way to deal with opponents. However, can I make a modification? For me at least, the manner in which you suggested we use the technique makes it more applicable for more than one opponent. To be honest, such manipulation on both Inochi and I's part would be better suited for facing squadrons and scores of adversaries alongside your butterflies. Maximizing the size of yourself when using Butterfly Bomb would allow for the forces to be squashed. Hence greater efficiency than using this extensive multi-layered attack on a single foe." Shikahime finished before shifting her weight. Once again using her power of the earth, Inochi creates large, tubular shaped pillars of earth that seem to float. But one could feel air pulling through it greatly, as though it were a wind tunnel. "Perhaps your butterflies could find use for these, Hakaze. Flying through them will give your butterflies a magnifique boost of speed. At the same time, the conical shading can be used to trap foes with your shadows, Shikahime." Closing her hands, the earth begins to return to its natural state. "My earth can be used accordingly for any strategy you two may come up with, and it will follow you as it follows me. The earth is an extension of not just me, but my emotions and memories, as well. Whatever you two need to come up with, my earth and I can follow suit however you need us to. When I am not conscious, my earth can still protect you two, as they follow their own devices based on my emotions until I choose to intervene." "I agree with that, If we are facing a massive amount of forces I shall increase my size but in a three vs one my smaller form allows for more power since I'm not using chakra to increase my size." Hakaze spoke, acknowledging the changes to the plan. It was then that Inochi added her part to the plan with her vastly malleable earth. "Alright so with all this we have a terrain we can bend around us to create ambush angles, cover area's in shadows, and back us up completely. We use that with Shikahime's shadow possession as an easy way to trap them, assisted by my butterflies to blind opponents and help extend the shadows even further. Meanwhile we have an extremely fast powerhouse constantly moving to deal devastating blows. I'd say we have our combination." Hakaze spoke as he raised his hands offering high fives to his teammates. Shikahime acknowledged his high five with one of her own. "Alright, now we have an idea of what it will be. However the combination needs a name. So what shall we call it? Maybe something a little non traditional since we're a unique bunch having expanded upon the parameters that our clan traditionally followed." she added thoughtfully, continuing to ponder what the style should be noted as. However Shika was considerably impressed with what they had come up with so far, exemplifying promise in a time when she was looking for some. "Also, we should try it out in order to see if we need to make any tweaks before utilizing it during a battle or mission setting." the Nara added, excitement crossing her visage at the idea of implementation. While not a battle fanatic she was the type who enjoyed using the strategies at her disposal; with combat often being the best place to do so. A more dynamic version of shogi in her mind.
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