Sprung forth amid the wilderness surrounding the Water Country lies a temple, from wherein the many daily recitations and prayers to the Buddha and the Boddhi can be heard. Throughout the exterior features you see streams and jets of water moving in eddied pools and streams and merely looking upon them a sense of calmness overcomes you, as if manifest enlightenment drifts forwards from within. You realize, however, that as you look at these features, they are only the beginning of the outer walls of the temple, and you can clearly see a little further inside that a man walks atop a balcony, warmly smiling at you upon arrival. Unsure of whether or not you will enter he merely bows to you, wishing you well, although you cannot hear this affirmation. After a brief moment the monk heads on his way. Should you choose to proceed further you will come to one of two gates, as the rest of the complex is nestled into dense fogs and wooded swamp, and be greeted by one or two warrior monks, still young in life and willing to protect the temple at all costs. These men will weigh you and your soul, possessing a gaze that seems to move directly through you, and upon acceptance allow you to enter the temple beyond.
As you enter further you see more aesthetic pieces of work with lapis lazuli streams of water worked into them, and while the temple bears a central honour to the Buddha you hear recitations to Seishi mingled in with them as well. Progressing further into the temple you come across multiple sanctuaries as well as the central focus chamber, wherein many monks are amid the recitations you heard earlier. As you pass into the next chamber, you see a monk come towards you, offering you a free meal. The sense and feeling of chakra in the air around you builds as you begin to understand, on a more spiritual level, the significance of this, the Water Temple.
The furthest chamber which you can enter is a solitary prayer chamber, with but a handful of monks paying homage to Seishi, to whom this temple was dedicated upon founding.
Rules of The Water Temple: • Chakra/Stamina restoration posts count for double within these halls • Combat is not permitted in this locale
Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2016 12:31 pm
PENDING A small smile spread lightly across the face of the white haired monk as she sat atop the temple looking out into the distance. She always felt at ease up here and it was here that she often meditated the most. Closing her eyes she recalled the days teachings. The natures of the five elements of the body.
First thing that the grand elder had covered was the nature of fire. Fire in itself he said, was not a bad thing. It was a living thing bursting, exploding, dancing, never still and always seeking more. A very human aspect in truth, at least to her it was. Then the master went on to describe how this could be used in their martial arts. Striking quickly like an explosion and never stopping. All in all she had been quite eager to put that philosophy into practice. [1/1]
The second thing that the grand elder had covered was the nature of earth itself. Not the planet but the element and the dirt below their feet. Solid, firm, strong, yet active underneath. He explained that for one to become one with this nature they must learn to be firm in their stance. Both physically and mentally, they must be strong but they must not become overly stubborn. When in combat, they should wait for the moment to strike, not rushing into things. [1/1]
Continuing the theme of the elements of nature he continued on to the next element in his list for the lecture, Metal. As he described metal he spoke of it being hard, sharp and decisive. He said that they should strive to reach a decision quickly and remain loyal to that choice. To him, indecision on the field of battle and in life was the key to failure and missed opportunists. When one was presented it must be captured with all haste. [1/1]
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Training Completed. Fire: Bursting [ Hou: Pao ] Rank: X :: Spiritual Earth: Crossing [ Tu: Heng ] Rank: X :: Spiritual Metal: Splitting [ Jin: Pi ] Rank: X :: Spiritual
He thought that his experience with the Temple of Wind would have prepared him for the training at the Temple of Water- he could not have been more wrong. To train under Master Hotatu he had had to prove himself in more than one regard but when it came to getting admittance to the Water Temple and Master Rishi's tutelage, he hardly had to say more than his name. The Wind Monks had emphasized a ever changing mid-set and inner peace but by contrast the Water Monk's seemed almost...chaotic! Every day the monks would arise and go about a seemingly random series of tasks. One day Rishi would be painting a sunset, the next he would set about free-diving for seashells. Each day brought a new activity! As Karuto followed Rishi on his daily activities the older man hardly acknowledged his presence.
Day in and day out of only passing recognition wore the Raiken down, until finally, one day, he did not show up at Breakfast to join the other monks. Instead, Karuto sought out his own tasks for the day. He began trimming the hedges around the Temple, shaping them into elaborate sculptures of animals. He had never done it before, but he found himself strangely happy by the beginning of a new task. He did it for no other reason than it passively interested him, and yet found the poor results of his work immensely rewarding. "I am pleased Karuto" Wheeling around, Karuto found himself face to face with Master Rishi "Today, for the first time since your arrival here, you did what you wanted to do, not what you thought you should do. Come with me son" The old monk spoke in his soft voice.
Karuto sat opposite the old man a few days later, his legs crossed as he listened "Water is fluid; water is versatile! To act as water you must empty your mind. You need to be formless, shapeless. Fit into any role you find yourself in. Artist, Baker...Warrior. Let yourself be poured into the vessel that is most useful for you. To practice this, we try to do something new every day. Be as ever changing as the ocean" Rising, Rishi would get into a stance he knew very well, one he had come here to learn the final points of "In battle, water can flow..." He swayed, as if he were dodging invisible strikes "...or it can crash..." With surprising speed the man wheeled about and threw out a punch, shattering a wall made of stone "I will teach you what it means to Be Water, Karuto"
The days were long and arduous. He always began them with the development of some new skills, some unforeseen task. In the evenings it was training: harsh, undisciplined, training. Time wore on and the ideology of the people grew in his mind as their skills grew in his muscles. He was no longer Karuto the Martial Artist. Some days he was Karuto the Chef, or Karuto the Landscape Painter. To confine oneself to one role is to limit the mind and the body. He learned that. And when the time came for him to say goodbye to Rishi and the Monks, he did it with joy for all he had gained during his time there. As a farewell gift, Rishi presented him with a scroll detailing the master points of their style as well as a miniature shrub for him to maintain, a daily reminder of his first successful day with the Water Monks.
Seven foot four was truly an impressive height. Lilith had never seen someone so giant. There was no way to take all of him in over her book. It disheartened her to lower her favorite novel. Nonetheless, she had a task to perform. She appeared alone as she walked toward the leaving male. Her smile was first apparent, followed by a slight bow. "Good evening, Sunagakure Chuunin Karuto Raiken." She said. Her sunagakure headband, which was a sash around her waist, became more apparent when she rose. "I was told that you would be here. May I have a moment to discuss how the progression of your squad is going?" She asked gently, her book now in the grip of both of her hands as they hung in front of her. Her thin framed glasses and chop stick held bun did not make her seem at all intimidating. If Karuto ever stepped in the Sunagakure office then he might recognize her as the office clerk.
As Karuto was walking out of the temple, his pack slung over his shoulder, he nearly bumped into the smaller woman as she blocked his path. Master Rishi looked on, worried slightly, as strangers were not common in these parts and two in one month was exceedingly rare. Karuto stared down and eyed her headband before smiling back to her "Yes, hello! Always a pleasure to meet a fellow warrior!" With a big laugh, he clapped his hands together in delight "Now, what can I do for you?'
Lilith laughed awkwardly when Karuto did. He didn't answer her question. That was odd. Maybe he didn't hear her? She wasn't a particularly loud person, and since his head was nearly two feet above her own, maybe it's harder to hear from up there. "Well, I am here to figure out how the training of your squad is going. As you are aware, Sungakure has to be prepared for all threats. These threats include both from rival villages, as well as the non-shinobi UHV force." Her eyes very subtly looked past Karuto as she then looked back to the man. The land of water was an odd place to do training. Sunagakure and Kirigakure were not known for any particular alliance. Thankfully, no one would try to make a sneak attack upon the two of them. Lilith had protocols for such an affair.
At her words, Karuto cocked an eyebrow in response "You came all the way out here for that? I'm sorry to say that my squad does not exist. They've all taken extended leave of absences to the best of my memory. It's the only reason I can train like so"
Lilith raised an eyebrow at the man. "So because your squad does not exist, as you say, you chose to leave the village and seek out your own training?" Her eyes closed and there was a look of disgust. "You are a chuunin of Suna. Do you have any understanding of the significance of your title?" She asked sternly. Her gaze was fierce as it focused on the man so easily massive to her, although the look she gave implied that his bulk posed no intimidation upon her. "It has been months since there has been anyone who has progressed enough to have the honor of a chuunin. And yet you squander your fortunes on vanity. The Lady Kazekage will be made aware of this." Her book went to her side. She turned to leave. "Bring yourself back to Sunagakure within the day. If not, then you will be considered a rogue, and then hunted like one." She turned her head back and smiled at the man. "My name is Lilith, by the way. Do come back to the Kazekage's office when you return, and we can find some more ninja for you to train." She said as she left. Her anbu squad stayed behind, however, hidden away in case he did not actually leave.
