17th Tomoe || Video, Action for House of Minnie

[beforethedarkness]

[Sasuke's sitting on his bed when the video goes on, and he's holding an egg... With a Dratini hanging around his shoulders and looking at the camera?

Looks kind of small though. Maybe a baby Dratini? Whatever it is, it looks interested in the camera -- and said camera gets pulled away briefly before the focus returns to Sasuke, and in his free hand -- oh hey his cast is gone! -- He's holding up a silver ticket that a lot of trainers seem to have gotten...]

What's the point of going to a party like this or there being a party like this in the first place? It seems like a huge waste of time.

[Sasuke, in other words, is asking what's so special about Prom. Care to explain?]

Comments

ACTION

[usedswift]

Your cousin will be disappointed, I think.

[But she's certainly not.]

ACTION

[beforethedarkness]

I don't care.

ACTION

[usedswift]

[She just leans back against the bed again with another smile.]

Well, it'll be interesting to see the sparks fly, at least. Remember when he went and challenged everyone at the Exams, before they started? I thought Neji was going to strangle him.

ACTION

[beforethedarkness]

... I arrived late. I didn't see any of the other matches.

I knew Naruto won, but I didn't know he was up against Neji.

[Knowing what he does now it isn't that surprising, but before...]

ACTION

[usedswift]

[She shook her head, careful not to dislodge the Dratini still.]

No, no, I mean before they even started. Before the written exam.

...I actually missed most of your match, though. Why were you late? We weren't sure if you were coming or not.

ACTION

[beforethedarkness]

Kakashi and I were training and perfecting a new technique until the last moment.

... It required that, at least for a few seconds, me matching Lee's level of speed. Along with the Sharingan.

ACTION

[usedswift]

Lee's speed. [She repeats it a little dumbly, both eyebrows raised in disbelief.]

With or without the weights?

ACTION

[beforethedarkness]

Without.

Kakashi gave me a demonstration when we started training.

ACTION

[usedswift]

You were able to get up to Lee's speed in a month.

[She just shakes her head and stares toward the ceiling.]

Uchiha. First you copy his techniques, then you were able to copy his speed. It's impressive.

[If a little unfair.]

ACTION

[beforethedarkness]

He'd still outlast me at that pace. I wasn't able to do it for very long and wouldn't be able to without more training.

ACTION

[usedswift]

[She nods toward his legs.]

You're not wearing weights, are you? I think that's the only way to start getting close, is to train like him. I can't do it. Even Neji can't.

ACTION

[beforethedarkness]

It's something I can work on here and when we return home.

[A pause, and he closes his eyes.]

It's not the only thing I need to work on.

ACTION

[usedswift]

Mmhm. When we get home, I'm sure Gai-sensei would be happy to help you, if you asked.

[There might be a mischievous glint to her smile then. Let the rookie try to train like her team for a change.]

What else are you working on?

ACTION

[beforethedarkness]

Sharingan techniques.

... They're the thing I need to work on the most.

ACTION

[usedswift]

You mean there's more to it than just copying other people's techniques?

ACTION

[beforethedarkness]

A lot more.

[He went quiet then, frowning at the ground as he did.]

Copying techniques and reading the opponent with them isn't perfected until the Sharingan is fully matured, and mine isn't. But... There are techniques only the Sharingan can use. It also allows for greater chakra control and precision with techniques.

The techniques that only Sharingan can use... I'm not sure I even want to use them.

ACTION forever I think we got this

[usedswift]

[She stays silent, just listening to him with her head tilted in curiosity. And here she'd thought he could just look at someone and know everything.]

Why wouldn't you want to use those techniques? [she cuts straight to the question, tilting her head a little further as she glances to him.]

lmfao

[beforethedarkness]

Because of what it takes to be able to access them.

[usedswift]

...Which is...?

[beforethedarkness]

. . .

[Excuse him Tenten, he's bowing his head a little.]

In order to get it... You have to suffer through the death of the person closest to you. If I wanted to trigger it myself, I'd have to kill my best friend.

[usedswift]

[Don't mind her, she's just going to stare, an involuntary shiver running through her body at the thought.]

That's...

That doesn't make any sense. Why would it...?

[beforethedarkness]

I don't know. But that's what unlocks the next stage of Sharingan after it fully matures.

[He's not looking up at Tenten.]

... Not very many of our clan got it as a result.

[usedswift]

...I can see why.

[She didn't have to ask if his brother had gotten it -- after all, she already knew about what happened. Instead, she just shifts carefully to avoid waking the snake-dragon and wraps an arm around his shoulders, tugging him in.]

But you're better than that.

[beforethedarkness]

... You don't know that.

[usedswift]

Sure I do. You're Sasuke, Rookie Genius. There's more to you than just your eyes, you know.