Hozoin-Ryu

An exceedingly difficult to master art of soujutsu taught exclusively at In'ei Temple. This weapons form is a branching style that unites all attacks with pole weapons such as halberds, spears, and bo staffs. The offensive mode of the style in continuous use would be a massive drain on the user's stamina. The form features practiced, uniquely optimized forms of movement so that the user can move with a perfect economy of force and speed in regard to both offense and defense, resulting in a very high degree of difficulty in mastering the style. Continuous, artful movements of varying speeds allow the user a high degree of unpredictability and an increased range of attack.

Offense
The offensive aspects of the style focus on conditioning the user on an instinctive basis to, when fighting with a pole weapon, always keep the opponent within a certain zone of attack to optimize offense while still retaining the ability to defend oneself. By keeping the opponent a comfortable distance away the user is able to focus more on offense. Taking advantage of the extended reach of the harubado, Hozoin-ryu holds a distinct advantage over weapons with shorter reaches, besetting the enemy with a relentless flurry of vigorous assaults at range. In the interest of pressing the advantage true masters of this weapons form are able to close considerable distance in a short space of time relying on pure agility as long as the opponent is within 10 meters of their position. Masters and Adepts of Hozoin-ryu can intercept a hand seal sequence with as much efficiency and legality as could Mifune, a master of kenjutsu. In addition, assuming equivalent speed, because of the increased reach of weapons such as naginata, this ability is even more effective in the hands of an Adept of Hozoin-Ryu.

Because of the extended reach of the weapons used in this form the user is usually able to deliver attacks faster than the time it takes to form hand seals, forcing ninja to attempt to physically dodge or block the user's strike. Thus, this weapons form is extremely effective in closing the distance and forcing a direct physical confrontation. The user can fight fluidly with two polearms at once. The draw back to this form is that the user will not be able to effectively fight in extreme close quarters, nor can the advantage be maintained if the opponent's weapon is sufficiently heavy or of similar length to the user's. If the opponent can manage to get too close, this form becomes useless and the user will be put at a great disadvantage which might result in bodily injury or the loss of their weapon.

Adept practitioners are trained to be able to throw spears and halberds with incredible power and accuracy. Their abilities in this regard are so superb that when thrown, the spear's velocity exceeds that of an arrow launched from a bow. With the weight and speed of the object factored in, and the years of practice it takes to perfect this skill, as well as the fact that once thrown they can be difficult to retrieve, the user is always quite sure they will be able to land a blow if they dare to throw their weapon. Adding chakra flow to the spear when thrown of course makes them all the more deadly. Some user's have specific spear throwing technique unique to them, but all Adepts are able to throw their harubado.

Defense
The style is also quite effective at defensive maneuvers. The defensive aspects of the style rely on perception and awareness of surroundings. By using deceptively quick sweeping movements the user is able to divert force away from their body easily by simultaneously shifting into the least accessible position while also not confronting the force directly. This can work even for extremely swift strikes. The user can easily alternate between offence and defense, as this form allows for fluid transition. In addition the user is trained to whip the staff around their body so quickly, they are able to block multiple projectiles from several directions easily so long as none are fired from a blind spot. This form is less effective in close quarters or in tight, confined spaces with places to potentially catch the staff weapon and halt its movement.

Adept skill in the style allows the user to fight on part with close range combat experts on equal terms, and mastery of the style allows the user the ability to fight on equal terms with nearly any opponent.

Chakra Flow
Adepts are trained as part of the style master to be able to stream their chakra throughout their weapons. At it's most basic level, the chakra overflow results in a visible aura, and this specific chakra flow technique produces incredible concussive force. Masters can add elemental chakra flow to the spear with generic effects, as well as user-specific effects. However even a simple version of the chakra flow technique allows the user vastly increased combat aptitude.