Fandom Naruto: Seiryūden

[Hellkite]

Kokuro allowed silence to settle for a moment as they ate. She took occasional sips of sake, and chewed the odd piece of Yakitori where it was passed over by Hikaru and Kyouka's reaching hands. She adjusted her glasses slightly; taking them off to wipe the lens on the cuff of her shirt before replacing them. They sat at a slight angle, made crooked by the eye-patch.


Never needed glasses when I was young. She reminisced. Tch. Should have enjoyed being able to see properly while I still could...


Goro appeared at Kokuro's elbow and cleared away empty platters, replacing them with more meat. The Jounin nodded her thanks.


"So; what do you think of your new team?" She asked the question generally, directed at both Gennin, or whichever one's mouth wasn't currently too full to answer.

 

[SeaTea]

@The Architect


'Parry, parry, block, stance, stri- PARRY!' Kyoden's mind was a desperate flurry as he tried to keep up with his opponent, but he had never faced anything like Haya before, maybe it was the jounin that was controlling the puppet that lead to such deadly combat skill; but if that was true, then Kyo really did not want to fight his sensei outright. He didn't think that his sensei would fall for a smokebomb, even at such a close range, but he didn't think either that his sensei would just ignore him completely and blow pass him in the smoke. His confusion was soon abated as he was soon set upon by Juro's puppet with a vengeance; though Kyo was right about being in a seeming fight for his life against his sensei, just not in the way he expected.


The puppet could easily fight off him and Suzume at once, mostly because the one controlling it could see everything just fine from afar. That still left the problem of distracting their sensei in order to even get close to achieving their mission. Kyo's eyes caught Juro in his peripheral vision seemingly deep in thought, and he appeared to be working on the cloud of bells itself. Again, another reason to try and get their sensei to drop his guard for just a little bit.


'Diversion, misdirection, and obfuscation, come on damn it!' Kyoden had a very risky plan forming in his mind, but there was almost nothing else that would keep him in the fight long enough to make much more of a difference. Without another moment, he rebounded away from the puppet's sword arms only to receive a set of two thin but fairly deep gashes along right cheek that flashed pain for a moment before the adrenaline wore it away. He holstered his tonfa and began a quick sprint in a roundabout fashion toward Hayato. He started flashing through hand seals as his fatigued hands would allow; Ram, Snake, Tiger... "Clone Technique." and five identical copies of himself sprouted around him matching his own speed. Right after that, another set: Dog, Ram, Snake, Hare... "Peripheral Echo!" Kyoden felt the release directly target Hayato, and if the jounin didn't just throw it off immediately, he had a solid minute to engage. His sensei had a decision to make on whether or not he would take the puppet of off Suzume to stop him, or just allow himself to take the brunt of what Kyoden was planning.


Kyoden quickly began interspersing and crossing with his clones while reaching into his pouch and overcoat for his needed items; if his sensei decided to send the puppet after him, then a large amount of senbon or two swords were mere seconds away from striking him. Kyoden could only hope his sensei would hit a clone with the puppet so that he might actually be able to pull off this plan. In one hand, Kyoden held a smoke bomb and one of his prized 'sound' bombs ready to be deployed while in the other hand he held a group of 4 'forceful impact' seals he had managed to acquire. They would were enough to leave fairly good marks in the hardened trees surrounding the village, so he bet and hoped, they would be of use here.


His plan was fairly simple, get as close as possible and cause enough sensory input to cause a sort of overload, or at least a short that would allow a momentary lapse in concentration. Take away sight and sound with his bombs, tactile with his force seals, and then force a paranoid state with his prized and only genjutsu. The problem was the reliance on many other factors: such as if his sensei could easily counter any of these affects, if his genjutsu would work properly since it was supposed to simply be an illusion of the mind with sound.... even if he was about to deny the use of sound to his opponent, again, if he managed to hit.


No turning back now, the remaining distance to Hayato seemed so close and everything seemed to fade out as Kyoden began to undergo a slight tunnel vision. 'Avoid the puppet, avoid sensei...' so very close, just a few more steps to finally strike.... "NOW!"

 

[DreamBeat]

@The Architect​

She didn't know how well this would go over, but it was a basic technique that was taught to her clan members when they chose to become shinobi. She crouched down and took a few moments to weave her chakra with the grass circling around her. Then, with a burst of speed, she speed towards Hayato-sensei right behind Kyoden. The smoke clouded her vision, but she kept speeding through the smoke, faintly feeling a person up ahead - she didn't know why she knew a person was there, but she just knew. The smoke cleared out soon enough, and Hayato-sensei was standing there with a smirk visible on his face.


Well... at least he looks like he's having fun, she mused.


But then again, she didn't know if she was supposed to be irritated at something like that or not. Suzume didn't have time to dwell on that thought because the action started soon after. The puppet made its way towards Kyoden and raised its deadly sharp arms to slash at Kyoden in a flash of speed. Just as Suzume was about to take a step forward to fight the puppet, that seemed to be fighting much better than before, it suddenly head twisted at a disgustingly, but interesting, angle and made clicking noises. Those clicking noises echoed in her head. Her brows furrowed for a second in surprise and fear before the senbon were thrown at her in succession.


From one unnatural body angle to the next, she twisted her body as was necessary to dodge the senbon in rapid succession. She heard someone scream and some faint chingling noises while she was dodging, but adrenaline was running high in her mind, so she ignored that for the time being. She had never been in this kind of situation before, and if it weren't for the fact that she could die if she was impaled by a senbon, she would have been having fun right now. At the moment, her countenance had smoothed out to an uncharacteristically serene one as she dodged the sharp projectiles, her burning muscles urging her to quickly move from one position to the next. A couple of senbon nicked her skin, making blood ooze down her light skin. Soon enough, the senbon stopped firing at her. Suzume was not panting, but her muscles were desperately for oxygen. She was not used to bending at unnatural angles right after another at such rapid speeds.


It had been 10 seconds, yet she still wasn't attacked. She didn't have time to wonder why Hayato-sensei wasn't paying attention anymore. Her eyes immediately shifted over to Kyoden who was already enacting a plan she did not know of... but she knew what he wanted.


"NOW!"


Without much thinking, she immediately retracted the chakra strings attached to the grass by the bells to where she was, ultimately making the grass speed sporadically movements in the area Suzume, Kyoden, and Hayato-sensei were. It made moving irritating since all the grass was slapping her face, but she that meant that it irritated other people too. Wasting no time, she dashed towards the fallen bells and quickly spotted the golden one standing out in the sea of silver. She forced her aching legs to go faster, and so she did. While still concentrating on the keeping the wild grass moving, she reached for the golden bell.

 

[Pariah Stark]

@Sha @SwiftThunder @DreamBeat
​

Now this. This was getting fun. Juro was attempting to man-handle the bells, throwing them onto the ground with what control he had and backing it with nearly his entire reservoir of chakra to do so. Kyoden created a five clones of himself, then began weaving even more signs. Suzume was up to something as well, although her technique was slightly less obvious than Kyoden. The Genin were working together and despite the very few variations between them, they were all providing plenty of opportunities for themselves and Hayato. What they didn't expect, however, was just how large the gap between them and Hayato was.


Sometimes the most complex problems have solutions far more simple than one might initially expect.


Hayato didn't exactly need to discern which was the clone of Kyoden. At this particular moment, he was regaining control of the bells. Aside from the golden bell, which sat afloat mid-air several meters from Juro, all of the bells floated above the ground under the control of Hayato. If anything, this would prove to Juro that Hayato didn't need to connect himself to the bells to control them, but that was irrelevant. He regained control, not letting them touch the ground or echo in the air. On that note, Peripheral Echo would be a success, but its effects would last but mere moments. The use of a Genin's genjutsu on a Jounin under any circumstances would be nearly negligible, and this was a testament to it. Kyoden and his plan was successful; unfortunately, that success didn't make much of a different.


Still ignoring Juro and even the bells he controlled, Hayato paid full attention to the two in front of him. A clever combination the two used, but one that proved relatively simple for Hayato to counter. With a deep inhale and a quick exhale, Hayato performed Wind Release: Great Breakthrough without the use of any handsigns or even his hands, this time blowing a powerful stream of air in front of him. The stream was enough to blow back the smoke, grass and most importantly the two Genin all at once. The force was significant, so much so that Kyoden's clones were immediately dispersed in puffs of smoke upon impact and Suzume was forced back from the dash she made to the golden bell. Not only was the gust incredibly strong, Haya was still a factor. While the Genin might have tried whatever it took to maintain balance or even stop their rolling if they were knocked off their feet, the puppet itself continued its pursuit of Kyoden. With no smoke or leaves as cover anymore, nothing kept him out of line of sight of the blades. Admittedly, the use of senbon would be pointless with the gust, so Suzume was safe for the moment.


Hayato had no chance to speak as he was exhaling the small tempest, but his focus maintained on Haya. Maintaining the bells was so second-nature to him, it required no focus and he believed Juro to be so exhausted and diluted without a puppet that he considered him a nonfactor. For all intents and purposes, Hayato was still just toying with Kyoden and Suzume.

 

[Hoax]

Swallowing a final mouthful of food, Kyouka looked over at the still-eating boy briefly before turning to answer Kokuro. That kind of question… She never knew how to answer it without getting extremely vague, or going into mildly insulting detail.


"It's uh… It's good." She said slowly, trying to stay in a sort of middle ground. "I have a feeling it might take a while for any kind of legitimate 'teamwork' to spark, but…"


She trailed off with a shrug, giving Hikaru a chance to speak if he wanted to.


Shifting in her seat to get more comfortable, Kyouka took a long drink of water, enjoying the coldness that helped keep her more awake. She wasn't exhausted by any means, but the idea of sleep had been edging into her mind for the last few minutes. The more the Genin thought about it, the more anxious she was to leave. Get a head start on tomorrow, prepare for the first day of training, etc.


Kyouka's leg soon started bouncing idly under the table, though she tried to keep it unnoticeable.


@Hellkite @Edward Valentine

 

[Ilstead]

Time went on awkwardly. It was expected. The new team had nothing to talk about. They did, but none of them brought anything up. It could of been how sensei got these skills. What Hikaru's nature chakra was. Why he got choosen for this group. Even the fact as to why we should keep that kid in our team since he is obviously not a team player. Either way it didnt weight heavy enough on Hikaru or the rest of the group.


Hikaru would finish up his meal and down his juice like a champ. He would stand up and bow to the sensei before leaving without another word. He really liked those stone cold exits. No words. Silence and a bow. Hikaru thought it was a classy as FUCK!!! And it was.


He would head out of the restaurant towards his home stopping by a Taiyaki on his way home. Of course the person behind the counter would recognize him.


"Hey! Your Masyuo's little brother right...."


Hikaru would of course be annoyed, but answer reluctantly. "Yea."


He held out the money and man took as he jabbered on about his brother and then as he was suppose to leave Hikaru spoke up.


"My name is Hikaru by the way."


He took his Taiyaki and went home.

 

[Hellkite]

Collab between myself and @The Architect



​

Without the sun to warm the night air, the autumn evening had a slight bite. Nothing a shinobi, especially a veteran such as Kokoru, couldn't handle. She pulled her coat tighter about her shoulders all the same. As she walked the familiar route back home from the bar,she mulled over her new pupils in her mind's eye, trying to distract herself from a feeling of unease which she couldn't quite put her finger on. At first, it was just an annoyance; maybe Ichirō managed to somehow get under her skin. Maybe it was the fact her current team, while showing more individual potential, had significantly less cohesion than her last one. Maybe things bothered her more than she cared to admit - to anyone, including herself. Maybe soon stopped being a question. She shook her head and clenched her fists in their pockets.


They're just kids. She thought. Brash, impetuous children. Why are they bothering me?


As Kokuro continued to near her home, a relatively reclusive place on the outskirts of Konoha built to cater to veterans, the uneasiness of the evening continued to grow. She gave no sudden start, walked no faster than before; but she had finally managed to pin down the thing that had been lurking at the edge of her mind since leaving the bar. She was being watched.She activated her electrolocation in the eye concealed by her eyepatch, trying to sense any presence or nearby chakra. Nothing. This feeling she had, if anything, was instinct. It couldn't be explained or caught with any jutsu or technique; it writhed in her gut, unshakable. Kokurostrolled through the scenic courtyard built in dedication to the war effort, leisururely but with her head down, her hand having snuck under her coat to lay fingers on the hilt of a kunai. She was relaxed; experience had a way of soothing the nerves. This was not the first time in her life she had been followed.Kokuro approached her sliding doorframe, locked with a simple tumbler - as if a lock mattered in the shinobi world.She remained facing the door as the hand not resting on her kunai fished for a key. She strained her electrolocation, pushing the technique to its limits of perception.


As she twisted her key, a spike in chakra permeated the air. It was impossible to miss, and intentional. Not only that, she knew exactly whom it was from; she knew that chakra signature anywhere. She removed her hand from the kunai, allowing it to hang loosely by her side, clearly visible. In a single moment, her inability to sense who was watching her made sense, but that moment of ease came with a harsh reality: he never visited for a good reason. At least, not anymore.


"Ji―" she said, turning around.


"―Ghost. It's Ghost," the man interupted, his voice dry as ever. As Kokuro studied the unremarkable man, the first trait she noticed was that he wore no shinobi garb - strange for the Head of ANBU Intelligence, but hardly surprising. Instead, he wore a simplistic Hôko sugata combination with a black principle garment and dark red accessories. The only real incomplete part of his clothing was his lack of any real hair accessory; his short, black hair simply laid in a slight mess atop his head. In the dark, his streaks of grey weren't even noticeable.


"And, we do need to go inside," Ghost told her. Of course they needed to go inside. Anything he could have possibly visited Kokuro for had to be something confidential, and hardly for personal reasons. Things hadn't been personal between the two for nearly two decades. Ghost, to those who knew him, was like an ill-omen. Even Hitori himself had a disdain for seeing him; he rarely ever brought good news and he often heaved burdens of responsibility onto others - or at least enlightened them to the responsibility they'd never known they had. Ghost didn't believe in courtesy calls.


Kokuro sighed, withdrawing her key from the lock and sliding the door open. She entered first, stopping just inside the threshold to pull off her boots. Once she'd stood up, she glanced back at the man still waiting on her doorstep. She gave a vague beckoning motion. One he received the notion, Ghost wasted no time in entering her quaint, little home. Of course, it could be larger... but she was still single.


"Fine, come in." She said, turning away and walking down the corridor deeper into the house. "Remember to take off your shoes this time."Kokuro called over her shoulder. "You always forget, and I hate cleaning." Ghost had a slight moment of hesitation before he stepped through her threshold. Sliding off his sandals was something he often forgot considering such a formality was trivial when time was as pressed as his.


Ghost could hear Kokuro clattering in the other room as he set his sandals neatly beside her shoes. With a wry smile, he followed down the corridor, turning left at the end to join her in the kitchen. Kokuro was rifling through cupboard after cupboard, searching for something. Ghost crossed the room in silence, opening the door that Kokuro had just closed and producing two teacups from inside.


"Looking for these?" He asked.


Kokuro gave a derisive sniff. "I knew they were there."


"Sure you did."


Ghost set the cups down on the kitchen counter. Kokuro stopped rifling through cupboards, and instead started to fill a kettle with water.


"So, you're visiting. What's the bad news?" She asked.


"Bad news?" he asked sarcastically. "Is my reputation truly that bad?" he added, this time rhetorically. Ghost was well-aware of what it meant for him to show up anywhere - most people never even saw his face. Most people never saw him in a mask either.


"If we really must skip the pleasantries," he said, his voice more dull now than before, "show me the seal on your tongue. This is from the ANBU."


Kokuro set the kettle on the hob of the oven, twirling the dials to start the heat before turning back to Ghost.


"You worried about a leak?" She asked. "Must be getting sloppy."


She opened her mouth, sticking her tongue out so that the seal was visible. After a moment, her mouth closed again.


"There. Your secrets are still safe and sound with me."


"It's not about being sloppy; the times are changing," he told her. His left eye glazed over quickly, turning a bright pink and conjuring three circulating tomoe around it. He used it to activate her seal; the burning sensation it used to cause dull now, considering how often it had been used. "The Mizukage has officially refused audience at the next winter council," he told her, "with that and the recent skirmishes at out Eastern borders, we might as well be warring again."


Ghost inhaled deeply, then let out a sigh, "but, that's only part of why I'm here. I'm sure you're curious about your Squad. Hitori didn't pick it; I did. I need someone from the ANBU, someone I can trust, to watch over them. Kyouka is an enigma... while she has no Clan on paper, I can only tell you now that may not be the case. It is something I cannot confirm or deny - even with the seal." Ghost gave a brief pause, Kokuro prepared tea-leaves but said nothing. The ANBU continued on:


"Hikaru is a candidate for the Three-Tails we secured. He may be the next Konoha Jinchuuriki. While we procured the beast on fair grounds, we believe doing so and not handing to Kirigakure is what spurred their aggression. Nevertheless, both of them are minor issues I could have had dealt with alone. It is the Cursed Child that I'm sure you even question now. New data has presented itself..." This was it. The moment she waited for. The moment a living being became a statistic. Ghost was a Seal Hunter just like Kokuro at one point. However, unlike her, he never had a sense of compassion. Kokuro listened to Ghost intently as she scattered camomile tea-leaves into both cups. She had already gathered that Kyouka was a hard read; the fact she might have a secret didn't surprise her. Kokuro raised an eyebrow at the prospect of Hikaru as the Three-Tails jinchuuriki, but said nothing. Ichiro was the issue, and clearly one that was too complicated for Ghost to just make 'disappear'. She retrieved the boiling water from the oven and started to pour it as Ghost continued talking.


"I'm sure you know that not all children of those bearing the Seal become Cursed Children. What we have found through observation and testing is that the cells generate chakra from absorbed natural chakra have a direct correlation with the bloodline it is passed down. For the best example, I'll explain the extremes. First, you can have a child with no cellular traits. On the other hand, we have children as young as six die because their body could not metabolize their chakra. It is not black and white; it is a spectrum. The Intelligence Division classifies Cursed Children, even those with no traits, on a scale of one to five. Five being unstable. This is where it gets interesting," he told her as he accepted the cup Kokuro offered him, turning it clockwise, watching the steam rise from it.


"Three Class Five Cursed Children have survived to become Genin - never before, even during the Era, did this happen. You know of one; and, I can explain how. Using the Multi-Size Jutsu to burn chakra, he survived when he shouldn't have. The Uzumaki took care of it, but they handed him to the Akimichi thinking he would die soon. Instead, you got the little monster you have. Similarly, there is a Senju that has his Clansmen use Wood Release to suppress his chakra and a Hyūga that has his tenketsu blocked to avoid it becoming problematic. We training them to become shinobi, but that's just it; we don't know the potential of these children; they could be as powerful as Jinchuuriki or become unstable later - liabilities. Not only that, we have no idea if other villages know that Class Five Cursed Children can be stabalized," he told her,finishing his rant before sipping his tea.


"In short, you've been given a team full of secrets," he added.


Kokuro was quiet for a moment, sipping from the cup that she held with both hands, considering what Ghost had said. Finally, she spoke, quietly.


"You do know how to show a girl a good time, don't you Ji-" She caught herself. "I mean Ghost."


She was silent again. The she set her cup down on the counter beside her.


"So; you've got a problem. I assume this is your way of asking for help?" Kokuro shrugged. "It's a tough one, I could be lumbered with a Class Five Cursed child out for my blood, a new and unstable Three-Tails host and worst of all as far as I'm concerned, a completely unknown quantity in Kyouka."


She glanced at Ghost.


"What do you want me to do? Just keep an eye on them, or..." She let her words hang in the air. "You know I don't work for the ANBU anymore. If things go wrong, I'm not going to be the kill-switch."


"Exactly that," he replied. "I could give them to any ANBU Jounin to watch or even any Jounin with the right specialty, and be fine. They'd be a killswitch... but I grouped them together for you because I know that you won't let them become another sheet of paper for me to file." Ghost looked at her with a sly grin, "I got out of the field a long time ago; I'm suited best for making tough decisions. Figuring out the safe bet. For them, Koko, the safe bet is you." Ghost took another sip of his tea, then released the pink dojutsu he had active.


"The Akimichi kid will come in time. I personally don't know anything about him; you know me. I was never a people person. He may never respect you... but you're what he needs. I would tell you something sincere, normally, like maybe if he saw how you felt about back then, he might see things differently. But, you see what drives him. You knew of his father. He was a good man that didn't deserve what we did. Maybe being the bad guy is exactly what he needs to push himself. As for Hikaru, like I said, he's only a candidate. There're four other Uzumaki of this generation that can house the Three-Tails, and Hitori insists it be one of them. And, for the moment, Kyouka is just an afterthought. I assure you that she is the least of your worries," Ghost told her. In all reality, he was trying to easen the situation. It was tough. Odd, really. He was cold, calculating man with an intimidating presence. His dojutsu, while not as powerful as the real thing, kept him just an edge faster than her when they were in their prime. Probably still now. Yet, he tried his very best to give her some logical consolance.


Ghost took another sip of his tea, quickly finishing it. It was nearing time for his next appointment unfortunately. Still, he had a little more time. He smiled to her again, changing the subject, "besides, if I didn't make you my business, I might never get to visit..."


Kokuro smiled wryly.


"If I didn't know you better, Ghost, I'd say you were getting sentimental."


She crossed the room, taking Ghost's empty cup and setting it beside her own in the sink.


"It has been a while, hasn't it." Kokuro stood at the sink, her back to the ANBU, running the water and starting to wash up. "But you must have known well before I did that it wasn't going to work out. You've always been one to plan ahead, ever since we were kids."


She turned off the tap, leaving the cups to dry. She turned to look at Ghost, leaning against the sink, wiping her hands with a tea-towel.


"I assume the world of Black-ops is still as it was in my time? Full of bluff and counter-bluff?" She smirked, but there was a hint of softness to her eyes. "Would hate for you to loose your natural element."


"No, actually," he said as he stood up. "It's a lot simpler now. The ANBU has two formal branches: the Field and Intelligence," he explained as he walked toward her. It had been years since she even saw him and twice as long since they were alone together. This meeting as as perculiar as the tension in the air was thick. "Besides, all of ANBU answers to Shin and he answers only to Hitori," Ghost explained. There was a brief pause in bringing up Shin. Shin was a whole different story.


Shin, at one point, was revered as the most powerful shinobi in the world. A veteran of the Fifth War, a Cursed Child that mastered Sage Mode, former Wielder of the Samehada, and if that wasn't enough, he was a cousin to Hitori himself. The man fought a Jinchuuriki alone and won; he lost his left arm and had it replaced with a Senju relpica. He had the same eyes as Ghost, but his attitude was far more extreme. Shin was willing to do what even other ANBU refused. Shin is the reason that Kokuro still had that seal on her tongue, even though she hadn't been an active ANBU in over a decade. Even past his prime, Shin Uzumaki was a name that could bring a nervous twitch to any veteran. Him being the head of ANBU made sense... but making sense didn't make it popular.


Ghost leaned on the dark wood beam that supported the pathway between the sitting room and the kitchen. More aloof, he said, "there's no bluffing,not anymore... maybe I am out of my element. I've thought about retiring early." He neared her again, smiling. The softness of her eyes met what could only seem like a tired, somewhat content dullness in his own. "You know, I remember when we were Chuunin... these kids now would have never guessed what you were like then," he told her, "even when you lost your eye, you came back fighting and you weren't an ounce less gorgeous."


Kokuro shrugged dismissively, but raised a hand to touch her eye-patch all the same.


"If you left ANBU, you could always teach or consult." Then Kokuro thought better of the suggestion. "But then again, you wouldn't be the same if you weren't involved in some dealing or another. You'd be lost without Black-ops, it's just part of who you are." She grinned.


Ghost slid his hand onto the sliding door that acted as a barrier between the kitchen and the previous room, then pulled it open behind him, shutting the two in the room. He chuckled before he said, "Not a lot has changed." Before he could continue, however, the shadows made by the door sprung up and began swirling around him, turning his body black. It was a variant of the Nara Technique; Hiding in the Shadows combined with a Time-Space Jutsu. A brilliant technique made when Ghost was in his prime. It got him out of a lot of sticky situations - just like this one. In just a quick moment, Ghost was gone as quickly as he appeared.


Kokuro was left, standing alone in her kitchen. She scowled at where Ghost had stood and where he was now no longer.


"Tch." She tutted. "He's right. Not a lot has changed at all."


Kokuro stifled a yawn with one hand, recalling all that Ghost had said. It seemed that in the morning, she would have a lot of work to do. She moved to the door, turning off the light as she passed it, plunging the kitchen into darkness.


"I'm going to try my best," She resolved, muttering to herself. "Team 4 will be strongest team I've ever led, even if it kills me. I won't give them a chance to stray and make mistakes, and I won't give Shin the opportunity to take matters into his own hands."


She slid the door shut behind her.


"Promise, Ghost."


@The Architect


@KaiaWolf


@Edward Valentine


(The next scene will be early morning at the training grounds. Feel free to post for your characters arriving.)

 

[Pariah Stark]

@Hellkite @Edward Valentine @KaiaWolf

Characters

​

Kokuro Tsengami


Ichir? Akimichi


Kyouka Aruhane


Hikaru Uzumaki

Setting

​

Sixteenth Training Grounds

? Ichir?, the next day...

Ichir? reached the Sixteenth Training Grounds before anyone else - including Kokoru herself. While it wasn't clearly noted which training grounds to go to, individual training grounds were often assigned to formal teams or individuals and Team Four just so happened to have the Sixteenth Training Ground reserved. Being a long-time mentor, Kokoro likely had the Grounds reserved in advance. With the insistence of his Clansmen, telling him that the registry would be right, Ichir? was at the grounds training before even daybreak. Considering he went home and rested earlier than the others, this wasn't particularly difficult for him.


While his earliest routines included stretches and basic punches, his later routines would include harsh stances to push his endurance through isometrics and taijutsu techniques done in quick succession on a training post. Ichir? worked himself up over and over, pushing his body harder and harder. However, he wasn't just pushing his strength. He was controlling it. He could easily punch through the wooden planks of the dummy. Considering he ripped the steel from post back at the platform in the village, wood alone was nothing to him. No, he pushed his muscles to their point of exhaustion, then performed these techniques while holding himself back - making sure not to break or damage the post. Over and over, he performed series after series of strikes that just barely touched the post, but were backed with his full force. This was just one of the ways he trained himself. This also wouldn't deplete his chakra for the exercise to come that Kokuro described earlier.


"They will see," he muttered. The dawn was breaking, light peaking in on him and pouring illumination in the beads of sweat on his brow. The others would be here soon, he thought. Even if they weren't, he would keep this routine going. Every single routine pushed his muscles just a little bit further. They made him slightly stronger, sure. They gave him more endurance, if only by a fraction. But, what they did most importantly was train his muscles to repeat these strikes. He would need speed. He saw how fast Kokuro was. If he ever wanted to be formidable, to overcome the killers of the innocent men that bore a seal meant for protection, he would need to be faster. "They will see that no one holds back as much as me..." he muttered, continuing his relentless, albeit repressed striking.

 

[Ilstead]

Hikaru Uzumaki

Hikaru slowly trudged onto the sixteenth training grounds. He was sporting his usual apparel along with his pouches. He was properly prepared this time and wouldn't be stuck with just a pen to defend himself. As he approached, Hikaru got the sense that today was gonna be a little different than usual. He didn't know why but something just felt different.


He approached Ichiro and waved with a small smile.


Hikaru yawned at the morning sun and walked over to his team mate.


"Hey Ichiro, you eat breakfast?" Hikaru asked trying to start a normal conversation.


As he spoke to Ichiro and waited his answer, Hikaru would start his morning stretch. He would start off with some inner thigh stretches. A little lunge to the left and two bounces before holding it for ten seconds. He would switch to the other thigh and repeat. Hikaru would then put his feet togther with his legs straight and bend over to lay his palms flat on the grass. He would slowly crawl into push up position and slowly push his way back up. Finally would do some hip rotations while he did some behind the head arm stretches and ending with across the chest arm stretches.

 

[Pariah Stark]

@Hellkite @Edward Valentine @KaiaWolf

Ichir? ignored Hikaru at first. He was in the middle of a routine. Very specific punches, kicks and body movements that required him to control his unnatural strength in order to preserve the dummy. He hadn't the focus to do so and maintain a conversation yet, so his choices were to stop what he was doing to answer Hikaru or continue. He continued. From his exercise alone, there was no observable way a Genin would be able to notice what Ichir? was doing, so to Hikaru this may have come off as rude. Once Ichir? finished his most recent routine, he wiped his brow and turned to Hikaru.


"Every morning," he answered him before unwrapping the wraps on his fists. Now that he had a teammate here, constant practice like before would be more difficult as well as detrimental to any type of team-building he might need. He would either have to find another way, or just relax for a bit. Ichir? chuckled before he added, "The Akimichi never skip meals."

 

[Pariah Stark]

Shin Uzumaki

​

Konoha Arena Four

​

? Shin Uzumaki awaiting the Monkey Sage...

@Seraph Darkfire
​

Shin Uzumaki, the elder, red-haired maverick of Konoha waited in the arena for his opponent. Of course, Shin was early. He expected his opponent to be late. Hitori, his cousin and the Hokage, as well as various other important individuals, stood in the shade of the tiled roof built for the audience that would watch a battle held within the arena. This duel would definitely be one worth watching. While the wind swept through the thinning hair of the aging ANBU Head, it made him consider how much had changed since their last battle. Five years was a long time.


In five years, Shin had grown even stronger and gained quite a bit, but he had lost just as much. The Samehada was now in the hands of the reformed Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist and his left arm completely torn off, replaced using advanced medical jutsu and techniques recovered during the Purge. While Shin didn't need the Samehada in their first fight - in fact, it held him back - the loss of it was still something he thought about. To be honest, he hated the Seven and how they took it from him. It was the only time he ever lost, although it was hardly on fair grounds. Five elite shinobi of the Mist challenged him for the Samehada consequently. Shin won three of four fights, including his bout against the current Mizukage, but he ultimately lost from sheer exhaustion. He lost the fight, his sword and his arm - and for the first time in his life, he was forced to flee. They weren't pleasant memories, but they made him the man he was today.


This made him curious about what Cale could possibly have done to improve. Five years, as he thought, was a long time for a shinobi. They received a letter from an unrecognized bird a week prior claiming Cale was returning to Konoha on this date at this time to immediately challenge Shin Uzumaki to another friendly, although admittedly dangerous duel. Shin invited his cousin and a few others to watch, although everyone invited was of the most trusted members of the village. Not just anyone would be allowed to see the potential of the Head of the ANBU and openly-accepted strongest shinobi alive. Cale had a lot of audacity challenging Shin, but the fact he pushed Shin so far and did so with relative innocence made this type of event a possibility.


All the thought in the world wouldn't help predict what was going to happen when the two dueled. Shin won their first fight after pushing his Sharingan to the limit and using his signature Blackfire Adamantine Chains to prevent the Inpu Ko from interfering. Cale had to understand the gap between them and be incredibly confident to return for a duel. Shin could create strategies to fight the entirety of the other nations. He had no fear in the front lines and no regrets in the underhanded and deceitful decisions he made as the ANBU Head. He could fight from behind the scenes and steal the spotlight, all while making a plan. But, planning for Cale? That was nearly impossible.

 

[SeaTea]

@The Architect @Sha @DreamBeat


Kyoden could literally see the gust of wind coming to hit him, but there was little he could actually do about it. He heard the tell-tale pops of his clones dispersing like nothing, and he was sent tumbling across the packed dirt of the clearing with all of the cuts and bruising that went with it. Kyoden had lost his grip on every item in his hands, scattered by the winds. This wasn't long lived as he desperately clawed for the tonfa on his back. He didn't know if it was by chance or by some other sense, but as soon as he drew the weapons from their place, he was set upon by Haya the puppet in a flash of blades.


It was once again everything Kyoden could do to deflect and parry while maintaining a solid screen of defense. He was more exhausted than almost any other point he could recall, and things seemed to be getting only worse. He could not see Suzume or Juro while he was defending himself, and his adrenaline high was starting to come down after so long engaged in a physical fight.


'Damn you Kyoden, you need to think of a way out of this. Think, damn it, THINK!' Kyoden was beginning to run out of any tricky ideas, and since he had no idea to the state of his teammates, he was feeling more and more isolated where he was, and was starting to flounder on what to do.


'What do you mean what do you do; you're supposed a ninja, complete the mission!' The voice was like a shout that served to almost waken Kyoden, but he was sure it had only came from his mind. As he processed it for a few seconds before allowing a more primal grit of teeth showed. Kyoden quickly took up a more aggressive form of his weapon style. The change became quickly apparent as Kyoden was taking more and more slices to various areas of his body, but this was exchanged in more solid blows being landed on Haya the puppet. Kyoden aimed to separate or even weaken the arms of the puppet as quickly as he could by sheer force, by striking and cutting the joints with both ends of his tonfa while putting up a token defense. He could feel the deeper and deeper cuts start to leave lasting sensations, but he did not stop; for all he knew, Kyoden was the last one fighting as he focused down on his opponent in the puppet, and hopefully his sensei afterward.


'Ugh, it has to wrok damn it, it has to!' If he were of a more sound mind at this point, Kyoden would wonder if he actually had it in him to continue with his now developing hair-brained scheme. At this point though, all he had was the even slight hope of finally succeeding.

 

[Seraph Darkfire]

Caillte Leanaí

With a soft "hup" Cale lept up onto the Konoha wall and looked out over the village, flicking his staff up into the air with his tail. He cocked his head and rubbed his face a little before sniffing the air. By focusing his chakra into his nose, he could enhance his ability to separate the different scents that flooded his senses. The last time he'd been here had been five years ago, and frankly, he hadn't bothered to remember how it was laid out.


Hopefully, the letter he'd sent had been received. If not, it'd still be fun to see his reaction when he showed up. The man who'd defeated him before. Cale still believed he would have won had Shin not used his eyes or stopped Inpu Ko. But now Cale had his own secret weapon and the past was the past. Cale was confident that this time, the fight would end differently.


"Lets see..." he said grinning as he continued to sniff the air "Aha!" he laughed and leaned forwards, dropping down the other side of the wall and then kicking off, sending himself flying across the sky. After several seconds, he landed on a roof before making a face "Tch, over shot" he turned and leaped forward, rolling through the air before he landed in Konoha Arena Four.


With a back flip, he tossed his staff into the air and caught it with his hand before he knelt down into a relaxed position, resting his staff on his shoulders and his head on the back of his other hand. He looked towards the shade and grinned "It's been a long time" he said running a hand through his messy hair as he bounced a little in his relaxed position. It was obvious he was excited.


He was glad he hadn't been forgotten. Any Monkey's greatest wish was to be remembered, it was certainly the reason King Enma wanted to spread their martial art. To be forgotten is a sad thing.


He noticed a few things that were different about Shin. First of all, he was missing that big sword he'd carried around. Touching it made him feel as if his fur would stand on end, so he was glad it was gone. There was also something strange about his left arm, though it looked the same, Cale got a weird feeling. Animal instincts he supposed.


Whatever. As long as Shin wasn't any weaker for it, it didn't bother Cale. Cale only wanted to see how strong they'd both become.


@The Architect

 

[Pariah Stark]

Shin Uzumaki

@Seraph Darkfire

Shin could feel Cale as soon as he entered Konoha. Not only did ANBU veteran remember the incredibly unique chakra signature Cale had, but Cale hadn't completely mastered repressing his natural chakra - giving any sensor two easy ways to pinpoint him. In their last fight, natural energy in its unrefined form poured out of Cale as he used his abilities. It was the first time Shin had ever came into contact with the legendary energy that when combined in the correct proportions with one's own chakra made them a Sage. In their first fight, Cale proved to Shin that legends were true. Although, Cale proved a lot of legends were true. The importance of particular legend existed in the fact something about Cale had changed. Something that caused Shin to flare his nostrils at his first realization of it. Something that immediately informed the master strategist of what Cale had accomplished that made him believe he could fight Shin.


In their last fight, natural energy radiated from Cale in an unrefined form. His body absorbed it from Mount Huaguo passively, and the Monkey Man never turned it off. When he used his own chakra, natural energy seeped out and with the Sharingan it was easy for Shin to see. As the Monkey Man vaulted himself through the village, little-to-no natural energy radiated from Cale. Instead, it had been processed into something else. Cale had stores of natural chakra inside him that the sensor side of Shin could feel without ever even seeing Cale. His opponent had learned something that even Shin himself only ever touched the surface on. The thought of how far Cale could have taken these abilities in a full five years forced Shin to immediately begin planning for the battle ahead. Cale only wanted a powerful opponent; there was no lie in that. But, this duel already promised to be far more deadly than the first.


Shin looked to Cale with a smirk, although it was mostly feigned. "I see you've learned a few new tricks," Shin said to Cale, his voice as condescending as it was the day he carried the Samehada five years prior. "So have I," he said. "Where's your little monkey friend?" he asked. He then added, "the real one, I mean." Shin wasn't exactly known as a pleasant man. From moment one, he was trying to irritate Cale. Anything to throw him off his edge, and he knew the rage Cale had. When he lost their first fight, he was angry. Angry and himself and throwing a tantrum. Shin hoped to abuse that as a part of psychological warfare.


Meanwhile, men like Hitori and Ghost were sitting in the sidelines. The letter said that win or lose, Cale wanted to teach his ways and would like to become an official Konoha shinobi. While he had no intention on fighting in a war, he wanted this duel to be his placement test for the village. Hitori knew exactly what his cousin Shin was doing and snickered. Ghost could only shake his head. The Uzumaki had many of their clan in power, and were a close family. They didn't see how their 'personality' quirks could be bigger problems for others. The night before, Ghost was with Kokuro. Oh, she'd love to see this fight. Especially if Cale managed to land a few good hits on Shin. While Hitori and the others likely backed Shin, Ghost was hoping Cale managed to put a good amount of hurt onto Shin. The man gloated about being the most powerful shinobi in the world; seeing him knocked down a peg or two wouldn't hurt.

 

[Seraph Darkfire]

Caillte Leanaí

Cale stuck his tongue out at Shin "Aww, you noticed, I was hoping I could surprise you in our battle" he said laughing as he stood upright and stretched. He grinned "You are sour as ever though, always making ill comments" he bounced a little on his heels "Inpu Ko is busy, so it'll just be us two this time around" he snickered "I'm not one who always needs the help of others, you are just that strong"


His tail flicked back and forth as he moved a little on the spot. He never could stay still. Though his movements seemed random, it was obvious that he was warming up for the battle ahead. Even during their talk, Cale's eyes never stopped examining Shin's body, noting everything that was different or the same. The way Shin breathed, moved, and even spoke would be indicators on how he fought.


"I'm glad you got rid of that big sword, it gave off a terribly awful feeling, though I guess it wasn't really useful in our last fight either" he twisted his staff behind his back and used it to stretch. Cale's face was as happy as ever. Even though he had a sort of antagonistic relationship with Shin, he respected him. He also liked him in a way. He believed Shin could lighten up though.


He looked around curiously "You know, I wasn't paying attention, but we have an audience" he said thoughtfully before waving at them "Hello everyone!" he laughed. The more people that saw him fight meant there were more people who would get interested in the Monkey Style.


Then, he turned back to Shin "So, do you want to start now, or do you want to have a snack first? I already ate but I think I could eat again" he said thoughtfully. He was then much more serious. This was one of the Five Styles of the Monkey Style, Wooden Monkey. To mimic becoming serious and aggressive.


He bent low, holding his staff in his left hand, pressing it to his back, and curling his right hand into a Monkey's Claw "I'd much rather start now if you don't mind" he said softly "I've waited five years for a rematch, I'd rather not wait any longer" any excess Natural Energy he may have been leaking was suddenly gone as he truly prepared to fight.


@The Architect

 

[Hoax]

Kyouka tried not to automatically get angry at Ichiro for existing, she really did. But getting to the training grounds (thankfully the correct one) and seeing him already there, she couldn't exactly say she was happy to see him. If that boy did not get his act together... Cursed seal user her ass, the boy was just an overpowered nuisance as far as she was concerned.


Letting her mind focus back on training, she calmly walked up to the two and murmured a quiet "Morning" to whoever was listening. Having already warmed up at home, she felt no need to stretch or train before Kokuro got there, but to each their own of course. She'd have to train in front of the other two eventually, but it still felt like a personal thing to her, rather than something public.


Taking out one of her kunai, the Genin started flipping the sharp object idly and sat down in the grass to wait for the team's sensei to show up. Training for the day was top of her mind, curiosity reigning over nerves now. What did Kokuro have in store?


@The Architect

 

[Hellkite]

Kokuro emerged from the tree-line with her hands in her pockets, thinking over her encounter with Ghost from the night before. When she saw her pupils already waiting, she gave them a small wave.


"You're all early." She stopped just in front of them. "That's good, let's try to keep it up."


She considered them for a moment.


"So today," She began, "Training begins in earnest. I said yesterday that I'd work the three of you hard, and I wasn't lying. No-one goes home until I feel like you've given absolutely everything you have for today."


She gestured around them. They stood in a small clearing, surrounded by trees and with a small pond to one side.


"This is where we'll be meeting each day to train. It should have everything we need."


Kokuro paused to collect her thoughts, and as she did so she unzipped her flak jacket and pulled it off to reveal a plain shinobi shirt underneath. She dropped the jacket on the ground, and sat down on it.


"To start, I want to test your chakra control. Control, mind. Not power." Kokuro's gaze lingered over Ichiro for a moment. Then she gestured at the trees. "I want you to walk up one of those with your hands behind your back To do this, you'll need to focus the right amount of chakra in the soles of your feet. Too much and you won't be able to move, too little and you'll fall off."


Kokuro shrugged.


"It's easier to learn by doing, rather than listening, so why don't you give it a go and try to work out what I mean. I'll be watching."


She gestured for the Gennin to carry on. Then she added as an afterthought.


"Your first mission will start after we've had lunch. It's a small job really, but gives us a chance to practice our chakra control a little more and make some money while we do it."

 

[Pariah Stark]

Shin Uzumaki

@Seraph Darkfire

Cale was eager to battle, and Shin was all-but too happy to oblige. His pupils transitioned into a dark violet hue with three circular tomoe appearing around them. This was the closest the world had to a true Sharingan and granted all of its visual prowess. In fact, it's what allowed Shin to defeat Cale so easily in their last fight. Shin replied, "you won't be surprising me; nothing gets past these eyes." With a smirk, Shin lifted his left hand to create a single half-rat hand seal.


While Shin was using his own sharingan, Ghost allowed his own eyes to glaze over their bright pink and generate three tomoe - the same, albeit significantly weaker technique as Shin. As he did, Hayate, Clan head of the Hyūga, noted, "Your Niseringan won't be able to perceive this fight, Ghost." And, he was right. Ghost couldn't see the feint traces of the natural chakra nor perceive it clearly. When a wooden staff sprouted from the ground, he could see the Wood Release Chakra flowing through it, but once Shin grasped it and his unique Cursed Chakra with the Uzumaki Adamantine Chains mixed into it, he had difficulties clearly seeing the difference. In fact, he could see the black seals on the wooden staff representing the sealed in chakra clearer than he could the chakra itself. His eyes, unlike the Hyūga's or even Shin's, had their limitations.

Meanwhile, Hitori only muttered, "He's starting out with Wood Release... Shin hates Wood Release."

"Samehada couldn't eat your chakra, otherwise, it's an incredibly dangerous weapon," Shin again replied to Cale. He grabbed onto the wooden staff made by his jutsu, and when he clenched it, he poured his Cursed Chakra into it. His chakra was that of the Uzumaki Clan, and it allowed him to seal a powerful amount of chakra into his weapon. While it didn't have brass ends, it would be enough to match Cale blow-for-blow. "I suppose I'll just use this instead," he added once his staff was complete.


Shin could see his opponent was eager, so he wouldn't make him wait any longer. After his left hand firmly clenched his staff, his right hand created a variant of the half-horse seal with both his middle and index finger extended. Shin jumped into the air as two giant dragons made of solid Earth sprouted from the ground and spiraled around Cale. Meanwhile, Shin was coming down from the air with a solid strike from his staff, and the battle begun...

The Monkey Sage vs. the Fourth God of Shinobi.

​

 

[Pariah Stark]

@Hellkite @Edward Valentine @KaiaWolf

Ichir? realized this would be a training exercise he might excel at. While chakra control didn't come natural to him, it was something he trained for. Normally, it was to make sure his jutsu consumed as much chakra as his cells made excess of, but this would be a case of true chakra control. He wasn't just adjusting its amounts or getting in touch with it. He would be redirecting it and maintaining it. Even more so, it would be in fine, controlled amounts, apparently. None of those were things he had done before, although he was used to isolating his chakra with the Partial Expansion Jutsu. However, even that wasn't nearly as fine as the type of control he would need.


Ichir? decided to take a different approach to this. He picked up a nearby pebble, then sat down and crossed his legs. If the idea was to concentrate chakra on the soles of the feet to adhere to a tree, then starting out by concentrating chakra to the palm of the hand to hold a pebble should be the same concept. More importantly, it would be on a smaller scale and would help him focus on separating his own chakra and his Cursed Chakra. Sitting off to the side from the rest of the group and Kokuro, Ichir? entered his normal trance of focusing on his chakra, then outstretched his hand. He focused on the chakra in the palm of his hand, creating a thin veil of it. From this point on, he practiced holding the coin-size pebble in his hand without clenching it to varying degrees of success.


He did this over. And, over. And, over again. This wouldn't be a skill that would come easy, especially when he had to separate his own chakra from his Cursed Chakra.

 

[DreamBeat]

@The Architect​

As she neared the bell with her outstretched hand, Suzume was blasted off of her feet by the strong force of the wind. Her body flew backward, and she almost fell backwards on her head, but her flexible body quickly adjusted. Her body bended backwards in an arch as her hands went up like she was going to perform a back flip. As her hands made contact with the grassy plain, she shifted her body weight so that it was all on her hands. Her body followed through the motions so that it did something similar to a back flip, and soon, she was skidding across the grass on all fours. Suzume didn't have time to be amazed at what she had just done, and she certainly didn't pay much attention to the stinging sensation in her hands. As awesome as it was, she needed someone to get that bell. Now, she was now ways away from the golden bell, and she couldn't really risk going back there because Hayato-sensei seemed to have an eye out for her and Kyoden.


Ugh, why did she want to become kunoichi again? Oh yeah, she didn't really have anything like motivation. Thinking about this was too hard... But this wouldn't stop her from trying. No, she would rather try and fail than not tray and fail horribly. She wanted to get that bell so badly now! Suzume was starting to tire, her breaths coming out in small pants. Her green eyes shifted to Juro and then Kyoden. Juro looked absolutely exhausted, and Kyoden was making a working effort to tear apart that puppet. Poor Haya... Then, her eyes slid over to Hayato-sensei who looked very much concentrated on controlling Haya. When Haya became useless, sensei would probably discard it and resort to another plan. So... What could she do? Under the pressure of time, Suzume was having trouble thinking of a good plan. She wasn't even good at planning, but she would have to try. A look of determination settled on her face. This was not the time for smiles and all that crap. She wanted this 'playtime' to come to an end.


She took out ten shuriken from the pouch on her right thigh and looked intently at the target. A bead of sweat rolled down her forhead and down her cheek. Before the drop of sweat had a chance to part from her face, she threw the shuriken at her target. Her target? Hayato-sensei, of course. What she was aiming for was two to his neck, one to his head, and two to his abdominal area, three to his shoulder, and two to his legs. She was aiming to harm him with these shuriken because she knew that he was jonin and she was genin. There was no way that she could significantly hurt her sensei with mere shuriken to his body. Plus, this was payback for throwing those senbon at her.

 

[Hoax]

Chakra control, huh? Perfect, exactly what Kyouka needed. Though walking up a tree seemed like a bit of a challenge, she hoisted herself up and walked towards one nonetheless. Standing in front of it, she looked down at her feet and considered the best way to go about things.


Taking a deep breath and focusing, she took a few minutes to figure out the best way to channel it until the soft glow was visible around her feet. Shuffling around a bit and swaying unbalanced on her feet every once in a while, Kyouka played with consistency and power level. Letting her feet stick fast to the ground, then forcing herself to relax until she could move again, etc.


Once she was seemingly satisfied, Kyouka bit her lip in concentration and laid her foot against the very bottom curve of the tree trunk, waiting until she thought he was stuck. Slowly, cautiously, the blonde lifted her other leg and laid it a few inches above the other. Repeating this again, she made it up a whole other foot


before -rather inevitably- falling.


Hitting the ground with a dull thud, Kyouka sighed in displeasure for a moment before hoisting herself back up for another go.


@The Architect @Edward Valentine

 

[Seraph Darkfire]

Caillte Leanaí

Dropping his staff and catching it with his tail, Cale's fingers flew together, Tiger, Bird, Rat, Monkey. The seals were barely finished when a giant earthen tail sprung out from the ground. Instead of attacking Shin, it twisted and spun around Cale, fending off the Dragons as Cale jumped upwards, meeting Shin's blow with his own. His tail using the staff to block the attack while his hands reached forward with the intent to grab Shin.


Wooden Monkey was a grappling style, used with the intent to bring an opponent to the ground and then beat them mercilessly. However you could also use this style to grab a person and spin around them, latching onto them like a leech. At close range, many people couldn't avoid getting beat down.


At the same time, the earthen tail leaped up away from the Dragon's towards them. Though this was just a distraction as the tail couldn't be maintained for a long time, even as it traveled towards the two of them, it was already breaking apart.


At the same time Cale was thinking of how to defeat Shin's eyes. Those eyes had played a big part in his defeat last time as well. If he could somehow fool them, he would have a much better chance. If Cale hid his body, then Shin couldn't fight what he couldn't see, but as Cale fought hand to hand, hiding his body wasn't very favorable.


@The Architect

 

[Pariah Stark]

Shin Uzumaki

@Seraph Darkfire

This. This was the moment it got complex. This was the moment that Shin proved his prowess with ninjutsu. Shin intentionally slammed his staff perpendicular onto Cale's, then let go of it. He never intended to get this close anyway, and with his Sharingan seeing Cale's arms coming at him for a grapple, he had even less intentions. The moment his staff connected with Cale's, the Adamantine Chains on it transferred from his staff onto Cale's, then locked themselves in place with a powerful sealing method. Shin remembered the tricks that the monkey could pull with his staff - making it shorter and longer. He created this technique to cut off chakra flow to a weapon, and his Cursed Chakra was powerful enough to keep it in place. After letting go of his Staff, Shin created an Ox seal with one hand and a Tiger Seal with the other.


With the activation of his seals, Shin molded his regular chakra and his Cursed Chakra simultaneously to perform two different jutsu. While Cale tried to grapple him, Shin, brought the fingertips of his right hand to his mouth to expel a large fireball using Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique. Meanwhile, each of the dragons made of Earth stopped short, then from their mouths fired out even larger Water Dragons using an dual-stage technique and a variation of Water Dragon Bullet. Each of the Water Dragons bit into the Earth that Cale created with his techniques, then channeled Lightning Release chakra into it after a change in hand seal from Shin, switching back to his custom Horse Seal. While Water Release is normally weak to Earth Release, Lightning Release tore right through it. The result caused each water dragon to burst into steam and the Earth structures created by Cale to fall apart.


This was the skill of the God of Shinobi. Multiple jutsu at the same time, multiple elemental releases, multiple chakra types, multiple jutsu styles all coming together at the same time.

 

[Seraph Darkfire]

Caillte Leanaí

Cale felt it when the Natural Energy from the staff was cut off. He immediately let go and tucked in. He had no way to avoid Shin's attack, instead, he allowed it to hit him and used the momentum to retreat. As he hit the ground, he flipped backwards and immediately began performing the hand seals for another Monkey Tail. Instead of attacking Shin, he used it to create a barrier that surrounded him completely.


Tiger, Hare, Boar, Dog. Earthen walls then expanded to encompass the earth tail. Bird. Those walls then sprouted spikes. It wasn't a permanent solution by any means. He knew Shin would tear through it in a matter of seconds. But seconds was all he needed. He stood still and took a breath in the darkness "I thought I wouldn't have to use this, but he is as strong as ever, I'm not going to last long without going all out" he said softly while grinning. Shin had already seen his tricks from their last fight, it was time to show off the new one.


Slowly, he knelt down and gripped at the ground, while he couldn't physically touch it, he could feel it. The Natural Energy that flowed through the ground, he gripped at it as if he was holding it, and slowly drew it upwards, pressing his fingers to his forehead. His body soaked the energy up like it always did. He repeated the motions, gathering the Natural Energy and letting it blend with his own chakra.


His body slowly grew hair, until all but the palms of his hands and his face were covered in thick fur. His face elongated slightly and he grew a thick beard. He looked to the left, thinking 'My staff is several feet in that direction' he could feel those chains of chakra binding it. He wondered if Senjutsu would break the chains. He looked towards where he could feel Shin's chakra. He brought his hand back and focused, gathering his Sage Chakra.


"Senjutsu: Monkey Palm" he said and thrust his arm forward. Suddenly, a large hand shaped hole appeared as the force of the chakra carved it's way through the barrier's he'd created. He didn't even wait for his attack to reach Shin. Kicking off, he jumped through the hole, heading straight for Shin. He worked better at close range and hopefully he could limit Shin's options.


@The Architect

 

[Pariah Stark]

Shin Uzumaki

@Seraph Darkfire

Shin saw it. Cale was manipulating Natural Chakra and achieving a whole new form with it. Even Shin hadn't mastered a Sage Mode, but Cale had. This is what made the little monkey man so bold to challenge him. His Sharingan couldn't see through the chakra-infused barrier, but his sensory abilities let him feel every ounce of chakra Cale was manipulating. If Cale was going to jump so quickly to his next form, so would Shin. Shin likely couldn't keep up with a Sage without his next form; one that thus far only Ghost and Hitori knew about. While Cale was finishing his Sage Mode transformation, Shin used his Cursed Chakra to amplify the Senju DNA in his left arm that allowed him Wood Release. In doing so, his entire left arm grew, tearing through his battle garb and resulting in a dense, wood plating that resembled heavy plate armor.


This wasn't the end, though. Black lines trailed from the Seal on his collarbone that granted him his Sharingan down through the cracks of his arm, connecting his left eye with his left hand. Soon enough, his purple Sharingan began to change and warp... into a Rinnegan. It wasn't a complete one, however. It only had two circles around it. But, it was enough. This Rinnegan unlocked abilities that allowed Shin to keep up with Cale in his Sage Mode. Abilities that put him above even the Kage in power. Shin activated the Blocking Technique Absorption Seal from the Preta Path, absorbing the Senjutsu: Monkey Palm as if it were nothing. With a quick smirk, he kicked off the ground and dashed directly at Cale with his left arm outstretched. The same seals on it that were on his staff crawled up his arm, and this marked his next form.


Behind him trailed eight Adamantine Chains connected to his wooden shoulder blade, all ready to strike Cale once they made contact.


"You're in over your head, monkey boy!" Shin screamed at Cale as they neared each other.