[Earth Victory - Graded] [Earth Country Attacks] Battle Site 2

[Ace Trainer]

Located at the border of the two northernmost states of Wind Country (20I, and 20H), this small outpost is in the center of a lush forest. There are no residences here, simply four towers - one in the center of three others. The three outer towers just barely break the treeline which is roughly 50m tall, made of a fine material, as the sun breaks over the tree line it reflects the light giving them a pristine and regal appearance. The centermost tower is almost double the height of the others, at roughly 95m in height and 30m in diameter. Conical in design, and made entirely of a black stone, there are no windows or outer features, simply a wide platform that spreads from the upper point to give a 360 degree view from the top of the tower. The centermost tower has 125 strength that regenerates every 3 posts, the outer 3 towers each have 75 strength that regenerates every 3 posts (only the center tower needs to be destroyed).

The forest is rich with plantlife and animal-life alike, with cries and calls from the various species constantly resonating through the air. The trees have thick, wide trunks that break away into countless branches that intermingle with their neighbors. Their strong roots spread wide from the base as well, pushing up the land around it leaving virtually no even terrain. Small rivers and creeks spread through the area, moving slowly and often pooling into small ponds that various fauna congregate around. There are no set paths through the area, and beyond the towers in the center no notable landmarks, which can make navigating the region difficult.

[Ace Trainer]

[Wind Country will be placing Takeo, Tenzin and Keriku at this site]

[Niro]

[Rock Country will be placing Amaya, Hibiki, and Tatsuo at this site.]

[Ace Trainer]

[Posting order for this thread will be:

Hibiki -> Tatsuo -> Amaya -> Tenzin -> Takeo -> Keriku]

[Nick]

Hibiki "frumped" and grumped his way onto the battlefield... Now he'd had to spend the night in enemy territory, wake up at four in the morning (like usual), run drills on his men, before waiting as stealthily as a person without any stealth techniques could, waiting for either a signal from his Tsuchikage or an enemy to make the first move, standing there with his eyes narrowed, standing unnaturally still as if they hadn't programmed him an idle animation for hours. And hours. Was he even breathing?

Oh well, at least he was paying attention, unlike the fucking idiot controlling him, who kept mentioning being on top of towers. Maybe he SHOULD be on top of the towers after all, did you think about that, huh? No, I bet you didn't, jerk.

Location: Edge of the forest to the north, not on top of a tower. I swear.

[Niro]

As the armies of Rock Country pushed further into the lands of Wind Country, Tatsuo and his squad had found themselves tasked with destroying one of the major Control hubs of the enemy forces. His squad? Hibiki and Amaya. He had never expected to be paired with the old man after all the years and even more surprised to be paired with Amaya. The last he had heard of her she had been cleared for shinobi duties after escaping the Catacombs but not much since then. He had been maybe a jounin when she had first disappeared and now she had come back to him as her Kage. What a strange thing to get accustomed to.

The Tsuchikage dashed his way through the canopy the forest coming from a northwest angle. His approach silenced the forest as he raced through it, the Killer Intent rolling off of him causing animals to hide or scatter although his armor sat flush against him and made nary a squeak as he bounded from branch to branch, his hands on the hilts on his blades as he did so. As he approached, he slowed down and came to a rest against the trunk of one of the large trees some 30 meters away from where the trees gave away to the site and the towers. As he stopped, he let loose a click of his tongue and waited for the information to come back to him but the main tower so was tall it was easily seen from Tatsuo's position. His left hand moved from its place atop the hilt of his wakizashi and found two kunai tied with explosive tags in the pouch on his waist. With a single swift motion the two kunai sliced through the air towards the top of the rising black mass with an unerring accuracy and strength most jounin would be jealous of while Tatsuos hand once more found its place atop the wakizashi hilt.

SpoilerShow

[Killer Intent]
C-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
Prerequisite: [Fortitude]
Tatsuo will impose his will upon any living being within 25 meters, friend and foe alike, for 5 posts. Those caught within this range will feel endangered and threatened by him as long as he remains in their line of sight. The longer they remain within this field the worse this sensation becomes, eventually causing uncontrollable shaking of the arms and legs. If the target has an equal or greater Willpower, they can shake this feeling off, but the lower the number is in comparison, the faster the effects are felt.

*[Flawless Aim Style • Advanced Hidden Shot]
B-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite(s): *[Flawless Aim Style • Hidden Shot].
Building upon the principles found in the Hidden Shot technique, the practitioner launches two or more projectiles, the first projectile serving as the leading projectile and subsequent projectiles in the previous projectile's shadows. These projectiles can be launched in complex twisting trajectories, allowing both leading and subsequent projectiles to slip in and out of the other projectile's shadows. This makes it more difficult for the opponent to determine both the actual number of projectiles as well as their targeting paths and the order in which they will strike, making the attacks difficult to avoid. Opponents with a Perception technique equal or higher in rank may be able to see the projectiles clearly within a reasonable distance, though they'll still have to properly defend against it.

*[Flawless Aim Style • Absolute Aim]
A-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
Having mastered the art of ranged combat, the practitioner is capable of calculating all outside factors before launching their projectiles. Ambient factors such as temperature, winds, moisture, any terrain, and even lack of sight on their target can not hinder their aim. So long as they have a means of detecting the location of their opponent and no impassible objects or unavoidable defenses stand in their way, the practitioner's attacks will strike their target with pinpoint accuracy without fail. Living targets must have a Perception technique equal or higher in rank to be able to dodge the practitioner's attacks without some sort of additional defense.

[???]
S-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
Prerequisite: [Stealth]
The user has learned to not just walk, run, and fly at a total silence but to fight as well. His strikes and overall movement during combat cannot be heard unless his opponent has an equal or greater [Perception] technique.*

[Echolocation]
S-rank Taijutsu Discipline
The user has learned how to utilize sound to provide them with a form of a sight. Mimicking the Echolocation of animals such as a bats and dolphins, the user has learned how to use coughs, clicks, and other noises they produce to 'see.' Each time the user makes a noise, it travels 80 meters and provides them with a mental 3D image of the surrounding area. They can detail size, shape, surface features, and density but cannot details such things as color.

1 Stealth
1 Perception
x2 Kunai + Exploding Tags at 40 Strength
* at end of jutsu denotes in ongoing War Mod

[Trusted Grader]

Out from a coma, to her organisation, from a mission to a battlefield, with her Tsuchikage nonetheless, what a strange month this had been for Amaya, had her recovery not gone so well then she was certain that she wouldn't have been chosen for this mission, to be standing side by side with the leader of her village caused her to be somewhat nervous. She knew that she had to perform well or else fear the thought that he was going to find her useless, enough was enough, she had suffered far long for her past deeds, today was going to be the day that she proved herself to her village once and for all and from here on out she would stop questioning her validity.

She knew that she would't be able to keep up with the Tsuchikage's speed, nor his skills but if she could be of use to him and the Jounin commander, which meant she had to be on her best behaviour. Wana and Ran were standing next to her while she began to dance, she opened the pouch and let the glass move accordingly, stretching and bending to form what appeared to be a glass halo and wings, the halo hovered above her head while her wings expanded and appeared like butterfly wings, she turned to face Ran and tossed him a vile of red poison, which would boost his adrenaline if he needed it, it had enough juice to be used twice, either one each for him and Wana or two times for himself, that was up to his discretion.

The two hadn't seen eye to eye during her return but both understood that they could not afford to disagree with each other on the battlefield as their lives were at stake. With a shared nod they both took off, Amaya flew and Ran rode Wana, together they made their way towards the Tsuchikage and Hibiki, Amaya made sure not to travel above the tree canopy as to not reveal their position, she made sure to land a bit away from the Tsuchikage, far enough for her shakes to stop, while Ran placed himself next to Hibiki, a guy he knew disliked him, yet today that was going to change.

---

MetaShow

[Vitreokinesis]
A-rank Ninjutsu
Having achieved notable mastery over Garaton, the user is capable of shaping, directing, and manipulating existing bodies of the element without the need of hand seals or an existing technique. The range at which the user can manipulate the element is equal to the user's [Control x 2m]. While the user can freely manipulate this element, they cannot produce the element naturally.

Garaton • Hishou Garasu Tsubasa [Glass Release • Flying Glass Wings]
A-Ranked Ninjutsu
After performing a set of hand seals Amaya will focus on making glass near her hot, then focusing on moving the glass to her back. On the back, the glass shapes into a glass version of butterfly wings, the top wings are two meter long while the lower wings are one meter long. These wings are able to flap and are strong enough to make Amaya fly. Can only fly up to 60 meters in battles but higher outside of battlefields. She can only fly as fast as her speed allows.

Garaton • Harō [Glass Release • Halo]
S-Ranked Ninjutsu
Prerequisite: Garaton • Seirei Kirite [Glass Release • Spirit Cutter], Bakuhatsu [Explosion]
After performing a set of handseals, Amaya calls glass from herself or the surrounding area to her head. In a single moment it will melt into a spinning mass to take the form of chakram rapidly rotating at speeds capable of cutting, it also instantly cools down into a solid shape. With a single movement it can be sent at a speed of [Control] and a cutting force of [Control]. In total its the white chakram is half a meter in diameter and barely a centimeter in thickness and sharp on all edges and is loaded with S-Rank level explosives. This chakram being improved can reach 160 meters before losing its momentum also when thrown it is controllable if Amaya holds down a hand seal with her right hand. The higher control Amaya has the better she is at controlling it.

She used half of her glass from her pouch and gave Impulse Rush to Ran for later use.

Impulse Rush
C-Rank Poison
A red colored poison contained in a 10 ml bottle, once consumed the poison will take effect on the user after a half post. Working as a stat boost, creating artificial adrenaline to boost +5 strength, +1 speed but at the state of the user will lower -6 Will. Works for seven posts before disappearing out of the users body although this strains the body and after the seven posts the user has one post cool down where they can't perform any jutsu and they can barely move around.

[Texas]

The team assembled was one he was relatively comfortable with. Although he didn't know Keriku well, he had attempted to follow up with her recruitment wise. Of course he also knew Takeo, never had too much interactions, but he had enough to be familiar with him.

The silver haired shinobi had been on edge since they got news of what was going on. Uncharacteristically he was rather tense. Tenzin had a clear role within the tower and he intended on over delivering. Other than reports, it was clear that the enemy had arrived. While Tenzin was surveying the land, he began to set up the proper defense around the area. Before he could weave hand signs he witnessed what looked like a kunai flying towards the tower's direction. As fast as he could, the silver haired shinobi weaved a few hand signs and aimed a wall of wind down in order to attempt to defend the tower. The wind itself would take shape and explode forward at the fastest Tenzin could do with it being as strong as it could go as well. It would hopefully shield the area that was being targeted. Leaving the wind in the air, Tenzin would take only a step back before focusing more on trying to pinpoint where they were thrown from. A difficult task for sure.

After he performed the jutsu, the young shinobi took only one step back. Now that it has clearly started, the shinobi was on guard. He held both arms bent and up. He was ready for any other attacks that would come his way. Keeping a solid defense was part of his role. The adrenaline would slowly slip through and eagerness began to overcome the shinobi. "It's time."

SpoilerShow

Fuuton • High Winds
C-Ranked Ninjutsu Technique
After weaving the proper hand signs or channeling chakra, the user would release chakra from their back. By combing fuuton chakra and sending it throughout the back of the user. Winds would push through towards the area in the direction that the user would be aiming at. These winds take up a 30m radius and cover the area with the user's chakra infused Fuuton. The speed and strength of the initial jutsu is dictated by the [Control] Stat. Although the jutsu itself lasts for one post, the chakra infused Fuuton lingers within the 30m radius for 5 posts.

[Way of the Ninja • Survey]
C-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
The user casually widens their eyes in order to asses the area around them. By utilizing not just the view in front of them, but widening their peripherals, the user can scan the area in order to map out an idea plan of action dictated by the situation.

*[Aerokinesis]
A-Rank Ninjutsu
Having achieved notable mastery over Fuuton, the user is capable of shaping, directing, and manipulating existing bodies of the element without the need of hand seals or an existing technique. The range at which the user can manipulate the element is equal to the user's [Control x 2m]. While the user can freely manipulate this element, they cannot produce the element naturally where it doesn't exist.

[Izanagi]

From the moment he met the Tsuchikage in Steam country, Takeo knew this day would come. For men like them there was no such thing as peace. They were each born to be warriors, they had clashed briefly before in Soul country and they would do so again. Tatsuo would come for him, he would settle for nothing less than meeting the Hokage in battle in his pursuit of conquest. It was unfortunate that once again, when the world was thrown into war that the Kazekage was absent. A new leader now, and still without the will to stand and defend their own lands. But Takeo was a man of honor, he held true to his alliances and would never abandon his allies in their time of need. Some would call him reckless, too old and too important to put himself on the front lines. The truth was he never felt so alive than these moments before battle. As long as he drew breath his Will of Fire would never be extinguished, he would defend wind country alone if he had to.

Eyes closed atop the northern most tower, the bearded warrior listened to the trees, to the animals and the flow of the creeks. This region was the lushest in all of Wind country, he felt at home here, as if he were in the forests surrounding Konoha itself. He had been in forests most of his life, hunting, patrolling and most of all listening. He performed a brief set of seals, enhancing his focus as he prepared for battle. And then he heard it. There was a flutter, and then another. Birds disturbed, foxes too, scampering away. So it was time then. He could feel it himself, despite not being in range. It was a presence like no other. The Tsuchikage had come. Holding a hand into the air he signaled to the squad of Anbu operatives that had accompanied him, four in total. But none, save perhaps Tenzin would stand any chance against the Tsuchikage. He would have to run interference. Forming handseals he produced a shadow clone that stealthily raced down the back of the tower, laying in wait at the base where it submerged into the ground. Masuru and Toshiaki meanwhile would be dressed in their Anbu attire; a red phoenix mask and a green raccoon mask as they kept next to Keriku. Masuru would form seals, first enveloping Toshiaki in invisbility as he formed seals to create an explosive nut that he handed to Keriku before creating a second one for himself. Masuru would then envelop himself in invisibility before following behind Keriku wherever she went from a distance of about 10 meters as he moved to support her.

Takeo, on the other hand atop the Northern pillar performed another set of seals as he saw the kunai fly past him and into Tenzin’s defense. First, a layer of Doton armor, and then a longer sequence and he would be enveloped in an aura of fire. If that hadn’t marked himself as a target and drawn Tatsuo’s attention then he wasn’t sure what would. But one way or another he would make it a point to clash with his fellow Kage. “I know you’re out there Tatsuo. Come get me!” he challenged as he entered into a fighting stance.

Jutsu UsedShow

Takeo:

Sounds of the Forest
A-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
Prerequisite: 30 Instinct
By closing his eyes and focussing for half a post in a near-meditative state Takeo is able to greatly enhance his sense of hearing. Even subtle sounds such as breathing and heartbeats can be detected within a 30-meter radius. He can also determine the intent and state of fatigue of individuals based off of these cues. For every post that Takeo remains focused with his eyes closed the range of his hearing increases by 10 meters to a maximum range of 100 meters.

Enhanced Focus
C-rank Ninjutsu
After forming a brief set of seals Takeo will flood his mind with chakra, allowing him a keener grasp over his chakra manipulation. Doing so however puts a great deal of emphasis on maximizing his chakra efficiency and thus inadvertently slows his physical reaction speed. This results in a +5 boost to control at the cost of -5 Speed for the course of 4 posts or unless cancelled early.

*[Ninjutsu • Advanced Shadow Clone Technique]
A-Ranked Ninjutsu
After performing the correct hand seals the user proceeds to create a number of clones of themselves (maximum is equal to 1/3rd the user's stamina). Unlike the Clone Technique, these clones are actual copies of the user in both appearance and substance. The user's chakra is evenly distributed among every clone, giving each clone an equal fraction of the user's overall power. The clones are capable of performing jutsu on their own and can even bleed, but they will usually disperse after one or two solid blows. The clones will be created in roughly the same condition as the original and any experience the clones gain during their existence is transferred to the user once they are dispersed. Given that the clones are an exact replica of the user, they share the same stats except for stamina, which is determined by the number of clones presently in effect. The advantage of this form of the technique is that once dispersed, the chakra distributed to the clones returns to the user, allowing any un-used chakra to be regained, slowing the draining usage of this technique. The chakra returns to the user at a different rate depending on the user's control.
1-15 Control: 1/5
16-25: 2/5
26-35: 3/5
36+: 4/5

Fangless Hound
A-Ranked Taijutsu Discipline
Growing up surrounded by Inuzuka Takeo has developed a nose keen enough to rival their own. He can pick up on faint scents that average shinobi wouldn’t even notice to the point where he can distinguish the individual body scents of people and determine emotional states including detecting aggression, as well as determine specific species of animals or gender even by just a strand of hair. The passive range of this ability is 50 meters though if he has picked up on a trail, he can continue to follow it to its source assuming there are still scent particles in the air or physical remnants of a trail.

Doton • Combat Armor
B-Rank Ninjutsu
After performing the necessary hand seals Takeo will flow Doton chakra throughout his body, enveloping himself in a dark brown stone suit of armor. The armor encases his clothes and weapons holsters though leaves them accessible enough to draw from. Enveloping his head is optional and if opted to only his eyes will remain exposed. All in all the stone is about an inch thick, forming at a speed of [20] and capable of defending against a strength of [50]. Takeo is able to extend or retract stone blades which extend from his forearm past his hand at a speed of [30], the maximum length of these blades it 5 meters.

Katon • Avatar of the Divine Sun God, Amaterasu
S-Rank Ninjutsu
After forming the necessary hand seals the user will emanate katon chakra around their body protecting themselves from and coating themselves in flames. For 7 posts, their body constantly exerts 1 meter of flames which push out from their body at a strength of 50. This causes the user's body to become a living inferno, causing fire wherever they go and burning all life in their path. In addition to this, the user can just once over the span of the 7 posts cause their encapsulating flame to pulsate and expand out 75 meters at a speed of 30 for an instant before returning to its normal size.

Shadow Clone:

Stalking Shadow
A-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
Taking the art of hunting to the realm of combat Takeo is able to stalk his target with professional skill, moving up to his full speed while shadowing their movements and moving with the utmost silence. So long as his targets doesn’t have a perception technique of equal or greater rank he is able to approach them undetected by traditional means. Often this means his target isn’t even aware of his presence until his knife is already pressed against their throats.

Ghost Walking
S-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
Prerequisite: *[Iijutsu • False Death]
A skill that took Takeo years to master he has honed one of the arts of a true shinobi; the ability to lower ones breathing and heart rate to virtually undetectable levels even in the midst of combat. Takeo can move at his full speed while maintaining his undetectable vital signs, as well as eliminating any sound of movement including rustling of clothes or the drawing of weapons from anyone who doesn’t have a form of S-ranked enhanced hearing.

Chakra Concealment
S-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
The absolute pinnacle of masking one’s presence, Takeo has learned to eliminate his vital signs to such an extent that he can mask his chakra signature completely. He becomes completely undetectable by means of chakra sensory techniques so long as his opponent doesn’t have an equal ranked sensor jutsu and higher control stat. He can mask his chakra in such a way for a maximum of 10 posts.

[Earth Element • Mole Hiding]
C-Rank Ninjutsu
After forming the needed hand seals and flooding the earth below them with chakra, the user will dig into the ground. The user can then dig through the earth with the use of chakra. In the first post, the user may only move into the earth. In the following posts, the user can travel underground, up to ten feet deep for up to 4 posts before needing to recast the jutsu. The maximum distance the user can travel is 30 meters per use. The earth can only be moved at a maximum speed of 10, limiting the user’s speed at which they can travel through the ground. Using this technique does however create a tunnel of sorts, allowing the user to create a series of tunnels for various purposes.

Masuru:
25 Control
22 Strength
32 Strength

Light Release • Smoke and Mirrors
C-Ranked Ninjutsu
Prerequisite: 20 Control
After forming the necessary hand seals the user will focus Hiton chakra into an area within 10 meters of themselves and no larger than a 7x7 meter cube. The user may then choose one target within the designated area to be rendered invisible for up to 5 posts. If the target within the area moves/is moved at a speed of 20 or higher however the image will only appear blurred and distorted.

Light Release • Cloak of Invisibility
A-Ranked Ninjutsu
After forming hand seals the user will use Hiton chakra to bend light around themselves, rendering their entire body and anything on their person completely invisible. The user can move at their full speed while maintaining this invisibility. This technique lasts for up to 6 posts.

Toshiaki
30 Control
15 Strength
17 Speed

~Mokuton • Bakuhatsu Nut
D-Rank Ninjutsu
By closing their palm and performing the correct hand seals with the other, the user can create 1 seed closely resembling a walnut with a 2-inch diameter. This seed is filled with chakra and has enough energy to detonate with a force of a [30] Strength explosion. The user can detonate seed via kai, but if not detonated within 3 posts, it loses its potency.

Mokuton • Assassination Seed
A-Rank Ninjutsu
Prerequisite: 30 Ninjutsu
After forming the necessary handseals the user will create a 1-inch diameter seed. Over the course of the next 6 posts the user can activate this seed with an additional handseal, causing it to violently grow and expand into an array of spiked wooden tendrils at a speed of 30 and a strength of 30 plus however much additional strength it gathered while laying dormant. These spiked tendrils are 3 inches in diameter and extend to a radius of 25 meters in all directions around the seed.

[Sia]

The broken and put together Keriku clunked calmly through the forest with her permanent byakugan scanning around her. She saw everything, as did her shadow, and the two of them remained close together for now in a calm walk through the trees. When she saw him Keriku and her shadow immediately bolted out of instinct, but then remembered he was far away and the feeling subsided. "Geez that's crazy." She said aloud and her shadow agreed with her, moving around in front of her as its smoke feet whisper into the shadows of the forest. Her shadow was not quite invisible here, but sometimes it was close, if it closed its burning white byakugan eyes.

Keriku's shadow dashed forwards, travelling through the trees as it scanned around itself in a massive area, pivoting its head and crouching down, turning away and making sure it took a path that meant its eyes were hidden, making it damn near impossible to see it moving if it kept to the shadows itself. It had materialized into the air and found its way towards the others. As Keriku made her way around the base of the northern tower, she eyed Hibiki with her Byakugan. She grabbed a flash bang from her starter kit and lobbed it up to her shadow as it crawled up the Northern tower to Takeo. It reached him and delivered Keriku's message. "Tatsuo is coming from the north west at a murder pace." Her shadow's burning white eyes squinted. "He's not with the others." And it gestured in Hibiki and Amaya, Ran, and Wana's directions. "As soon as I laid eyes on him with my Byakugan I got feared, but my shadow didn't." She said. "So, that's something at least." Her voice ceased and the shadow slinked back down the tower as Keriku herself conveyed the same message to Tenzin. She added to him, "
The shadow then moved to meet with Keriku as she slowly departed the northern tower and her and her shadow met up and made their way silently towards Hibiki, keeping a watchful eye on Tatsuo, Amaya, Ran, Wana, and all of the others. She watched Takeo carefully, and Tatsuo the most, keeping her shadow positioned closeby to herself for safety. Her shadow scanned Hibiki, and Amaya, then Hibiki, then Ran, then Wan, then Hibiki. Its eyes darted back and forth constantly, it constantly did surveillance on everything and everyone. It looked back to Takeo, then Tenzin, its body floated around Keriku and it giggled a little next to her menacingly.

"Oh, are you happy you get to stretch your legs?"

[Nick]

Man, everyone was casting jutsu and shit, that was pretty rude, as Hibiki had yet to cast any, and therefore felt like he was behind the ball. Hibiki was NOT a ball or behind one! Such thoughts were the worst!

"I AM NOT A BALL!" Hibiki loudly confirmed, taking the opportunity to draw attention to himself as he began rapidly doing handseals, and then taking the first step to trigger [Scatter and Run] to any who looked in his direction. He matched the speed of the illusory clones in question, using them to get just close enough to the tower to catch any on top of it, or running to intercept him, in his next Genjutsu.

[Temple of Nirvana] was a jutsu that wasn't likely to catch many, but any it did would find themselves out of combat immediately, meaning if it hit even a single person he would have done a good job in this war. Even if it didn't fully succeed, the act of Kai-ing oneself out of it could very well set him up for future successes in casting genjutsu, meaning it was worth it. He did a series of handseals, and held a hand up in a specific formation, a predetermined code that indicated to only his soldiers and teammates that he was about to use a sound-based genjutsu, giving them time to plug their ears, before bringing that same hand formation to his mouth and blowing into it, whistling loudly to catch everyone atop the tower in the spell.

Meanwhile him and his clones would continue to run towards the tower, intent on helping deal damage to it if necessary, while trying to stay out of the line of fire of the 'real' combatants.

JutsuShow

*[Genjutsu • Scatter and Run]
B-Ranked Illusion Genjutsu
If the genjutsu user ever needs to run, this is the ideal technique to use. The target simply has to see them take their first step to run after the user has performed the hand seals. If the target saw the first step to run, the genjutsu caster will suddenly split into 90 "clones." This will allow the genjutsu caster to run away amidst the confusion, as the mass of clones run in every single direction at a speed of 20. Of course, touching one of these "clones" will cause them to disperse in a cloud of smoke, but they will do everything in their power to avoid making contact. If the clones aren't touched, the jutsu lasts for up to 6 posts.

*[Genjutsu • Temple of Nirvana]
A-Ranked Warp Genjutsu
This is a Genjutsu technique that allows the caster to place a large body of people into an unconscious state by performing the hand seals and whistling loudly. Once the targets hear the whistle, they will see feathers falling down, and, if the opponent realizes this is a genjutsu, they just need a Will Power stat of 15 to break out of it. If they don't break out of the genjutsu, the target will fall asleep at the end of that post.

[Niro]

Tatsuo's senses caught different things happening quickly. First, the rustle of the trees behind him as Amaya moved into position as backup. Second, his eyes caught the kunai he had thrown being intercepted by a blast of wind from the very top of the tower. The green tinge of it was enough to confirm it was Fuuton and to let him know someone was indeed up there playing defense from the high ground. Then, simultaneously, he saw the flare up of flames coming from the closest tower and heard Hibiki yell about a ball while his Echolocation was able to pick up the hand signal from the Jounin Commander's own noises and the click he had unleashed earlier.

"Cover your ears." Tatsuo ordered Amaya as his hands clamped over his helmets ear sockets to block out whatever trigger Hibiki was about to unleash while his vision drifted to the right, where the open field was between the northern tower and the tree line. Someone and something were stalking their way across the field from the tower and Hibiki was now running out to greet them. Confident it had been done as he hadn't heard anything or noticeably fallen into a genjutsu, he removed them from his ears and let them fall to his sides while he watched as the two parties would move into position to clash. Unfortunately, while covering his ears, he hadn't be able to hear Takeo's taunt.

Tatsuo could see him, however.

"Takeo is mine. It seems they're meeting us in the field rather than hiding except for their defender on the high ground. Fly around if you can, draw their attention and hit the tower when the opportunity presents itself." Tatsuo released a small burst of chakra and released his melashiin from the base of his spine. From the cracks separating the greaves from his hauberk, the tendrils, like thick vines, snaked their way into the air. The mouths at the ends of each of them let loose a soft hiss as their sharp edges blossomed and snapped at the air like hungry dogs. The Tsuchikage jumped from his current branch forward and landed on another branch near the top of a tree at the very edge of the tree line some 70 meters to the right of where Hibiki and the others clash. From here, he could more easily see Takeo and Takeo him.

It was time to pick up where they had left off in Soul Country.

A total of four melashiin curled around the armor covering each of his arms and legs, one each, while the remaining eight waved lazily about in the air as he landed and used the built up momentum from the first jump to launch himself into a second jump aimed directly at the top of the tower where Takeo was standing.

This time, they wouldn't be interrupted.

SpoilerShow

[Basic Formation: Enhanced Melashiin]
D-Ranked Ninjutsu
Channeling chakra to their shiin, they cause it to inflate, fully forming into its full glory. Taking the shape of a long fleshy protrusion, the melashiin is able to recover at double the rate of a normal body part would. The user's melashiin has been combined with a temershiin granting it Endurance equal to user's Endurance.

[Hydra]
B-rank Taijutsu Stance
Tatsuo coils two melashiin around his arms up to his fists, two melashiin around his legs down to his feet, and leaves the remaining eight free to use as he pleases. While in this stance, he can have the melashiin wrapped around his limbs reach out [Endurance/4]m from his strikes.

[Killer Intent] Post 2/5 before Cost Refresh

[???] Continue from Last Post

[Echolocation] Continue from Last Post

[Trusted Grader]

So it begins
phpBB [video]
Ran chuckled, he knew that he shouldn't laugh at the Jounin commander but the guy was seriously weird, he followed his instructions and covered his ears and placed his feet over Wana's ears to cover them as well, waiting for the whistle to be over before he gently placed his feet on Wana's stomach, grabbed her fur and together they rushed past the commander, Ran who was riding Wana would keep an eye out for any enemies while Wana would do her best to pick up their scent, for they were now in war, death could come easy for anyone not fast enough to realise they had been targeted.

So as they pushed out of the forest line he would not only see the Tsuchikage challenge a man who appeared to be on fire, who Ran had failed to spot was the Hokage but also see the main tower, the one they were ordered to destroy, now Ran wasn't really the brutish type that kicked down walls normally but today was going to be an exception. He sighed and pulled up one of his butterflies, he let it dance in his hands before brandishing the Silver Dusk blade and prepared himself for any surprises, if not then he would rush up to the main tower, leap off the hyena and perform a double kick at max strength, causing two large chunks to fly off.

Although if anyone would try anything then the mounted warrior would leap off the hyena and the two of them would split up, in order to become two targets rather than one. This was to prevent any real damage to take hold of them both, again, seeing as this was a war, he knew that it would be better for them to use their strengths to their advantage.

---

Amaya closed her ears with her hands and waited for her Kage to remove his hands from his helmet before she too would do the same, "Roger Tsuchikage-Sama!" once she knew it was safe she would fly low and underneath the Kage, past the commander and took the long way round the tower the Homage stood, to rise up and fly past Ran and Wana who were rushing the main tower, once she got high enough she would spot Tenzin who seemed to be defending the main tower, no problem, she thought as she would shoot out her halo. Both would split up in a perfect pincer attack, before both she and the halo would corkscrew dive out of any harms way, this was to first test and see how fast the defender could react, but also to surprise attack him by sending the halo crashing into the building, where it would enter a couple of meters below Tenzin, and as the massive explosion would occur she would quickly form another set of hand seals, this time she wanted to focus on trying to keep Ran out of harms way.

Due to her not knowing the skills of the defender on top, she wanted to make sure that there was no top to stand on, once her hands had finished the seals a large set of glass would burst out of her forearm, shaping into her senbon shooter, which she would use to attempt to shoot the defender, all in order to keep eyes off of both Ran, Wana and Hebiki. She knew that the senbon shooter would probably not be enough to end the defenders life but would be annoying enough to stop the defender from being able to just flawlessly form any set of hand seals, or so she hoped.

---

MetaShow

Halo is flying at 40 speed and causes a 40 meter explosion.


Garaton • Zenpaku Itu [Glass Element • Forearm Shooter]
C-Ranked Ninjutsu
After forming a set of hand seals, Amaya start to produce glass from her forearm. Either from left or right arm, the glass is half an inch thick and able to shoot glass senbons at speed of [Control] and strike at strength of [Control]. This jutsu will last for four posts or until she shoots eighteen senbons, she is able to shoot six at the time.

[Texas]

Hide in the trees they said. Wait for the right moment to strike they said. Seiji mockingly though as he sat in one of the trees 2-3m away from the main tower. The left hand to Tenzin's affairs was given the task as backup in case multiple enemies headed straight towards the main tower. He was assigned the role as left hand because he was yet to be competent enough to be Tenzin's right hand. Ironically enough, Tenzin tasked him with watching his back. Although he was still learning stealth techniques, the shinobi thought that he hid himself well in the bushes of a tree. Hoping he hadn't been seen, the young lad would listen and watch before he heard a whistling noise. What followed immediately after were feathers dropping, no falling! The feathers were falling from the sky and flying in front of him.. seeing a bunch of feathers appear around him.

It was intriguing to say the least. He had never seen feathers and for a few moments, he was truly entranced. However, he had not been training with the Anbu for this long to not realize what was going on. When Seiji realized what was going on, he moved his hands up and did a single ram seal. In that split moment he released his chakra and reset it completely. Once the purged chakra left his body and he came too, Seiji gazed to his right and heard the scruffy running of an animal. As the young anbu agent lifted up his head, to his surprise it was a blonde haired boy riding a giant furry creature? The simple thought of a slobbering, smelly, hairball running around made the ninja sick.

Since he didn't recognize them in the debriefing that was given to him, Seiji decided to take a moment to try to stop them from heading further towards the tower.

When the yellow haired target and furball were 10 meters away, Seiji would jump out of the tree in their direction. Thanks to the large towers and the trees within the area, it would make a nice layout for his signature jutsu. As the young man was in the air, he would weave a few hand signs. Upon landing on the ground Seiji will release his shadow at max speed towards his targets. If it were to connect it would hold them for max control. Since they were on top of each other, maybe he could get a two for one?

SpoilerShow

*[Basic Jutsu • Kai Release]
D-Ranked Ninjutsu
A rather simple technique that allows the user to escape from a genjutsu. The user will form a single ram seal and focus to reset their chakra system to purge themselves of foreign chakra. The stat requirements for this technique can be found in the genjutsu rules.

~Eiketsu • Imitation
C-rank Ninjutsu
The user will perform a sequence of hand seals and will hold the final seal, the user will send their shadow out across any surface toward a target at a speed equal to the users [Control] up to 25 meters, aiming to connect with a targets shadow. If contact is made, the user and the opponent will be linked together in movement, so that everything the user does is mimicked by the opponent. they are bound with a strength of the users [Control], last for 5 posts.

30 speed, 30 strength

---

Tenzin continued to have his arms out and held tense. The shinobi was near the edge of the tower looking down and around to try to get a better sense of the situation. The breeze was current enough to be able to have trouble fully hearing everything going down below him, so it was very important that the shinobi kept his blue eyes open.

The shinobi knew that his trainee was somewhere down below, he had hoped at this point that Seiji would be getting involved. It wasn't something he truly had time to think about. Within a moment, he watched as a women with odd colored and textured wings aimed towards him by flying upwards. The second Tenzin saw this woman, the shinobi didn't hesitate. He had decided to save the wind within the area in case of a defense last resort. With that in mind, the silver haired shinobi noticed the attack coming his way from almost 40 meters away, Tenzin adjusted his left arm and lifted it in the air. In a quick motion he would move the lingering wind within the area towards halo being launched in an attempt to intercept it before it would hit the tower. Whether it was a direct hit or not, the explosion would cause Tenzin a quick and minor visual disturbance.

Tenzin would move his right hand up in the air in a similar motion to attack the shinobi weaving hand signs, although he would see her a bit later in the process. By the time the jutsu had attempted to intercept, the flying shinobi was no more than 30 meters away, maybe closer. With another swift motion, he would attempt to hit the shinobi with more of the wind lingering in the air. However, if angled correctly it would mainly hit the jutsu that was initially sent towards him. The wind, if connected, would destroy the senbon, allowing the rest of the wind to head towards the shinobi.

Regardless of its success, Tenzin would use an opportunity of evasion as a moment to strike. Attempting to capitalize on the situation, Tenzin would weave several hand signs before releasing his jutsu. Either after contact or evasion, Tenzin would snap his right finger and then his left finger one after another. The first snap would be an attempt at a direct hit. The second snap would be in an attempt in case she evaded. With those two snaps Tenzin would slightly bend his knees and keep his hands open for any slate of response.

SpoilerShow

All Speed and Strength is at 50.

Jutsu being controlled -
Fuuton • High Winds
C-Ranked Ninjutsu Technique
After weaving the proper hand signs or channeling chakra, the user would release chakra from their back. By combing fuuton chakra and sending it throughout the back of the user. Winds would push through towards the area in the direction that the user would be aiming at. These winds take up a 30m radius and cover the area with the user's chakra infused Fuuton. The speed and strength of the initial jutsu is dictated by the [Control] Stat. Although the jutsu itself lasts for one post, the chakra infused Fuuton lingers within the 30m radius for 5 posts.

---

*[Aerokinesis]
A-Rank Ninjutsu
Having achieved notable mastery over Fuuton, the user is capable of shaping, directing, and manipulating existing bodies of the element without the need of hand seals or an existing technique. The range at which the user can manipulate the element is equal to the user's [Control x 2m]. While the user can freely manipulate this element, they cannot produce the element naturally where it doesn't exist.

Katon • Snapping Combustion
B-Ranked Ninjutsu
After using chakra channeling or the proper hand signs, Katon is flowed into the fingertips of the right and left hands. The fingertips act like a lighter flint. When the user aims and snaps their finger a fire explosion would appear at a speed dictated by [Control] and can go up to 60m. When the spark hits a solid surface it explodes into a 5mx5mx5m flame with a strength based on [Control]. When the jutsu is activated, the user can snap their fingers up to 10 times before having to reactivate the jutsu.

[Izanagi]

The Hokage peered out from his outpost, noticing the man step out of the treeline, declaring himself and immediately splitting into a mass of clones, ‘A diversion’ he thought immediately, discarding the man below and to the North. The others would deal with him, it was Tatsuo alone that he wanted. Continuing to scan the treeline, he decided to prepare himself further, expecting Tatsuo to come to him and knowing he would need to hold his ground. Forming hand seals he was quickly enveloped in an aura of wind that extended out in a 40-meter radius around himself, cutting with a Strength of 50, but only moving with a speed of 30. He was burning through his chakra pool quickly considering he had already formed a shadow clone. If he were to guess he would say he only had about 35% of his total chakra remaining, at least enhancing his chakra control had helped mitigate some of the drain.

His wind aura would begin to chip away at the very tower he stood on, though fortunately, the structure was quite durable. A moment after completing his seals he noticed the Tsuchikage, leaping out toward him, coming from the west. Releasing his enhanced chakra control and assuming Tatsuo persisted through the wind aura, Takeo would greet his fellow Kage with a spinning back kick, leaning back to pre-emptively evade an oncoming attack before lashing out with a roundhouse kick aimed toward the temple. Given the number of tentacles his opponent had sprouted, he was sure to be received by one of them. Anticipating being blocked his true aim was to intercept and grab one of the man’s arms or tentacles on the right side of his body, gripping tightly and attempting to use the man’s momentum to throw him over his shoulder and slam him into the ground. All the while the flames enveloped around his body would spread and erupt over everything he made contact with. Throughout all the commotion and swirling winds, the sound of Hibiki’s whistle wouldn’t reach even his well-trained ears.

Jutsu UsedShow

Fuuton • Godly Wind Aura
B-Ranked Fuuton Jutsu
After forming the necessary hand seals, the user will thrust their hands forward as a vortex of wind blasts outward from their body with a speed of 30. The wind blows all around their body, pushing outwards to a radius of 40 meters. Being caught in these swirling gusts of wind will push one back with a force of 50, also clearing away particulates in the area. This Jutsu fades after three posts. Being caught in these winds will result in deep cuts throughout the victim's body, capable of slicing through trees and armor with ease.

Spinning Hook Kick
B-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
One of Takeo’s flashier and few taekwondo inspired moves he will often incorporate this difficult to read attack in the midst of rolling maneuvers and situations with multiple attackers. Typically in response to an incoming kick or charge Takeo will turn away from his opponent, bending forward and ducking so low that his upper body comes a mere foot off the ground as he evades the incoming attack before proceeding to spin around lashing out with an upwards kick with immense force aimed either at the opponents jaw or hooked around to strike them in the temple. The sheer power and surprise of the kick is often enough to knock an opponent unconscious or at least severely stagger them due to the precision placement. If Takeo’s Speed is at least 10 higher than his opponents he will appear to vanish before delivering the kick, seemingly out of nowhere, 5 higher and he will be nothing but a blur unless they have a separate means of tracking high speed motion.

Iron Grip
B-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
Having trained his forearms and grip strength to remarkable levels Takeo is capable of grasping opponents in unyielding holds. So long as his strength is higher than his opponents Strength they will be unable to break free of his grasp through traditional means, with a difference of at least 5 greater he can cause heavy bruising and small fractures and with a difference of 10 or higher he can cause the arm to shatter into many small fragments. This technique serves as a basic set-up for many of his strike combinations.

Throw
D-Ranked Taijutsu Maneuver
This simple technique requires control of one of the opponents arms, then by placing himself in front of the opponent Takeo uses the leverage gained by the trapped arm to lift the opponent onto his back and flip them over his shoulder, causing them to slam into the ground. Often Takeo secures his other hand somewhere on the opponent’s body in order to prevent them from side-stepping or sliding off of his back during the throw. Throughout the throw Takeo keeps the trapped arm secure allowing him to easily follow up the move with an arm bar. This whole process has been drilled so many times that it literally takes less than a second to perform. If the opponent is stronger than the user they can resist this technique.

Meanwhile, Takeo’s shadow clone would move underground, circling around the North tower and following the sounds of Keriku and Masuru’s footsteps, forming handseals as he moved before pressing his hands against the earthen walls of the corridors he was creating. This would give him an even more accurate depiction of the locations of his enemies and comrades alike. He would allow Ran and Wana to pass over him, the two running past Keriku on their approach to the central tower. Masuru, still invisible would initially see Hibiki advance, but would leave the clones for now, assuming they were mere distractionary bunshin and couldn’t harm him. Instead he perform kai after whistle and feathers and then move to intercept Wana as Keriku and her Byakugan moved on Hibiki. Drawing his Katana as Ran/Wana passed around the North tower Masuru would aim to cleave the man’s left arm off as they moved past one another. Then, leaping away from the passing enemies he would trail behind them from a distance of 10 meters, searching for another opening to exploit, ready to strike again.

Toshiaki, also invisible and stationed 10 meters in front of the central tower and the 40 meters behind the North tower would watch as Ran and Wana emerged from around the North tower. From his position he couldn’t see Hibiki or Keriku on the other side of the tower, toward the forest. And in order to defend the central tower he would form handseals, producing a 30-meter diameter bed of roots that started just in front of his feet and would extend nearly to the North tower falling just short of Masuru who would leap back a few meters outside the thorns. The thorns would aim to ensnare both Ran and Wana in 30 Strength, 30 Speed Roots that if ensnared in would develop thorns and dig into their flesh, attempting to hold them in place. Tilting his head slightly to the right he would notice as his fellow Anbu operative; a member of the Nara clan, emerged about 5-10 meters to his right and attempted to ensnare their enemies in shadows. Only then would he purge the sound based genjutsu from his mind after noticing the falling feathers.

Takeo’s shadow clone on the other hand would perform kai as soon as he heard the whistle and saw the feathers. Deciding to assist Keriku after Masuru changed directions and headed back toward the central tower he would attack Hibiki. Forming hand seals he would cause the earth to emerge from under Hibiki’s feet, releasing 5 chains that would collectively aim to restrain the man with 40 Speed and 35 Strength. Arms, legs and neck would be attempted to be restrained, even strangling the man and preventing him from speaking further or forming more handseals.

Jutsu UsedShow

Shadow Clone:
Fangless Hound
A-Ranked Taijutsu Discipline
Growing up surrounded by Inuzuka Takeo has developed a nose keen enough to rival their own. He can pick up on faint scents that average shinobi wouldn’t even notice to the point where he can distinguish the individual body scents of people and determine emotional states including detecting aggression, as well as determine specific species of animals or gender even by just a strand of hair. The passive range of this ability is 50 meters though if he has picked up on a trail, he can continue to follow it to its source assuming there are still scent particles in the air or physical remnants of a trail.

Keen Ears
C-Ranked Taijutsu Discipline
Takeo’s sharp senses allow him to pick up on slight sounds within a 15 meter radius of himself. This can range from the sound of a weapon being drawn, a projectile in flight or subtle footsteps and sounds of moderately heavy breathing. In terms of eavesdropping he can discern a conversation at such a range as if he were standing next to the person whom is speaking.

*[Sensory Style • Approaching Tremor]
C-rank Doton Ninjutsu
The user will do a series of hand seals and place their hands to the ground. Releasing waves of chakra out of their hands. These waves of chakra will bounce back to the user after traveling out 25 yards on the ground. As the chakra returns to the user it will evoke an image in the users head of the immediate area around them, anything touching the ground and anything up to 5 feet underground. These are still images, not moving images, but can give the user a good idea of what is happening if they aren’t able to see otherwise.

Situational Awareness
C-rank Taijutsu Discipline
Takeo has developed a keen sense of awareness of his environment. His innate attention to detail allows him to memorize the layout of an area or building as well as having a knack for identifying the entrances and exits as well as the positions of any other people in the area and even important details about that person. This grants the man almost a sixth sense in combat situations and his constant readiness allows him to more easily detect and escape from ambushes.

Earth Element• Chains of Imprisonment
B-Rank Ninjutsu
This powerful restraining jutsu requires that Takeo be within 60 meters of the target, after forming the necessary seals five lengths of stone chain-links with jut out of the ground at a speed of [40]. Unlike most jutsu of this fashion the chains are not directly controlled by Takeo and thus do not require additional concentration. Rather they are aimed at a target and then they rapidly move to immobilize the target, automatically looping around arms, legs, waist and neck. The chains extend as long as necessary to ensnare the victim depending on their height and girth; because this is not a controlled jutsu however they cannot pursue a target if the initial grasping has been avoided. Typically, this technique is used in order to restrain a target overnight or to secure someone before interrogation. A strength of [35] is required to break free.

Masuru:
32 Speed, 22 Strength, slashing at Ran’s left arm as he passed by.
*[Iaido • Iai Beheading Draw]
B-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite: *Iaido • Beheading Draw, 25 Speed
With a Variation of the Beheading Draw technique, the user forces a very quick snap of tension and torque through their arm as they draw their sword sending it vertically or across with great speed. With its speed, the strike takes on a blur, many times not even appearing to be drawn from its sheath. This slash is also incredibly powerful with its speed, able to slice through stone in most cases with enough power.

Toshiaki

Mokuton • Bed of Thorns
B-Rank Ninjutsu
After forming the necessary handseals the user can create a mass of roots that will shoot out of ground at a speed of 30, aiming to ensnare any targets within the 30-meter diameter area that the roots will cover. The user must be within 10 meters of the edge of these roots to enact the technique. Anything caught within the roots will be retrained with a strength of 30 and if nothing is captured they will simply form a dense undergrowth, leaving little more than 6-inches of space between each length of the root. With an additional handseals the user can cause the roots to produce 4 inch long thorns across the entirety of the bed, digging into any captured targets and further holding them in place while also causing a great deal of pain and injury.
Bakuhatsu nut on person post 2/3 (34 Strength)
Assassination Seed (given to Keriku) Post 2/6 (34 Strength)

[Sia]

The sly Hyuuga rolled her eyes in disappointment and performed the chakra kai immediately. "Amateurs." She said under her breath. Her and her shadow darted forwards, Keriku moving clockwise around Hibiki as her shadow moved the other way around, and the two of them began their synchronized assault immediately. "He's mine." Keriku said with a hiss to her shadow, whom had positioned its palms towards the sky and taken a crouching stance as Keriku did the same.

The ground erupted to snare Hibiki and Keriku stared straight through it, her Byakugan piercing through the jutsu and into his chakra points. Her shadow did the same, and in practiced synchronized precision they began their series of strikes. Keriku began from the front whilst her shadow began from the back, the two of them beginning the series of strikes that would accumulate up to seven hundred and twenty two strikes against Hibiki's tenketsu points. They ignored the snaring jutsu that assisted them, they could see through it and knew where to strike with their Byakugan.

Keriku UsedShow

Targetting Hibiki:

~Jyuuken :: Eight Divination Signs Three Hundred and Sixty One Palms of the Hand
S-rank Nintaijutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite: ~Jyuuken :: Eight Divination Signs Two Hundred and Fifty Six Palms of the Hand
The complete form of Jyuuken’s Ougi, this technique combines a sharp mental image with precise strikes. The user first envisions the symbol of the eight trigrams on the ground beneath them to gauge the distance between themselves and the target with the aid of the Byakugan. The master of this technique then channels chakra into their hands and dashes in to engage with the opponent. Using their calculations and precise strikes, the user will then swiftly perform a combination of blows equalling 361 in number; each blow closing a tenketsu point. With every tenketsu point on the opponent’s body closed, their body cannot function and they spiral into death should the combination of blows be completed.

Keriku's Shadow UsedShow

Targeting Hibiki:

~Jyuuken :: Eight Divination Signs Three Hundred and Sixty One Palms of the Hand
S-rank Nintaijutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite: ~Jyuuken :: Eight Divination Signs Two Hundred and Fifty Six Palms of the Hand
The complete form of Jyuuken’s Ougi, this technique combines a sharp mental image with precise strikes. The user first envisions the symbol of the eight trigrams on the ground beneath them to gauge the distance between themselves and the target with the aid of the Byakugan. The master of this technique then channels chakra into their hands and dashes in to engage with the opponent. Using their calculations and precise strikes, the user will then swiftly perform a combination of blows equalling 361 in number; each blow closing a tenketsu point. With every tenketsu point on the opponent’s body closed, their body cannot function and they spiral into death should the combination of blows be completed.

[Nick]

Hibiki's distraction was proving to do... Very little, actually. At least Kai-ing themselves free of the genjutsu he cast would open them up to further attacks, and his body acting as a distraction for them to cast jutsu on was doing... something. But that was very ball thinking of him, and as we had previously established, Hibiki was NOT the ball, and so if people were spending time focusing on not the ball in this ball game, then the ball had more time to do more cool stuff and succeed! Honestly it was pretty weird he was here instead of leading jounin somewhere.

Hibiki was neither fast nor physically strong, but that didn't mean he was completely and totally helpless, even if he was never going to be able to fully avoid the attacks presented before him. As the chains erupted, he had a split second to react and began to perform handseals after jumping to the left. The speed of the chains versus his low speed meant that he could hardly avoid them, causing them to sprout up around him even as he jumped, successfully wrapping around his legs and waist, but able to keep his arms and neck clear to be able to continue fighting for at least a moment longer in these dire straits.

The commander knew a little of the Hyuuga and Nara clans, but neither him nor his current controller really understood how any of that dumb nerd shit worked. One of the two people approaching him looked like a shadow, and therefor was probably some kind of weird clone monstrosity, and so as he finished his handseals, he made eye-contact with the 'real' looking of the two casting his [Alzheimer's] genjutsu. Another thing neither him nor his owner fully understood was whether or not the shadow would retain its knowledge of jutsu when its controller had lost them, but hey, only archive genjutsu is a rough list to work with, I tell you what.

JutsuShow

*[Genjutsu • Alzheimer’s]
A-Ranked Status Genjutsu
This jutsu can be extremely useful when used at the right time during battle. After performing this jutsu and making eye contact, the opponent forgets how to use all of the ninjutsu and genjutsu they know, except basic jutsu. If they attempt to recall a jutsu they will feel the same sensation as if a word is on the tip of their tongue, confused and nothing will happen. Lasts 2 posts.

[Niro]

In the air from his jump, Tatsuo began to build up strength in his arms and shiin while positioning his free shiin tentacles to intercept any sort of impact or attack from others as he cleared the space. What he did see clear as day was the slicing windstorm which erupted from Takeos tower and the aura of fire pulsating out from it. An orange shimmer appeared in the air 5 meters around Tatsuo and stopped the winds as they approached him as if he was the eye of the storm. The wave of fire was stopped at the boundary of the shimmer and pushed backwards as he soared towards the tower. [Ananta] surrounded him while it repelled each of the attacks he took stock of as he arrived at the tower roof.

Takeos kick came swimming through the shimmering aura as Tatsuo closed the space between them before it met the same fate as the winds and the fire. The spinning back kick would be repelled by [Ananta] before it struck his head allowing Tatsuo to more easily slip past the blow. He countered with a closed backhand strike from a low angle to the Hokages knee in an attempt to throw off his balance while at the same time one of his free melashiin tentacles attempted to wrap around the ankle of the same limb from above. Simultaneously another of his free tentacles also came in at a low angle from Tatsuos right aimed at Takeos planted ankle to sweep his remaining foot and help ensure he would be made airborne at least momentarily. Upon contact the tentacles would too be burned by the flames surrounding Takeo which finally licked at Tatsuos armor where his fist connected and began to char the outside of the gauntlet.

As the two were airborne, Tatsuos other hand launched forward to strike Takeo with his built up strength and release it through not just the flames protecting him but the Doton armor as well. His fist first crashed through the flames and dispelled them before impacting the Doton armor as if it was the fist of a god which was immediately followed by the melashiin tentacle on his arm. The tentacle followed by extending and releasing its own strike right after the first. If his fist hadn't torn through both armors, the blow from the melashiin would insure the destruction of the Doton chestplate and also strike Takeo himself. The sheer force of the blow would send the man through the tower below them and several floors before the burned melashiin tentacle which had wrapped around his ankle stopped him and retracted him back like a yo-yo to once again face Tatsuo at the top of the tower.

SpoilerShow

Tl;dr
Wind, Flame, Kick repelled by [Ananta]
Bind attempt on kick foot with #1 tentacle
Sweep attempt on planted foot with #2 tentacle
50 Str [Shiva's Gift] with fist to break [Katon]+[Doton] Armor
45 Str [Shiva's Gift] with [Hydra] melashiin tentacle to hit Takeo
Retract with successful(?) [Feel No Pain] #1 tentacle to bring back to fight

2/8 Tentacles in Free Space Used

[Ananta]
S-rank Taijutsu Discipline
Prerequisite: [Fortitude], [Heavenly Body Control], 50 WP, -1 Endurance
Tatsuo's mastery over his own Willpower is so great it forms an area of dominion equal to [Willpower]/10 meters with him at its epicenter. Once an attack enters this space, granted he can sense it through some means, it will be pushed away at [Strength] equal to the user's own. Attacks with greater [Strength] than the user's own will still be slowed but not pushed away at [Strength]/2 Spd.

[Watching Closely]
S-Rank Discipline Taijutsu
Prerequisite: [Perception] concentration
Possessing immense battle sense and perception, Tatsuo is aware of even the most subtle details around him, to a point where he can even pick up on the slightest tension changes in an opponent’s body allowing him predict their movement before it is complete or even read what someone is writing by the way their pencil moves. At times his eyes seem to move on their own will, rapidly tracking an amount of movements equal to his [Speed]/2.

[Instant Acceleration]
A-rank Taijutsu Discipline
Prerequisite: 50 Strength
The user has trained their body to utilize their full speed without any build up or using any excess energy. This allows the user to use their max speed while operating in the midst of a fight or even from a dead stop as if they were just jogging casually.

[Close Quarters]
B-rank Taijutsu Discipline
Prerequisites: Upper Body, Shiin Usage
When in enclosed areas, the user may find themselves with limited space and find it difficult to get the full force out of their attack. No matter the angle, the user who practiced this discipline will be able to get full strength from their attacks even if they can't extend them fully.

x2, 50 Str - Fist, 45 Str - Melashiin
[Shiva's Reach]
A-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite: [Shiva's Gift]
The user will strike their opponent with enough strength to cause five aftershocks to course through their entire body equal to the user's [Strength] to a max of their [Endurance]. Those with less [Endurance] than the user's [Strength] will suffer from -6 Speed and -3 Strength as their body copes with the aftershocks over the course of 5 posts.

[Feel No Pain]
A Rank Taijutsu Discipline
Prerequisite: 35 Endurance, 35 Strength
A user with this technique has trained themselves to ignore even the most painful of wounds. This isn't to say that the damage of the wound is ignored; a grievous wound will still cause damage to the user's body and could inhibit their abilities or kill them outright. This discipline simply allows the user to treat pain as if it doesn't exist through shear force of body and will, allowing them to charge straight through attacks and jutsu to deliver their onslaught of attacks.

[Trusted Grader]

Amaya's explosive halo was blocked by a wind controlled by Tenzin and as she shot her senbons towards him she would spot how they would too be blocked and returned to sender, fortunately they were slowed down remarkably, giving her a sense of much stronger the man was at controlling jutsu than she was, causing her to curse under her breath but she still didn't faulted, no, she used her giant butterfly wings to block the incoming senbon before she turned her wrist and aimed towards the tower and fired off six senbons, she made sure to spread them out in order to make it harder to block each one, which would not only create extremely massive holes but break apart the entire structure if Tenzin didn't continue to choose to protect the tower.

Her wings would, if he continued to choose to blast her instead, block the incoming explosion as best as they could, shattering in the process but protecting her from most of the blast, that's not to say that she didn't suffer damage from the explosion as they, for even if her wings were large enough to cocoon her when she blocked against the returning senbon there were still gaps in the defence, which would cause her to feel a heavy brunt of the attack but not enough to put her out of commission. Amaya would try regain composure and channel chakra into any piece of glass next to her in order to create a platform for her to both land on and then form multiple defensive walls around her.

---

Wana whooped loudly as she could not only hear someone approaching them but smelled him as well but her eyes seemed to be unable to catch the invisible predator, Ran grit his teeth as he had come to understand the warnings of the hyena due to having spent the last seven years with her in his custody. Here we fucking go! He grit his teeth and pulled out the syringe and injected Wana with the artificial adrenaline and snapped his finger as he heard the chains release from the ground and snare at Hibeki, he leaped off the hyena and injected himself before he tossed four kunais aimed the chains in order to assist Hibeki destroy his entrapment with the first one being tossed and kicked with a Webster axe kick, and as he landed he would then toss two more towards the Hyuuga who appeared to be attacking the Jounin Commander, before he continued with his previous assault and that was to rush towards the tower.

Wana would rush towards where she had heard his footsteps and where the scent had placed the invisible foe and attempt to claw and slash towards the invisible foe, her massive size would most likely assist in giving her the advantage but since she had no idea what she was facing she was still in danger, though the massive adrenaline boost would assist her in masking any pain she would face, the vicious attack from the invisible foe, if continued as previous would slash cause a massive cut over the hyena's left side of the face and in fact blind the beast in one eye but in return the invisible foe would have to deal with the hyenas monstrous strength and massive claws in retaliation.

Ran on the other hand would first focus on the growing forest that was aimed to envelop him, but due to his massive adrenaline spike, the youngster ignored the fear and brought forth his two butterfly knives, he placed his leading foot in front of the other before he pushed against it and started hacking and slashing at the roots with such great vigour and speed that anyone not close to his speed would almost lose sight of him, his strength was boosted to the level that the roots were nearly just a nuisance, he'd then reach for his pouch and toss two Kunai towards the tower in hopes to cause damage to it's structural integrity for he knew that he couldn't rush it as of now then face a Nara who leaped out to try to ensnare him in a shadow jutsu, which momentarily halted him, and momentarily was generous at best as it almost did nothing to halt the speedster from planting his right leg on to the Nara's chest, kicking him into the great yonders with enough force that it would most likely render the man incapacitated.

Damn it, I am separated from Wana, this is not good, Amaya will kill me if something bad happens to her pet...

---

MetaShow

Amaya

Shooting 6 (40str/speed) senbons and alternatively if Tenzin continues his assault on Amaya

[Glass Element • Repair]
D-Rank Ninjutsu
After forming the needed hand seals and flooding a piece of glass with chakra, the user will repair the glass, causing any cracks or breaks to be fixed with little noticeable seams. This can be done at a rate of [Control] = [Speed] per post.

[Glass Element • Multiple Mirror Wall]
C-Ranked Ninjutsu
After forming the needed hand seals and slamming her hands on the ground, the user will cause three six foot tall, four foot wide, and one inch thick mirrored walls of glass to rise out of the ground within 30 meters of the user. The walls are created at [Control] speed and can be broken at [Control] strength and lasts for 6 posts.


Wana

Cha: 10
End: 24
Con: 1
Str: 40 (35+5)
Spe: 31 (30+1)
Will: 14 (20-6)

Unleash
E-Rank Taijutsu
Once given the hand sign Wana will rush towards its target and attack it wildly, using its speed and might to keep the target busy. It will calm down once it gets the correct finger snap from Amaya.

Ran

Cha: 10
End: 20
Con: 1
Str: 37 (32+5)
Spe: 41 (40+1)
Will: 14 (20-6)

*Ochiba • Single Finger Draw
D-Ranked Taijutsu Discipline
Utilizing this manoeuvre, the user is able to quickly draw a kunai from its holster. This is done by placing their finger through the lip of the holder and into the ring of the pommel, flicking it up and out quickly, having the kunai in the user’s hand within an instant.

Ochiba • Guerilla Warfare
C-Ranked Taijutsu Discipline
The user has become a master at movement and energy expenditure being able to make the best of quick movements while also being able to maintain awareness and escape from a sticky situation. They utilize the utmost of their speed to make every movement count, and can create quick formulated movements that are efficient.

*Ochiba • Felling Axe
B-Ranked Taijutsu Maneuver
A technique used if the user is disarmed, though often used in conjunction with projectile techniques, such as the [Flawless Aim Style] when a kunai is deflected or airborne, the user will perform a ‘Webster Axe Kick’ essentially a forward flip, and they will kick the pommel of the kunai, projecting it in the direction of an opponent. Due to the momentum and the heightened trajectory this will move with +6 speed.

First Kunai flew at 38 speed while the other five flew at 32, the last two Kunai are tossed at 37 speed towards the tower.

Ochiba • Blur of The Autumn Storm
S-Ranked Taijutsu Stance
Prerequisite: 40 Speed
The user will get into a low stance, with one foot set far behind the other, and all weight put on the back foot in order for explosive speed. The user’s hands will be right next to the user’s face, one clutching a kunai the other open palmed for versatility. In this stance, the user’s focus is speed and unpredictability. Every move they make will become a blur, making their exact movements impossible to make out, but the user will be visible during the very start and end of each movement. Those unfortunate enough to have a speed below the speed of the user will be affected by this.

[Texas]

Tenzin continued to keep his eyes on the woman with the wings. It was an incredible feat to be in the air and then use the wings to block. A note to keep mentally, the shinobi noticed that his Jutsu not only blocked his, but it sent his senbons back. She either wasn't going all out, or was at her limit with Control. This advantage was something the young adult wanted to use to his advantage.

Right before the shinobi was going to release his jutsu towards the flying Iwa shinobi, he witnessed her lifting her arm up and begin to launch more senbons. This battle was something he really loathed. Not only was he defending with little opportunity to attack, he was also landlocked for jutsu. If he was to use Doton, he could affect the tower itself. He had to be careful with both Fire and Lightning in a controlled way in order to not damage the tower. So for now, he would stick to fuuton, suiton, and any alternate controlled jutsu that he could use.

With that in mind, Tenzin watched as Amaya began launching senbons. Luckily for the young shinobi, she was shooting the senbons at the same time. This gave him the opportunity to counter each one as they came out with only a couple of snaps. The shinobi was start to go on his tippy toes and gently move his legs giving himself a feeling of being agile. If he was to be smart about this, he would be able to use his snaps along with launching it at the girl. As the senbons were launched, Tenzin would snap his fingers. Snapping his fingers twice in order to counter the 6 senbons would cause 5mx5mx5m explosions at each targeted sight.

When the explosions happened one after another in sync, Tenzin would swing both of his arms back. As he did that the flames would collect together in two different streams. The silver haired shinobi would then bunny hop forward and bend his knees giving him leverage as he swung both of his arms forward with his open hands aimed at Amaya. Two streams of flames would target her from the sides. One would be aimed to her right and the other would be aimed at her left. As Tenzin was doing this he would keep an eye out on her in case she tried something sneaky.

If she was to dodge the attack, Tenzin would swing his arms in a circle and kick his legs up pushing upwards. This movement would flow the two flames to follow her sides in an attempt to follow her for a tempted strike.

If she blocked, the flames would explode over her and cause potential blurred vision whether she blocked completely or the flames dissipated in smoke. Regardless of the way she blocks Tenzin would quickly weave a couple of hand signs and expel a ball of water from his mouth at the fastest speed he could send. The water ball would launch at her and attempt to completely trap her. With the size of the water, it would completely envelop her and her platform if she was to attempt to block that as well.

JutsuShow

All Jutsu 50str/50spd

Katon • Snapping Combustion
B-Ranked Ninjutsu
After using chakra channeling or the proper hand signs, Katon is flowed into the fingertips of the right and left hands. The fingertips act like a lighter flint. When the user aims and snaps their finger a fire explosion would appear at a speed dictated by [Control] and can go up to 60m. When the spark hits a solid surface it explodes into a 5mx5mx5m flame with a strength based on [Control]. When the jutsu is activated, the user can snap their fingers up to 10 times before having to reactivate the jutsu.

*[Pyrokinesis]
A-rank Ninjutsu
Having achieved notable mastery over Katon, the user is capable of shaping, directing, and manipulating existing bodies of the element without the need of hand seals or an existing technique. The range at which the user can manipulate the element is equal to the user's [Control x 2m]. While the user can freely manipulate this element, they cannot produce the element naturally.

If the technique is blocked:

*Suiton • Water Prison
B-Rank Ninjutsu
After performing the correct hand seals the user is able to spew a large ball of water that stands at three meters in diameter. This ball rolls forward at the desired target up to 40 meters away and at [Control] Speed. Should this strike the target, they will become engulfed within the sphere. However, if this manages to strike multiple targets, it will envelop them as well, up to a total of 3 prisoners. One can resist being pulled into the ball if they have a strength higher than [Control]. The trapped targets will spin with the sphere and may become nauseated and dizzy from the disorientation. The technique lasts for a total of 4 posts before bursting.

---

Seiji got excited when he was able to lock in the shinobi. However, what Seiji didn't account for was having his jutsu broken out of. At first he thought that his quick capture would be appraised by his sensei Tenzin, however once the ugly looking wild child broke out, the mild tempered shinobi felt slightly worried. It was clear that based on his strength and speed Seiji was very much outclassed. He was warned that he wasn't ready, but this was an opportunity for him to truly prove himself. He knew what he had to do, because at this point he had fully developed the Anbu Mentality.

When the homely boy broke out and the Nara Anbu was falling to the ground, he gazed upon the man that was without a doubt about to take him out. He had to try something... anything. Anything! With desperation, Seiji would attempt to weave a few hand signs after his jutsu was broken and if time was on his side release a jutsu before he was kicked into the great beyond.

Unfortunately for Seiji, he couldn't do much to avoid the kick. His only saving grace would be to attempt an attack, take the hit, and use that momentum to potentially gain some distance from the blonde rage monster. Right as contact would be made, when they were extremely close to each other, Seiji would spit a bullet at Ran right as he would get hit. With luck, if the shinobi was using his leg to kick his chest and send him flying, the bullet would fly at middle of Ran's face as fast as he possibly could. The kick would send him back, but not without extreme pain that would chill down his entire body. With pure willpower, Seiji would use the force that would send him back to gain distance.

As the anbu member was sent back, he would weave several hand signs to prepare for the inevitable attack coming his way. Based on how this fight was going, he could maybe take a couple more hits before he was completely incapacitated.

JutsuShow

Str30/spd30

*[Rust Bullet]
D-Ranked Sankaton Ninjutsu
After doing the needed hand seals, the ninja gathers Sankaton chakra in their mouth, creating a blob. After spitting it out, it grows to a .5x.5.x5 meter diameter ball that travels at [Control] Speed, up to 10 meters away, eroding anything it strikes with [Control] strength.

[Izanagi]

Takeo smirked, eyes gleaming with excitement as he saw the protective bubble burst out from Tatsuo. It was an interesting technique, some kind of ultimate defense. It would pulse outward a second time as Takeo’s wave of fire was released outward from his armor. Already he had learned that the shield seemed to be more of a counterattack than a true defense. The question now was whether it required active concentration and just how many times could Tatsuo utilize it before it exhausted him? Again, it was used, blocking Takeo’s kick and slowing the attack and allowing Tatsuo an opening for a powerful backhand to Takeo’s knee. Fortunately, his layered armors protected him from any harm, but it did allow him to get a gauge for his opponent's fearsome physical prowess. The tentacle would grab his left leg as Takeo grabbed Tatsuo’s right arm, wrapping around the elbow and attempting to keep the arm stretched out over his chest. Chakra would surge from the man, flowing into his opponent and attempting to weaken him as he hooked around the tendril against his foot, using it as an anchor point and hooking into it, applying equal force against the tentacle to keep himself stabilized.

Though, as it quickly became apparent he wouldn’t be able to generate enough momentum to flip Tatsuo, instead he used the binding of his left foot to leap upward, shifting and twisting his body mid-air to attempt to evade the tentacle aiming for his right foot and instead spin toward Tatsuo and aim a knee strike with his right leg to the man’s head. His grip on Tatsuo’s arm would therefore rotate as he attempted to control his forearm. Of course, as soon as Takeo’s feet were both off the ground he left himself at the mercy of Tatsuo’s left hand coming in for a powerful strike to his chest. Channeling additional chakra, Takeo would commit to trying to impair his opponent's physical ability as much as possible, even at the cost of his own defenses being shattered. Even as the earth-shattering blows impacted him, Takeo wouldn’t relent his grip on Tatsuo’s arm until he had slowed and weakened him with his IIjutsu techniques. And as he was sent flying backward from the force of the attack he would attempt to use his grip of his right hand on Tatsuo’s arm to throw the man over him and send them tumbling into the tower together.

Jutsu UsedShow

Iron Grip (right hand grabbing Tatsuo’s right arm)
B-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
Having trained his forearms and grip strength to remarkable levels Takeo is capable of grasping opponents in unyielding holds. So long as his strength is higher than his opponents Strength they will be unable to break free of his grasp through traditional means, with a difference of at least 5 greater he can cause heavy bruising and small fractures and with a difference of 10 or higher he can cause the arm to shatter into many small fragments. This technique serves as a basic set-up for many of his strike combinations.

Foot Hook (left foot anchoring against tentacle)
D-rank Taijutsu Maneuver
This handy, technique is also quite simple in nature. Essentially it is a proficiency Takeo has developed to be able to hook tables, chairs, branches etc... with his feet. This serves a variety of purposes, namely to quickly pull objects towards himself, throwing them between himself and his opponent or knocking them over for defensive purposes and also used to help stabilize himself or serve other simple purposes.

Jump Kick (right leg using left anchor to generate force and aim a kick/knee to top of Tatsuo’s head)
C-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
An ideal attack to utilize in a kick combination Takeo has incorporated this technique into his brutal close quarter’s style. Often used after softening the target with a few opening blows Takeo uses this kick to capitalize on any openings he has created. He starts by driving one knee into the air and then scissoring his legs to build momentum, striking with the opposite leg in a powerful kick often aimed at the temple. Due to his sheer control over his body Takeo can adjust the path of the kick even in mid-air allowing him to make adjustments that make guarding difficult, such as kicking twice with the same leg or soaring his leg over his opponents head to deliver a swift reverse strike to the opposite side of their head.

[Iijutsu • Weaken] (basic channel through point of contact, either ankle or hand, whichever contact point is held when technique is ready)
B-rank Ninjutsu
Often used while wielding a weapon or when one hand is occupied, Takeo will make contact with his target, flowing chakra into to their body and directly weakening their muscles. The opponent will feel immediately sluggish and weak reducing their strength by 6 for a duration of 5 posts.

[Iijutsu • Slow Down] (basic channel through point of contact, either ankle or hand, whichever contact point is held when technique is ready)
B-Ranked Ninjutsu
Often used while wielding a weapon or when one hand is occupied Takeo will channel chakra into his free hand and then make contact with his target, flowing chakra into their body and affecting the way their body reacts to signals from the brain, effectively lowering their speed by 6 for a duration of 5 posts.

Colliding worlds (using gripped arm and force of Tatsuo’s strike to spin and attempt to hurtle Tatsuo as well)
C-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
When in close range Takeo will cup either an opponent’s head or control them under their arm, he will then spin and turn their body in a wheel like fashion, hurtling them towards a wall or additional opponents will devastating force. Often this technique is used against charging opponents, utilizing their own momentum against them, however this can be used against a stationary target as well though in such a case the opponent can resist if their strength is equal to or greater than Takeo’s.

Takeo’s shadow clone listened and felt the vibrations going on above him as his chains ensnared his target. Hibiki may have narrowly been able to pull off his jutsu before the chains restrained him fully, but restrain him they would for as soon as his legs were bound in place it would be essentially impossible to evade the other chains. Regardless, however, whether or not Keriku was successful with her attack, the shadow clone would rise up from the ground a few meters behind Hibiki. Stealthy as a ghost, the former Anbu Commander would swiftly draw a kunai and slit the man’s throat before burying the weapon hilt deep in his chest. There was no place for mercy on the battlefield and this man had already proven dangerous to keep alive. Quickly scanning the battlefield, the shadow clone saw the least contained threat, the blonde-haired man hacking away at the thorns. “Give me the seed” he said to Keriku, referring to the explosive Toshiaki had handed her earlier. Assuming she gave it to him he would throw it with 50 Strength and Speed at the ground beneath Ran, signaling to Toshiaki as it neared. And with that a 36 Strength explosion would envelop the area, likely taking the man out of commission. Nonetheless, the shadow clone would rush over to Toshiaki and Seiji, moving around the explosion as he readied to strike down any surviving threats to the tower of his comrades.

While this was happening, Masuru found himself facing off against the oversized Hyena, slashing into the beast’s face and blinding its left eye. The Awai was still invisible, but it seemed his opponent had the sense enough to lash out at his general direction. Having sheathed his sword as quickly as he had slashed the beast, he had little time but to reach out grasping the throat and head of the beast as it lunged. Chanelling chakra into his finger he shoved it into the beast's injured eye, creating a powerful laser that would pierce and burn into the creatures brain with 10 Speed and 40 Strength, the brilliant red light and intense heat would be enough to instantly blind even its other eye and cause immense pain and damage, likely killing the creature and incinerating its brain within seconds. Toshiaki, after detonating the explosive nut thrown at Ran, would place his assassination seed in his mouth and perform a short series of seals, aiming to blast Ran with a torrent of water should he evade or otherwise survive the explosion and continue his way toward himself, Seiji and the tower. Within the stream, his nut would remain dormant, ready to strike at a moments notice should Ran find himself within range.

Jutsu UsedShow

Shadow Clone:
1 Kunai (slitting Hibiki’s throat, stabbing in heart)

Stalking Shadow (emerging from ground and stealthily dashing/striking Hibiki from behind)
A-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
Taking the art of hunting to the realm of combat Takeo is able to stalk his target with professional skill, moving up to his full speed while shadowing their movements and moving with the utmost silence. So long as his targets doesn’t have a perception technique of equal or greater rank he is able to approach them undetected by traditional means. Often this means his target isn’t even aware of his presence until his knife is already pressed against their throats.

Throwing ~Mokuton • Bakuhatsu Nut at Ran

Toshiaki:

~Mokuton • Bakuhatsu Nut (3rd post, 30 Strength +6= 36 Strength), Toshiaki gave to Keriku then to shadow clone and thrown, Toshiaki detonates)
D-Rank Ninjutsu
By closing their palm and performing the correct hand seals with the other, the user can create 1 seed closely resembling a walnut with a 2-inch diameter. This seed is filled with chakra and has enough energy to detonate with a force of a (36 Strength) Explosion. The user can detonate seed via kai, but if not detonated within 3 posts, it loses its potency.

*Suiton • Great Stream (Aiming to intercept Ran, 30 Control)
C-Rank Ninjutsu
After performing the correct hand seals the user expels a massive conical water torrent that drenches an area thoroughly, capable of soaking a meter down nearly instantly for soil and like materials. The cone has a base width of 15 meters and a range of 15 meters (increased to 30 meters) and travels at a speed of 45, pushing things back with a strength of 15.

Mokuton • Assassination Seed (30 Speed, 36 Strength, only detonated if Ran is caught in the stream, otherwise lays dormant and continues to gain strength. 3rd post active)
A-Rank Ninjutsu
Prerequisite: 30 Ninjutsu
After forming the necessary handseals the user will create a 1-inch diameter seed. Over the course of the next 6 posts the user can activate this seed with an additional handseal, causing it to violently grow and expand into an array of spiked wooden tendrils at a speed of 30 and a strength of 30 plus however much additional strength it gathered while laying dormant. These spiked tendrils are 3 inches in diameter and extend to a radius of 10 meters in all directions around the seed.

Masuru:
~Light Release • Blinders Technique
D-Ranked Ninjutsu
A passive technique, the user has learned to weaken the intensity of light from their jutsu that comes towards them. This means that users are effected less by the blinding and by the burning quality of their techniques.

Light Release • Safecracker (25 Control, used on Wana, digging finger in her eye socket as she leaps on Masuru, only extending a meter)
C-Ranked Ninjutsu
Channelling chakra into ones fingers the user will be able to produce a concentrated beam of light capable of burning through a wide variety of structures and materials. The beam travels at 10 speed and contains 40 strength and can range from a few millimetres to one inch in diameter with a maximum range of 10 meters though it can be reduced substantially depending on its use. Typically this jutsu is difficult to use in combat though is exceptionally useful at burning through walls and creating openings, even cutting through stone and steel with prolonged focus.

[Sia]

Keriku's shadow tore into Hibiki with precision as her eight trigrams technique began to barrel into him and paid no mind to the assistance from Takeo's shadow clone, whom slithered in unexpectedly to help deal a deadly blow. Keriku's beartrap mechanism activated, spiraling out of her knee to crush Hibiki's skull as her shadow performed the Three Hundred and sixty one palms technique, then the beartrap retreated back into her knee. Then Keriku gave the mokuton seed to the Takeo clone as she scanned the battlefield, then her and her clone both made there way over, tailing behind the Takeo clone and retrieving kunai's from their pouches. Keriku and her shadow each threw two kunai at Amaya's head. whilst staying behind the Takeo clone, one of them slightly behind his right flank and the other slightly behind his left flank.

[Nick]

It was a shame that weirdo amnesiac wasted their turn, because hibiki's throat was slit and he was on the ground pretty much dead, unless they wanted to continue to expose themselves by stomping on his body. He could theoretically be saved before that, one supposed, if he got immediate major medical attention, but in a battlefield like this, that seemed highly unlikely. "For... The Glory... Of Iwagakure..." He gurgled through the hole in his throat.

[Niro]

Tatsuo watched as Takeo reached upwards from his lowered position in the midst of his deflected hook kick and attempt to grab at him after the leg had been deflected and trapped. [Ananta] responded and pulsed outwards as it slowed the grapple attempt more than enough for the Tsuchikage to react before Takeo was able to wrap his fingers around Tatsuo's forearm. Tatsuo withdrew his arm to grasp the wakizashi on his hip and build torque while simultaneously one of his primed melashiin tentacles shot forward and batted Takeo's arm down at the wrist from above to send it down and away from both of them before whatever Takeo was channeling could be spread to him.

The moment Takeo leapt to attempt the knee and dodged the tentacle which had attempted to trip him up, the tentacle binding his leg and controlling him in space slammed him down with enough force into the roof of the tower to take away even Tatsuo's own breath before the knee could even be registered as an attempted attack by [Ananta]. Once he was slammed, the melashiin tentacle removed itself to show the previously burned portion had healed due to the melashiins inherent regenerative properties. Tatsuo's blow and the follow-up strike of the melashiin wrapped around his arm landed against Takeo's armors which had already begun to show damage due to the slam and blew them to pieces before ploughing into his bare chest with the blows. The force of the impact from Tatsuo's strike destroyed the rooftop around them and sent them both into free fall to the floor 20 meters below.

As they fell, the eight melashiin tentacles split to the left and to the right, four to a side. They went wide enough out using their 25 meter range to not be grabbed after seeing Takeo's previous grapple attempt before all eight struck upwards from behind to pierce through Takeo's unarmored back utilizing his own downward momentum to shorten their approach. Meanwhile, Tatsuo drew his wakizashi in a flash and slashed deep upwards and diagonally across Takeo's chest from the Hokage's right hip to his left shoulder.

SpoilerShow

Tl;dr
[Ananta] slows [Iron Grip]
1 Free-Space Melashiin tentacle 50 Str bats grapple attempt downwards at the wrist and away from Tatsuo
50 Str Slam Takeo into ground as he attempts knee, release after slammed
Wrapped Melashiin Tentacle Now Free to Use and Healed on Burn due to inherent Regen
Strikes from previous post hit and breaks armor, 50 Str initial hits + 5 46s x2
Rooftops breaks sends both into 20m fall
8 Free-Space Melashiin tentacles 40 Str strike at Takeo's chest from below as they fall
50 Str [Death's Gate] to Takeo chest

250 Str total to break armors
125 Katon Armor
-50 from bat down
-50 from slam
-25 from Fist Strike, Katon break
125 Doton armor
-25 from Fist Strike
-46 from [Shiva's Gift] aftershock
-46 from [Shiva's Gift] aftershock
-46 from [Shiva's Gift] aftershock, Doton breastplate breaks
-46 from [Shiva's Gift] aftershock to Takeo chest or lost to ?? after breaking breastplate
-46 from [Shiva's Gift] aftershock to Takeo chest or lost to ?? after breaking breastplate
-50 from Melashiin [Hydra] strike to Takeo chest
-46 from [Shiva's Gift] aftershock to Takeo entire body
-46 from [Shiva's Gift] aftershock to Takeo entire body
-46 from [Shiva's Gift] aftershock to Takeo entire body
-46 from [Shiva's Gift] aftershock to Takeo entire body
-46 from [Shiva's Gift] aftershock to Takeo entire body

*[Iaido • Death’s Gate]
C-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite(s): 15 Speed.
Drawing upon the superlative speed of Iaido, the practitioner momentarily torques the muscles in their body to draw their sword from its scabbard and deliver a blindingly fast slash before sheathing their blade. Properly reading this attack requires the opponent to have a Perception Technique equal or higher in ranking than this technique for this to be rendered useless. Otherwise, they cannot accurately read the attack and will be unlikely to completely avoid the attack, if at all.

*[Iaido • Shinigami Draw]
C-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
Losing the use of one's hand or arm in a fight can be a death sentence, but Iaido has found a simple, elegant response to this desperate situation. Using their free hand, the practitioner momentarily braces the edge of their sword against the inside of the scabbard before drawing. While it does not confer the instant acceleration benefit of its parent technique, this Discipline does allow the practitioner to use Iaido techniques at their normal speed even with only one hand.

[Recognition]
B-Rank Discipline Taijutsu
Humans are being of habits and patterns, this is no exception in combat, ranging from taijutsu to hand seals. Patterns already being easier to remember, the user has worked hard at actively committing whatever he sees to his short-term memory. This allows him to remember things such as the beginning wind up to a strike or a hand seal pattern after seeing it once, so that he can recognize the technique if used later in a battle. This gives him an advantage in anticipating his opponents next action and makes an opponent’s consecutive usage of a technique a liability.

[Trusted Grader]

Wana slashed towards an invisible opponent who had managed to dodge the first set of swipes, causing the hyena to grow ever confused, it had been damaged by something it could strongly smell and "feel" its impact from as the scent was so strong and close that the hair on her body could almost sense him, albeit her eyes still deceived her. The advantage of vision was on Masuru's side and the ever so slight speed advantage as well, although not enough to dare split his focus from the monster before him.

His first mistake was that he kept himself close to a monster that was unfathomably stronger than he was, the second was placing his hand on her neck/slash head, which not only gave away his position but the fact that he focused chakra to his hand which would force him to focus on something other than the monster next to him, even if it was for a brief second. These actions plus the feint glow from channeling allowed the psyched-up hyena to lash out and bite her arm that was holding him before her massive claws would cleave him from chest to ribs, tearing the arm out of the shoulder with ease, and even though the beast opened the man like a can of tuna, the laser from his hand was strong enough to stir fry the hyena's brain.

Ran, busy fighting what seemed to be majority of the combatants of the field quickly dispatched the flowing roots, and proceeded to combat Seiji, he watched how he formed a set of hand seals and prepared for what would come next, what he didn't expect was how Seiji's body almost melted like butter around Ran's leg, his strength was so far superior to Seiji's that they were not even in the same ballpark, in fact the kick was so hard that not only would he shatter most of the Nara's ribs but do some damage to his spine as well, this was enough to get Ran to react to the splitting bullet that zipped towards his face. Ran tilted his head to the side and felt how the bullet ate some of the skin on his face, creating a wound from the bridge of his nose across to under his right eye, worth it, for at least he was alive, and Seiji was incapacitated unless he got medical attention.

As he spun around and tossed the two kunai at the building, he spotted how they would not only shake the building violently but also tear two gaps into it, a smile grew on his face that was quickly turned into a frown as a seed flew towards the ground before him, he leapt backwards and pulled his body together to protect himself from the incoming blast, which sent him flying backwards. The pain of the blast rocked Ran but it was manageable as this was the only damage he had taken, so his body was still able to keep him afloat.

He landed on his left leg and pushed back for his right side was aching from the blast, fortunately he caught Toshiki form a set of hand seals, which prompted the thug to plan his way out of here, he had already damaged the tower and Wana was nowhere to be seen. Amaya seemed to struggle to put a dent on the tower and the Jounin Commander appeared to be dead, Fuck this. Ran grunted as he reached out and tossed his last two Kunai towards the Senju's suiton jutsu, each kunai flying at 37 str and obliterated the water wave and stopping the nut from proceeding closer to the thug.

Ran didn't celebrate this as it wasn't a victory, it was only the stop of what seemed to be an endless onslaught, his part of this war was already finished, he was already on his way out of this battlefield. Luckily there was still enough distance between him and the Takeo clone to allow him to vanish within the forest before he would catch up to him and the Senju would have to choose between continue to waste chakra on a fleeing Ran or focus on saving the Nara.

---

Amaya's attacks were all blocked and the explosions were still occurring, causing the Jounin to panic slightly, but the very idea that she had managed to keep the defender at the backfoot was good, this was her role in this war, she was only here to keep his focus away from assisting Takeo, attacking Ran or Wana. From her understanding, the man she was facing was a true ninjutsu specialist who had managed to not only burn out most of her chakra but also defend against every single attack she had produced, which meant that he wasn't just better at controlling chakra than she was, but he was faster as well.

But everything always came with a price, every positive movement had a negative one, so, even if nothing Amaya had cast did damage to neither him nor the towers, she knew that the distraction was far more than enough. She flipped and landed on a piece of glass that floated as she waved her arms to build the glass mirrors that split into two walls, covering one side each, she knew that her defensive capabilities were not as strong as Tenzins onslaught prowess, but the walls would hold enough for her to make her last move. The explosions wrecked her defenses and forced her to shield herself, second degree burns hit her right arm and side before poofing into a charred log that was struck by two kunai.

She watched how the tower rocked from Ran's attack, which allowed her to repair her wings and would flap her wings that carried her far away from the tower. The stress of having failed to do any damage to the tower was getting to her, stress of not being able to do better for her Kage and the stress that she stood no chance against Tenzin bit at her ego, she hated stress but she had learned a lot from this short interaction, whoever the ninja on top of the tower was, he was sure good at putting stress on Amaya, a man she hoped to face off again in the future to show how much stress he had placed upon her.

---

MetaShow

Ran

*[Toryu • Disregard of Fear]
C-Ranked Taijutsu Discipline
Prerequisite: 15 Will
Many of the Toryu techniques would put the user in incredibly daring positions where a single mistake could instantly spell disaster for the swordsman. As a result, Toryu practitioners must train themselves constantly to avoid letting their fears distract them from their task. A user with this technique has learned to shut out fear in the heat of combat, allowing them to perform their death defying attacks without the risk of failure due to fear responses.

Ochiba • Guerilla Warfare
C-Ranked Taijutsu Discipline
The user has become a master at movement and energy expenditure being able to make the best of quick movements while also being able to maintain awareness and escape from a sticky situation. They utilize the utmost of their speed to make every movement count, and can create quick formulated movements that are efficient.

Amaya

[Vitreokinesis]
A-rank Ninjutsu
Having achieved notable mastery over Garaton, the user is capable of shaping, directing, and manipulating existing bodies of the element without the need of hand seals or an existing technique. The range at which the user can manipulate the element is equal to the user's [Control x 2m]. While the user can freely manipulate this element, they cannot produce the element naturally.

*[Basic Jutsu • Change of Body Stance Technique]
D-Ranked Ninjutsu
After completing the necessary handseals, the user is able to quickly substitute his/her body with a nearby object that is at least 2/3rds his/her size, but no bigger than their body. This substitution allows the object to take the force of the attack that was meant for the user, additionally allowing the user to create distance between him/her and the opponent. The object used in this jutsu may not be objects that are imbued with chakra or controlled by it, and they may also only be single, solid objects within a 10 meter radius of the user. This technique may only be used a total of one time in a single thread, give or take how many times Shunshin no Jutsu has already been used.

[Texas]

Tenzin didn't realize this, but his companion was shattered internally and laying against a tree in the distant woods. In the silver haired jounin's mind, the main focus was the tower and eventually getting to the Kage battle. With the tower shifting and the water barrier capturing the log, Tenzin released the jutsu as he panted. This battle was painful for the young man, nothing was more frustrating that borderline doing nothing. His main goal was to guard the tower, based on the shift of it, someone was able to cause a little damage from below. With his hand behind his back, he wasted a good portion of his chakra. The tunnel vision of a battle left Tenzin unsuccessful in killing his enemy and fully defending the tower.

As Amaya flew off, the Anbu Captain quickly determined what his next move was. With a couple of kunai launched from a location coming up, it was safe to assume that his other fellow shinobi was successful in her battle. With one down and the other fled there was only one more thing to do at this point. Since Tenzin and Amaya's battle there was always the Hokage's safety in the back of his mind. Now that the there was only him left, Tenzin had decided to go towards the noise of combat and assert himself as support. If Keriku was close enough he would announce to her his move in case she wanted to join him. "Good job Keriku, I am heading to the Hokage"

The turquoise eyed man focused chakra to his feet and ran down the building. When he got down, he would continue to run around the main structure until he saw the two shinobi in combat. From the looks of it, Takeo was fighting an incredible opponent. He witnessed the different appendages coming from the other man's body. Tenzin attempted to silently keep his distance as he weaved a few hand signs and grabbed a kunai allowing for his chakra to flow through the item. With full speed, Tenzin whipped the Kunai at the opponent with a low amount of strength behind it.

Jutsu UsedShow

Kunai Launched at 47 speed from 30 meters away. Jutsu Control at 50.

*[Basic Jutsu • Act of Tree Climbing]
D-Ranked Ninjutsu
By focusing chakra into his/her feet, the user is able to walk up trees and other vertical surfaces in a similar fashion to walking along the ground. This chakra amount must be precise, and although all shinobi learn this technique, the user's control stat will determine how well this jutsu can be executed. Users with low control 2 or lower will often fall during the use of this technique, while users with average control 3 or higher will be able to use this technique functionally. It lasts for a number of posts equal to the user's Chakra Pool.

[Way of the Ninja • Silent Step]
B-Rank Taijutsu Stance
Pre-Requisite: [Way of the Ninja • Survey]
Using skills gained over time, the user has developed a technique of walking silently. By avoiding noisy obstacles and taking a path that would ensure silence as long as the target doesn't have a technique of the same rank or higher.

[Way of the Ninja • Silent Grab]
D-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
The user has unsheathed their weapon whether it is a sword or a small weapon. Due to practice and experience, the user can grab a kunai or unsheathe their sword without making a noise. Someone with a same rank or higher perception technique would be able to hear the sound.

*[Ninjutsu • Rattrap]
B-Ranked Ninjutsu
After performing the correct hand seals the user will imbue an item with their chakra that is no larger than a basketball. The next thing to touch the object within 3 posts will feel the chakra lurch off the object, surging into their body and overwhelming them. For those with less than [Control] Strength they will find themselves immobile for the next 5 posts. If the target that touches the object has [Control] or higher Strength, they will find themselves unaffected.

[Izanagi]

The Shadow clone advanced, watching as the blonde haired Iwagakure shinobi recoiled from the explosion but not before he had inflicted a serious wound on the Nara operative, kicking him free of the blast zone. The wave was parted with a pair of kunai but the water would still splash over the area. The kid was fast though and looking to what appeared to be his mentor in the sky it seemed the enemy combatants had decided to retreat, abandoning their Kage. Naturally, the shadow clone knew it was fast and skilled enough to track the fleeing shinobi down and either kill or capture them. But the priority was defending the tower, supporting the original Takeo and if possible defeating the Tsuchikage. However, the logical responses were suddenly abandoned as he heard Toshiaki shout out in desperation, “Takeo, Shujaku is down!” the masked Senju called out as he rushed over toward his Anbu comrade who laid under the collapsed body of the massive hyena. The Shadow clone spared a glance at the fleeing enemies, rage filling him as he looked over to see his friends arm ripped clean from his body. “Fuck” he cursed under his breath. He was used to losing men under his command, seeing grievous injuries first hand and inflicting such wounds himself. But this Anbu operative was different, he wasn’t just a masked soldier in the dark, he was Takeo’s childhood best friend and teammate.

In an instant he moved to Masuru’s side, grabbing the dead Hyena and tossing it into distant trees with one hand. “Masuru!” he exclaimed, crouching next to him as panic set in. It was bad, he was bleeding profusely, his torso torn up from deep claw wounds. Removing the red phoenix mask, Takeo looked into his friends red eyes, hazy and unfocused but still alive. Toshiaki’s hands glowed green as he desperately tried to slow the bleeding, but he knew in his heart that there was nothing he could do. But this was his student, once a boy that Toshiaki had mentored, teaching Masuru, Takeo and another boy in their first Genin squad. “Stay with me. Aina and the kids will kill me if anything happens to you” the Shadow clone pleaded, forgetting that he wasn’t even truly real. The emotions felt were as raw as if he were true flesh and blood. The red-haired Awai coughed and sputtered up blood, his focus slowly fixating on the Hokage; his friend and rival of 30 years. “I’m..sorry” he said weakly. Blood surged forth from his gaping wounds, staining Takeo’s and Toshiaki’s hands as they desperately tried to apply medical techniques, Takeo’s hands now glowing green as well. “You’ll make it!” Takeo insisted as Masuru’s neck went slack, “Look at me! Masuru!” he shouted as tears streamed down his eyes. Likewise, behind his Anbu mask Toshiaki’s eyes leaked and his breathing grew elevated before he took one long deep, shuttering breath and accepted the reality. “He’s gone” he stated, forcing his voice to become cold. Behind his mask he could let his lifetime of training take over, he would let himself feel it again later. But Takeo wasn’t ready to accept it just yet. “No, he can’t be. Not to some damn mutt. Not here” His hands shook, he could feel the vitals had faded, the blood no longer surging. Clenching his fist he punched the ground, leaving a small crater and shaking the entire area around them. Slowly he took a deep breath as he felt his mentor’s hand on his shoulder. The two shared a few moments, processing the death of their lifelong friend. Then, Takeo handed Masuru’s phoenix mask to his mentor before forming a set of hand seals. Both men knew what had to be done. It was the Anbu way. Flames enveloped the red-headed Awai, a man who dressed exclusively in vibrant reds and golds. He had always seemed so out of place wearing the drab Anbu uniform, but now he was enveloped in the color he loved so much once again. And within a matter of minutes, he and the severed arm next to him would be reduced to ash. But unlike the mask he had worn, there would be no resurrection. His time was at an end.

Takeo’s shadow clone stood as he noticed the Anbu commander leave the tower and head toward the battle where his own real body fought. He would need to help himself now before it was too late, it didn’t look good from what he could tell of the destroyed smaller tower. “Stabilize the Nara and get out of here. Aina and the kids will need you” if nothing else he wanted to make sure someone got out to tell their families what happened here. “I won’t leave you, not now” the older man resisted. He knew the odds and the look in Takeo’s eye meant he knew them too. He didn’t expect to survive. “That’s an order. Go!” the Hokage responded sternly. The badger-masked operative nodded slowly, “The Village needs you. Your family needs you. Make it back to base, sir” Toshiaki felt his pride at that last word, being able to see his student rise up to become the leader of their village. “It’s been an honor” he said his farewell. No further words needed to be spoken, they knew one another’s loved ones, their hopes and their regrets. And with that Toshiaki left him, racing off to collect Seiji and attempt to stabilize him and get him on his feet so they could retreat.

With that Takeo and his Shadow clone could focus on the last remaining threat, the Tsuchikage himself and the instigator of this war. While Masuru was taking his last breaths the Hokage’s real body was pummeled through tower walls. Grabbed by the leg and slammed into the ground the man’s armor were both shattered in the combination of strikes that had been delivered. And somehow, even through the armors as they broke he felt the force shockwave throughout his body, battering him with nearly as much force as he could muster himself. It hadn’t been the first time he had been struck with such a powerful blow but it was unique in the way it spread throughout his body. A lesser man would have had their organs and bones completed obliterated, but Takeo would persist with heavy bruising and tremendous pain.

As he was slammed through the floor however, as rubble battered both he and Tatsuo, the Hokage formed a set of an extremely brief handseal to target a piece of the rubble and prepare himself an escape option. Without armor and being restrained he knew he was at an overwhelming disadvantage. As much as he loved a good brawl he needed to create space. And so as the tendrils shot in from either side they would strike only a stone slab and a poof of smoke. Immediately, Takeo kicked off a large falling slab of the building, propelling himself at a full 50 Strength through the broken walls and out of the broken structure. As he rocketed out of the building he formed a brief set of seals, releasing a powerful plume of fire to cover his retreat. He would attempt to create some distance while his Shadow clone and Tenzin moved in to support him. Tenzin’s Kunai would be thrown as Tatsuo presumably chased Takeo out of the smaller tower. Takeo’s shadow clone would keep about 60 meters back from the destroyed smaller tower, standing near the base of one of the still standing towers and forming handseals before forming a rasenshuriken in his hand. He would keep wary of the tentacles and aim to keep out of their range while waiting for an opportunity to launch the attack. The real Takeo meanwhile would aim to retreat to the treeline, seeing his shadow clone to his right closer to one of the smaller towers and Tenzin approaching from the main tower. The man took in the signs of battle and noted that nobody else seemed to be present but his primary focus remained on Tatsuo. Expecting him to pursue he drew both his Wakizashi and Dagger and readied himself to fend off incoming attacks. But if for some reason Tatsuo didn't pursue him he would instead maintain the fireball, incinerating everything that remained inside the ruined tower.

Jutsu UsedShow

Takeo:
Substitution

[Katon • Great Fireball Technique]
C-Rank Ninjutsu
After performing the needed hand seals, the user draws in a deep breath before emitting it in the form of a massive ball of flame with a radius of 25 meters. This flame can travel for up to 20 meters at a speed of 10 and a strength of 50. Once it has reached its maximum range the fireball will remain where it is for up to an additional 2 posts so long as the user maintains a half seal and remains stationary.

Shadow Clone:
Katon • Body Disposal
A-Rank Ninjutsu
After forming the needed handseals Takeo will touch a target, leaving behind a glowing 6 inch diameter sphere of condensed flames. These flames will not burn on contact, feeling only warm and can be extinguished with 30 Strength. With an additional handseal however Takeo can release the pent up chakra. The flames will then expand out at [1] Speed and [25] Strength, consuming up to a 10 meter diameter area and forgoing the spreading passive in order to completely incinerate anything within the flames. The flames are potent enough to reduce a corpse to ash in the span of 2 posts, even being able to melt steel and shatter rock. Against a living target however the flames will instead cause severe 3rd degree burns, continuing to consume the target until extinguished by some other means.

Fuuton • Rasenshuriken (preparing)
S-Rank Fuuton Jutsu
Prerequisite: 35 Control, [Rasengan]
After forming the necessary handseals Takeo will focus Fuuton natured chakra into his hand, creating a 1-meter wide Fuuma shuriken that rotates around a central rasengan-like sphere. He can then throw this Fuuton shuriken up to a distance of Controlx5= Meters. At any point along its travel Takeo can then form a single-handed seal, causing the RasenShuriken to rapidly expand at a speed of 40, spreading cutting winds with 50 Strength over a 100-meter radius, utterly decimating everything in the vicinity, cutting everything in the designated area into oblivion so that not a single trace remains.

[Sia]

Her body creaked under the pressure of her jump but she jumped again anyway, sailing through the air as her shadow did much of the same and the two of them closed the distance, dancing about as their Byakugan's shared gaze granted them an excellent viewpoint of the battlefield. They watched it all, scanning their heads back and forth and deciding to close in around Takeo, withdrawing two knives each, Keriku and her shadow, and keeping their Byakugan's trained on Takeo and Tatsuo, sending a volley of knives at Tatsuo, one after the other, at his main hands, then his chest, slowly weasling around and keeping a safe distance from him as her paced about and decided his next move.

Keriku was scared, she wasn't equipped to deal with the Tsuchikage. But she could be a backup, a support, something at least, and help defense from the invasion. She withdrew two more knives as her shadow did the same, having both unleashed a few, they tossed a volley towards Amaya, then repositioned behind a tree, then another tree, where Keriku's shadow kept an eye on Tatsuo with its own Byakugan's. Keriku defitly practiced the motions, calming herself and staring out into the towers. She checked around where Hibiki had lay, then scanned back around to the others.

[Niro]

As the two plunged into the tower, the kunai launched by Tenzin and Keriku would find only empty air or the weaken the sides of the tower while Tatsuo was rewarded with...a rock. A big slab of rock. The slash of his wakizashi cleanly separated the piece of debris in two while his melashiin kept their upwards trajectory and gripped onto the hole made by Tatsuo slamming Takeo through the roof. In one fluid motion, he pulled himself up and out of the inner space of the tower while sheathing his blade. Back on the roof, he ran to the western edge of it while keeping his head and vision to the south to see where Takeo exited the building to be rewarded with the view of a raging fire being fired into the demolished space. Well, Tatsuo was glad he had just flowed with the momentum of his shiin and come up top.

Tatsuo's eyes took stock of the battlefield and his Echolocation filled in the gaps for what he couldn't see directly. Amaya was gone but there was no body leading him to believe she had retreated for the moment. Good, based on the haggard looking man some 30 meters south of the tower he was perched on she had done her job. In the trees some 60 meters away, two androgynous figures were attempting to hide. Else on the field, Hibiki was...down. And not breathing.

Tatsuo felt a cold calm come over him at the realization. The man who had basically watched over him as he grew throughout the ranks and quietly helped him was dead. And these Konoha bastards were the ones who had done it. Near the East Tower another 60 meters away from him, a Takeo not wearing any of the Doton armor was in the middle of forming a swirling jutsu in his palm while another Takeo, this one with the broken Doton armor, had backed up to the eastern treeline. Even after taking 5 shockwaves throughout his body the man was still standing tall? What a tank. Tatsuo had to levy some respect to the man for his stature alone.

5 on 1 meant the odds weren't in his favor and Tatsuo had to manage the gas left in his tank. Deciding to take it slow and recoup some of that spent gas, he withdrew four kunai rigged with explosive tags, two in each hand, while keeping an eye on the Takeo with the jutsu in hand.

In the bottom peripheral of his vision, Tatsuo kept track of the haggard white haired man and used his Echolocation to make up for his indirect vision and keep track of the hidden figures in the trees. Tatsuo kicked off the north tower in the opposite direction of the congregation of Konoha shinobi towards the western tower to circle around the area and put the main tower between him and the others. As he kicked off, Tatsuo tossed a pair of kunai in succession towards Tenzin and the Takeo forming a jutsu. The first pair of kunai curved in from the left and right of the man and were aimed at Tenzin's shoulder joints in an attempt to disable them. The other kunai would also curve to the right and to the left and attempt to pince the Takeo-clone near the tower.

Tatsuo landed on the roof of the west tower some 120 meters away from the east tower and launched another 4 kunai at the southwest section of the main tower some 60m which had already taken noticeable damage from Ran's previous kunai. Two visible kunai soared towards the tower while two more hid in their shadows as Tatsuo kept his senses and shiin alert in preparation to dodge or intercept any who had decided to go after him rather than attempt to go around the tower and defend it from his barrage of kunai. Hopefully with the previous tower defender now on the ground near the north tower and visibly tired from his fight, his kunai would find an easier time landing and destroying the structure.

SpoilerShow

[Killer Intent]
C-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
Prerequisite: [Fortitude]
Tatsuo will impose his will upon any living being within 25 meters, friend and foe alike, for 5 posts. Those caught within this range will feel endangered and threatened by him as long as he remains in their line of sight. The longer they remain within this field the worse this sensation becomes, eventually causing uncontrollable shaking of the arms and legs. If the target has an equal or greater Willpower, they can shake this feeling off, but the lower the number is in comparison, the faster the effects are felt.

*[Medicinal Style • Anatomy]
A-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
One who has mastered this discipline has an near unparalleled comprehension of anatomy and physiology. They are able to locate even the smallest of veins in any person, regardless of variances in shape or size. This knowledge extends to chakra systems, nervous systems, and anything else. Much of this knowledge extends into the biology of non-human species as well, though with less precision. This discipline, combined with enough accuracy, can turn even the simplest of attacks into a fatal blow.

*[Flawless Aim Style • Absolute Aim]
A-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
Having mastered the art of ranged combat, the practitioner is capable of calculating all outside factors before launching their projectiles. Ambient factors such as temperature, winds, moisture, any terrain, and even lack of sight on their target can not hinder their aim. So long as they have a means of detecting the location of their opponent and no impassible objects or unavoidable defenses stand in their way, the practitioner's attacks will strike their target with pinpoint accuracy without fail. Living targets must have a Perception technique equal or higher in rank to be able to dodge the practitioner's attacks without some sort of additional defense.

x2 *[Flawless Aim Style • Advanced Hidden Shot]
B-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite(s): *[Flawless Aim Style • Hidden Shot].
Building upon the principles found in the Hidden Shot technique, the practitioner launches two or more projectiles, the first projectile serving as the leading projectile and subsequent projectiles in the previous projectile's shadows. These projectiles can be launched in complex twisting trajectories, allowing both leading and subsequent projectiles to slip in and out of the other projectile's shadows. This makes it more difficult for the opponent to determine both the actual number of projectiles as well as their targeting paths and the order in which they will strike, making the attacks difficult to avoid. Opponents with a Perception technique equal or higher in rank may be able to see the projectiles clearly within a reasonable distance, though they'll still have to properly defend against it.

[Echolocation]
S-rank Taijutsu Discipline
The user has learned how to utilize sound to provide them with a form of a sight. Mimicking the Echolocation of animals such as a bats and dolphins, the user has learned how to use coughs, clicks, and other noises they produce to 'see.' Each time the user makes a noise, it travels 80 meters and provides them with a mental 3D image of the surrounding area. They can detail size, shape, surface features, and density but cannot details such things as color.

8 kunai @ 50 spd/str
2 50 Str Kunai with *[Flawless Aim Style • Absolute Aim] and *[Medicinal Style • Anatomy] applied aimed at Tenzin's shoulders [30m away] to disable
2 50 Str Kunai with *[Flawless Aim Style • Absolute Aim] applied aimed at Takeo clone [60m away] to burst
4 50 Str Kunai with *[Flawless Aim Style • Absolute Aim] and x2 *[Flawless Aim Style • Advanced Hidden Shot] applied aimed at tower [60m away] to destroy

[Posting order for this thread will be:
2 slots open Iwa side 0 slots open Suna side
Hibiki -> Tatsuo -> Amaya -> Tenzin -> Takeo -> Keriku]

[Texas]

With sweat being caught by the headband, but still dripping down his face, the shinobi simply couldn't hide it. He had exhausted most of his energy trying to defend the tower and attack that glass flying shinobi. One who would be a problem in the future. However, no thoughts crossed Tenzin's mind except the problem at hand. The Tsuchikage. Appendages left and right and simply all over, combined with armor, this was not just a man... this was an animal. This type of shinobi was one that Tenzin had never seen nor experienced before. The man was strong enough to weaken the Hokage, but that was not what Tenzin would focus on. He would keep his eyes directed at the monstrous man.

With Kunai being flung at him, Tenzin would attempt to bend his knees and launch himself forward in order to try to get the kunai to miss completely. With his dying speed and strength, Tenzin would use the momentum to keep himself relatively near the tower. However, before he could fully rest, the silver haired shinobi would watch as the man quickly made his way around to another tower. Based on his positioning, it was clear he was going to aim for the tower. Even if at the end of the day it wasn't 100% clear, Tenzin had tried to keep it in tact. Although, his energy was nearly depleted and his goal was to assist the Hokage.... it was clear that Tenzin could only do one thing at a time. Once he witnessed the red haired devil rise to the top of the tower, the shinobi began to sprint to the main tower. As he turned and sprinted, the anbu captain weaved a few hand signs and loaded up his chakra.

He was only able to get several meter head start with his head looking over his right shoulder before he saw two kunai thrown at the tower. The second the kunai left the Tsuchikage's hands Tenzin would release his jutsu and launch it 15 meters ahead of him. At a speed of 50 a stone barrier would form around 7-8 meters away from the main tower. The formation of the stone walls would attempt to stop the two kunai within the vision of the young shinobi. After the wall would be created, Tenzin would slide and hold his hands out while shifting his body to now be facing the Tsuchikage. This left the stone barrier behind him and full visual of the red haired man, although distant, was enough for Tenzin to try to keep an eye on.

Jutsu usedShow

50str/50speed
*Doton • Great Wall
B-Rank Ninjutsu
After performing the correct hand seals the user will form a monolithic solid stone wall up to 15 meters away from them at a speed of [Control]. The wall has a strength of [Control] and is 7x7x2 meters large, curving moderately concave to the user.

[Sia]

The noble Hyuuga from Konoha and her detached shadow closed in, surveying Tatsuo and Takeo with their Byakugans, then readied themselves to deal with Tatsuo as they watched Amaya fade away. How interesting, ahe thought to herself. As they drew closer still towards the towers, their eyes caught on to Tatsuo gathering together Kunai, and though they would surely be unable to entirely stop all of them, they knew they could at least deal with some of it. "Void Palm" Keriku said just loudly enough for her shadow to hear, and it nodded and continued to lead the way towards the tower in front of Keriku just slightly.

Raw ninpou chakra shot out of Keriku and her shadow's palms as they violently thrust them forwards, sending a collective series of ninpou blasts to intercept and knock off course the Kunai heading towards the tower. Keriku's shadow continued forwards and began to scale towards Tatsuo and Takeo and Keriku and her shadow began to view chakra and only chakra. Keriku began to consider her options for a moment, staring at Tatsuo and Takeo's chakra.

Keriku & Shadow used
~Jyuuken :: Void Palm Strike
C-rank Nintaijutsu Maneuver
After channelling chakra into their palm, the user will thrust their palm toward a target. This technique extends the range of their palm thrust by firing off a shell of chakra in the direction of the palm thrust, moving a speed and strength equal to the user’s [Control] moving up to 25 meters.

[Niro]

Tatsuo stood atop the west tower, pleased with how his slow play move had drawn so many reactions. The silver haired, worn down looking shinobi had realized his mistake and tried to correct it by turning and casting another defense. But at this level? A single mistake could mean life or death, for you or your allies. Speaking of allies, another pair had shown from the wood work and made their way towards Tatsuo rather slowly compared to anyone else on the battlefield from across the open space.

Whatever teamwork these two thought they may have had, Tatsuo was wondering if they'd ever worked together before at all. The stone wall shot up with a quickness to match his own kunai while the other shinobi and their strange companion fired off slow bursts of chakra also aimed to block his throwing knives based on their trajectories.

Fortunately for Tatsuo, the stone wall was faster. It formed and his kunai struck against it, large cracks spidering throughout it. The cracks were immediately capitalized upon by the hidden kunai which pierced through the top of the Doton wall and impacted against the Tower behind it. The Tower shook as they struck it and began to fall over in defeat right as the slower moving shells of chakra struck the edge of the Doton wall.

A smile came over Tatsuo's face as he watched the Tower keel over in defeat before an intense burst of slicing winds shockingly filling the space in front of him. Ah, his other kunai had landed. The first kunai he had tossed at the not-Takeo had struck the central sphere of the jutsu and detonated it. The gale-force winds erupted with an unmatched fury and bathed the clone and the area surrounding it in winds so sharp even Tatsuo was weary of them.

The clone had been destroyed by the detonation and east tower barely fared better. Trees had been cut down and strewn about on the eastern edge of the battlefield; Tatsuo was sure even if Takeo was caught in the blast, the Doton armor covering his body sans his chest would be enough to mitigate whatever damage occurred.

The radius of the winds had been large enough to even affect the already-falling Tower and those on the west side of it, unfortunately for the other Konoha shinobi. Slicing, hurricane force winds tore across the battlefield and buffeted the Tower itself. Large gashes and chunks of its structure began to fall apart as the winds flooded past it and surged towards Tenzin and Keriku. Tenzin, protected from behind by his barely-there Doton wall, had a better chance than Keriku who was out in the open.

Rather than worry how they fared against the atomizing winds, Tatsuo listened as the shadows footsteps and movements were picked up on by his [Echolocation] as it ascended the side of the west tower. As it got within 25 meters of him, two of his melashiin tentacles would come over the lip of the roof and race downwards to pierce it through the stomach and head to quickly kill it.

With the Tower destroyed, now it was just a matter of cleaning up the battlefield.

SpoilerShow

Tower - 125

125 HP
-37 Ran Kunai
-37 Ran Kunai
-25 Tatsuo Kunai
-50 Tatsuo Kunai
---
-24 HP

Tower Dead

[Texas]

More sweat dripped down Tenzin's face. He simply was frustrated, however that frustration couldn't fully develop in his head due to the massive crashing noise the kunai made when connecting with the tower. With the connection the towers began to fall. Due to the noise and wind exploding and, quite frankly, all of the chaos, Tenzin had to make a move and quickly. With his hands already out, he would rip both arms as out as possible towards the stone wall damaged. Tenzin would take one step forward and twirl his body, using the jutsu already created to form together. This would bring the wall back together, but smaller. After a full spin Tenzin would pull his arms back and then shoot them forward, only to bring his arms back. The refreshed, but smaller wall that is shaped more like a surf board with a smal indent for holding on, would arrive towards Tenzin. He would jump onto it and lay his body down on his stomach. By swinging both his arms from the top to the back, then quickly grabbing the indent with his hands, Tenzin laying on a surfboard would fly into the air in between the madness going on in attempt to flee. If he is not hit or obstructed by the enemy, Tenzin would disappear.

Jutsu usedShow

50's, Tenzin is in an extremely weakened state.

*[Terrakinesis]
A-rank Ninjutsu
Having achieved notable mastery over Doton, the user is capable of shaping, directing, and manipulating existing bodies of the element without the need of hand seals or an existing technique. The range at which the user can manipulate the element is equal to the user's [Control x 2m]. While the user can freely manipulate this element, they cannot produce the element naturally.

[Izanagi]

The Tsuchikage’s strikes had seemed to affect Takeo more than he initially thought. His body ached and he was sure there was some degree of internal damage, but to what extent he couldn’t say while adrenaline still coursed through his veins. But it been enough to give him a brief pause as his body slowly began to heal itself of the damage, starting with any of the more severe bodily trauma. He didn’t feel like any of his bones were broken but his soft tissues had certainly taken a considerable beating. And in that brief respite, no more than a few seconds, Tatsuo had completely altered the course of the battle. Before he knew it, the tower was falling and his clone was destroyed. Suddenly the clone's memories flooded his mind and the death of his close friend Masuru hit him anew. Evidently, this grief had distracted the Shadow Clone enough that it hadn’t been able to evade the Tsuchikage’s deadly attack. The Fuuton chakra detonated and Takeo sprung to action, dashing around the radius of the technique and anticipating how far it would spread. It was after all his own jutsu. As he moved, he would grab Keriku and toss her toward Tenzin as soon as the hailstorm of cutting winds subsided. “Full retreat. Move!” he ordered his remaining comrades.

He would stay behind long enough to ensure they make it safely out. Rage and sorrow fueled him as he sought to avenge his fallen friend. “I’ll hold him off” he said more quietly as he locked eyes with Tatsuo. The battle was lost but their fight wasn’t yet finished. He would begin to form handseals as he focused his mind. His emotions burned deep in his chest but he wouldn’t let them control him. Takeo had been a shinobi for 30 years, but more than that he was a warrior. As Hokage it was his duty to protect his comrades and hold the line, to lead by example and be among the first to enter the fray and the last to leave. This was his Will of Fire, and he would stand his ground against any threat, even the monster that was Akari Tatsuo. But more than holding out for his allies to retreat he held defiant in the belief that he could best this man. Killing him, or perhaps even swaying his mind. Whichever outcome he could manage that would ensure the safety and prosperity of his people. He would give his life in that pursuit if need be. If that was the only way to ensure a peaceful future for his successor, Awai Fanho, then that was a price he would gladly pay.

Staring up at Tatsuo, he leaped back into the ruins of the main tower and Tenzin’s shattered wall. “Let’s finish this. Like these towers, one of us will fall here today” he called out defiantly as he maintained eye contact and formed a brief set of seals, forming a small amount of Fuuton chakra around his feet. He wouldn’t be able to physically oppose Tatsuo any longer, his body was worn down and he had resigned himself to the fact that he couldn’t keep up with the younger, stronger Kage. Instead, he would attempt to keep his distance, skirting outside the reach of Tatsuo’s tentacles if he were to close the distance and attempt to attack him. He was counting on being able to buy enough time as he attempted to keep a distance of at least 30 meters while he formed another set of seals. It was clear he couldn’t best the Tsuchikage with Taijutsu and Ninjutsu seemed to be thus far ineffective with that defensive aura that showed no signs of letting up. Few people had ever experienced Takeo’s higher level genjutsu that he had developed specifically to bring Yoru back to the village. It was a sort of trump card that he kept up his sleeve, but even that would likely be ineffective against the notoriously unshakable will of Akari Tatsuo. But he had to try something to put a stop to this monster.

Jutsu UsedShow

I Will Not Break/You will Break
S-Rank Taijutsu Stance
Through years of rigorous training Takeo has fortified his mind and body against the horrors of torture and interrogation. He has trained himself to be able to resist all manners of physical and mental prodding, pain and anguish. While he still feels the strain and a great deal of the pain inflicted by such techniques the experience is mitigated somewhat and his mental fortitude allows him to channel the suffering to fuel his will to resist and in turn exert more mental strength onto others. Steeling himself for particularly strenuous mental rigors Takeo can gain +15 Willpower at the cost of -15 Strength as his muscular output is limited by intense concentration on enhancing his mental strength. This technique can last for a maximum of 10 posts.

[Genjutsu • The Will of Fire]
S-Ranked Status Genjutsu
Takeo will perform the necessary hand seals and then make eye contact with his target. The victim will feel compelled to maintain eye contact with him and the longer this link is maintained the stronger Takeo’s influence over them. The effect will feel subtle but ultimately the target will find themselves altering their way of thinking to be more receptive to Takeo’s suggestions and opinions to the point of complete compliance and agreement to the extent of being compelled to betray allies and even kill close comrades even inflict grievous injury unto oneself. This jutsu remains in effect for 8 posts.

*Fuuton • Wind Skating
D-Ranked Ninjutsu
After performing the needed hand seals, the user is able to glide on air as if they were skating on ice. This allows them to move faster (+3 speed) but lowers their ability to translate force (-3 Strength). This doesn't allow them to fly, but rather to travel over things like land, water, and ice with greater ease. The user is only held several inches off of the ground. This Jutsu does not expire until the user’s chakra supply runs out or the user shuts it off. The fuuton passive is not applied in this technique.

[Genjutsu • Multi-Shadow Clone](preparing)
S-Ranked Illusion Genjutsu
After forming the necessary hand seals and striking an opponent with a punch Takeo will appear to disappear in a puff of smoke. The target will then see a total of 50 shadow clones of Takeo appearing all around them in a 25-meter radius. These clones will be indistinguishable from Takeo, appearing the same as his previously seen state and being fully capable of inflicting pain with their attacks, including jutsu. If the shadow clones are all destroyed the last standing Takeo will simply appear to perform the jutsu again and repeat the process. This technique lasts for 8 posts.

[Sia]

Keriku was yeeted into Tenzin and escaped to fight another day.

[Niro]

Five against One changed in the blink of an eye.

The white haired shinobi who was on his last bit of chakra was able to form a makeshift surfboard and ride the oncoming blast of air to...somewhere in the forest. Another one of them had been thrown onto the board mid-air by something or someone he couldn't yet see due to the howling winds filling the area and limiting visibility as not only the winds but dirt, dust, and other debris swirled around inside the area. Tatsuo expected the two evacuees to live; these Konoha shinobi reminded him of cockroaches after all.

The shadow clone had been destroyed by the initial blast of slicing winds and the clone made of actual shadow perished after his shiin had pierced it through the skull before the winds even subsided. Tatsuo jumped down from the roof of the tower as he felt the shiin pierce through the clone and tore three chunks of stone nearly as large as himself free, held by his other shiin to be used as makeshift projectiles, before landing on the ground and immediately dashing to close the 50 meter gap between the tower Tatsuo had been on and the ruins of the wall created by Tenzin.

The winds finally subsided half way through the distance of his 50m dash and he could see Takeo again, this time just as he leapt upon the top of ruins of the wall and Tatsuo let loose a primal roar meant to shake the man. The roar would echo around them as Tatsuo continued his rush forwards and then their eyes, and jutsu, met. Takeos genjutsu would work its way into Tatsuos mind while Tatsuo own jutsu would work its way into Takeos as the Tsuchikage continued forward, some 15 meters from Takeo before the older man was able to move backwards. Tatsuo kept pace with Takeos retreat while simultaneously throwing the chunks of Tatsuo-sized stone with his shiin: one above Takeo, one to the right of Takeo, and one to the left of Takeo.

Slowly he could feel his opinion of the man in front of him begin to be questioned but deep down, all Tatsuo wanted to do was fight. The stress of the war, the stress of being a leader, the stress of being a husband, the stress of being a role model. The stress of it all. Fighting was a way for him to exorcise all of it and more than anything else, he loved it.

SpoilerShow

[Instant Acceleration]
A-rank Taijutsu Discipline
Prerequisite: 50 Strength
The user has trained their body to utilize their full speed without any build up or using any excess energy. This allows the user to use their max speed while operating in the midst of a fight or even from a dead stop as if they were just jogging casually.

[Frightful Presence]
B-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite: [Fortitude]
Tatsuo lets out a roar infused with his Killer Intent; any creature that is aware of Tatsuo within 40 meters of his position and can hear will be affected by this technique. They will be filled with a sudden sensation of pure fear and be unable to willingly move closer to Tatsuo. Their Willpower will be reduced by 3 per post as their body shakes in natural response to fear. The reduction to their Willpower stacks per post, resulting in -9 by the third post, at which point the technique ends.

[True Fear]
A-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite: [Fortitude]
Tatsuo focuses his will on a single target he makes eye contact with, locking their gaze with his own. It will cause them to fixate upon Tatsuo's eyes. Their brains will be sent into such an intense panic that they are greeted with hallucinogenic visions of their own death. They will not only see these visions but also feel phantom physical pain of the damage they perceived themselves to suffer during these hallucinations.

*[Flawless Aim Style • Absolute Aim]
A-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
Having mastered the art of ranged combat, the practitioner is capable of calculating all outside factors before launching their projectiles. Ambient factors such as temperature, winds, moisture, any terrain, and even lack of sight on their target can not hinder their aim. So long as they have a means of detecting the location of their opponent and no impassible objects or unavoidable defenses stand in their way, the practitioner's attacks will strike their target with pinpoint accuracy without fail. Living targets must have a Perception technique equal or higher in rank to be able to dodge the practitioner's attacks without some sort of additional defense.

[Niro]

[OoC: Really feel stuck between a rock and a hard place here. Although I agreed to lax post timers due to it now being a 1v1, it's now been 21 days/3 weeks since I last posted. It's not like I've been quiet about the time left or overall time, I've been consistently asking/reminding to post. At this point, I'm just going to post this post and if it gets contested? C'est la vie]

Tatsuo continued to chase after Takeo as the man backpedaled through the ruins of the tower while stringing together hand seals. The 15 meter distance between them quickly closed with the combination of hand seals, backpedaling, and the ongoing pain of Tatsuos own [True Fear] creeping throughout the weathered veterans body. The boulders thrown with his melashiin tentacles had soared past and above Takeo before striking the ground behind him and adding to the already-there debris of the tower littering the ground. Between the destroyed tower, the Doton wall, and other debris scattering the area it certainly looked like a battlefield.

Capitalizaing on Takeos waning speed and the closed distance, now closer to 5 meters than 15 meters, six of Tatsuos twelve melashiin tentacles rocketed forward while he built strength in his fist and closed gap between the two combatants with ease due to their own 25 meter length. Three of them struck towards Takeos solar plexus with intent to pierce through the unarmored portion of the man while another was aimed to break through and interrupt the ongoing hand seals. The two remainder struck at and attempted to wrap up Takeos ankles to trip him up. Between trying to bind the mans foot work and cut off his jutsu, Tatsuo hoped seal his movement and finish this.

Following up the pierce and bind attempt of his melashiin, Tatsuo released the built up strength in his fist and fired off a punch towards Takeo with enough force for the very air to morph into a bullet of dense pressure that'd explode against the man and bathe him in 2nd degree burns.

SpoilerShow

2nd post [Frightful Presence], Takeo -6 WP
[True Fear] phantom death pain should be affecting to some degree

[Killer Intent]
C-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
Prerequisite: [Fortitude]
Tatsuo will impose his will upon any living being within 25 meters, friend and foe alike, for 5 posts. Those caught within this range will feel endangered and threatened by him as long as he remains in their line of sight. The longer they remain within this field the worse this sensation becomes, eventually causing uncontrollable shaking of the arms and legs. If the target has an equal or greater Willpower, they can shake this feeling off, but the lower the number is in comparison, the faster the effects are felt.

[Shiva's Strike] @ 50 Str
B-rank Taijutsu Manuever
Prerequisite: 35 Strength
Tatsuo will build strength in his fist. As he builds up strength and releases it, it will shoot a dense air pocket in the form of a 5x5x5m bullet that moves and strikes at his [Strength]. The air ignites from the sheer force and will cause 2nd degree burns on impact. The dense bullet of air will travel up to [Strength] meters before dissipating.

[Izanagi]

Takeo stared down Tatsuo as he narrowly avoided the thrown boulders, and suddenly he felt a flash in his mind as if the boulder had struck him down. He felt tightness across his chest and the pain from his battered organs expanded and refreshed anew across his body. Once again, he found himself momentarily lose a beat to his pacing. And in that instant, the Tsuchikage narrowed the gap between them. ‘Shit, this might really be it’ he considered, gritting his teeth. He couldn’t recall the last time he felt fear of death on the battlefield. In fact, he normally loved the adrenaline rush of risking his life and being pushed to his limits. But he had grown older, more aware of his mortality after the war. Subtly his body began to shake, trembling in a way that hardly felt like his body was his own. “Let this be the end of it. Settle this between you and me as leaders should” he proposed.

Finishing his hand seals, Takeo dug his feet into the ground, shifting from retreat to meeting Tatsuo head on as the tentacles rocketed toward him so fast he could barely perceive them. His experienced gaze tracked them well enough to anticipate where they were aiming and as three focused on his exposed solar plexus he slammed his fists down on either side of the tentacles while channeling chakra into the area he knew was about to be struck. The intent was to activate his genjutsu and then immediately begin healing his wound even as the tendrils pierced through his body and out of back of his armor. Naturally, he wouldn’t be able to repair the damage while the tendrils were still in him but the chakra would gather and be ready to act as soon as the wound was left to drain. Coughing up a mouthful of blood, shadow clones would suddenly form all around Tatsuo. Each of them appeared exactly as the Hokage did the moment before the tendril had impaled him.

It wouldn’t be enough, his odds of defeating Tatsuo now were next to none, but there was still a slim chance he could survive. And he would fight with everything he had to return to his family and the village that he loved. One tendril would pry his hand off the others easily, being just a fraction of a second too slow to interrupt his seals. Severely injured, the Hokage would be helpless as the remaining tendrils grasped his ankles. But his will was not yet beaten even if his body was failing him. His illusionary clones would move in, one performing a wind blade technique to attempt to sever the tentacles while others moved in to melee range in an attempt to attack with taijutsu. Ultimately however, he knew the Tsuchikage would be able to resist the technique. “Take some of Wind countries territories if you must but leave Sunagakure and Konoha alone. The world has suffered enough bloodshed. Let the next generation know peace” the seasoned warrior pleaded. If nothing else, he wanted war to die with him, at least for the next decade. Fanho deserved a clean slate, to do what he couldn’t and form a true alliance between all nations. It was a notion he had never truly believed in, but he wanted to give Fanho as much of a fighting chance as he could. If in his dying breaths he could influence Tatsuo, even if only slightly it would be worth his life for the future of Konoha.

The Hokage moved his free hand to his hip pouch, bracing and taking the brunt of the Tsuchikage’s burning punch as he pulled the hip pouch free and chaneled chakra into the 10 exploding tags, preparing to detonate them. Gurgling now, the chakra desperately trying to close his wounds began to falter. The man’s hair and beard were alight with flames, smoking and burning away in patches as his skin blistered and cracked. But still he stared on, closing one eye while the other was burned and blinded before forcing his other eye open as it tore against the burned skin and met Tatsuo’s gaze once more. Defiant, his piercing blue eyes stared into the man’s soul, searching for any hint of doubt or weakness, or even a warrior’s honour. “You are strong. Use that strength for good, not just for your people but all shinobi” he insisted. He saw his death again, being ripped to pieces and pummelled until he was a broken heap of flesh and twisted bones. But he would not beg for mercy. He knew there was none to give. His hope was only for those that would come after him. For Yoru. For Aina. For Fanho, and for all his children. If they faced Tatsuo there would only be more death and suffering. He did not want to be avenged, but instead hoped that those of power and influence would set aside their personal feelings for the greater good.

Jutsu UsedShow

*[Toryu • Lethal Familiarity]
C-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
Many of the Toryu techniques would put the user in incredibly daring positions where a single mistake could instantly spell disaster for the swordsman. As a result, Toryu practitioners must train themselves constantly to avoid letting their fears distract them from their task. A practitioner with this technique has learned to shut out fear in the heat of combat, allowing them to perform attacks and techniques without the risk of failure due to fear responses.

*[Toryu • Granite Epitaph]
B-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
Prerequisite(s): 25 Strength.
After much training with grappling, clinching, blocking, deflecting, and parrying weapons, the practitioner gains skin as sturdy as rock, allowing them even more avenues for defense and attack. This Discipline represent's the practitioner's body conditioning for toughening their skin all over their bodies, especially on their hands. This makes the practitioner's skin harder to cut or penetrate, and it allows the practitioner to perform normally self-destructive feats, such as blade catches, without needlessly harming themselves.

*[Iijutsu • Secret Healing Injury Destruction]
A-Ranked Ninjutsu
An advanced technique that requires both quick reflexes and prediction, the *[Iijutsu • Secret Healing Injury Destruction]technique is highly formidable due to its effects. In the event that the user is aware that they will be hit in a specific place, s/he may attempt to focus chakra into that area before the strike connects. If successful, any damage to the damaged area will immediately begin to regenerate, be it a bruise, small fracture, or a small-to-moderate cut. These wounds can take up to one (1) post to heal fully depending on their size and severity, where fractures and moderate wounds would take the entire post. However, during this regeneration process, users are not rendered immobile and can continue to fight while their wounds regenerate. This technique can only be used a maximum of three (3) times per thread.

[Niro]

Tatsuo grinned beneath his helm as the melashiin tentacles found purchase and pierced through Takeo's solar plexus. The amount of blood that exploded out of the back of the man from the severing of multiple arteries and an aorta was staggering and although the explosion of clones was unexpected Tatsuo didn't falter. They had appeared en mass but even as they ran up to them, nothing reverberated through the ground to trigger his [Tremorsense]. Whatever these clones were, they had no substance to them, no mass. The tentacle continued through the man's chest as Takeo spoke his final pleas before ripping to the Hokage's left, taking the entirety of his destroyed heart and depositing it from below his armpit onto the ground. The blades of wind hurt but no blood was produced and a snarl broke his smile while his free floating melashiin tendrils engaged in the fading clones of the Hokage just incase he was wrong. Whatever iijutsu the man had cast was strong but to restore his destroyed heart from scratch and other major arteries? Tatsuo couldn't see Takeo being a medical ninja of that caliber.

The melashiin tentacles holding the man's ankles held tight even as the organ flopped onto the ground and Takeo began to gurgle his final words. Tatsuo sighed and was quick with his own to hopefully comfort the dying man. The chakra sustaining the genjutsu began to also fade as the clones began to disperse more easily upon being struck.

"If Konoha doesn't get involved past this, I'll leave them alone. Who do you think helped Yoru gain the Byakugan, after all? Suna was twice our friend as it is yours currently and they betrayed us twice. They're, unfortunately, free game. Rest well and may we meet again one day, Hokage." Tatsuo finished as his melashiin tentacles not holding his ankles descended onto Takeo to eat him until all that was left was his head.