Walk in the Hills

[hobnob]

Murky clouds shielded the land from the beaming sun. The Hyuuga was making his way up one of the highest peaks as a trickle of rain came down splashing his face. The day was not looking good, Hi was beginning to regret setting off on this day. Once the rain falls, usually what follows is the sun, and although he was used to tragic conditions, the sun always made things a little better.

His piercing eyes scanned the land around him. Looking out for any sign of trouble, after all he was a wanted missing-nin. It was only a matter of time until someone came looking for him. And when that time came, he would be ready, he was no push over. Or so he thought. Living his life by the sword was his way of doing things, and he was prepared to die in that way, fighting for his beliefs. And his life.

Nearing the peak of the mountain, Hi decided it was time for a quick re-supply. A re-supply for his body, it was time to replenish the energy he has burnt since his last stop. Fatigue was his number one enemy, and beating that enemy required him to stop often. At least this time, he could enjoy a decent view. The Hyuuga sat down at what he thought was the highest peak of the mountain. He allowed his feet to just hang down as he reached into his pouch and took out some calorie packed snacks. He took a deep breath as he watched the land below him.

[Ace Trainer]

Kozan had been diligent in his hunt thus far, though some slight distractions along the way that had been a bit of fun. Sure enough, he was hot on the trail of Hyuuga, Hi who had been interacting with some market places recently and his trajectory out of town had been noticed by some of the shopkeepers. A few….creative conversations had gotten the information out of them pretty quickly, and Kozan was off. Part of this was hard, as a Hyuuga, Kozan was well aware that there would not be any sneaking up on Hi. It was very likely the missing ninja would notice Kozan but Kozan would pick up on his exact location. But small things along the way gave him a sense, broken branches, steps slightly off path, behaviors in alignment with someone trying not to be followed.

It didn’t take long though for Kozan’s sharp eyes to fall to the peak of the mountain to identify a lone individual (though he couldn’t tell who it was from this distance) sitting upon it near some body of water. Rapidly, his pace would pick up, Kozan coming off the path and moving into the thicket to climb the steeper incline to get closer to the clearing the individual was in. As he got closer, he kept his eyes locked on any openings he could find, ensuring Hi was traveling away too far. The truthseeker wrapped around his torso would squirm to life under his shirt moving down his arm and into his hand as Kozan continued to move closer. The truthseeker would form into a bow and Kozan would produce a single arrow from his finger but stopping under the thicket, a small gap in the bush in front of him giving him eyes on Hi roughly 120m away. This was him, Kozan felt relatively confident of that. So, he’d pull the bow string back and release it, the arrow flying forward at Hi’s stomach with [30] strength and [30] speed. With any luck, Kozan would cause some serious damage to Hi before they even engaged.

From there, he’d launch his body forward at full speed, rushing in a straight line at Hi. He could not let this target get away.

SpoilerShow

*[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.

Arrow]
D-rank Nintaijutsu
Kozan will flex one of his fingers, causing a thin tendril of samsara to form from one of the knuckles and extend out up to 5m, only a few inches in diameter, before forming into a firm rod with a pointed end. This can then be broken off and used as an projectile, a smaller polearm, or a variety of other purposes.

[hobnob]

With his Byakugan active, Hi could see everything going on around him. The arrow was moving towards him, with a sudden nudge the man would move himself out of the trajectory of the flying missile. It would brush past him and now his gaze would be fixated on the male moving towards him at rapid speeds. 'Come, you little weasel!' Hi shouted as he readied himself for combat. His chakra surged through out his body and the metal wires that were so far dormant within him began to move. They surged out of his arms, his left they dashed forwards to meet the assassin. The ones in his right ramined close to him, surrounding him for defensive measures.

The assassin was fast, there was no denying that. But his wires could move at a speed that matched his, and that is what he would do for the time being. The man needed information, and going in straight for the kill would not allow him to gain any. First he wanted to test his abilities, to figure out what sort of a fighter he was. So far he was able to discern that his opponent used weaponry, fitting for a Kirigakure shinobi. Hi knew of the Seven Swordsmen organisation, they were a feared bunch and were skilled in the use of weaponry. Hi wondered whether this guy was a member, but he could not see a sword anywhere upon his person, but he was carrying a bow with no arrows. 'Did he have only the one arrow?' the Hyuuga thought as he watched his opponents movements.

The barrage of wires moved towards his opponent like spears, carefully gauging the distance between the two to make sure that he would not reveal the maximum distance his wires could travel. But once, and if, the little weasel was in range, the wires would aim to pierce through both his thighs to immobilise him.

JutsuShow

[Ninjutsu • Basic Edge]
D-Ranked Ninjutsu
Channeling additional chakra into the active wires under the man's control, these wire gain a sharpness to them relative to a kunai for three posts.

[Ace Trainer]

The hyuuga, unsurprisingly, dodged Kozan’s single arrow. He would have an advantage with the high terrain, but if Kozan got close enough, the terrain leveled out and he’d be able to nullify that advantage. There was not a lot of data available on Hyuuga, Hi, outside of the fact that he was (as his name revealed) a Hyuuga, and that he used wires as a part of his combat style. Kozan would have to be careful about this. As he closed the gap between then, the use of wires had some light shone on it as the Hyuuga unleashed a flurry of attacks with his wires.

Kozan’s forward assault slowed, as he allowed the wires to reach out towards him. There was roughly 45 meters between them, and it seems the wires could not reach that far. Or at least, as far as he could tell. It looked as if they were only reaching to about 25 meters or so currently, though it was hard to tell exactly given how fast they were moving. Kozan’s large yellow eyes moved quickly, watching the Hyuuga and the wires, trying to discern a pattern in the attack with little success. He would stand up straight from his hunched position, and hold the bow out in front of him. What would Hi do if Kozan just stood there and assaulted him with arrows from a distance? Could the wires be used defensively? This was likely true.

A short [kai] burst of chakra radiated from Kozan, activating a seal on his back. His strength would increase slowly, his [willpower] lowering in response. With Hi square in his sights, there was no need to be able to track the fear coming off of the missing ninja anymore. With the seal active, Kozan would pull the bow back, an arrows growing from all four knuckles in his hands and nocking into the bow. He could quickly establish a couple of guidelines for an effective attack. One, there would likely not be an effective trick shot – any way of shooting an arrow from an unpredictable angle would not work since the Hyuuga would not have a blind spot. Two, he couldn’t hide projectiles within projectiles, because the Byakugan would still be able to see it. Contrary to how he was trained, he would need to simply attack directly and try to land a hit. The only effective tactic would be to attack in such a way that Hi would not be able to dodge the attack even if he could see it coming.

Pulling the bow string back, he’d release it forward, three of the arrows flying forward with [35] speed and strength. They would spread as they flew forward, the leftmost two aimed at his left and right shoulder, while the rightmost was off, intending to hit center mass if the Hyuuga dodged to right. He’d wait for a moment to see how Hi would respond, and then fire off the fourth with [39] strength, intending to catch the Hyuuga off guard, the arrow aimed at Hi’s stomach in whatever direction he was moving.

SpoilerShow

Naughty Mint
B-rank Augment Fuuinjutsu
Doing a series of hand seals or drawing the seal, Kozan will place his hand on the target, activating the seal. This seal gives +9 Strength for it’s duration, at the cost of -9 Willpower.

Arrow] x4
D-rank Nintaijutsu
Kozan will flex one of his fingers, causing a thin tendril of samsara to form from one of the knuckles and extend out up to 5m, only a few inches in diameter, before forming into a firm rod with a pointed end. This can then be broken off and used as an projectile, a smaller polearm, or a variety of other purposes.

*[Flawless Aim Style • Tracking]
D-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
After much training and study, the practitioner has learned how to read an opponent's movements and adjust their aim accordingly to compensate without penalty. This Discipline allows the practitioner to accurately hit moving targets, though sudden changes in the opponent's movements will still affect accuracy.

*[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.

[ThatGuy]

It seemed that Hi was not the only one feeling his opponent out as the would-be assassin slowed their assault and cautiously kept his distance. The Hyuuga avoided revealing his full range of attack, hoping to catch his opponent by surprise down the line. When his opponent seemingly manifested arrows out of nowhere, Hi got ready to go on the defensive. Whatever ability his opponent was using, it certainly explained his lack of arrows. The Hyuuga tracked the arrows as they flew through the air. He dodged to the right as he brought the wires from his left arm up to hit the third arrow before it could make contact. His Byakugan aided him in preparing for the incoming arrows but he was caught off guard as the fourth flew towards him much faster than expected. Making a split second decision, he manipulated his wires to form a shield but unfortunately it was not enough to block the attack completely. The arrow pierced through his defenses but thankfully lost some of its momentum before puncturing his torso. He let out a grunt of pain before undoing his shield and switching gears.

”The weasel has fangs”

His would-be assassin's stunt made it clear that they had some aces up their sleeve, so Hi was cautious about blindly entering close range. Hoping to prevent another blunder, the Hyuuga used his wires to move himself as he performed the necessary hand seals to turn invisible. Taking care not to be so fast that he would break his stealth, Hi circled his opponent with the intention of getting within fifteen meters of his opponent. Should he make it without being intercepted, he would stealthily retract his wires and prepare for an onslaught of attacks at [35] strength and speed. His plan being to strike from all directions with his twenty-five fifteen meter long wires while his five thirty meter wires would swoop around the left with the intention of wrapping up his opponent.

Jutsu UsedShow

[Ninjutsu • Small Wire Shield]
D-Ranked Ninjutsu
Manipulating the wires within his body, the user will cause them to spiral together to form a two meter diameter shield of wires in front of the user to block attacks. Lasts for up to two posts.

[Ninjutsu • Spider Walk]
B-Ranked Ninjutsu
Manipulating the wires within his body, the user will cause them to extending from the tubes in his hands and forearms lifting him off the ground giving him 'spider legs' allowing for him to move around in this manner. Lasts as long as the user concentrates on this technique.

[Ninjutsu • Hard to See]
B-Ranked Ninjutsu
A basic invisibility technique, after forming the needed hand seals the user become invisible to the naked eye at long as they de not exceed 3/4 of their normal speed. Last for five posts and attacking a target will cause the technique to break.

[Way of the Shadow]
Requirement: Stealth Concentration and 20 Instinct
B-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
Through intensive training, the user has taken another step further in becoming a true stealth user now able to remain completely silently when moving at a walking and running pace, but those with higher ranked hearing techniques may still hear the user approaching.

[Ace Trainer]

The initial attacks were dodged with relative ease, but the final attack was a success. Kozan’s eyes thinned for a moment as he processed. Either Hi the attack speed changing had simply caught the missing ninja off guard, or (and hopefully it was this) the attack was simply too fast for the man to be able to appropriately avoid. The wires moved swiftly, but weren’t quite strong enough to block the attack. Good, that meant that, unless it was a feint as well, Kozan was stronger than his adversary now.

His mind began to shift to his next plan when he was caught off guard by Hi vanishing from sight, forcing him to reevaluate. Hi likely didn’t realize Kozan was a tracker, he couldn’t sense any fear of the missing ninja right now. A pulse of chakra would glow from his back, then another, then another, a chain reaction set off from him activating a single seal as Kozan’s willpower increased to [34]. Kozan’s already stoic face appeared even more concentrated as he began to project out his killer instinct. Quickly, he was able to pick up on the location of Hi through his fear sense.

As Hi circled around, Kozan would leap in the direction Hi had just came from, another arrow forming in his finger and being nocked, releasing it at [30] strength at Hi this time. Invisibility plus wires were a problem…Kozan couldn’t track and Hi and maintain his higher strength simultaneously, which put him in a tough position. He would need the higher strength in order to close the gap between them, but if Hi could just turn invisible and run…well, there weren’t a lot of options. At least, though, it seemed Hi had a limited range which meant Kozan could at least keep him at bay until he figured out a plan.

SpoilerShow

Kozan activated his Careful Mint, which automatically activates the Switchboard and Pause fuuinjutsu.

Careful Mint
B-rank Augment Fuuinjutsu
Doing a series of hand seals or drawing the seal, Kozan will place his hand on the target, activating the seal. This seal gives +9 Willpower for its duration, at the cost of -9 Control.

[Pause]
C-rank Augment Fuuinjutsu
Doing a series of hand seals or drawing the seal, Kozan will overlay this seal over an existing seal. When Kai is performed on this seal, it will pause the effect of the seal without deactivating it. A kai technique can be used again to resume the effect of the sealed fuuinjutsu. This technique can be used on any fuuinjutsu the user drew, otherwise the user must have greater [Control] than the fuuinjutsu that is being paused.

[Switchboard]
B-rank Fuuinjutsu
Prerequisites: [Multi-Kai] [Pause]
A base seal in which other fuuinjutsu are drawn over. Up to 20 fuuinjutsu can be connected via a [Switchboard] fuuin, and all must have the [Pause] fuuin overlaid them. When one of the fuuinjutsu attached to the [Switchboard] is activated, any other active fuuinjutsu connected to it has it’s [Pause] seal activated. If any fuuinjutsu attached to the switch board has the [Pause] fuuin deactivated, all other active seals have their [Pause] seal active. This allows the user to rapidly toggle between a series of fuuin while only ever having one of the fuuinjutsu’s effects active at any given time.

[Predatory Instinct: Murderous Intent]
B-rank Taijutsu Discipline
A natural born killer, Kozan is able to radiate out his killer intent, triggering natural fear responses in anyone in 60m of him, so long as their [Willpower] is lower than his own. Even if a target is not aware that Kozan is in the vicinity, his killer intent still radiates and affects them so long as they are within range.

[Arrow] again.

[ThatGuy]

OOCShow

I am operating under the assumption that Spider Walk allows him to move at the speed of his wires.

As Kozan jumped, Hi was overcome with an uneasy feeling. He felt a twinge of fear as he turned around to see the would-be-assassin aiming an arrow in his direction. The Hyuuga waited for a moment, hoping that his opponent was bluffing but let out a curse under his breath as the arrow flew directly towards him. The act of dodging the arrow caused the man to move too fast and dispel his invisibility. Whoever this kid was, he was proving to be a serious threat. For some reason, they hadn’t fired that last arrow with as much force as the one from earlier. Either they were still trying to conceal their full strength, or that jutsu they used earlier affected their physical attributes. Running out of options, the Hyuuga bet on the latter and charged towards his opponent at full speed.

Hi knew that his best bet against this enemy would be to try to keep them on the backfoot. So he focused on his opponent and tried to read their movements as he closed in. Once within range, he would try to use the longer five wires in his left arm to deliver a series of slashing strikes at [35] Strength and [35] Speed towards Kozan.

[Ace Trainer]

The missing ninja was quick to respond, his invisibility lapsing as he dodged the arrow Kozan had fired at him. The moment he became visible again, however, Kozan would channel again releasing another burst of chakra on the seal array on his back, activating a new seal. As he did, the bow he had been maintaining would melt down into a black fluid, slipping around his arm and forming a thick black sleeve.

Hi rushed forward at him, and Kozan felt his body’s speed increase as the new fuuinjutsu activated. He began strafing forward as the spider-like missing ninja rushed him. With his hands now free, Kozan would reach into his pouch and pull out 2 kunai with each hand. First he’d release two throwing them forward at Hi, then immediately behind them he’d release two more, the second pair having exploding tags attached. Whether Hi dodged or not, Kozan would activate the tags the moment they were close to the missing ninja, hoping to disorient him.

As quickly as he retreated, he’d rush forward at [39] speed, the black sleeve he’d formed transforming into a sword. Hoping to have created an opening, he’d jump forward at Hi and swing the sword at the man’s right shoulder, aiming for a diagonal slice across his torso.

SpoilerShow

Jolly Mint
B-rank Augment Fuuinjutsu
Doing a series of hand seals or drawing the seal, Kozan will place his hand on the target, activating the seal. This seal gives +9 Speed for its duration, at the cost of -9 Control.

Plus switchboard and pause again.

Kai x3

[ThatGuy]

After seeing his opponent do a series of hand seals and suddenly move at a much greater speed than before, Hi had his answer. They were changing their physical attributes via jutsu. With his would-be-assassin moving at this speed, there would be no running away. So as they closed in on him, Hi suddenly retracted his wires, waiting for his opponent to get close enough to attack. When they reached into their pouch, the Hyuuga immediately started to channel chakra into his tenketsu and began spinning in place. As he did so, an orb of chakra extended from his body, deflecting the first two projectiles. The next two exploded against the orb and not long after that, his opponent struck against the barrier.

Knowing that his opponent was currently too fast to catch with his wires, Hi continued to spin, hoping to create a small amount of distance between the two before his opponent inevitably altered his physical attributes again. Using his Byakugan, he would wait for his opponent to perform hand seals before dropping his current jutsu and attacking from both the left and right with all of his wires.

Jutsu UsedShow

~Jyuuken :: Eight Divination Signs Heavenly Rotation Absolute
B-rank Nintaijutsu Manoeuvre
Prerequisite: 20 Control
After channeling chakra through all the Tenketsu in their body, the user will begin to spin rapidly on the spot. This will cause an orb of chakra to expand from their body at 10 speed, pushing away incoming projectiles, ninjutsu and people with 30 strength. This technique can last a total of 3 posts, and the orb expands a maximum of 10 meters.

[Ace Trainer]

There was that Hyuuga talent. Hi would begin spinning, surrounding himself in an orb of chakra, deflecting the kunai and protecting him from the explosion. Kozan’s sword would strike against the bubble as well and bounce away. He’d land on the ground and kick backwards to create about 10m of space between them. Hi’s attack, in combination with the explosions from the kunai had cleared out a fair amount of brush, creating an open space of around 15m in all directions from Hi. Kozan watched for a moment, the Hyuuga were famous for a reason and this was one of them. Was this defense impenetrable?

Kozan’s mind quickly went through a number of different options. There were a lot of wires earlier, so he likely didn’t have an option to grab them. All he would be doing would be creating an opening for his opponent. They also seemed to be coming directly out of his body, which means they likely couldn’t be disarmed from him. He let out a frustrated ‘tch’, the orb was strong, so Kozan would need to be stronger to break it. He came to a single conclusion on a tactic, one he didn’t particularly favor but would have to be used here.

Chakra would move to his finger and he’d draw a seal in the air, punching his hand through it as it activated. Now, he could feel additional strength moving through his body. As he did so, his foe would stop spinning, and unleash wires at Kozan once more. He’d dart forward at his full [39] speed. As the wires converged on him, he’d sidestep towards the left and reach out with his free left hand and grab the bundle flying at him, letting them cut into his fingers. But now, he was strong enough that he could prevent them from cutting his hand clean off, wrapping his hand around them and pulling hard with [39] strength in the hopes of yanking Hi through the air. If successful, he’d slice at Hi once more with the truth seeker sword, hoping to cut into his shoulder and leave a grievous wound.

SpoilerShow

Naughty Mint
B-rank Augment Fuuinjutsu
Doing a series of hand seals or drawing the seal, Kozan will place his hand on the target, activating the seal. This seal gives +9 Strength for it’s duration, at the cost of -9 Willpower.

So, Kozan has +9 Speed, +9 Strength, -9 Control, -9 Willpower

[ThatGuy]

OOCShow

I’m a bit confused on the wording of Chakra Surge. I think it means that he uses the wires instead of his hands to attack the opponent. Ultimately, I don’t really think it matters because I think this is checkmate. I just figured a guy like Hi would do something to try and take his opponent down with him.

As his opponent grabbed a hold of his wires, Hi realized he had made a grave miscalculation. His opponent was able to keep the increased speed as he boosted his strength, allowing them to grab hold of his wires. The Hyuuga’s mind raced as he tried to think of a way out of this situation. Could he use the change of body stance technique? He’d just cleared the nearby brush and there didn’t seem to be anything big enough. Not given much of a chance to come up with a plan, Hi was pulled through the air and towards his opponent. He squirmed in the air in an attempt to dodge the incoming attack but his opponent proved too strong and fast. His enemy’s sword buried into his shoulder. There would be no surviving this encounter. An arrow in the abdomen was one thing, but the blood loss from this wound would take him out in no time.

”The strong devour the weak, as they should.”

There was no way he could get out of this situation. He couldn’t bring his opponent down with him either. Hi knew the best he could do is try to leave his assassin with a parting gift. Pouring as much chakra as he could spare into his wires, the Hyuuga attempted to wrap them around his opponent.

”But I’ll be damned if I go quietly!”

With one last ditch effort, Hi attempted to attack his opponent’s tenketsu directly, hoping to cause as much internal bleeding to his opponent as possible before inevitably succumbing to his wounds. As his vision started to blur, Hi cursed his fate. Who would have thought that his greatest fear would come true? The great Hi Hyuuga, dying to some bitch ass hunter-nin.

Jutsu UsedShow

[Ninjutsu • Chakra Surge]
A-Ranked Ninjutsu
Requirements: 35 Control, Jyuuken
After capturing a target with his wires, Hi will mix his Jyuuken style combat with his wires by pushing chakra through the wires that are entangling the target's body using the wires as a means to inject the chakra into the inner organs and chakra system of the target damaging both depending on how long the target is trapped. This technique pelts the target with 25 strength Jyuuken causing widespread damage to internal tissues, causing internal bleeding in internal organs and devastating the opponent’s muscles; while the closed tenketsu reduce the target’s control by 9 until they receive medical assistance.

[Ace Trainer]

The attack had worked, the feeling of flesh being sliced by his weapon. Hi would fall to the ground, half his wires still gripped into Kozan’s palm, blood dripping from his hands on the ground. He made some comment that would go over Kozan’s head, and then suddenly attempt a final attack as chakra surged. Kozan would lift the sword, intending to bring it down on his opponent when the wires would surge around him, practically freezing him in place. The wires squeezed tightly on his flesh, cutting into his entire body, and then a burst of chakra would course through him. This attack was not enough to kill Kozan, but it would cause some relatively bad damage. Still stuck in place, the sword raised in the air would change shape into a straight pole…and without moving a muscle Kozan would allow it to extend, impaling the missing ninja through his back and out of his chest, striking through where his heart would be.

The wires, no longer held tight by the dying missing ninja would loosen, and Kozan would fall backwards onto the ground, breathing heavily as he sat in front of the fresh corpse before him.

For a moment, he would simply breath, before channeling a small amount of chakra and slowly beginning to use his iijutsu to heal his wounds. ”Quietly or not, you’ve gone.”, is all he would mutter, seemingly acknowledging the missing ninja’s final words. For a while, Kozan would just sit there, taking his time to heal himself. The sun would continue to move through the sky until it was eventually beginning to set, Kozan finally pushing himself to his feet. With a quick fuuinjutsu on a scroll, the body would vanish into it, and he’d tuck it into his pocket. His wounds healed, and his prey captured, the predator would begin his return to Kirigakure.