There had been little time to rest between matches, 10 minutes at most as the arena was scrubbed of blood. The Overseers last opponent had been stronger than he had anticipated. It had been reckless to challenge her without relying on kenjutsu though he had wished to discover how his unarmed combat fared. It had been too long since he had fought seriously without the use of his weapons or transformations, not since he was a child. And even still, he had ended up resorting to drawing a knife in order to deliver the final strikes. But that was the difference between an assassin and someone who trained martial arts for sport or honor he supposed. For one such as himself, all that mattered was victory. He had won, though he couldn’t help but notice that he had lost the crowd. How interesting that the small gathering of guests the fighters were permitted to bring seemed to favor honor and grace over brutality and raw survival instincts.
As the cleaners readied the arena, Shinjiro removed his bloodied cloak.
‘Perhaps it is time to retire from these tournaments’ he considered as observed the way the others cheered for the noble underdog rather than the reigning champion. He had expected his return to the arena to fill him with a sense of excitement, to finally feel challenged once again. And yet, as strong as opponents had been he felt the matches simply tedious. No longer did victory fill him with a sense of accomplishment, it was simply expected. Looking out to his own supporters, Miyuki and Makoto, he felt nothing. There was no desire to prove anything to either one of them, each was already well aware of his might and his fearsome reputation as the strongest shinobi of Kirigakure. Truly, there was no purpose in him being here other than re-affirming to himself that he remained among the pinnacle of the shinobi world.
He washed the blood from his arm, the wounds already beginning to heal shut, and popped his fingers back into their sockets. And then he removed his mask and lifted his shirt over his head, tossing it to the side. For the first time, he would fight a tournament match uncovered, revealing both his face and his heavily muscled and scarred physique. There was not an exposed inch of his body, save his face that was without scars. Long lash marks covered his back, obscured somewhat by a large tattoo of Kraken’s tentacles protruding from a skull, the skulls vacant eyes black and lifeless, consumed by the kraken whose tentacles reached in search of wanton destruction. On each muscular shoulder, Shinjiro bore a brand, the symbol of Kirigakure seared into the flesh of his left arm and the insignia of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist seared into his right. Lastly, across his stomach he bore the sprawling sealing tattoo that marked him as a Jinchuuriki. His hands and forearms appeared to be tattooed in black ink, contrasting against his pale skin, though this was a trait that marked him as a host of Vorashu and one that persisted regardless of what form he transformed into.
Approaching the arena, Shinjiro separated Haramekarei, wielding the blade in each hand, while Chaos and Agony remained sheathed on his hips. In this match he would fight as a swordsman once more. But he was no samurai and had little concept of honour. He looked over his opponent as he approached, dipping his head slightly, a small show of respect.
“I hadn’t expected you to defeat Kozan, he was my Dagger, my kohai as you samurai would call it. Your skills serve you well for this sort of competition, but make no mistake, the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist would murder any samurai should you ever cross us at our full strength, without such restrictions” he assured, his low, even tone was matter of fact. There was no doubt in his mind that samurai were vastly inferior to shinobi. Honour was a weakness, as much of a restriction as barring a shinobi from utilizing their ninjutsu.
“This will be my last competition. I grow weary of these games, but I will defeat you, and in the coming years if you claim my title as Taijutsu Champion, know that you are nothing but a place holder, and that should we ever cross swords again you will die” he stated, this time his eyes darkened and his words dripped with vitriol.
With that, the match would begin. Shinjiro’s focus was intense, his aura dark and malevolent. At 29 years of age, he had already slaughtered thousands, and tournament or not, he was a killer through and through. It had not escaped his notice that like himself Nobuhide had not received a single point against him yet had done so unscathed. By the end of this match, he intended to truly hurt the man. Roaring a shout that reverberated through the stands he activated his *
[Zantou • Winter Blizzard] stance, before releasing an additional Kiai, sending his first assault of
*[Zantou • Frost Dragon's Roar] through his opponent. Shinjiro had studied his opponent throughout the previous matches and learned that he relied on speed as well as a counter-attacking style, which would give Shinjiro ample time to impair the older man’s senses and coordination through vicious Kiai shouts. The savage beast of a man would whittle his opponent down before they even clashed blades. And then, surging forward he swung with 50 Strength and 46 Speed in a diagonal motion with *
[Zantou • Polar Bear Claw], utilizing his massive 6ft long blades to keep his opponent at a distance, aiming to strike through the man’s collar bones with the last 6 inches of his weapon, the intent being to give little room for Nobuhide to move in closer. The swings would be expertly controlled and stop short by the time they reached Nobuhide’s midsection, regardless, if they were evaded or blocked and then Shinjiro would adjust his distance with
[Iaido • Eternal Haunting], maneuvering to keep Nobuhide at a distance of 2 meters from himself as he continued his attacks with a series of alternating thrusts aimed at the chest and head using
*[Zantou • Polar Bear Pursuit] and
[Zantou • Wolf Pack Bloodlust] Both the diagonal strike and the series of thrusts were accompanied by a Kiai shout, which would further inhibit his opponent, hopefully putting Nobuhide at a significant disadvantage and all but securing an easy victory for the skilled shinobi swordsman.
*[Zantou • Winter Maelstrom](+4 Strength, -4 Control)
A-Rank Taijutsu Stance
Prerequisite(s): *[Zantou • Winter Blizzard].
Building upon its parent technique, this Stance further builds upon further sharpening and refining the practitioner's capacity to focus on the opponent and the task at hand. Drawing in a deep breath, the practitioner also gathers up their energy and releases a kiai. The level of skill the practitioner has attained allows the practitioner to effectively attack and block from a neutral stance without any detriment. While in this Stance, the practitioner can effortlessly ignore non-critical distractions, focusing solely on the opponent(s). They also are able to ignore extreme heat, extreme cold, moderate oxygen deprivation, extreme fatigue, and even extreme pain. They can read the opponents' muscle contractions and body positioning very accurately in this stance, and they are able to read the direction, the type, the timing, and the speed of an attack that is imminent. The opponent can still effectively mask their movements if they have a movement-concealing Stealth technique of equal or higher rank than this technique. While in this Stance, the practitioner is conferred with a +4 increase to Strength and Will Power but suffers a -4 penalty to Chakra Pool and Control. The practitioner may end this Stance whenever they so wish.
*[Zantou • Frost Dragon's Roar]
A-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite(s): 30 Will Power,, *[Zantou • Frostbitten Howl].
Zantou harnesses the inner strength of its warrior to cause the opponent to lose hold of their senses. A more advanced version of its parent technique, the practitioner unleashes a mighty kiai, which bombards the opponent with violently vibrating air currents entering their ear canals. Opponents within a number of meters equal to the practitioner's Strength must have a Will Power equal to or higher than the practitioner's Will Power to resist the effect of this technique. Otherwise, any opponents in range of the technique will lose all sense of orientation, balance, and proprioception, resulting in a -9 penalty to Speed for the next three posts in the form of disorientation and extreme nausea to the point of uncontrolled vomiting. This technique can be used in conjunction with other techniques. The disorientation effect from this technique can be stacked with other disorientation effects and refreshes the post limit for any disorientation effect currently imposed on the opponents.
*[Zantou • Polar Bear Claw]
B-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite(s): *[Zantou • Ambidexterity].
One of the few full committal techniques of Zantou, the practitioner momentarily torques the muscles in their arms. Then, in a single, explosive release, the practitioner looses a kiai and two crossing diagonal slashes from opposite sides. Opponents within a number of meters equal to the practitioner's Strength must have a Will Power equal to or higher than the practitioner's Will Power to resist the kiai effect. Otherwise, the opponents will suffer from minor disorientation from the disruption of the equilibrium, resulting in a -6 penalty to Speed for the next three posts. At the center of the attack, the second blade crashes into the back of the first, driving the first blade deeper into the opponent's guard, weapon, armor, or body. This technique is effective at breaking an opponent's weapon, armor, or defenses. The disorientation effect from this technique can be stacked with other disorientation effects and refreshes the post limit for any disorientation effect currently imposed on the opponents.
*[Zantou • Polar Bear Pursuit]
B-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite(s): *[Zantou • Frigid Gust].
An uncharacteristically aggressive technique with a heavy commitment, the practitioner draws in a small breath before unleashing a stream of kiai against the opponent before attacking them with a powerful series of alternating slashes and thrusts. Opponents within a number of meters equal to the practitioner's Strength must have a Will Power equal to or higher than the practitioner's Will Power to resist the kiai effect. Otherwise, the opponent will suffer from minor disorientation from the disruption of the equilibrium, resulting in a -6 penalty to Speed for the next three posts. This disorientation can allow the practitioner to overwhelm the opponent's senses and defenses to land any number of serious, if not fatal, blows. The disorientation effect from this technique can be stacked with other disorientation effects and refreshes the post limit for any disorientation effect currently imposed on the opponents.
[Iaido • Eternal Haunting] (utilizing full 46 speed for attacks, only mimicking movement speed to keep in ideal range)
A-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver.
Prerequisite(s): *[Iaido • Ancestral Visage].
Pushing past the limits of normal human movement, the practitioner moves at the exact same speed, in the exact same direction, at the exact same time, and for the exact same distance as their opponent. This assures that the opponent will always remain in the practitioner's effective attack range. In order for this technique to operate at its peak efficiency, the practitioner must have a Speed and Strength score equal to or higher than the opponent’s Speed and Strength Stats. While this technique can be used regardless of stat differences, opponents with a higher speed can outpace the practitioner and pull away from them, and opponents with higher strength can accelerate more quickly than the practitioner, giving the opponent time to take countermeasures against the practitioner’s attacks. This technique can be used for a number of posts equal to 1/3 of the practitioner's Endurance stat, rounded down.
*[Zantou • Wolf Pack Paradigm]
C-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
Much of a human's movements are inefficient and waste energy, especially in regards to combat. The practitioner has learned how to fully synchronize and harmonize the movements of their body in and out of combat. This Discipline represents the practitioner's knowledge and mastery of kinetic linking, the efficient movement and transferal of potential energy from one part of the body to the other, eliminating potentially wasted Endurance and chakra and allowing the practitioner to last longer than ordinary in a fight.
*[Zantou • Winter River Flows]
D-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
The physical training and mental focus encouraged by Zantou allows for the practitioner to adapt quickly and take advantage of opportunities to attack when they present themselves in combat. This Discipline represents the practitioner's ability to alter the direction of their blade mid-cut. This can be used to work around a block, or simply to act as a powerful feint and strike all in the same motion without stopping. This Discipline can make a Zantou practitioner’s movements difficult to predict in a fight.
[Zantou • Wolf Pack Bloodlust]
C-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite(s): ]*[Zantou • Frigid Gust].
A technique that can be added onto the end or at the beginning of another Maneuver for a more potent attack string, the practitioner momentarily torques every muscle in their body before attacking with a flurry of vicious, alternating thrusts. Each thrust is targeted at a wildly different part of the opponent's body, making it difficult to properly defend against each thrust.
*[Zantou • Frost Dragon's Flight]
A-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
Prerequisite(s): *[Zantou • Winter Maelstrom].
The practitioner has learned to strike and defend with movements that shift suddenly and ferociously. This Discipline represents the practitioner's knowledge and mastery of movement and muscle control, to the point that their movements, attacks, and techniques have no telegraphing signs until they are already in motion. This makes it much more difficult for opponents to properly react to the practitioner's actions in combat. Opponents must have a sight-based or sound-based Perception technique of equal or higher rank than this technique to adequately read the practitioner's movements, attacks, and techniques.
Lethal Precision
A-rank Taijutsu Discipline
Prerequisite: [Deft Hands], [Close Quarters Combat] [Sword Weapons]
Shinjiro has fine tuned his accuracy with his strikes to the point where he can consistently target even a moving target within 1mm of precision as well as being able to find openings in his opponents guard and capitalize on those openings so long as his Speed is greater than or equal to that of his opponent unless they have an adequate defensive technique. This includes his use of bladed weapons and his own limbs.
Anatomy
A-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
Prerequisite: [Medicine] [Deft Hands]
Having acquired a vast knowledge of the human Anatomy and its weak points Shinjiro can strike in such a way as to cause organ failure from direct stabbing attacks, either with his appendages or a weapon so long as his Strength is at least 5 higher than his opponent, affecting the target accordingly typically though not limited to including symptoms of extreme pain and nausea, potentially leading to fatal consequences. Similarly, connecting muscle groups can easily be severed via bladed strikes rendering entire limbs unusable unless adequate medical treatment is applied.
