[closed] Reunion? More likely than you think

[TyDie]

It was just another day for Kiyori now; Another day of waking up, taking care of general hygiene, morning workout, breakfast, catching up with family, and then out the door into the blistering sun of wind country. She had fallen into a rut as of late despite her recent exposure to the Sun's Blessing. She hadn't gotten the go ahead to go back to Konoha for training with the Awai clan, so until she did she was stuck doing general shinobi duties around the village. Patrols, guard duty, first response, the list of basic chores went on and on. Truthfully, it had become tedious to her...

But today was a day off thankfully, one of the first she had had since returning to Suna with Kazekage Hito-sama and Sueatsu. However, even as a day off, she still had work to do. The life of a ninja was by no means a sedentary one, and she still had to keep up with her usual regimen of training to keep herself sharp, just in case the tragedy that befell Konoha reared it's head towards Suna. But she felt something odd today... Call it a premonition, a prophecy, or just a weird feeling, but she could tell today would be eventful. And that feeling scared her as much as it interested her.

Heading to her usual training area, a small barren landscape on the southern end of one of the village's ninja academies about 100 meters in diameter, she went to the center of the area and sat in solitude. First, meditation; the skills of the body were only as sharp as the mind that used them, so a clear mind was essential for any ninja. She would sit in silence, the wind whistling past her ears and the sun beating down on her as she breathed slowly, emptying her mind of unnecessary thoughts... which was all of her thoughts at the moment.

[Tsedas]

"He should be here any minute! Finally gonna see what's so great about this guy!" The first voice Kiyori would hear very clearly as it entered into the training ground. At least three noisy sounding pairs of feet haphazardly making their way onto the grounds in a bit of a hurry.

"Okay, good... What are you dragging me down here on my day off for and who are you talking about?" A second, obviously less than enthusiastic voice asked.

"Sunagakure no Shiden, bro! I managed to finally track him down one day after he was finishing some kind of practice and challenged him to a fight at this training ground. I brought you guys along because he said it wouldn't be a challenge if he fought just me." The excited man chirpped as he audibly cracked his knuckles.

"Wait! You said nothing about fighting anyone, let alone this Shiden guy. Why the crap did you challenge him to a fight?! And Why at this training ground?!" The less than excited guy was now panicked guy as he tried to find out what he'd been dragged into. There was a bit of back and forth between the two before the third interrupted.

"Wait, is that your Shiden guy?"

"Huh? Oh, no. Hey lady! We're gonna have an epic duel so you might wanna move before you get caught in some kind of cross fire." The first shouted as the three moved more towards the center of the training ground. The three bumbling shinobi were about to advise further need for Kiyori to move when they all fell silent and seemed to focus their attention elsewhere. From the same entrance that they had come in, a fourth figure arrived. Clad in a cloak and kasa hat, their walked showed a more determined step being taken. Coming to stand in the entry portion of the training ground, the so called Sunagakure no Shiden raised an arm from underneath his coat and pointed it at the first of the three.

"Oi! We're ready whenever you are tough guy! This lady needs to move first though unless you wanna fight around her." The first called out as he gestured to Kiyori. Shiden threw his arm to the side and caused his cloak to fling itself over his shoulder, revealing his attire beneath which had little purple too it, but the inside of his cloak surely gave one the idea of where the name might have come from to some degree. Underneath his cloak was also a sword that was dangling from a rope slung over his body. Setting his palm against the end of the handle and resting it there.

[TyDie]

Kiyori's one eye opened a moment as she heard the voices break the silence. Letting out a deep sigh, she stood up with sweat still dripping down her body. Given the amount of heat that particular morning, she was glistening with sweat in the sunlight, the heat being magnified even more by the black tattoos covering her body. The three men, or more accurately hotheaded boys, walked into the training area and told her she should probably move out of the way, as they were about to have an 'epic battle' with some guy they were calling "Sunagakure no Shiden"

"Violet bolt of the Sands? I've heard the name... always thought it was some youngling looking to make a name for themselves." She said with a bit of snark. She never saw much use in titles and nicknames like that, but she would comply for the time being. After all, it would be interesting to watch this guy take on three people at once. The guys didn't seem to be much younger than her, likely just hit special jounin rank or were on the verge of being eligible for the rank. So clearly this nameless shinobi had some skill... assuming of course he could hold his own against them. Kiyori could probably manage the task herself...

Then the man of the hour arrived, clad in attire that hid his face and most of his body from view. He threw the cloak open to reveal his violet attire; fit the name at least. His hand rested on his sword and he walked towards the training ground, clearly ready for a brawl. "Hey, break a leg buddy! Not really though, that would probably hurt and I don't want to make a trip to the hospital today! I just got off hospital duty!" She chuckled to herself as she prepared to watch the sparks fly, making sure to take in all the various fighters and their distinct moves and style. Her Dousatsugan darted between each opponent with rapid succession... but focused mostly on the cloaked man with the sword. Something about him seemed familiar... Even through his hidden visage she felt she knew him.

[Tsedas]

"I don't know man, I've heard this guy is tough." The second man chattered nervously before the third cracked his knuckles. "Tamaji, you're a ranged specialist teamed up with two guys decent in Ninjutus and Taijutsu. What are you worried about? He'd have to make it past us first." the third man said to second, Tamaji. Tamaji looked to the first man with a scowl before reaching behind his back and drawing out shuriken with both hands.

"That's the spirit Tamaji! Hey Shiden! I'm Iwabe, next to me are Tamaji and Benimaru! Remember the names cause we're about to ruin your win streak!" Iwabe boasted as he took a basic Stance used in Totem Style. Benimaru, the third man of the group, slipped a hand behind his back before raising the other as his legs slide apart on the ground and he assumed a Strong Fist stance. Across from them, Shiden shifted his head and looked at the woman as she shouted something about breaking legs but not breaking legs. 'That voice.... Fight now, ponder later.'

Pushing his palm down against the end of his sword's handle, he managed to unsheath it in some one handed fashion the likes of which they would never have seen before. Gripping the end of the handle, Shiden pulled the blade up and across his body before resting it against his shoulder, the hand guard touching the front of his clavicle as his legs shifted and his body tensed. Benimaru seemed to be confused by this for a moment before SHifting his body forward into a run as he shouted to his comrade without looking back, "Tamaji!"

Taking this as the go sign, Tamaji shifted his arms and swung, releasing the shuriken through the air in paths that arched around the sides. The tactic was a simple opening one, Benimaru running straight in while Tamaji's shuriken keep Shiden from trying to get past him by going around. As the shuriken and Benimaru closed in, Shiden didn't seem to move an inch as he just stood there in his stance. As his opponent continued to close in, Shiden shifted the blade on his shoulder. The cloaked man seemed to flip it over so that the back side of his straight edged sword would be what impacted instead of the more deadly side.

It was then that he seemed to just vanish to untrained eyes. However Tamaji caught it and practically fell on his butt as he backed up. Shiden had released all the pent up tension in his body, sliding past Benimaru while striking him with the blunt edge of his sword before coming to rest almost within spitting distance of Iwabe and Tamaji. The blur of violet from the inside of his cloak was almost the only indicator of his movement. Benimaru clutched his ribs as he fell to his knees in a gasp of pain as he was pretty sure he'd just gotten hit by the man judging by the pain and difficulty he had breathing. Iwabe on the other hand quickly righted himself into a stance as Shiden leapt at him and stabbed downward.

"Too easy!" Iwabe boasted as he hopped backwards away from the attack and prepared to try and counter. What he didn't expect was for Shiden to balance himself on the end of his sword's handle and thrust his body into a follow up attack that hit Iwabe right in the chest. As Iwabe started to go down and Shiden's feet hit the ground, Tamaji had pulled out a Kunai and swung at Shiden, aiming to hit him in the head apparently. Going into a crouch while performing step and turn, made it Shiden's kasa hat take the blow instead, the seemingly nameless shinobi rising quickly as he drove a knee into Tamaji's gut and made him double over.

As the kasa fell away, Kiyori would see her old team mate and partner in the Scribes standing over the three shinobi. Tenjirou Shigekuni walked over and plucked his sword from the ground and sheathed it before walking over and picking up his kasa. Slipping it back on his head, Shigekuni turned and looked toward the exit from the training ground.

Then he started to walk toward it.

[TyDie]

Kiyori watched and waited, falling silent as she observed the fight. It took little understanding from her end to recognize the various styles the three younglings were using; Strong fist, Totem style and Flawless aim. All basic styles that any ninja could learn given enough time and dedication, nothing impressive to her by any means. But the other one... something about him was clearly off. The way he drew and held that sword was unique, and his stance was clearly one that signified a buildup of torque. The cloaked man was preparing a quick dash of some sort, yet his style didn't seem anything like other styles that used the same method such as Iaido.

The moment the fight broke out she watched as the shuriken flew around the sides of the bullheaded shinobi. It was a simple but effective tactic, these three had worked together on more then one occasion to be sure. Of course, she would have rolled to the side underneath the shuriken before handspringing into a powerful kick at the guys chest, then kicked off of him towards the other two. But this guys response was just as good... That built up torque resulted in a near instant dash, closing a large distance while also hitting the first guy square in the ribs with the back end of his sword.

The movement, while incredibly disorienting to the other three, was incredibly fast to Kiyori but not fast enough to avoid her notice. He looked like a blur of purple flying across the battlefield; She guessed that's where the guy's name came from. The following attacks that put the other two out of commission were just as fast and precise, he was clearly quite skilled with that blade, but she couldn't help but wonder why he wasn't using his other arm for anything. The last guy got a good shot and took off the mysterious Kasa.

And as the Kasa hit the ground, Kiyori recognized Sunagakure no Shiden immediately... It was Shigekuni. The partner she had worked with for years, the one she had worked with in the scribes of the sands, the one she visited in the hospital after he awoke from his coma... The one she had been told was dead at the hands of a missing ninja. She wasn't sure if she should cry, cheer or smack him upside the head, but that decision was quickly made for her as the man turned to leave the training ground without even so much as looking at her.

The other shinobi, who were just managing to get off of the ground, were practically nonexistent to her. She had never experienced tunnel vision before now, her gaze was only on the back of her partner as he walked his way towards the exit to the training ground. And then she found her voice...
"SHIGEKUNI!!" Her voice was so loud it echoed throughout the entire academy grounds. If he turned to look at her, he'd see such a mix of emotions in her eyes it would be impossible to pinpoint them all. Just to name a few of the more prominent ones, he'd be able to see pure rage, depressing sorrow, overwhelming joy, utter shock and confusion. Lots and lots of confusion. Then, without another word, she'd shift her right leg forward and bend her knees, taking a deep breath her hands fell to rest in front of her, her open palms facing her partner. If Shigekuni remembered anything about the Henrin, he'd recognize that stance in an instant.

Ryuusei Ken's starting stance. She wanted a fight. The guys that had challenged Shigekuni beforehand were staring at the two in shock now; between Kiyori's shockingly loud shout and the fury in her eyes, it was clear even to them that there was something deep going on here.

[Tsedas]

Shigekuni stopped mid stride and his head turned as he looked back at the girl that had called his name. The voice hadn't changed at all since they last met and he knew for sure it was Kiyori. Turning his body, he stared at her as her eyes seemed to run a gambit of emotions and then she took her clan's stance. Turning to face her fully now, Shigekuni threw his arm to the side and his cloak once again whooshed out and over his shoulder to reveal his right side, sword back in it's sheath from when he retrieved it and his hat.

"I'd recommend you three move aside before you get caught in the crossfire." Shigekuni stated flatly as he reached up and removed his kasa, tossing it aside. His hair was still spiked and a bit wile, but leaning more to the left side of his head. The three shinobi he just fought all scrambled out of the way as Shigekuni brought his hand to his sword and drew it like before, but holding it out in front of him instead of adopting the stance he'd used against them. If there was one thing he knew, it was that the same tricks wouldn't work on Kiyori.

"Your move, challenger." Shigekuni stated as he stared at his old team mate, stance stable and ready. What Kiyori couldn't see however was his left arm, if anything, it left one to wonder why he hadn't used it yet.

[TyDie]

Kiyori's gaze honed in on her partner as he tossed aside his kasa, throwing his cloak out again to remove his sword again. It was clear by his stance he wasn't going straight to the offensive, he knew full well that the dash he had used wouldn't have worked against her... After all, she had already seen it once; the mystery was gone, and as a Henrin the same technique rarely worked twice. At least he remembered that much, but he hadn't fought her in forever... After all, she thought he was dead.

And then he spoke... and referred to her not by name or as his partner, but as a 'challenger'. It was like he refused to acknowledge who she was, and she couldn't take it anymore. With a quick dash from her stance she rushed him, closing within 5 meters of him before diving forward and tucking into a roll as she hit the ground. She would then push herself out of the roll with a hand spring, rotating herself into an aerial front flip. As she spun towards him, her right leg extended out from the rotating, balled up girl, and she would deliver a series of four kicks in rapid succession before hitting the ground. She was aiming for his shoulder, but she was mostly just trying to push him on the defensive.

However, she wasn't dumb; that sword was clearly not for show, and she was watching him with keen precision, waiting for any single movement that would tell her he was aiming to attack her. When she eventually hit the ground, she would land on her feet before quickly rotating to face her opponent again. When she did, she would retract both of her hands before thrusting them forward with incredible force, aiming the strike straight for Shigekuni's solar plexus. If the attack connected he'd no doubt be pushed back a few meters, and if not she'd follow up with a quick backflip to put distance between them, making sure to extend her right leg while flipping to turn her mini retreat into an attack.

Jutsu UsedShow

~Ryuusei Ken – Forceful Comet
C-Ranked Taijutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite: ~Ryuusei Ken – Stardust
Leaping upward, the Henrin will kick while performing a series of spinning motions. They will kick with every full rotation they perform(up to four kicks), usually using this move to counter an opponent that is coming at them from the air or to attempt a flurry of blows against an opponent trying to back away from them on the ground by leaping forward instead of upwards.

~Ryuusei Ken – Breakthrough Meteor
B-Ranked Taijutsu Discipline
After years of training in their style and developing their skills in acrobatic movement, the Henrin mind is capable of looking for gaps or openings in an opponents offense or defense. Even the slightest of shift in stance would give way to a Henrin's eye to detail in dismantling and exploiting any openings in an opponents guard. These openings can be anything from a place to land a blow to a space where they can slip between the gaps through their acrobatics.

~Ryuusei Ken – Split Star
D-Ranked Taijutsu Maneuver
The attack is a simple two-handed pushing motion palm strike delivered from around the level of the Henrin's abdomen. The simplicity of the technique masks the substantial power behind it as they thrust both palms into their opponent in an attempt to knock them back in an attempt to unbalance them.

~Ryuusei Ken – Arcing Star
D-Ranked Taijutsu Maneuver
While engaging an opponent in close quarters combat and making use of their Taijutsu skills and doujutsu, the Henrin will hop up while performing a back flip. Extending their leg, they will aim this flip kick towards an opponents chin in the hopes of injuring them.

[Tsedas]

Shigekuni watched as Kiyori broke into a dash straight for him and he did the same. When they were within 5 meters of each other, they both seemed to take action as they moved at full speed, Shigekuni pulled his sword up, the blunt side of the blade at the ready as he attempted a standard slash at the Henrin as she dove into a roll. He slashed and continued past her, turning on his heel as he shifted to a back handed grip. Sure enough, he saw her go into a hand spring and turn into a flying ball before unleashing a series of kicks that he shifted the flat, wide part of the blade in front of, making her kick the weapon instead of him. However despite blocking the kicks with his sword, the blade was braced against his person with each successive kick, showing that he would have had a better defense if he used two hands instead of one as he was forced back a few paces with each kick.

As Kiyori landed, she brought her hands up tight against her body and Shigekuni knew what was coming, shifting his body as he shifted his weight to his left side and spun around on his heel as he shifted out of the way of the palm strikes. On the tail end of the spin, Shigekuni brought his grip on the sword to a fore grip again and slashed at Kiyori with the blunt end of his sword but as he had spun to avoid her attack, she was already performing a back flip with her leg extended. However as Shigekuni's slash missed, her jumped forward, using his momentum as he jumped up into the air and turned into a ball mid flip himself as he came at her from an angle outside of the path of her flip kick.

As he closed the gap, his leg thrust outward to hit at her somewhere in her upper torso if she didn't manage to avoid his attack.

jutsu usedShow

[Yamataryu • First Branch - Gliding Line]
D-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
Shigekuni dashes forward towards his opponent and quickly slashes them while holding his sword in either a foregrip or a backhand grip, continuing past them as he slashes to try and reposition himself behind them. This method of attacking can be used for hit and run style attacks.

[Yamataryu • Fourth Branch - Steady Hold]
D-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
Training himself for an extended amount of time, Shigekuni has developed a way to fluidly spin a weapon in his hand to shift from a forehand to a back hand grip and vice versa, allowing him to manipulate his weapon more fluidly both offensively and defensively in the heat of battle.

[Yamataryu • Fourth Branch - Unyielding Paths]
C-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
Shigekuni has developed a method of fighting that utilizes lots of motion and acrobatic manuverability. Using Spins, jumps, tumbles, and spring boards in the middle of a fight, Shigekuni will maintain a constant onslaught against opponents while remaining mobile to either wear them down or punish them for making a tactical error in the heat of battle.

[Yamataryu • Third Branch - Moonlight Assault]
D-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
After slashing at an opponent, Shigekuni will quickly jump up or around his opponent as he pulls himself into a tight ball as he spins before releasing a powerful spin kick aimed at the opponent's upper torso.

[TyDie]

Every move the man made was being cataloged, and from what she could already see Shigekuni's style was vastly similar to Ryuusei Ken; Agile, acrobatic, lots of footwork. His blade work was also quite impressive, he had clearly been using the sword for some time now to be that good with it. Still, he no doubt remembered her Doujutsu's ability, and would be striving to use different moves as often as possible to keep her guessing. He dealt with her offense rather well, and even snuck a few blows in in response. She was quick enough to interrupt him before he could deliver the sword strike, but he back off from the backflip kick and came back in with his own spin kick.

It was as though the two were using the same style almost, with only slight variances between them, but Kiyori remembered that Shigekuni was mostly a ninjutsu user. Even if he had spent the past years focusing solely on his taijutsu, she couldn't believe he'd be able to keep up with him properly. She hit the ground as he came in with his spin kick, and her eyes locked on the leg as it came down. Then, with a quick movement, she went to push the kick aside with the back of her left hand while simultaneously stepping into his space. Then she waited for precisely the right moment, when the man's solar plexus was perfectly exposed, before ramming her right hand's open palm into his chest.

Should the blow connect, he'd be sent hurdling through the air, but that wouldn't be the end of it. She intended to follow him on the ground, waiting for him to hit the ground before leaping into the air a good 5 or so meters. She would then aim to come down hard on the man's chest, a single leg extended in a sort of divekick maneuver.

Jutsu UsedShow

Ryuusei Ken - Redirect Force
C-Ranked Taijutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite: 15 Taijutsu, 15 Instinct, Dousatsugan Active
Kiyori can use her ability to anticipate and react to attacks to literally kick and smack attacks from the air, as her aim is precise enough to meet other people's punches or kicks as they fly. Using her hands and feet, she aims blows at her opponents limbs when they attack, aiming to throw the attacks off or stop them completely. This can be kept up as long as Kiyori can see the attacks coming, but can be overcome by someone with as much as 3 more strength than, as she is flexible and fast enough to keep up with most attack chains but too much power will eventually overcome her.

~Ryuusei Ken – Heavenly Impact
D-Ranked Taijutsu Discipline
This is more of a base technique, rather than a specific one, but, while using kicks and punches, the user waits for exactly the right moment, then, in a flash of movement, strikes with all of their power. If the average of the opponents Taijutsu and Instinct stats is lower than the users Speed, the strike itself appears as if no movement was made.

[Tsedas]

As Shigekuni felt his leg get knocked aside, he shifted his eyes to Kiyori as she stepped in and readied a hand to perform a strike. While he didn't see the strike come at him, he certainly felt it as it impacted into his solar plexus and knocked the wind out of him as he went up and away from the Henrin. As he was sent through the air away from her, he lost his grip on his sword as it fell away from him. He didn't much care for keeping hold of it at this point as he focused more on regaining his breathing while twisting his body around like a cat falling out of a tree.

Righting himself, he saw Kiyori following after him and no doubt she was doing so with the intent of performing some kind of follow up. Taking a deep breath and letting it out, Shigekuni struggled to get air into his lungs as he landed on the ground and skidded along it with his toes as he tried to stop his momentum. Just as he managed to do this, Kiyori continued to close in and was pouncing into the air. Bringing his hand up, Shigekuni started forming hand seals as he watched his old team mate leap into the air like she was trying to take flight, hitting a 5 meter mark above him before she started her descent.

'Too high, you gave me a window.'' Shigekuni thought to himself as he went through his seals before shifting into a crouch and straightening his hand like he was making the common knife hand and pulling it back as if to punch up at her. Leaping upward, Shigekuni instead thrust his hand out toward her as he rose meet her as he jumped up into the air, his hand erupting into a concentrated bolt of prismatic lightning that gave off a cacophony of birds chirping, like a thousand birds crying out in overlapping chorus.

Jutsu UsedShow

[Yamataryu • Fourth Branch - Caught In The Breeze]
C-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
Using his acrobatic abilities, Shigekuni has learned to train his body to by like that of a cat falling to the ground. Capable of twisting and flipping his body, he has learned how to contort his body around while inthe air in ways that let him avoid more pinpoint projectile techniques or throwing weapons.


*Raiton • Thousand Birds
A-ranked Raiton Jutsu
Prerequisite: 25 speed
The user of this technique will gather a concentrated amount of lightning in their hand after they perform the hand seals for this technique. The lightning causes a sound similar to thousands of birds chirping over the top of each other while it is in existence. The user will then dash at full speed toward a target, unable to see anything not within their path. The user will then attempt to thrust their hand into their target's body. The lightning is able to give the hand the ability to burn through a person's body. The lightning then shocks the target as per Raiton's passive abilities. Those with 35+ speed will find this technique gives them +10 strength when combating defensive techniques. The lightning disappears from the user's hand after 2 posts.

[TyDie]

As Kiyori began to come down towards Shigekuni, she noticed the hand seals. She hadn't expected him to stick to taijutsu only, but what she also didn't expect was something that was clearly strong enough to kill her if it made contact. He had a lot of confidence in her abilities... Confidence she herself didn't have. But still, in the heat of the moment, there was little one could do but react and hope the plan worked. While coming down towards the chittering raiton technique in Shigekuni's hand, Kiyori would perform an aerial front flip in an attempt to maneuver herself a little bit forward.

If successful in her maneuver, the plan was that she would 'flip' over the man's extended, raiton charged arm, a neat slash digging into her back as his hand just barely grazed her back. A sharp gasp of pain came from her mouth and blood trickled down her bare back as she landed on the ground a few meters away, and he would no doubt continue in his trajectory due to his own jump. "You want to go all out huh?" Kiyori flew into a series of her own hand seals, channeling a large amount of chakra into her right hand as she seemed to hold air in her grasp.

A moment later, a large flaming spear formed in her hand and she raised it over her shoulder like a javelin. "I can play that way!" She yelled before she chucked the spear as hard as she could, directly at Shigekuni's position. She would wait for him to try and dodge the technique, then as it got within about 5 meters of him, a single hand seal would kai the spear, causing it to unravel into a whirlwind of raging fire. If it made contact with anything it would explode with a loud 'BOOM', scattering fire in all directions as well as sand and other debris.

JutsuShow

*Katon • Izanagi's Spear
A-Rank Ninjutsu
After performing the correct hand seals the user will form a condensed 5cm diameter, 3 meter long spear of fire in their hand then throw it at an opponent. At any time during the course of the spear's travel, the user may use Chakra Kai to activate the spear. This causes the spear to rapidly unwind and expand into a 10 meter long, 7 meter diameter whirlwind of fire at a speed of 30. On impact, the spear will then explode at A-Rank strength.

[Tsedas]

Shigekuni's hand sliced down Kiyori's back as she flipped around to try and maneuver around his attack. Slicing through the back of the black sports bra she often used as a top, the lightning dissipating as there was no use letting it linger, besides it was his turn to be an airborne target and he had no idea what to expect. Bringing his hand in front of him, he started forming a string of quick simple seals before a black object grew from his palm and he quickly grabbed it and threw it away while flipping himself around. As he ended up turning himself upside down, he noticed they had more onlookers as his hand started another set of seals as Kiyori yelled at him, his eyes shifting back to her as she now wielded a lance of fire, much akin to the lightning spear technique he used long ago.

As she finished yelling at him, she hurled the spear at him and he continued forming hand seals as he cursed under his breath. The spear of fire grew to be within 5 meters and he caught sight of her hands forming a single seal as his hands were finishing theirs. As the Spear started to unravel and grow, Shigekuni closed his eyes and held his breath as he forged the last few seals out. A thunderous boom from the explosion echoed the battlefield and the fire subsided into smoke, yet instead of a body descending from the cloud, Shingekuni's cloak fluttered down, singed and still on fire in some spots.

"Almost, but not quite, Kiyori." Shigekuni's voice stated before being followed by a single, irritated cough from smoke that was still fading around him. A little scorched, but relatively okay thanks to his substitiution, Shigekuni stood without his cloak off to one side of the battlefield. If Kiyori had watched where that black object had flown off to earlier, she'd notice he was standing where it had landed. But more importantly, she would see his appearnace was no longer veiled by his cloak, and the question about his left arm would be answered at last.

"WHAT?! He's only got one arm?!" Iwabe shouted in disbelief as the crowd were more amazed about how he was still alive and not a piece of human charcoal. Shigekuni started walking toward Kiyori before he stopped in front of her, holding out a hand with two fingers extended, the sign of resolution for their match. "I think the onlookers might get hurt if this continues." His face was hard to read, whatever was going through his mind, it was certainly buried deeper than most things she used to see in him years ago.

Jutsu usedShow

[Kuroi Jushinki • Stake]
D-Ranked Ninjutsu
After forming a series of one handed seals, Shigekuni will make a Receiver grow from his palm that he can grab. This Receiver is roughly the size of a kunai with a pointed tip to give it a stabbing edge. This Black Receiver can be used for future jutsu, a melee weapon, or thrown like a kunai.

[Kuroi Jushinki • Black Shadow Substitution]
C-Ranked Ninjutsu
After forming a series of one handed seals or channeling through his Receiver bones, Shigekuni will shift locations with a Receiver of his choosing within a 20 meter radius. This technique allows him to close or open the gap between himself and an opponent more easily. This technique follows teleportation rules and can only be used twice per thread.

[TyDie]

Kiyori watched through gritted teeth as her lance of flame exploded, sending fire and sand scattering in all directions as well as a blast of heat as the fire expanded. She watched and waited to see her partner, blackened and charred by her jutsu, but all that fluttered down from the air was his cloak. Immediately she set to looking for him, and as he spoke up behind her she turned her head with surprising speed to see his charred clothes and skin... and his missing arm. That much of a fight with only one arm? What happened to him?

And that black... thing. What was that? She would have taken the time to examine it closer with her ocular memory, but it seemed Shigekuni was all about making friends now. He extended his hand towards her, two fingers extended in the sign of resolution. She stood dumbfounded for a good while, her eyes darting between Shigekuni's hand, his face, his missing arm... it must have been at least 10 seconds before she met his hand with her own. "Oh, so you do remember my name huh?" She let out a small smile as she spoke finally, shaking his hand with hers.

"So... only one arm? Really?"

[Tsedas]

Kiyori shook and the bout was finished, people were still a little dumbfounded but it seemed the match had ended and a good majority started to disperse. The three challengers from before seemed to be fluttering about each other as they got up and limped off to go find a medic somewhere to tend to their wounded bodies. Shigekuni shifted his attention back to Kiyori as she spoke and asked him about 'only one arm'. "It was either that or get a bunch of tattoos on my body, but you seemed to have beaten me to that one."

Shigekuni lowered his hand and walked over to his cloak, stamping out the small flames before lifting the garment up and frowning. His head started to swivel around as he looked for his sword as well. "I had to relearn Taijutsu, hand seals, and everything else people take for granted with two hands. I put Ikazuchi on a shelf long ago when I lost the arm... and Yosei." Shigekuni's face hardened as he had a sudden ache in his left arm. Flinging the cloak over his right shoulder, he reached over to rub his arm but instead all he felt was the long sleeve that dangled at his side. Squeezing it he still hated that even after so long like this he still sometimes forgets when the phantom pain strikes.

"I've done nothing but retrain myself for years and try to pass psych evals to be put back on active duty." Shigekuni said as he looked at Kiyori, his face still hard to decipher. The changes in his demeanor were quite apparent if anything, he was more solid than before, but at what cost? The Arm? Yosei?

[TyDie]

At least the bastard hadn't lost his penchant for sarcasm... it was still the old Shig she remembered it seemed, just a little bit taken off the top... or side in this case. "Yeah, I'd say I have the tattoo bit covered. I don't think anyone in Suna will need to worry about getting a tattoo for the next couple decades at least." A small chuckle escaped from her throat as she watched the people around them disperse, including the three who had initially fought Shigekuni and failed miserably. She rubbed the back of her head as he stamped out his cloak. "Heh, sorry about that."

The shear amount of strain and work that Shigekuni had gone through just to be able to be as shinobi again... It was staggering really. Kiyori had to submit herself to psyche evals following the events that lead to her newfound abilities, but it wasn't nearly as extensive as what Shigekuni had gone through. "I can't imagine how difficult that must have been... Losing Yosei and an arm at the same time. It's a wonder you've continued with your shinobi career at all. No one would blame you if you decided not to be a ninja anymore, yet still you persisted."

She faced him and placed a hand on his shoulder, smiling at him as she spoke again. "You're the most dedicated shinobi I've ever met Shig. Don't ever lose that drive. Now, whaddaya say we catch up over some food and drink? I'll buy!"

[Tsedas]

Releasing his left sleeve, he let his arm fall as Kiyori placed a hand on Shigekuni. "Not a tea house, drinking dirt water is disgusting." Was all he said in response to her proposition to food and drink. Catching the glint of his steel in the sunlight, Shigekuni tiled his head as he looked at his sword and excused himself. Walking over, the one armed man reached out and gripped the handle before fluidly sheathing the weapon in it's hanging scabbard, showing he was well adjusted to dealing with his new weapon of choice with only the one arm.

'Don't worry Kiyori, my drive won't end until I find the Missing Ninja that did this to me.' Shigekuni thought to himself as he reached up and grabbed his cloak, swinging it around his body before clasping it shut again. Turning to his team mate, he gestured toward the entrance as he started walking toward it, grabbing his kasa and holding it in his hand as he rejoined the Henrin. "So why get a bunch of tattoos all over anyway?"

[TyDie]

Kiyori frumped slightly as Shigekuni turned down the idea of tea... how could someone not like tea in a place like Suna, where it was pretty much the only flavored drink one could have? Letting out a small sigh, she proceeded to follow along with Shigekuni through the village streets to wherever he was going to lead them, while also preparing to give a brief explanation of her newfound appearance. "Well, it makes me stand out, that's for sure... wasn't exactly my choice though. It's a bit of a long story, but remember how I went to Konoha to provide aide following their invasion? Well, I was late coming home, turned into a huge fiasco that was almost an international incident."

She still couldn't believe how close Suna was to going to war with Konoha over her... she would be sure to take the council's demands to heart for the future. "I sent my squad ahead of me from Konoha and stayed behind for diplomatic reasons. On my way back to Suna a few weeks later, I got lead off course by a sand storm and eventually ended up being pulled under the desert in a huge cave in. Took almost a month to navigate that whole cavern, I even had to learn how to use Katon to see down there. At the end of it all, I found some sort of altar, and when I touched it... well, this happened."

She showed her tattoos off now, allowing Shig to get a better look at them now that they weren't at each other's throats. "It's a blessing from Her Light. You see, I can manipulate light itself as if it were an element, like Fuuton or Doton. And that's just the start, I suspect I can do more with it too as I learn more about it. Which... will be as soon as I go to Konoha again." She looked a little nervous as she mentioned Konoha... she had no idea how they would react to her newfound abilities, considering those abilities belonged to them and their clan, the Awai.

[Tsedas]

Shigekuni's eyes darted over the tattoo's that seemed to just roam out of control over any bit of exposed skin she had to bear. When she mentioned being able to manipulate light as if it were an affinity and that she needed to go back to Konoha to control it and he was perplexed, but his face didn't betray much in regards to it other than a quirked eyebrow as his eyes shifted to watch where he was going. "Konoha? What does Konoha have to do with controlling this light element of yours?"

Thinking about newfound abilities, he brought his kasa up and set it on his head before lowering his hand until it was in front of him, looking at his palm as if he was trying to stare at something that wasn't there. Thought he couldn't see it, he knew what was beneath his skin and muscles, a skeleton that was no longer bone. "I guess we've both gotten something out of our separate ways." Shigekuni closed his hand into a fist and lowered it again before he motioned for them to turn, leaving the street they were on as they passed under stretched bits of clothe over a semi-busy street where a market was located. The clothe shade provided shoppers and merchants a reprieve from the harsh Sun that hung overhead as several large spans of clothe were covering the market street like a make shift ceiling.

Walking into the reddish hue from the way the red clothe filtered the light from above, Shigekuni raised his hand pointed somewhere near the middle of the market, "Down there is a place that'll suit our needs."