[Event] Ancient Knowledge, an Endangered Species

[ShinobiTruth]

The village of Sunagakure no Sato was facing an existential threat. Its fortified walls had always been prepared to fend off wars caused by man. It had proven itself resilient against the merciless elements of the desert. But this? A practical force of nature brought to bare against all they had to stand against it? Even those mighty walls, forged by Kazekage past, might not be enough to endure this cataclysm they faced. Already the main threat had begun to burrow deep into the sands, seeking out Suna's precious water source below. But this was not the only threat. The massive being had ensured that the forces above ground would be well occupied whilst it sought its main objective. While the forces on the walls were busy fighting the majority of the spawns, which had fallen outside of the village, there were still others which managed to penetrate Suna's walls from above.

A number of spawns, having emerged from the missile-like capsules in which they had descended, wasted little time in laying waste to their surroundings. Fires and lightning storms ripped through the air with reckless abandon, and if it wasn't contained quickly, it was likely that trapped civilians could be caught in the crossfire, and precious village resources and cultural sites could be lost to the chaos of war.

Five spawns set their sights on Sunagakure's grand library, filled with centuries, even milennia, of knowledge and wisdom of times past. Their cold, stone eyes glowed and twisted as they focused on the building, a light from their mouths slowly intensifying as they charged what appeared to be a beam of fire from the mouthpiece.

[hobnob]

Kibou was sprinting through the dusty streets of Sunagakure. The loud explosions and screams elevated his heart rate and he only just managed to wrap his scarf around his head before he leaped out of his open bedroom window. He didn't have much time, whatever it was that had began an assult on the village, it was already here. Although still not visible, the crowds rushing towards their escape gave him a good enough indication of where the danger was. It's size, its number were still unknown to the twelve year old boy who was busy trying to make his way through the crowd. The boy felt shivers run down his spine as he looked up and saw dark smoke fill the afternoon sky. Whatever it was, was inside the village, and was laying havoc to its infrastructure. With no knowledge of what he was going to be up against. He sprinted towards the tallest building that he could see in close proximity; the Grand Library.

The building has been situated in the centre of the village for decades before the youth was born. Its roof was a spherical dome that towered over the surrounding buildings, a good vantage point for anyone looking to gather intelligence on what the hell is going on. The walls of the building could be compared to a Colosseum, they were decorated with statues of all of the great figures that have had a positive impact on the village and country. Kibou instinctively gathered chakra in his feet right before he began sprinting up the building wall, to find a good spot that offered the best possible source of information.

The centre of the roof was market by a singular metal pole, connected to the ground by a very thin wire, in the very unlikely case that the village would be hit by a lightning storm and struck by lightning. The youth grabbed it with his hand for some extra support and took a slow deep breath as he took his surroundings in and carefully processed them. His mouth still covered by his scarf, but underneath he mouth opened widely as he finally managed to notice the beast outside of the village walls. It was monstrous and quick, and fired projectiles out of the canon like apparatus located on its back. The youth once more took a deep breath as he noticed five shells heading towards him. They were covered by black smoke and looked like they could cause serious damage upon impact. There was nothing The youth could do; he slid back down to the point where the roof meets the walls.

It only took a brief moment for the shells to land in close proximity to one another, the small craters that they created upon impact bursting with the same black smoke, but what followed did not meet the youths expectations. Five creatures emerged and began making their way for the building.

[ShinobiTruth]

The creatures were large, at least ten feet long and five feet high on all fours. To try and stop all of them at once would clearly be suicide. There was no saving the buildings around the library from the scorching beams of fire that erupted from their maws. Many of the surrounding buildings had their stone walls scorched black and curtains and tapestries set aflame by the potent breath weapons these creatures bore. It seemed that the five creatures weren't keen on staying together, instead seeking to maximize the scale of the fires that they belched. Their eyes would transition from a pale, translucent blue into a sickly orange a few moments before the flame beam burst forth, a useful piece of information that the genin would no doubt be able to use to his advantage. The creatures also bore rough fur, hides, and what appeared to be ancient stone armor. Its properties were still largely unknown, but it seemed to empower the creature to use the breath weapon it and its compatriots were using to turn Sunagakure into a hellscape.

His observation would cost him, however, as the beast closest to him would unleash a beam against the side of the library. The walls were, thankfully, much thicker than the other buildings, and the damage was mostly superficial. That being said, it was only a matter of time before the beam shot true into the massive wooden doors and turned the entire building into kindling. He would need to be decisive in his actions. The beings he faced had no qualms or doubts about their mission.

For now, only one of the creatures was close enough to attack, as the others had begun to fan out. There was no saying exactly what might happen if he was careless in his attack against this chimera of flesh and hewn stone, the creature calling to his nearby comrades being prime amongst the possibilities. It was also evident by the way they moved that these creatures were faster than Kibou, and by no insignificant margin. While evasion would not be impossible, his timing and decision-making would be pushed to their limits. There was no mercy, no reasoning with these creatures. If Kibou had never fought to the death before, this would hopefully not be his only experience. With any luck, his attacks would draw reinforcements in the area before he was overwhelmed.

At present, the creatures had not noticed his presence. Kibou's first attack would have a profound impact on how the rest of his battle played out.

[hobnob]

Kibou paid close attention to the creatures who had just landed before him. They were long, tall, and deadly looking. It was not going to be an easy couple of hours that awaited him. He knelt down and analysed the creatures behavior. It appeared that they were not planning on staying together, but instead had began to go their separate ways; all, bar one, who remained in close proximity to where it originally landed. Its eyes turned from blue to orange, before it spewed flames from its maw. This was becoming more and more interesting. But, this was not a good time to admire the monsters who were keen on causing havoc to the village he so dearly cared for. It was time to act, and suddenly an aura of chakra engulfed the youth as he remained knelt down on the ledge. With the little information he had, he would have to cause as much damage to the beast as possible, in a single attack.

First, he gathered chakra beneath him to the point that would cause a blast when activated, and sent it down to the ground, placing it beneath the beast ready to be activated in a sequence that would hopefully put and end to this creature. Secondly, the chakra began to concentrate at the most center point of his back and form into tentacles that wrapped itself around the boy to create a bullet like aura around him. Thirdly, the remnants of the aura once again began to concentrate beneath him and awaited to be activated. This was going to be a triple tech combo, that would, in the best case, put and end to this beast, or in the worst case, give the youth a good idea of what these things were capable of. Kibou took a deep breath, its was time to strike.

Upon detonating the chakra stored beneath the beast, Kibou paid close attention to what would follow; if the blast was powerful enough to uproot the beast and send it up into the air, it was likely that it would cause the beast to flip upside down, if this was the case, he would activate the chakra stored beneath him, this would propel him in the direction of the beast and he would go heading directly for the underside of beast, where the youth expected the weak point to be, pointy end first; if the blast was not going to be powerful enough to uproot the beast, he would follow the same sequence, however this time he was going to aim for the beasts neck.

Following this, regardless of what happens, the tentacles would wrap around each limb of the beast and wrap themselves tightly around them in an attempt to prohibit it from moving; in the case of his attack not being as effective as he would like.

JutsuShow

Kuuton • Landmine
D-Rank Ninjutsu
After the user performs a string of handseals, he touches the ground and in that moment he transfers Kuuton chakra into the ground. The jutsu travels anywhere in an area with a radius of equal to the users [Control]. Once the jutsu has been set, it remains fixed in that location for the duration of the jutsu. The jutsu remain active until detonated, remotely, or an individual stepping on the area that has a radius of 1m. Once detonated, the area erupts with a gravitational force, causing damage that is equal to the users [Control]. For every use of the jutsu, the user can place an amount of landmines that is equal to his [Control/5].

Kuuton • Tentacles
D-Rank Ninjutsu
Once the user performs a string of handseals, he gathers chakra on their back and from that point six chakra tentacles sprout, they are see through but cause a slight distortion to the light that can be seen if watched closely. The tentacles do not generate any gravitational fields, but are in themselves a gravitational force. They cause damage by pulling apart what they come in contact with (like a rip). The strength and speed of the jutsu is equal to the uses [Control[. Each of the tentacles is able to reach a distance equal to the users [Control/5]. The jutsu remains active for a minimum of two posts and as long as the user chooses to. After the initial two posts, the jutsu is subject to an active chakra drain.

Kuuton • Pulse
D-Rank Ninjutsu
After the user performs a string of hand seals, the user gathers chakra around him and is then propelled in a chosen direction at a speed, and max range equal to his [Control].

Link to char: viewtopic.php?f=79&t=8342321

[ShinobiTruth]

For constructing the plan of attack on the fly, the genin's efforts were commendable and appeared to be effective. As the creature stepped back to reposition itself, it triggered the gravity mine beneath its feet, and it was blown up a short distance into the air to fall upon its breast, momentarily dazed by its short shriek, the sound similar to the momentary grinding of metal gears. The armor that coated its belly had been cracked and blown apart, and the creature seemed to be vulnerable. The Kuuton tentacles would secure themselves around the spawn's limbs without incident...

...And that's when Kibou would sense his plan beginning to rapidly deteriorate.

The flickering blue eyes of the creature would once again turn orange with a vengeance, and the unfeeling mask of its face would lock onto Kibou, the obvious source of the force which restrained its limbs. Its brute strength, despite Kibou's impressive chakra control for his rank, outclassed his power marginally, and though it was slow, Kibou would be unable to prevent the creature from digging its claws into the ground and regaining its footing. Much to the genin's horror, while the armor on its belly had been shattered, it seemed to be, somehow, regenerating, slowly beginning to grow back over the mostly unprotected belly of the spawn. Yet even this wasn't the most serious part of the genin's predicament. Nay.

That was the fire beam quickly charging in the spawn's mouth. As Kibou had decided that restraining the creature would be his course of action, the genin possibly hadn't considered that in order to detain the creature himself, he would also be limited in his movements. He was straight in the creature's line of fire, and it was unlikely that Kibou would avoid at least some damage from the condensed beam of flames that threatened to burn his retinas as the spawn belched it from its ancient maw.

Control: 15
Speed: 20
Strength: 10

[hobnob]

The shriek the creature made sent shivers down Kibous spine. The noise it had made was horrible, squeaky. It was not exactly what the youth was used to, but it did him a favor. He recognized the noise; it was the noise of metal grinding on metal. It wasn't pleasant, and it meant that whatever this creature was, could be hurt, and it could be hurt quite easily. He just needed to figure out how he could do it, as he personally did not have the skills to put this plan into motion. He would have to think outside the box a little. But for now, it appeared that he would have his hands full.

The creature turned to face him, with its feet dug firmly into the ground. He had no time to use the same move on it, hell, he barely had enough time to move out of the way of its frightening fire beam. He did what he could; the tentacles that were free were used to launch him out of the way, however it was not enough. The beam had caught him on the side of the body, burning his flesh and sending large amounts of pain through his body. 'AGH!' the youth let out as he, crash, landed on the ground a couple of feet away. His gaze moved to his scorched body in assessment of the damage caused by the beam.

Short term analysis - don't let it happen again.

Long term analysis - see a doctor before you go into shock.

But there was no time for this, nor were there any doctors that had the time and skill to heal him in the midst of battle. He had to deal with the beasts before him. And this time he had a plan. Chakra engulfed around him, as he scanned the area for that one thing that would give him the upper hand. And luckily for him, he found it nearby. The chakra that surrounded him was channeled into the ground and sent towards the creature that was very likely to be preparing yet another devastating attack. He had to be quicker, and the very moment the gravitational pool of chakra was beneath the beast, it would be detonated, hopefully sending it into the air once again.

Now was the time where the rest of his plan came into fruition. The tentacles that surrounded him dug deep into the ground to reach a line, that supplied power to the nearby lamp post. Upon reaching it, The tentacle would wrap around it and yank it out of the ground, ripping it in half. Only to then thrust the cable, sparkling with electricity, into the beast most vulnerable spot.

JutsuShow

Kuuton • Landmine
D-Rank Ninjutsu
After the user performs a string of handseals, he touches the ground and in that moment he transfers Kuuton chakra into the ground. The jutsu travels anywhere in an area with a radius of equal to the users [Control]. Once the jutsu has been set, it remains fixed in that location for the duration of the jutsu. The jutsu remain active until detonated, remotely, or an individual stepping on the area that has a radius of 1m. Once detonated, the area erupts with a gravitational force, causing damage that is equal to the users [Control]. For every use of the jutsu, the user can place an amount of landmines that is equal to his [Control/5].

Kuuton • Tentacles
D-Rank Ninjutsu
Once the user performs a string of handseals, he gathers chakra on their back and from that point six chakra tentacles sprout, they are see through but cause a slight distortion to the light that can be seen if watched closely. The tentacles do not generate any gravitational fields, but are in themselves a gravitational force. They cause damage by pulling apart what they come in contact with (like a rip). The strength and speed of the jutsu is equal to the uses [Control[. Each of the tentacles is able to reach a distance equal to the users [Control/5]. The jutsu remains active for a minimum of two posts and as long as the user chooses to. After the initial two posts, the jutsu is subject to an active chakra drain.

[ShinobiTruth]

Free of the boy's kinetic bindings, the creature showed its vicious intellect as it did not immediately charge forward. Instead, it spent a few moments observing its opponent with its unfeeling visage, taking time to note the slight shimmering in the air which signaled to Kibou's gravitational powers. The armor on its belly was partially regrown, but significant portions of its flesh remained exposed as it prowled before bursting into action. Digging its claws into the buildings across the way from the library, the creature ran up across the surfaces of the buildings before leaping off to pounce on the injured genin. It was aware of the tentacles that had tried to stop him before and had taken measures against that. It was attempting to use its weight, along with its verifiably sharp claws, to crush the target's body and rip it to bloody shreds.

What it could not perceive, however, was the explosion from beneath. It had not forgotten that the initial attack had been a burst from below, but it seemed to lack the capacity to properly locate the offending jutsu and had hoped, vainly, that its measures would allow it to evade the blast. This was not the case, as the kinetic energy once again hit the spawn's underside, and unlike before, viscious green fluid could be seen spraying from its ruptured breast. Though the creature spent little time airborne, it was flipped on its back, its shrill cry echoing among the buildings and into the chaotic sky as it howled in pain. It struggled to right itself as it was still reeling from the attack, and when the sparking wires made contact, the creature's grating scream heightening in volume and intensity.

This was not ignore or borne easily by its comrades. Even above the din of the battle raging all around him, Kibou could hear its comrades cry out in recognition of the spawn's plight. He had no way of telling when they would arrive, but it would be soon. They were on their way, and Kibou had to dispatch his opponent and devise a new plan of attack before that point.

[hobnob]

Kibou heard the cry of the other beasts and decided that it was time that he made a move. The tentacles that were formed around him, continued to press into the stunned creature until the youth was sure that the cable would not fall free of the beast. Partially wrapping it around the beasts limb to take some of the pressure off, Kibou let go of the cable and the tentacles retracted back to their source on the youths back; completely disappearing. The youth took a deep breath as he quickly self-assessed, trying to understand how much long he could go on, how much more chakra he could expend before he lost consciousness due to exhaustion. He knew he had enough chakra to possibly repeat the same sequence of attacks, maybe a little more. He had to think of a different plan, but for now, he had to flee.

Spinning around on his heel, the youth began running in the direction he remembered was free of the monsters. The path took him down a little alley, where he was continuously turning looking back to see whether he was being followed. The alley was long and straight, it ran between two of the villages domestic apartment blocs that were home to a great number of the villages inhabitants.

At the other end of the tunnel, he could see, high in the sky, a platform that was a host to a group the youth had not recognized, but it appeared that they were on the same side, as they were fighting the beast outside the village walls.

[ShinobiTruth]

(OOC: Are you referring to Zao when you mention the platform? I'm not certain to what you're referring to otherwise.)

The genin's desire to retreat was understandable. Considering the damage he had already taken, there certainly was a risk in staying to try and slay the wounded beast. With that said, as he departed from the detained spawn, Kibou would get a sinking feeling that this would not play out as smoothly as he was hoping. The telltale rumble and thunder of its companions arriving before the library as he slipped out of view. Kibou's retreat would buy him a precious few seconds as the sound of fire beams and twisting, snapping wires punctuated the chaos of war tearing the skies apart with its cacophony. The same grating metal sound of the spawns scream soon followed, and shortly after that, the unmistakable shaking of the ground beneath his feet once again touched Kibou's senses. Before he only had to worry about one beast.

Now, at least two were following him. Possibly more. Without a direct line of sight, there was no telling.

As he ran down the alleyway, the spawns' claws loudly gouged the stone walls of the buildings to either side of Kibou, the large creatures showing themselves to be excellent climbers. Their imposing strides now echoed from above, and while they had not spotted Kibou yet, it would likely only be a matter of time before he was discovered. He would also have to make peace with the idea that the Grand Library, one of Suna's most culturally significant buildings, was being left to its grim fate.

[Taiga]

Having recalled his midi swarm to himself, it filled the tunnels and are about the library the Jounin rapidly closing in on the younger weaker signals he had felt. Whoever it was it was clear they needed saving and Jinn, ever the trying messiah, loved saving people. After all, it made more followers and converts for his cause. If he would make it in time, he would come skidding onto the tunnel floor with the sand aiding his slide maneuvering past the boy and igniting his blade with a swing into whatever was chasing him, aiming to tear it to pieces.

The faster the pair would clear this threat the sooner they would be able to help the force which was fighting the larger monster, then regroup outside the village to fight the even bigger threat.

Immediately following his blade strikes Jinn would thrust his palm forward causing pockets of energy to open which would tug at the remaining beasts from a variety of angles.

SpoilerShow

Kuuton • Force Grenades
C-Ranked Kuuton Jutsu
After channeling into his hand, Jinn will create 5 balls of kuuton energy. In the next 3 posts, on impact, the ball will explode triggering the same effect as Kuuton • Force Hold. Targets get caught between different pulling forces the effect can be... extremely painful.