To Wield a Dagger

[Ace Trainer]

Every morning was misty in Kirigakure, and this morning was no different. The sun could be as close as the moon and the thick mist that hung over the village would still be enough to the days as grey as they always were. This morning, however, Kozan was on a mission. Not the kind of mission he liked, but a mission nonetheless. He'd been instructed that, now that he was one of the swordsmen, he needed to identify a dagger. Not too long ago Kozan had been recruited himself, a recruitment by Asami that had quickly been taken over by Shinjiro - the overseer himself. Shinjiro apparently noticed the value Kozan brought, because the recruitment had gone rather quicky, and since, his role as a dagger had been...simple. Shinji gave orders and left Kozan to complete them, rarely did they train together or operate in tandem, something Kozan noticed was different from the other daggers. So, it was unsurprising that Kozan then had been managed to be the first dagger of the current cohort to advance to becoming a swordsman...at the expense of course of another swordsman who Kozan had outmatched by a pretty far degree.

The process of recruiting a dagger was foreign to Kozan though, so he was surprised to learn that there had been several options preselected for him. Shinobi of a particular calibre that represented a unique aptitude for the skills the swordsmen valued - kenjutsu, close combat fighting, ruthlessness. Kozan had been given several dossier on young genin and chuunin who met this critera.

The bar that every potential dagger had to pass was the same though - they had to fight the sword they'd be reporting to. They didn't have to win for obvious reasons, but they had to show their value and capacity. Kozan was born and bred to fight, so even the notion of a simple spar with someone who had been deemed worthy enough to join the Seven Swordsmen was something that brought him a little bit of excitement. This morning, Kozan was on the look out for one Kaguya, Renji. This was the third dossier Kozan had received, but it was the one who stood out to him the most. So, standing at the top of the hill, Kozan looked down on the training grounds that started at it's base, scanning the people in the area to try and find Renji.

[King of Cats]

Staring into the mirror in his bathroom Renji was applying his Kaguya face paint on. The chuunin had a big day ahead of him and was expecting that his Death Bone Pulse would be a key piece of his excitement. In order to properly portray his dedication to his clan Renji wanted to apply his make up extra carefully and had been standing in front of the mirror for the better part of a half an hour. Renji only had one scare to cover up, he was unlike many Kaguya in origin. That one red circle was important to him though. Renji carefully prepared the red make up he applied to his forehead. The make up was composed of ground up saffron lotus seeds, a rare plant collected among the islands of Water Country. It had to be freshly ground up to preserve maximum vibrancy. Once it was prepared he gently covered up his large forehead scar and cleaned up his bathroom. The red dust got everywhere.

Once he was ready for the day Renji locked up his house and headed for the misty streets of Kirigakure no Sato. Normally he wouldn't need to lock up, his father was almost always home studying things. He lived with his father but the elder had been gone for a few months on a special mission for the Kaguya clan. Renji didn't know what exactly his adopted father was up to, but he knew that Takato often brought home sealed spirits for the teenager to devour.

Under the Kaguya clan Takato had uncovered the ancient ritual that Renji underwent at infancy to cure his bone ossifying disease. In fact he had specially redesigned the ancient ritual with modern science and tenkujutsu in mind, altering the pathology of the operation so that Renji would be able to tap into the body of spirits he had devoured. Takato was a genius and he was also a top notch ninja. He often subdued spirits for his son to devour, a part of the experiments his son was to him.

If it hadn't been made of bone, Renji's stomach would have growled just thinking about the taste of a spirit, but he proceeded down the street nontheless. Today was a big day.

On this particular day Renji would undergo the trials of a dagger for the Seven SWordsman of the Mist. He had gone personally to the SSM compound after hearing about Kozan's victory against Mondai in order to apply for the position of a dagger. Renji had been a swordsman since he was six years old. He studied Iado at the Kaguya clan's Bone Draw Dojo, and he was known as a prodigal student. Renji had a lot of potential and when he saw Kozan absolutely destroy Mondai, he was drawn to the prospect of training under him. Renji saw himself as a ruthless warrior like Kozan, who deserved their chance at power. When the two swordsman fought he was drawn to the battle not just by Kozan's cruelty, though that was certainly appealing to him. Renji was drawn to the Seven Swordsman of the Mist by his desire for might in the Village Hidden in the Mist.

Ever since he could remember Renji was drawn to the plights of his clan. The disease the plagued the clan, the procedure that saved their lvies, the legal involvement of recruiting an infants; there were a lot of things that moulded Renji's desire to become a leader of his clan. Renji wanted to be apart of the process of helping Kaguya children, but he needed to be respected by the clan first.

Since he was born in such unique circumstances, with Takato performing a procedure to allow Renji to tap into the power of spirits, Renji had always been acknowledged by the clan. After the procedure the clan leader watched him personally for a few days even. Renji was recognized by the clan certainly, they wanted to see power at his fingertips. They wanted Renji to be a strong arm of the clan, but they didn't force it on him. Renji fell into that role naturally as a youth, desiring to be strong for the weak; and his entry into ranks as a Dagger was just a part of his plan to become the Kaguya Clan's leader.

As a man with a plan Renji underwent the standard health evaluations to be a Dagger for Kozan. They tested his physical health and his mental health at the compound. Renji was exceptionally well put together in both areas. He was a taijutsu specialist so his physical form was in fine shape. He proved to be much stronger than expected, and his reflexes were phenomenal. For the mental evaluation Renji proved to be a dedicated ninja of Kirigakure who was most assuredly capable of killing, and other similar aspects of being a Dagger for the SSM.

Once he was approved it was up to Kozan to choose Renji, and he had to be patient. Kozan surely had a busy life but Renji was assured a Dagger was essential for one to be a Sword. As the weeks passed Renji heard rumors of other candidates being tested by Kozan, and he confidently believed his time would come.

Today was that day. Renji was called upon by an ambassador of the organization and instructed with a place to meet Kozan at the training field. Renji felt confident that he would do well, but he wasn't smiling as he made his way to the hill where Kozan would be. Renji had a very stern look on his brow and he seemed to be in deep thought as he walked a quick pace through the mist laced village. He was preparing his battle strategy.

As Renji came up on the hill he saw Kozan at the distance. He was looking around the training grounds and Renji stuck his hand out to catch Kozan's attention. Instead of waving Renji forced a bone blade through his palm. It split from his flesh very smoothly and his skin seemed to open up for the bone to be extracted. Renji then waved the long bone blade at Kozan. He wasn't one to call out from a distance, but he was definitely excited enough to impulsively reach out.

[Ace Trainer]

From atop the hill, Kozan watched. His eyes moving across the area and taking account of every individual in small training space. As Renji came into view and held the bone in the air to wave at Kozan, the 6th Sword of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist would lock his large, yellow eyes onto Renji. The boy was, biologically, similar in age to Kozan. But Kozan was not natural, and he existed on a completely different plane of existence from his peers. He didn't wave back, instead simply staring at the teenager at the base of the hill, a good 40m south of him.

Renji's dossier had caught Kozan's attention for a number of reasons. But the primary one was the not dissimilar background Renji had from Kozan's own. The Kaguya clan was a subsidiary of the Kawazaiwa, but they were famously brutal and were willing to sacrifice anything for strength. Renji had been a test for the Kaguya in many ways, and there was a vested interest in the boy being successful. If his unique ability proved to be as powerful as the Kaguya clan suspected it was, he would be an invaluable asset to the village at large, proof that the already powerful Kaguya could manipulate themselves to become even stronger. The Shiimu looked at Kozan in much the same way, a boy with not mother or father viewed as part of the noble family only because of the value he brought to them as an asset. Kozan was proof the Shiimu could become very mighty, Renji was the same for the Kaguya.

But the second reason, while less important to Kozan, was perhaps even more impactful to the trajectory of the village. Kozan's own swordsman teacher Shinji had recently enabled a Kaguya boy - Li - to contract with the Karagata. It was forbidden in many ways and was going to certainly cause a stir. If Kozan could ally someone so valuable to the Kaguya as Renji to himself, he would have further insurance in this coming complexities. The more confusing part of it all was that Kozan had reviewed the dossier's with his master, who had seemed to think that the insurance Renji provided wouldn't just be for Shinji, but against Shinji too. If Kozan was allied with a Kaguya, if things went poorly for for jinchuuriki it was possible that the Shiimu could shift against him instead, and a relatinoship between Kozan and Renji would be invaluable for that.

Kozan didn't understand the politics.

Still staring at Renji, the black film around his upper body moving to life as it formed into a bow in his hand. If Renji watched close enough, he'd be able to see Kozan channeling chakra and then a release of a jutsu. The last thing Renji would see as the mist between them began to get thicker until it obscured them from view of each other was Kozan raising the bow up at Renji. From his finger, a single black arrow would form, he'd pull back the string, holding it for a moment. From Kozan a pulse of killer intent would radiate from his body. Everyone in the area would be able to feel the murderous drive coming from the jounin, but only Renji would know who it was targeted towards: him.

Kozan would breath in, identifying Renji's fear through the mist and with a small movement of his finger release the arrow at [30 speed] at the chuunin.

SpoilerShow

*Obscuring Mist Technique
A-rank Ninjutsu
Prerequisite: *Concealing Mist Technique
After forming the required hand seals, the ninja creates a blanket of mist which covers the area around them. The mist covers 60x60x60m area. The mist limits the visibility of those inside to 1 meter in any direction, and dampens scents, weakening any advanced scent techniques, or controlled scent techniques by 4m. Additionally, sound is dampened as well, which can make it more difficult to communicate plans through the mist without advanced hearing techniques. Those without advanced hearing techniques won't be able to hear anything that's not within 5meters of them, while advanced hearing is limited to 10m. Additionally, the mist is saturated in chakra, which makes it impossible for sensors outside the mist to sense who is within it. This technique lasts a number of posts equal to the user's 1/2 Chakra pool.

[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.

[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.

[King of Cats]

When Renji spotted Kozan he was in deep thought, thinking about what kind of battle strategy he had in mind for the spar between him and Kozan. Renji had seen Kozan's skill set and was impressed. Kozan seemed to have control of a constructive force like Renji did. While Renji could manipulate bones, Kozan's force behind his constructive abilities was more mysterious. Renji was wondering what the Samsara was made out of, and that was when he noticed that Kozan didn't wave at him. Renji hadn't expected him to, but there was an ominous feeling behind the nonservice. As Renji lowered his hand and retracted the bone blade, Kozan began channeling his chakra to cast a jutsu. Renji knew what this meant, and he was not wrong in suspecting that Kozan would cast a hidden mist jutsu. It was actually the same thing that Renji did when starting a battle. The two of them were both classical Hidden Mist ninjas, that was clear, but what wasn't clear was the quickly obscured air between Kozan and Renji.

That was when Kozan released the most dread inducing wave of energy. Renji was suddenly struck with the reality of who he was facing, and he felt absolute fear growing in his stomach. Renji felt like something was going to go wrong. He had a flashback of Mondai getting pieced up and losing his arm. Renji tried not to wonder if that would happen to him, but he definitely feared it more than ever in this moment.

The mist was quickly forming and blocking the view of Kozan, but he could just barely see Kozan wielding a bow against him before the mist covered up everything. Swiftly, Renji put his hands up and from his arms two large bone shields were erected. One could easily cover half of Renji's body and he hunkered down. Kneeling down to minimize the hit box that Kozan had access to, Renji put both shields in front of his body. They were about forty meters away, and Renji knew that he could only stand one hit at best. But quite frankly Kozan had attacked him at his weakest point, long range, Renji's best hope was to catch Kozan off guard and to do that he needed to withstand this first strike.

The arrow came flying at Renji and hit the Gemini Moon Shields, easily piercing through both bone plates and hitting Renji in the chest. The arrow pierced his flesh, but with Renji's fortified sternum it was merely a fleshwound.

At this point the Hidden Mist was covering the entire area and Renji couldn't see at all. He began channeling chakra into his eyes and activated his Chakra Vision. Renji could see all of the chakra signatures around him, in his minds eye, and made notes of each one that he could. He wanted to be able to sense when Kozan entered his range. Then, to prepare for an attack when Kozan entered his range, Renji ossified the tips of his fingers, creating little bullets at the tips. Finally Renji ossified his knee cap and drew a bone blade from his body. He then inserted the blade back into his body, right at the hip. The handle of the sqord stuck out at Renji's side. He was ready for Kozan, but Renji couldn't help to notice how terrifying this man was in battle.

OocShow

Some of these jutsu have been trained and yet to go through mod processes.

Death Bone Pulse • Gemini Moon Shield
C-Ranked Taijutsu
The user will ossify both of their forearms and crats a half moon shaped shield made out of bone on each forearm. One arm shield can cover the entirety of the user's upper body or lower body, and with both combined they can cover the whole body.

Mind's Eye • Chakra Vision
C-Rank Ninjutsu
By channeling chakra into the user's eyes they are able to sense chakra in a 25 meter radius. The chakra appears as a flame in their mind's eye. In a 10 meter range the user is able to distinguish specific features of chakra sources. This jutsu lasts for 5 posts.

Death Bone Pulse • Patella Sword Edge
D-Ranked Taijutsu
The user’s kneecap will ossify and a bone will grow out of it. As the bone grows it takes the shape of a katana. The sword is is 1 meter long, with an 80 centimeter long blade. The user is able to store the sword in an out of their hip once it has been crafted, their hip acting as a sheath.

[Ace Trainer]

The fear in the air was sublime.

Not just from Renji, but from the various genin and chuunin around them that had incidentally been caught in the battle between predator and prey. From atop his hill, Kozan took it in for a moment, waiting to see if anything would come from his arrow being shot down the center at Renji. After a few moments, no response would trigger Kozan to cause the bow to retract, instead transforming itself into a standard long sword, the hilt forming a cross guard over his hand. He had locked onto the scent of Renji's fear quickly, distinguishing it out from the various other sources that had either stopped practicing in fear of what was going on, or had began to clear the area. This was a somewhat nicer region of Kirigakure, it would be unusual for a shinobi to go on spree here...but it wasn't out of the question.

With a quick and sudden movement, Kozan would take off running down the hill, his stride lengthening and eventually converting to him simply sliding down the side of the hill off his momentum. He would move directly towards Renji, until he was about 10 meters away in which he would shift his momentum slightly to veer off to Renji's right. Renji would hear the sound of the Kozan sliding along the dirt as he closed in at 5 meters at 25 speed, and then as Kozan got within about 5 feet Renji would be able to see Kozan's bright yellow eyes through the mist, locked onto him as he passed by his side. The moment Kozan passed him, he would kick off his feet, moving his body through the air and swinging the sword at Renji's left shoulder across his back. Kozan was sure to hold back enough that the attack wouldn't cleave Renji in two, but it would certainly draw blood if the young Kaguya did nothing to defend himself.

The test for the would-be dagger was under way.

[King of Cats]

While he patiently waited in the obscuring mist for Kozan's attack, Renji noticed an eery stillness in the air. It was the fear Renji was facing from the Sixth Sword that made everything seem so sublime; his senses were on high alert and everything seemed to happen in a split second.

Kozan was sliding at Renji at a fast speed and by the time Renji had heard it he barely had enough time to enact his plan. Renji turned to face the noise and focused his mind's eye on the chakra signature in front of him. At this range Renji could clearlysee and define the definition of Kozan's chakra. Renji made sure he would never forget it. But there wasn't much time to pay careful attention to detail, or appreciate the fine points of Kozan's spiritual make up; , Kozan was charging Renji with dangerous intentions. Renji could see Kozan's vivid, stark, yellow eyes in the mist and he tightened his jaw firmly in preperation. It all came down to this moment. Renji had no doubts in his mind. His skill was great and he felt confident he could prove himself to Kozan. Renji swiftly darted his hands into a handseal forming position.

Jetisoning off the ground Kozan maneuvered through the air and slashed at Renji's back. Kozan was fast, but Renji was prepared. He fired off a quick series of handseals and casted the Substitution Jutsu. Kozan swung his sword into a log that Renji was previously standing next to.

The sound of the log busting apart was clean and Renji shuddered amidst his teleportation. He appeared at Kozan's back side and was at the ready with his attack. Renji fired 5 Ash Bone Drilling Finger Bullets at Kozan from just three meters away, flicking the bullets he had formed on his fingers at his opponent in quick succession. They were aimed at his chest in a staggered, scattered pattern, and loaded with potent Devil's Snare venom.

As the bullets flew through the air Renji readied for Kozan's couner strike by placing his hand on his sword. He was ready for anything, and thinking about how Mondai looked after their battle, Renji knew when he was facing Kozan anything could happen.

OOCShow

I forgot to include this second jutsu in my last post. My apologies.

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

Death Bone Pulse • Ash Bone Drilling Finger Bullets
B-Ranked Taijutsu
The user will ossify the tip of their fingers and create a bullet shaped projectile at each of the tips. For 5 posts the user to able to fling any number of these projectiles with individual Strength.

[Ace Trainer]

The attack was clean, simple, and concise. Kozan had no way of knowing if Renji could tell where he was, so as the sword cut through the mist and Kozan could see the chuunin opposite seemingly prepared for the attack, it became apparent that he did have some way of monitoring his surroundings even in the Mist. That was good. Great battle acuity. Kozan’s eyes locked onto Renji’s through the mist and then…Clunk, Renji vanished and the Samsara sword would sliced into a piece of wood. In brief moments, Renji was now meters away, the mist obscuring Renji’s from his view, Kozan relying on only his fear sense to pick up on where the would-be dagger was located.

Planting a foot on the ground, Kozan would pull back, the Truth Seeker in his hand would expand outward from the sword shape into a flat surface that would partition away the Swordsman from his opponent. He had no way of knowing what attack was coming, but if Renji was as good as Kozan expected, there was an attack coming, just depended on if it was going to be melee or not. The bone projectiles would answer that question as each collided with the Truth Seeker, not getting a chance to get close to Kozan. He would allow the truth seeker to remain as it was, pulling back a few meters and slightly up the hill to leave about 10meters between them, allowing Renji to get the next attack.

In the mist there was no sound, no smell, no sight, just you and the mist, knowing your opponent was out there. Renji would still be able to feel the killer intent radiating from Kozan, giving Kozan ample fear to sense from his temporary adversary. What move would the chuunin make next?

[King of Cats]

It was amazing what Kozan could do with the Truth Seeker, and Renji was truly in awe when he saw the black mass turn into a wall and seperate him from Kozan. The bone bullets hit the wall with a dampened "thud." Renji was pretty sure that he would get Kozan by surprise in the mist, but it seemed his advantage over Sensory perception was exposed. Of course in Renji's mind exposure wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Advantage was a stone that sharpened ones actions, and Renji felt confident that he still had certain advantages over Kozan. Renji was gritting his teeth thinking about what his next move might be.

The rate at which shinobi thought was incredible. The average civilian could take but a second to decide to turn the door handle, while in the meantime the shinobi has rehearsed their greeting. The cogs of Renji's mind were turning explicably as he swiftly planned out his next move.

In time with his minds cranking, Renji's heart was pounding fast. He was at the edge of his skin, wondering if Kozan would make a next move. It was unreal the level of fear Kozan was exuding, Renji could practically see it through the mist. He wondered if all of Kozan's opponents endured such brutal exhasperation while in combat with the Sixth Sword. Renji took a sharp breathe in and supressed a shudder as he put forth his next move.

Renji began channeling chakra and focusing on the spirits inside of his stomach. Over his lifetime Renji had consumed many weak and lowly spirits, but the body of the one he was preparing to summon had endured the most out of all his puppets. Tsukamushin was the cursed spirit of a crestfallen woman who haunted post partum mothers. She ravaged the seas of Water Country for several decades before the Kaguya clan subdued her and fed her to Renji. She was one of the first spirits that Renji commanded, and he was quite fond of her for several reasons. The first was Tsukamushin's high pitched screech that could destroy airborne particulates. On several occasions Renji had used her shriek to protect himself from poison, and there was another use for this spirits voice. There was another example of Tsukamushin however. Renji could summon her demon hands to pin down his prey. That was his plan now.

Once Renji had channeled enough chakra he opened a portal underneath Kozan's feet at [12] Speed. Several long, black arms sprung from the purple, misty portal and reached for Kozan's legs. If they grabbed onto him they would bind him with [12] Strength to the ground in one position.

Meanwhile Renji charged forward with his hand on his blade. He torqued his body forward and rushed Kozan from around the wall at [15] Speed and then slashed at Kozan with a lightning quick snap of his blade with [15] Speed. The bone sword emerged from Renji's hip and it's katana shape cut through the air as Renji slashed at Kozan's midsection. IF it struck Kozan would be poisoned, but Renji was ready for a counter attack.

As he swung through with his sword Renji torqued his body once again to prepare for a deflection of Kozan's deadly Truth Seeker Orb.

OOCShow

Living Bone Hunger • Lurker's Grasp
D-Ranked Ninjutsu
The user performs a series of hand seals and somewhere within 10 meters of the user demonic hands will pop out of the ground and grab at the target's 2 feet. The hands appear at [Control] Speed and grip with [Control] Strength. The grip lasts for 3 posts before fading.

*[Iaido • Peace in Death]
C-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite(s): 15 Speed.
An abnormally aggressive technique in Iaido, this technique serves as a preemptive counter, attacking the opponent in the split moment between drawing back to prepare an attack and launching said attack. Violently torquing the muscles in their legs, the practitioner more quickly accelerates to their maximum speed (or instantly accelerating to their max speed if their Strength is equal or higher than their Speed) than with normal movement. With this movement, the practitioner bolts toward the opponent and launches an attack, cutting the opponent as they pass to their side. This technique can be used while moving to immediately change direction instead before launching the attack. Properly reading this attack requires the opponent to have a Perception technique of equal or higher rank than this technique.

[Ace Trainer]

Kozan waited, unblinkingly staring at the mist surrounding him as Renji was momentarily motionless; just what was he planning? An answer would soon come as Kozan felt a surge of chakra from under him as the fear from Renji began to move. The arms would grab at his lower body, surprising him to some extent. Kozan would resist against them for a moment, finding their strength to be wholly unimpressive, but electing to allow Renji's restraint on him to remain so that he could fully assess the attack the would-be dagger had put together. His opponent would emerge from the side of the flat barrier Kozan had erected with the truth seeker, and Kozan would recall it as Renji torqued his body and slashed into Kozan's stomach.

It was a well crafted attack.

As the black liquid shot back to Kozan's body at [40 Speed], he would reach forward with his hand as Renji attacked him. The sword would strike into Kozan's stomach, clashing against his flak jacket with just enough strength to cut into it but not enough to get to Kozan's skin. Before Renji could pull away from the attack, however, Kozan would grab Renji's arm. Not taking a moment to hesitate, he would grab and squeeze Renji's arm with all of his [35 strength], enough that could easily snap the bones inside of it - not that Renji wouldn't be able to fix it with ease as a Kaguya. He would twist Renji's arm in an attempt to force his opponent's body downward, taking a step towards Renji in an attempt to leverage him, breaking away from the bindings the young Kaguya had summoned onto Kozan.

As he did, Kozan's eyes would lock onto Renji's. Kozan's face was blank, emotionless. There was no indication he was deriving pleasure from this, no indication that this was some sort of sadistic play. The murderous intent continued to radiate from Kozan, but being so close to him Renji would certainly feel it as almost oppressive as the Swordsmen stared down at his opponent. This was power.

[King of Cats]

As Renji lunged forward in attack he slashed at Kozan's flak jacket and was met with some resistance by the armor. He carried through with the slash but Kozan was unharmed. Renji had a shocked look on his face, but he wasn't really surprised. He had taken a good look at the military-grade flak jackets that Kirigakure no Sato offered, and Renji had a keen eye for picking out the notable features of the equipment. The flak jackets were composed of high-grade steel and offered excellent protection from both impact damage and standard strikes. Renji's sword strike did virtually nothing.

It went from bad to worse when Kozan reached out and grabbed the arm Renji had slashed with Renji was immobilized by Kozan's fearsome grip and he dropped his sword. That was when Renji heard a sickening crunch, but it was one the Kaguya was all too familiar with. The bones of his forearm snapped and Renji let out an involuntary cry. The pain of breaking one's bones became familiar to a Kaguya, but that didn't soften the blow. Renji's hand went limp in Kozan's grip.

As Kozan rushed Renji downward Renji gave forth his best effort in a last-ditch attempt to subdue his target. e knew if he could paralyze Kozan somehow with his venom the Sword would be impressed withhis shw of battle. Renji aimed at Kozan's exposed flesh, and with his free hand, he let loose the remaining 5 bone bullets he had previously crafted. They flew at Kozan, in a short distance, with [15] Speed and [12] Strength. They were laced with dangerous venom called Devl's Snare. If Kozan was struck the venom would cause him immediate pain and he would eventually suffer from localized paralysis. It was Renji's last ditch effort to secure his place in the Seven Swordsman of the Mist,.

[Ace Trainer]

The sudden cry of pain let out from Renji was met with no response as Kozan continued to impose his strength upon Renji to overpower him. He made no attempt to stifling his strength, and instead seemed to be very intentionally showing Renji the enormous cliff of power between the two of them. From an outsiders perspective this was likely considered cruel, there was nothing Renji could do, no way he would break from the grip of one of the Mighty Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. But even still, this is what Renji would need to endure if he wanted to join their ranks. He would need to prove his worth, his ability to endure pain, he willingness to engage in battles he could not win in the pursuit of strength. There were only seven seats for a Swordsman to sit in; Renji would need to earn his - and being Kozan's dagger would almost certainly come with a target on his back.

Renji's response was calculated though, and Kozan's eyes actually hinted that he was impressed, a brief and momentary light in his eyes as he watched Renji release the bullets at Kozan's - the very arm that was holding Renji in place. The bullets would collide with his skin, barely breaking their surface as blood began to seep out of the shallow wounds the bullets had created. Almost immediately, Kozan would feel an acute numbness overcome the arm. His lips came to a small frown, but Renji would likely never get a chance to even see it. His other hand holding the truth seeker would come down on Renji, striking him in the clavicle, the truthseeker merging with Kozan's arm and slipping around his arm and chest like a jacket. As swiftly as the first strike came, his knee would surge forward into Renji's chest at full strength, intending to damage if knock break his sternum and send the boy tumbling back.

With one arm buzzing from the numbness of the poison, Kozan's body would lurch forward, his foot landing on Renji's chest so long as the boy was still on the ground, and once more Kozan would simply stare down at Renji, his bright yellow eyes void of any sort of emotion or reaction. What else did Renji have up his sleeve?

[King of Cats]

The difference in power between Renji and Kozan was unreal. Renji was a strong young man, but Kozan had monstrous strength that Renji had never dreamed of. He was like putty in the sword's hand, and Renji was still feeling the intense fear of being around the dangerous killer. While he had been able to function enough to draw blood, Renji was early stricken with fear from being around Kozan. Few things in the world scared Renji, he didn't like bugs, but absorbing the murderous intent of Kozan was far beyond any natural fright. Renji summoned all the manhood he had in his body to not let out a whimper as Kozen tossed him around like a ragdoll.

At this point, Renji had two things going through his mind. Firstly he would have to mend his arm if Kozan wished to continue. That was more easily said than done in the heat of combat, but it was possible. Second Renji was thinking about the venom he had touched Kozan with. It would only have a temporary effect so that meant Renji had a small window of opportunity.

Of course, he only had that advantage if Kozan gave Renji another chance. The young Kaguya wasn't stupid, he knew he had been given the opportunity, but he was still proud to have inflicted his would-be mentor with Devil's Snare. He had gotten so far and Renji didn't have no desire to give up.

The Kaguya thrashed about on the ground where Kozan had pinned him by the boot. Renji was in the burn, his heart bone had been cracked by Kozan and his arm was still dangling he could barely move but that didn't stop him from trying. Renji thrashed under Kozan trying to make his break and escape from the Sword.

[Ace Trainer]

Kozan watched apathetically as Renji pressed against his leg in a feckless attempt to free himself from the weight of Kozan holding him down. The more Renji thrashed and resisted, the more Kozan pressed against him to keep him in place. After what could have been moments or hours for the poor chuunin, Kozan eventually spoke, "Enough.", he commanded. Renji would feel relief, not just from Kozan slowly lifting his foot off the boys chest, but also from the sudden and immediate release from Kozan's killer intent. The lack of fear Renji felt would feel almost like a void as Kozan continued to stare down at him. Kozan would slowly crouch down, his eyes breaking from Renji's gaze and inspecting Renji's chest and arm before looking back at the chuunin.

"Can you fix that, or do you need me to?", he asked.

For many, the offer to heal the injuries he had just bestowed upon Renji would seem odd, and almost mocking. But Renji would have seen a not dissimilar offer before - during the fight with Mondai, Kozan had inflicted wounds that would have likely been mortal, yet even still he chose to offer Mondai a shot at redemption and life by boosting his endurance enough to grant Mondai regenerative abilities. Renji would notice a feint glow come from behind Kozan, and then notice that Kozan would not wait for an answer instead continuing to crouch his hand would begin glowing with a feint light green glow as he waved it over the arm and then Renji's chest, the bone affixing itself back in place with relative ease.

Reaching into his weaponry pouch, Kozan would offer forward a kunai to Renji as he rotated his other hand that had just been healing Renji. Holding both the kunai and his hand out, Kozan would look at Renji and say somewhat unceremoniously, "You're weak. If you're going to prove to me you're not, stab this kunai through my hand.", and then he would wait.

SpoilerShow

Rash 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 Control for its duration, at the cost of -9 Willpower.

*[Iijutsu • Bone Regeneration Technique]
B-Ranked Ninjutsu
The user will begin to channel chakra and then direct it through the area of the fracture. As this chakra makes contact with the bone, it will stimulate the calcium production of the body and begin to mend the bone. Users should beware that, like other regenerations of this kind, the nutrient stores of the patient's body are being depleted during its use, and too many uses of this technique in a short span of time can cause serious damage
Fracture Category 20-30 Control 31-45 Control 46+ Control
Non-Displaced 1/2 post Immediate Immediate
Displaced 1/2 post Immediate Immediate
Closed 1 post 1/2 post Immediate
Open 2 posts 1 post 1/2 post

[King of Cats]

Underneath Kozan's foot, Renji felt the weight of his choices in life. He nearly wondered if it was all worth it, pinned down by the oppressive strength of a greater ninja. That was when Kozan let loose and Renji was able to sit straight up. He wiped the sweat from his face the mist proved to keep his perspiration running down his face as he struggled on his back and his eyes were burning with the salty tinge of sweat. Renji pressed his eyes to clear the burn of his sweat with his one good hand, and that was when Kozan started speaking to him.

It was nearly traumatic how empty Renji felt suddenly. With Kozan's killer intent released Renji felt a nearly nerve-wracking, shudder of ease. It was notable that Renji noticed at that moment that he had yet to talk with Kozan. The sword had grown to become a sort of idol for him, but he had never spoken with him. When Kozan offered to heal the broken wound Renjisimly nodded and held his dangling arm out. It was bruised and unsightly but Kozan quickly mended Renji and he had full use of his hand once again.

As Kozan healed Renji's arm he was reminded of when Mondai was mortally wounded in the clash with Kozan. The Sixth Sword, just a dagger at the time, mercifully offered Mondai a fuuinjutsu to prolong his life. Renji had not thought much of it at the time, but now he looked back on it as more than just an act of mercy. Renji felt as though he had earned some kind of respect from Kozan and he got to his feet proudly.

When Kozan held out both his hand and a kunai Renji was immediately suspicious of what the intentions truly were, but he decided to show respect and do as he was told. Renji nodded silently and grabbed the kunai. He aimed at Kozan's hand and holding the dagger backward he dug downwards at Kozan's hand. He was on high alert, paying careful attention to any tricks that Kozan might play on him. Of course, he didn't think Kozan was even capable of something as jovial as a trick. From the way the Sword had commanded Renji's attention the would-be dagger was questioning if Kozan was even properly human.

[Ace Trainer]

Kozan made a mental note of the eagerness and pride in which Renji took to his healing. He'd just been humiliated by Kozan, or what Kozan expected people would view as humiliation, and yet the chuunin who was quickly proving himself worth of the title Dagger seemed undeterred from the challenge before him and perhaps even invigorated. Their battle for many would have been demoralizing, but instead Renji pressed onwards. This was a good trait to have. But when it came to actually do what Kozan asked of him, Renji's hesitation was apparent, even if slight. Perhaps it was more suspicion than hesitation, but he did not act immediately, and Kozan would notice it. Finally though, he took the kunai and dove at Kozan's hand as the jounin held out the target for Renji.

The sound of the kunai striking against Kozan's palm was noticeable, but even more so was the resistance Renji would face. As the sharp point of the kunai attempted to dig into Kozan's palm Renji would find that cutting into his hand was not as easy as suspected. Instead, Kozan would push back against it, the cut it made shallow but still deep enough to produce blood. As it began to trickle out of his palm Kozan would resist the kunai, his eyes locked onto Renji as he did. "More.", he commanded. The difference in their strength was clear, Kozan strong enough that he could take a knife to the hand and be fine enough to demand more of Renji.

"Your job as a shinobi is to become stronger. Not strong. Stronger. Every day. Your limit should be tested.", he continued to press against Renji, "So test your limit. You should be able to stab straight through my hand.", the feeling of the flesh in Kozan's hand would be apparent to Renji as he stabbed, the blood flow steadily increasing to indicate he was at least making headway. Kozan would collpase his hand around the kunai, seemingly creating leverage for Renji to press harder. The task was clear albeit on the nose, Kozan wanted Renji to prove he was strong enough for the title Dagger.

[King of Cats]

This was a test that Renji was somewhat familiar with. When he first began training in kenjutsu Renji was forced to cut through multiple corpses at a time with his sword. Using all of his might Renji was able to cleave through five dead slaves. He had trained mercilessly, at just the age of eight, to achieve a worthy count for his sensei. Renji had always looked up to those capable of astounding physical feats, and when the kunai pierced Kozan's flesh and he was met with resistance, Renji's eyes got wide with respect. He was shocked to see the Sword withstand such a blow so casually.

Renji looked Kozan in the eye, his kunai pushing against the back of Kozan'shand. Renji listened to him, he pushed harder with his hand and the kunai dug deeper into Kozan.
As Kozan spoke to Renji, he was reminded of the resilience his aster, Seimei, had always spoken of. According to Seimei, a good swordsman was able to endure any strike to make a successful opening and win. Kozan spoke of higher platitudes though. Renji had never considered the path of a shinobi to be one of limitations, though when Kozan said so Renji was forced to oblige the idea. The unstoppable force of Kozan's hand against the kunai urged Renji so.

Understanding the lesson Renji nodded once again to Kozan, silent in his approach with the Sword. He pushed even harder with Kozan's kunai. Renji could feel a strong force against his hand but he continued to thrust the unai downward until it bached Kozan's palm.

The whole time Renji maintained eye contact with Kozan. He was dedicated to achieving his position as a Dagger and thought it would be best to show Kozan that he wasn't afraid of the ninja. Renji's scarlet red eyes stared straight into Kozan's piercing yellow eyes without hesitation.

[Ace Trainer]

Yes, this shinobi was disciplined. His unflinching glare back at Kozan affirmed that more than anything. In spite of the beating Kozan had just bestowed upon him, now he stood prepared still to prove his value. He seemed to absorb what Kozan was saying diligently, the pressure against Kozan's hand getting heavier and heavier as the two pressed against each other in this brief battle of wills. Eventually, Kozan would let out a sharp breath, and then with a quick and sudden strike he would slap Renji's hands, forcing the kunai through his own hand and pulling it back from Renji as the blood dripped from the wound, the kunai firmly through Kozan's hand, half on each side.

"This is the cliff between our strength.", he batted at the kunai once more, this time from the pointed end the blade falling from his wound and onto the ground. Almost immediately it began to heal on it's own, but then a soft green glow not different from the glow before would envelope his hand, the wound closing even faster as Kozan provided himself healing aid. "As my dagger, I will refine you to be stronger for Kirigakure. But if you're going to be assigned to me you will not look at the daggers as your rivals. They are weak. You look only to the Seven Swordsmen, myself include. That is the bar you have to pass.", the green glow would fade and Kozan would make a kai seal, the mist that had been surrounding them vanishing away into the normal level of mist ofr Kirigakure.

"Your only mission is to close the cliff between us. If you can.", he said flatly. It was odd given the words sounded as if they were intended to have gravity, but Kozan's monotone and emotionless demeanor made it difficult to fully parse. He would fluff his flak jacket, inspecting the cut in it that Renji had made momentary before holding up a hand. He would turn to walk away, rather unceremoniously bringing an end to their brief battle together.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

[King of Cats]

When Kozan forced the kunai from Renji's hand the newest Dagger was surprised by the finesse and swiftness of his Sword. He moved with purpose, and Renjisaw that he could learn a lot from Kozan. His fearsomeness was iconic and reminded Renji of his oaths to Kirigakure no Sato. Renji was filled with pride as Kozan addressed him as his dagger. The young Kaguya braved the slightest smirk as he looked Kozan straight in the face.

When Renji thought about the difference of power between him and Kozan he was painfully reminded of when Kozan shattered the bones in his arm. To see it again in a simple display of strength was just as remarkable. Kozan exuded an aura of strength and Renji found himself drawn to that mysterious flair. Renji desired strength like Kozan, he had worked hard his entire life hoping to attain the rank of clan leader and change the lives of Kaguya children, nothing would stop him watch someone display the power to snuff out his dreams lit a remarkable fire inside of Renji. His red eyes were glowing with passion and he nodded to Kozan regarding the cliff between each other's strength.

Renji was nodding as Kozan instructed him of his role as a Dagger for the Seven Swordsman of the Mist. Renji knew the general idea, but Kozan introduced specific goals for him. He also directed his passions. Renji was a competitive young man, he knew that as a Dagger he would be presented with the opportunity to battle other Daggers and test his mettle against his peers. But Kozan's wise words advised against this, though Renji didn't immediately understand why. He nodded anyway, his smile slowly fading from his lips as he considered the benefits of what Kozan said to him.

While he listened to his Sword, Renji was taking what Kozan said to him very seriously, so seriously in fact that his brow was furled as he tried to absorb everything he could, while enduring the pain of his once-broken bones. Even when they were healed injuries still left pain. Pain that Renji would soon come to know all too well. When Kozan told him that his goal was to close the gap between himself and Renji, the Kaguya smiled once moreIt felt good to have something in his sight, even if Kozan was miles away from him in terms of strength and experience. For the first time, Renji spoke to Kozan when he said to be at the same pace the next day. "Thank you, Kozan. I promise to set a bar among the Daggers, fitting for the fruits of our work together. I will see you tomorrow." Renji bowed deeply and looked once more in Kozan's yellow eyes. They were truly terrifying to see, but something about that hardness drew Renji closer to the mysteries of Kozan. Renji wondered what drove Kozan, but he would never ask. That was something he determined, in that instance, that he would have to find out through experience.

The new Dagger was in incredible pain still and his emotive cognizance was thrown off still from Kozan's fear-inducing ninjutsu. He had taken his first steps into the hell that was becoming a Seven Swordsman of the Mist.

Renji was a great swordsman. He was intuitive and crafty, he was unyielding and resilient. Renji was loyal and forthcoming. He had all the components to brave the storm that Kozan and the Seven Swordsmans would present to him. The question was not if Renji could do it Kozan wouldn't have put so much faith in him as to make him his dagger if si. The question was for how long could Renji stand it as a weapon of the state. He was a force of unyielding motion, just like Kozan was, so to all those watching it would be most curious what it was that would propel his career forward.

The next step for Renji would be to attain strength like Kozan. Renji wished to have the power to snap bones in his hands. He was a dangerous man, but he had seen fault in his strengths by battling with Kozan. Just the fear he felt from being around Kozan was enough to make a man feel weak.

Renji walked away from his new mentor feeling stronger than ever by Kozan's faith in the Kaguya.

OOCShow

Total WordCount: 4563
Training:
+3 Speed
+4 Strength