For Kirigakure

[Ace Trainer]

The Mizukage Tower cast a long shadow. Even here from just outside his lab in the further portions of the noble caste he could see the tower through the thick mists of Kirigakure. It was surely meant to be metaphorical in some way, indicating the ever-present power of the Mizukage, a warning against acting against Kirigakure, a reminder of what they all existed to fight for, any of these could be what it was intended to represent. Or perhaps it was just a symbol of grandiosity. The Third Mizukage had erected the tower initially during his rule, and through the history of Kirigakure various Mizukages had added to it. After the destruction of the tower in the battle between the Fifth and Sixth Mizukages, the Sixth Mizukage was the one who had erected the tower in it's current form and her motivations for virtually anything were shrouded in secrecy and distraction. Many posited the erection of a such an monument for the Mizkage was purely a distraction or cover for some other priority she had as very few viewed her as the type to do something so...excessive.

Kozan began to walk, his stride deliberate if not cautious. What he was doing today...well there was no coming back from. Up to this point, he'd been meticulous, setting up everything he needed in order to ensure that this went well. The breaking out of war on the main continent that pulled forces out of Kirigakure had not been a part of his plan but only steeled his determination that what he was doing was necessary. Kirigakure's shinobi were weak, incapable of seeing what the village needed, incapable of operating truly as weapons for it's wellbeing. They presented themselves as tool, but their willingness to be wielded by others, or to strike against whoever they wanted without concern for what was good for the village left Kozan full of disdain, another new emotion he was reconciling with his ever evolving world view.

As he walked his mind went first to Karagata, Shinjiro, his Overseer, the Jinchuuriki for the Body Genma, and perhaps the only individual shinobi within Kirigakure that Kozan viewed as a threat. His masters notes had made it clear that while Shinjiro's alliance to Kozan made him an asset, he was unpredictable, and the Shiimu scientist had for Kozan may run the risk of turning Shinjiro into an adversary. Now that Kozan was on his own path, he was unsure of how his decisions would be received by Shinjiro. Would they be facing off against each other at some point? He wasn't sure. He wasn't sure if it mattered. But he knew that Shinjiro's loyalties lied with no one but himself. In mamy ways the famed Jinchuuriki was an exemplar of what Kozan found as unacceptable about Kirigakure. Without a leash, Kirigakure shinobi easily went wild. Kozan wondered for a moment if that is what he was. An unleashed animal, acting out because he lacked a master? Was this path he was on now simply rebellion? He was acting in the best interest of Kirigakure, but how did he know?

He'd asked Renji that same question, his mind shifting now over to the chuunin Kozan had taken as a dagger. Renji was not unlike Kozan in many ways, something that had quickly created a bond between them. Bond was probably too strong a word, more like a tie. Kozan had indeed asked Renji this question mere weeks before this very day, and the answer Renji had given had left Kozan confident they were on the same path. Renji sought dominance over his clan, but for the good of Kirigakure. Kozan too was making the decision he was today for the good of Kirigakure. But would slaughter and dictatorship be considered synonymous with the good of the village? Both Renji and Kozan in that moment had the conviction to say yes. Kozan would need to keep that conviction today.

The shadow of the tower loomed over him as Kozan approached it. Kirigakure had been without a Mizukage for some time now, many of the higher echelons content with the status quo. After all, the Mizukage's authority was absolute, without the presence of such a power the others were free to act however they wanted, counter-balancing each other through their respective misdeeds. His mind went to his master, the bloodied, dismembered corpse Kozan had created conjured into his forebrain, representative of these misdeeds. After all, Kozan's master had sent him on a mission, allowed Kozan to steal a power from another clan, and enabled what many in the village would consider a cardinal sin. Yet Kozan did not. His master did not. This is what the absence of a Mizukage allowed. Wounds festering around the village. Kozan's misdeed would be seen as an aberration, if anyone of the village learned of it his head would be called for. And yet, even still Kozan knew he had done it for the good of the village. That there was good in the village in harboring the Naikai, but just as much good as people existing beyond the social restrictions the village had erected. Yes, wounds were festering all over the village but Kozan was not one of them. He was sure of that.

He would push through the front entrance of the tower, his mind taking in the various people moving about. Even without a Mizukage, the tower was still alive. Many of the central functions of the village operated out of this tower. Without a Mizukage, they continued...if not with some hiccups. This tower was the seat of power in the village, the center of it's strength, but also the center of it's disfunction. Everything wrong with the village as it currently stood could be traced to this tower.

The thought of his Naikai brought his mind to Naohiro as he walked through the building. He had displayed the body to the Aisu, handed it over as ordered with no little attempt but a very good surgical job to obscure what had been done to it. If there was anyone that knew what he had done with his master, it was Naohiro. But even then, Kozan questioned whether Naohiro would say or do anything about it. He hadn't so far. Perhaps he hadn't noticed, perhaps he would have no reason to? How would Naohiro respond to what Kozan was about to do. He doubted he'd have a response similar to Shinjiro. Shinjiro was a blunt, albeit powerful, instrument where-as Naohiro seemed to be more...exact. Both were effective, both were capable of being the other, but they had their ways about things.

They were happy with the status quo.

That much was clear given their willingness to let these wounds in Kirigakure fester. A village without a kage, without a council, being ran by nobles seeking to empower themselves.

Kozan began to ascend the tower, climbing up flights of stairs, journeying through hallways and taking in as much of it as he could memorized. Every room, every person, every sign indicating what the floor was for and the like. He would need to know it for what he was going to do. Once it was done, he would be unsure of what to expect. His mind departed once more, this time to the various powers within the village, Nishiki the Basic Genma Jinchuuriki, Shiv the leader of the Head Hunter's Division, even ones like Yamato and that troublesome dagger from the mission Hisato. Not to mention the political powers like Karagata, Ichase, Hirohito Junko, the nameless Eternal Mother and the other heads. All of them actors in a play, all of them variables to consider. This part was the new part for Kozan. The plan had come to him by instinct, the words of his master Leave No Trace had made this pathway immediately evident. But the lessons he'd learned from his master's brain, the final bits of knowledge he'd taken in from the still bleeding corpse, had taught him quickly that instinct alone could not prevail. That complicated matters for Kozan though. Now, his body did not account for the variables for him. His tolerance for risk had almost immediately felt much lower as he began to account for far more than what was immediately in front of him. In combat, he needed to know only the mission. What was he accomplishing for Kirigakure. But here, in this environment, Kozan had realized that Kirigakure was not the mission. That often missions would not serve Kirigakure at all. That what was good for Kirigakure went beyond missions, business and alliances and went far deeper than that. What was good for Kirigakure was quite simple, Kozan had realized.

Kirigakure needed to be feared.

Nothing mattered except whatever made Kirigakure feared as it once was.

Kozan knew that the people of Kirigakure needed something to remind them that they were once feared. The people of Kirigakure needed something to remind them that if they did not insight fear, something would come to insight fear in them. Kozan knew, instinctually, intellectually, down to his very core, the people of Kirigakure did not know fear anymore. But that would change today. One act. A single act on this tower, that would remind them of fear.

As he reached the top of the tower, he stood with his eyes on the two large double doors that lead to the Mizukage's office. An empty office, untouched since the fall of Kasai. An embarrassment on the village. He walked forward, pushing the doors open and expanding from his back four black tentacles of Samsara that would begin reaching across the room, carving into the walls various seals and symbols. Shelving, paintings, anything blocking his way would be tossed aside, thrown to the ground as Kozan defaced the walls of the office to be covered in fuuinjutsu. The fuuinjutsu mimicked much of what he had installed in his master's lab....his lab. The same seals he'd installed that would allow for the instantaneous destruction of the building he carved now into this office on the 30th floor. He stood, his eyes closed as he thought over it again.

There was no turning back.

Of the strongest shinobi in the village, three of them had departed to engage in a foreign war. The village, though not defenseless, was left without it's protectors. If a message was going to be sent, if a reminder of what fear felt like was going to be heard it was now, when the shinobi that allowed everyone to fester in the way they had were not around to protect them. Would anyone stand for Kirigakure? Even if Shinjiro, Naohiro, Nishiki could be made aware of what was about to happen, how long would it take them to reach the village? What would Kozan have done uninhibited in that time? Kasai and his predecessor had welcomed back the Bloody Mist in their reign and it took their unceremonious defeat for Kirigakure to become something Kozan could not accept. Today, the course was to be righted. Anything for Kirigakure. Anything

Kozan's eyes looked to the seals he'd created. Several barriers, but also a giant, explosive seal that could drop this tower in a moment's notice. Everyone inside would die before they even realized what had happened. Kozan's plan was coming to fruition. With these seals there was no turning back.

Crossing the room, Kozan would walk up to the glass window that overlooked the village. Placing his hand against them, it would take only a fraction of his strength against it for the window to explode outward, glass shards showering down on the ground thirty stories below them. He would jump out the windows, his tentacles reaching out behind him and grabbing onto the ledges of the tower preventing him from falling. He would pull his body to the face of the tower and the tentacles would retreat back into him as he climbed the face of the building until he stood on top of it.

Standing on top of the Mizukage tower, Kozan would stare out into the mist covered village. For a moment, he would simply take it in, his bright yellow eyes staring apathetically into the distance with no inkling of what he was thinking on his face, steeling his mind and discarding all the thoughts he had gone through in this climb up. Moments would pass as he stood there until finally, he would nod. The black truth seeker that coated his body with squirm to life, adjusting its shape to form into a long black cloak that rippled into the breeze that batted against Kozan hundreds of feet above the ground. He would take a deep breath and then suddenly like heat a wave of killer intent would radiate away from his body. It would tear through the entire village, every single shinobi and citizen in Kirigakure suddenly aware of Kozan's presence, his bright yellow eyes boring into the back of their minds as they felt his willingness and intent to kill any single one of them that challenged him. The message was immediate, exact, and clear - he was there, was wasn't going anywhere, and if they had an issue with that, they knew exactly where to find him. As the killer aura radiated throughout the village there was not a person aware that didn't know what he was saying.

The Juuniidaime Mizukage had Arrived

SpoilerShow

[Predatory Instinct: Reckoning]
S-rank Taijutsu
Kozan has refined his ability to project his killer intent, and has developed it to the point where he can radiate waves of killer intent far beyond what has been imagined. Through this technique, Kozan is able to project his killer intent as far as [Willpower] miles away from himself. Unlike his other jutsu, this technique does not necessarily invoke fear, however everyone within range will be able to feel his intent, will be able to locate him, and will see momentary two yellow eyes staring at them from inside their mind.

[Valkier]

Almost four thousand kilometres away, in a village dominated by grey stone instead of grey mist, the sun was just barely rising. At the heart of the village, behind a borrowed desk within a crowded operations room, Aisu Naohiro was not thinking about Kirigakure. His mind was plagued with distractions about Iwagakure no Sato, Sunagakure no Sato, about the Tsuchikage, Kazekage, and Hokage, and about the armies marching at the back of each. It had not been a short night. He alone of Kirigakure's contingent remained away from the front lines, instead lending his experience and wit to the organisation, to the planning and logistics of the ongoing conflicts. His was a different war, one of careful words and foresight, of pen and procedure, where victory was only a little less satisfying than that of the field. He was half listening to an annoucement by an Iwagakure attendant at the head of the room—the invasion force had made rapid progress and the real battle at the walls of Sunagakure was now underway—when a black-clad figure he recognised burst into the room, scattering aides and sending another messenger jumping aside in their haste.

"Asahi-san! Over here. What is it?" Naohiro stood and waved over the man. His man, and not one stationed with the Iwagakure contingent. His voice was cool and level as always, but inwardly he felt a bubbling of concern which only grew when he saw the anxiety on Asahi's face, the shortness of his breath. Perhaps, Naohiro reflected, leaving strict orders to watch the various councillors and the actions of the family heads in his absense had been prudent. Shinjiro's unanticipated arrival here in Iwagakure, albeit for his own unspoken reasons, had eased those worries for a time. They returned now with a vengeance.

What he heard chilled him to the bone and he found himself suddenly tense, oblivious now to the rest of the room around him. Not Shinjiro after all, at least not directly. Not even the council, unless he had severely misjudged them. But a new factor, unexpected. The Shiimu. Kozan! Another one of his men, in theory. But not really. He realised he was scowling, and forced his face back to smoothness as he stood and beckoned Asahi to follow him as he left the operations room and began making his way deeper into Iwagakure's undercity, back towards where Kirigakure's Black Network had its most recent addition. He grilled his informant as they walked, searching for every detail. There weren't many, seeing as the man had come sprinting through the Head Hunter Division portal, hidden in their base beneath the Mizukage's tower, within minutes of Kozan's challenge to the village. His mind whirled, weighing options, considering angles, possibilities. But with each step his thoughts returned to Kozan himself, his ambitions, and those of his varied masters.

He had not trusted Kozan since their first meeting. Since his application to join the Division, delivering his mysteriously harvested corpse and with his lacking, half-answered explanations, Naohiro had been waiting and watching, aware of the man's potential but wary of his intentions and drive. He came across as a closed book, all ruthless efficiency and effortless servitude, often without any hint of emotion that might betray his thoughts. Almost more machine than man, in that regard. So little was forthcoming about him that Naohiro had resorted to employing his old friend and confidant, Kinsue, to observe Kozan during his operation to neutralise a pirate village. Outwardly there had been nothing amiss about that venture, except perhaps for a missing motive. Not the reason for the slaughter itself, but about what was to be gained afterwards; the deed had certainly been executed in such a manner as to draw the eye. At the time, Naohiro had wondered if it had simply been the Shiimu flexing their newest weapon, showing off their willingness for brutality and preparedness to strike where necessary and defend their interests. But now, with this news, he was beginning to question whether it had been for the Shiimu at all. Perhaps it had all been about Kozan's legacy. Putting his name in the mouths of the villagers in preparation for this day.

Naohiro exhaled in a hiss of breath and dismissed Asahi, then stood and waited for a moment before the portal that would return him to Kirigakure. He had to be certain, had to approach this with a level head. This was a duty in which he could not falter, and for the sake of his village. Could it be that this was the real Kozan, unleashed at last to chase his own ambitions? Or, more likely, all just a play by one of those masters? Despite all his resources and whisperers, Naohiro had been unable to discover the true intentions and ambitions behind his creator, the mysterious Shiimu scientist cloistered in his hidden laboratory. And those of Kozan's other master were just as frustrating: Shinjiro, the Overseer of the Seven, and Naohiro's peer-turned-rival in what was quickly becoming a cold war of influence throughout Kirigakure. The famed host of the Katagenma did what he wanted, when he wanted, and for his own reasons. He was infamously loyal to his family and friends above all else—perhaps even above Kirigakure, if Naohiro's suspicions held any weight. The Karagata must be exceptionally proud of producing in Shinjiro such a finely-wrought blade, patting themselves on the back while trusting, too much, their false grip on the hilt. All a recipe for distaster.

His fingers clenched in a rare display of frustration as the portal shimmed to life before him, responding to his touch. This was duty. A pivotal moment, but arriving sooner than he'd hoped, throwing all his planning into question. But so be it; he knew that he could not sit idly by. Not this time. He'd resolved that he would one day fight for and claim the title of Mizukage, but the last months—even the last year, ever since his fateful meeting with the Grand Shogun Iiyashi—had been one long game of manouvering pieces, delicately and exactly, towards an endgame that was now at risk. The oaths he'd taken from agents throughout the factions may no longer matter after today. Ears trained to listen to him, hands unknowingly writing his words, mouths throughout Kirigakure whispering secrets to him that their speakers thought private. Wasted. All wasted. Finally, exhaling and letting his frustrations bleed away, he stepped forward into the portal and let its cold grip take him home.

This was the way of Kirigakure. Blunt instruments and hidden knives.

He emerged resolute, as calm and cool as the dark room around him in the secure bunker beneath the Mizukage's tower. Whatever Kozan's motives or masters, this had to be confronted now. He would know, one way or another, before the day was out. Memory led Naohiro through the darkness away from the portal, up and out through the confusing warren of metal-lined corridors and through a hidden exit. He emerged into the bright morning sun a few minutes later, not from the Mizukage's tower but from a building on the other side of the wide courtyard that ran around the base of the tower. He inhaled deeply, feeling the comfort of the cool mist on his skin once again after his time away. And smiled.

He began walking around the tower, gauging the mood and environment, noting the people still streaming out and away from the tower. Most had no business being anywhere near a man in the throes of declaring himself the absolute ruler of Mizu no Kuni. But many did not run too far; from the opposite direction a crowd was gathering, curious shinobi and residents of Kirigakure flocking towards the tower, to witness this Day of Days. A few who were not yet staring upwards clocked Naohiro's arrival among them. A murmur rose and a ripple of realisation spread through the crowd, waves of anticipation and wonder. He heard his name called, a question raised, saw heads and backed lowered, but already he was focused upwards. Towards the roof of the tower, where a figure cloaked in shimmering liquid darkness stood silhouetted against the mist.

He opened his mind's eye almost by instinct, locking on to and examining Kozan's chakra signature. It was indeed him, and he appeared to be alone. Holding that impression firm in his mind, Naohiro began to glow with channeled energy as he stepped through the crowd towards the tower. A thin layer of ice formed beneath his feet as he walked before wisps of fuuton swirled around his limbs, condensing into fine jets of chakra. Mid-stride he rose into the air, spiraling upwards and around the tower as he flew. A moment later he crested the rim of the tower roof with the sun at his back, ascending like saint to hang in the air some fifty metres away and slightly above Kozan. There he slowed and stopped, hovering so that the other man would have to look upwards at him against the sun, like some heaven-sent deliverance to Kozan's silent challenge.

"Good morning, Kozan. I hear you've been rather busy. What are you about?" Naohiro's too-casual tone belied the tense and dramatic nature of their meeting, here in the sky at the pinnacle of Kirigakure's pillar of absolute power.

Jutsu UsedShow

[Sensory Style • Target Lock]
C-Rank Ninjutsu
Prerequisite: [Sensory Style • Beyond Senses]
The sensor will activate a sensory technique and focus on one source of chakra. In doing so, the user will be able to continue to sense that source of chakra, even if they are moving around, so long as they are holding that target within range of their mind’s eye. If they, or the chakra source, moves out of range, the user will lose track of them. Once cast, this technique provides a sensory overlay to the user’s normal vision for up to [Control/5] posts.

Fuuton • Daedalus
A-Rank Fuuton Ninjutsu
The user opens their tenketsu to release streams of concentrated fuuton chakra, manipulating them like miniature thrusters to propel the user and control air flow around their body. This allows the user to fly at up to their [speed] while maintaining total control of their speed, acceleration, direction, and momentum. These fuuton jets have no intrinsic strength and do not apply the cutting passive.

[Ace Trainer]

The top of the Mizukage's tower was slanted every so slighty, 5 degrees, maybe 6. Enough that the regular rainfall on the village never pooled on top of the building. Despite the odd shape the tower had, the peak where the Mizukage's off was came to a near perfect square clearly intended to give the Mizukage a complete view of the village below them. Surely a design of the Rokudaime Mizukage's mind. The smooth face of the roof was obscured by only one thing, a large antenna dead center used to facilitate chakra sensory signals when needed by the village. The rooftop was likely only 30m by 30m in size, not very large and hardly a battlefield. If it came to a fight, it was much more likely they'd be fighting on the face of the building they stood on, or they would be in for a quick descent to the ground...

For a moment Kozan hung there, observing through the thick mist the crowd that was forming. His announcement to the village being replaced by his normal fear aura radiating from him and into the people that were clamoring to see who their new dictator would be. He could sense the whole of them, few able to hold tall against the killer intent from someone as vicious as Kozan. He was confident none would challenge him, none would have the bravery to do it. Perhaps that was part of the problem. Would Kozan need to have done something like this to the village if they had shinobi of a caliber able to withstand him? No, he wouldn't. The fact that Kozan could terrorize this village on his own was proof of that.

And who was going to stop him from doing that?

The truth would make itself apparent.

From the mist, from the crowd, a single entity would rise. Kozan watched as Aisu, Naohiro ascended through the mist until he was floating above him. The tentacles that had just retreated into Kozan's back surged back out, hovering around Kozan's body oriented to Naohiro as if there were eyes on the end of each one. The cloak Kozan had formed with the truthseeker remained, continuing to flap in the wind as he looked at Naohiro. He would not be able to sense Naohiro at all, instead Kozan's bright yellow eyes would watch him with a discerning glare in an attempt to figure out what the next move would be.

"Serving my village." he would respond flatly. This was certainly true. Even if it didn't create fear in Naohiro, the Aisu patriarch would be able to sense Kozan's killer intent. He would be able to sense the terror that Kozan had just sent throughout the village. Yes, Kozan was serving the village, this was just his way of doing it. Naohiro's presence was equally concerning as it was reassuring. Kozan's mind quickly did the calculus, Naohiro was part of the problem, after all his scuttled back here from Iwagakure and his absence is in part what allowed this to happened. "And not another.", he chided. On the other hand, Naohiro was powerful, just as if not more, than Kozan. It was not about the seat of Mizukage for Kozan, it was about the power the seat of Mizukage provided. A Mizukage served his village just like any other shinobi. Could the absence of a Mizukage and it's council be a contributing force to how ineffectual Kozan had seen the village to be? Could Naohiro be a remedy to that just as much as Kozan?

"The village is grateful for your return.", is all he would say, seemingly settling into his newly claimed title quickly to speak for the village. It was hard to tell if this was pointed commentary or genuine. Did Kozan understand the subversive nature of these events to make pointed commentary like this? It wasn't clear.

SpoilerShow

This was done 4x from his back
Octopus
D-rank Nintaijutsu
[Close Quarters Combat]
Kozan will channel chakra into his back, creating a single tendril up to [Control]m in length to form from his ribcage. Kozan can control this like a prehensile tail, and has his [Speed] and [Strength].

[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.

[Valkier]

The strangeness that was Shiimu Kozan's body seemed to react to Naohiro's presence before the man himself gave any outward sign. The four tendrils, as black as the rest of Kozan's odd cloak, bristled towards him with evident hostility. Naohiro eyed them curiously, taking an interest in their formation and movements. Kozan's cloak, too, was more eye-catching than it had seemed from a distance; it looked almost like a veil of liquid darkness, oily, slick, foreboding. But Naohiro's own cloak was finer still, all midnight hues billowing around him and with a legend of its own that long predated even its current wearer. Its name and nature was, perhaps, a small part of what led Naohiro to be hovering here and now before this new rival.

He caught the implication in Kozan's words, and one corner of his mouth quirked upwards in a slight smirk, even as Kozan's killer intent radiated outwards. He could feel the desire, the power of the man before him, even if it did not engulf him and drive him to panic. It was good that he was serious. Even so, the tendrils and the intent warranted a reaction, and he began channeling almost by instinct as he considered his reply. What was said between them now, in this pivotal moment, was important. It was the split-second of peace, a breath caught, before a coming storm. What way the winds blew may well set the course of the rest of their lives, and that of Kirigakure's future too. His smile slipped only a little when Kozan implied he now spoke for the entirety of the village.

"Is that so? I, too, am glad my timely arrival will allow me to continue serving my village as well. Serving our village." He fixed Kozan with a level, appraising look as his technique completed and the air around his floating form shimmered and flickered as space began to distort. The light of the morning sun, illuminating Naohiro from behind, seemed now to flex and bend around him, creating a lensing effect. It was a shame that the crowds below would not be positioned well enough to appreciate the rather dramatic result.

And then he sighed and spread his hands, putting voice to his frustrations.
"I had hoped to secure our interests abroad while the opportunity arose, before returning here to settle matters. Alas, I did not account for your ambition! More the fool I for not considering it. You and Shinjiro both..." He shook his head as if disappointed, though his body remained tensed and ready to move should the situation call for it. "Tell me truly: Is it he who commanded this?" Then a more violent shake as he quickly dismissed the notion. "No. No, I suppose not. I fear he hasn't the wit, and he'd be here himself if he gave a damn about anything in Kirigakure beyond himself and the Karagata. Would it be your other master, then, pointing you here?"

"I suppose it does not matter," he confessed after a moment, speaking louder as he rose slightly higher in the air and drew a little further back, leaving him now about sixty metres from the edge of the rooftop and about 15 metres above Kozan's level. "Perhaps the failing is mine for not acting sooner. For letting this petty council of ours continue their games, for leaving our well-intentioned, but painfully short-sighted peers free to do as they please. But rest assured now: I will protect Kirigakure's future at any cost. I will not stand idly by and let another Kasai ruin our nation, another Fuhen despoil it, another Aimi threaten it. Which will you be?"

Naohiro did not doubt Kozan's loyalty in the slightest, only his vision for Kirigakure. That, and his methods. He was, in many ways, the ideal shinobi, but his actions thus far today did not bode well. This was a man who sought to seize power only in absence of the village’s strongest shinobi, and who began his supposed reign with a veil of fear and murderous intent. There were times for such leaders—such men had forged Kirigakure into a major world power—but Naohiro believed that the world they lived in now called for a more calculating leader, one who could work within the volatile state of global politics, and turn them to Kirigakure’s advantage.

True to his conviction, Naohiro began channeling a second time. He did not relish the idea of fighting his own, did not harbour any desire to weaken Kirigakure by cutting away those who might still serve it, but nor would he allow them to bring it harm. Even if they did so with the best, misguided intentions. A blizzard of cold air billowed up and around him, spreading out across the sky and engulfing the tower, plunging it into the depths of winter. It grew colder, and colder still as the technique took hold. The windows of the tower began to crack under the extreme temperature, and moisture began to freeze in mid-air, dusting across the two ninja in eddies of frost.

Jutsu UsedShow

[Sensory Style • Target Lock] - Still in effect from earlier
C-Rank Ninjutsu
Prerequisite: [Sensory Style • Beyond Senses]
The sensor will activate a sensory technique and focus on one source of chakra. In doing so, the user will be able to continue to sense that source of chakra, even if they are moving around, so long as they are holding that target within range of their mind’s eye. If they, or the chakra source, moves out of range, the user will lose track of them. Once cast, this technique provides a sensory overlay to the user’s normal vision for up to [Control/5] posts.

Fuuton • Daedalus - Still in effect from earlier
A-Rank Fuuton Ninjutsu
The user opens their tenketsu to release streams of concentrated fuuton chakra, manipulating them like miniature thrusters to propel the user and control air flow around their body. This allows the user to fly at up to their [speed] while maintaining total control of their speed, acceleration, direction, and momentum. These fuuton jets have no intrinsic strength and do not apply the cutting passive.

Expand Space: Umbral Shroud
B-Rank Jikukan Ninjutsu
Prerequisite: Expand Space: Penumbral Void
The user collects a large quantity of Jikiton chakra and creates an area of Penumbral Void expanded space, but tightly contains the area of the barrier technique into a thin shell that surrounds their own body, moulding to, and hovering an inch away from, their person. This mostly-transparent shell appears to be only a few inches thick from the outside, but physical space within the barrier is expanded by 10 metres and distorted to a staggering degree, causing any incoming physical or chakra-based entity to “flip” and return back directly towards the direction from which it originally entered the barrier, continuing on its remaining path without ever having come into contact with the user. This barrier forms at [control] speed and remains in place for up to [control]/3 posts.

Hyōton ◊ Blizzard - Upcast to A-rank @ 30 control to increase the radial range to 110m and encompass the whole rooftop (& probably most of the tower below too):
B-rank Hyouton Ninjutsu
The user channels Hyouton chakra and takes a deep breath before slowly exhaling. Over the course of the post, the temperature within a 40 meter radius of the user will rapidly drop to -30 degrees celsius, except for a small 1 metre radius around the user with whom the zone moves. Able to freeze medium sized bodies of water, and small bodies of water in motion including suiton techniques of equal [control] strength or lower, this technique can make opponents incredibly uncomfortable in combat. Those within range will find that their bodies will begin to cramp up and slow down, inflicting -3 speed per post for up to a maximum of 3 posts or until they leave the area. The technique lasts for six posts.

[Ace Trainer]

Kozan's gaze remained locked on Naohiro's own, watching his eyes as they assessed each movement Kozan made, bouncing from the tentacles to his cape to his figure back to his eyes. The yellow stare from Kozan was as unsettling as ever, void of any sort of emotion or inkling towards his disposition. When paired with the killer intent radiating from Kozan it was indeed ominous what the boy intended. As Naohiro spoke, Kozan simply stood, unclear on if he was soaking in the man's soliloquy or entirely disregarding it. Kozan was not a man of many words, or at least he hadn't been. Naohiro's bantering on was not much different than how Kozan's late master spoke, musing and rhetorical questions never intended to actually be answered just a segue into the next thought. As Kozan got a better understanding of humans he had found this trait of his master to be one of the less desireable ones of people, so it was unsurprising that this was the case with Naohiro as well.

"The only master I serve is the village.", he refuted Naohiro's assumptions. "What you call ambition is simply a shinobi fulfilling his duty to be a weapon for the village. As we are meant to be. As we are taught, trained, and intended to be.", this was intentional, and the implication was clear. While Naohiro was out 'fostering relationships' and fulfilling a diplomatic role, Kozan was operating as a weapon. One of them was doing what Kirigakure had taught them to do, the other....making assumptions for a village that never asked it of them. Where in their edicts was there words on diplomacy? Or forging relationships? Securing its interests? No. The village did that on it's own through it's shinobi's strength. Fraternizing in the service of other villages was not that.

As Naohiro channeled, Kozan would do the same, a fuuinjutsu activating on his back, the light from the fuuin casting against his cloak plenty visible for Naohiro to see. He could not sense Naohiro's fear, but for now he did not need to track him, allowing his willpower to decline in favor of his strength. Naohiro was a good distance away, and in the air. Kozan would need to rely on long range fighting at this point, and that would not be easy, and would give Naohiro the upper hand. But he could manage if it came to it. As the cold enveloped him, he simply shook his head at Naohiro, "Which will I be?". The tentacles on his back pulsated, shifting slightly and pulling closer to his body as it began to cool around them. The cloak shimmering behind him tightened to his body, forming into armor around his clothes. If Naohiro was going to get ready for a fight, so would Kozan.

He weighed his options carefully here. Naohiro wasn't quite a traitor in Kozan's eyes, but he was a failure. His strength be damned, he was failing as a weapon of Kirigakure. Could he be corrected? Could his vision be amended? He was certainly loyal to the village even if he was misguided. Killing Naohiro was an option, albeit a less desireable one. Fighting in front of the village would only reinforce the fear he'd just enveloped it's citizenry in, as well. It would be beneficial for them all. Even further though was purely the tactical nature of their situation. Naohiro had the vantage point, and could fly, something that would keep Kozan at a disadvantage no matter how he looked at it. If he attacked first, he may get the advantage. Granted, Naohiro was already prepared. Would attacking only turn a tense situation into a sure fight? He had only a moment to assess and his decision would be it. If Naohiro wanted to challenge the Mizukage, he would allow him to do so. But Kozan would not make the first move. So Naohiro offered forth a question, which of these failures would Kozan be? The answer was simple. Chakra surging around him indicating Kozan was reading to cast another jutsu if Naohiro attacked him.

"I am and will be, Shiimu, Kozan, Mizukage of the Great Kirigakure."

SpoilerShow

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

[Valkier]

Naohiro tensed in expectation of Kozan attacking, readying himself to dive or dodge as the other mans' cloak shifted into armour and he glowed with channeled energy. But then his adversary simply waited. And, he realised, Kozan was indeed now an adversary. Whatever might pass between them, the simple fact was that Kozan was here demonstrating his power to the village and issuing his challenge. And if Aisu Naohiro had any intention of ever sitting in a position of authority within Kirigakure, he had to stand up to and overcome that. Otherwise he would forever live beneath the shadow of this lab-grown specimen.

His jaw tensed, frustrated; he didn't want to kill Kozan. He should be a pillar of Kirigakure's stength, held up and praised by the village to stand side by side with Shinjiro, with Nishiki, with Shiv, and with Naohiro himself and others besides. To simply eliminate every strong rival would be to eliminate the very strength of Kirigakure; strength, ambition, and rivalry were among the cornerstones of their beloved village. Better to shape him, direct him, and make of him an asset rather than an issue. Naohiro had established an entire department of the Division to achieve such ends with others, so why not Kozan?

But words and reason slid away from Kozan like water on stone. He'd almost forgotten that, since their last meeting in the Division headquarters far below where they now stood. So how to resonate with him? How to bring him around? The obvious answer came to Naohiro immediately, so simple that he wanted to chide himself for overthinking:

He had to be broken.

"No." Naohiro shook his head simply, speaking without outward emotion as he watched the other man stand tall and proud atop the Mizukage's tower. The tower which may well belong to one of them, given an hour. "You will not be." He began to channel again as he said it, increasing the power of his hyouton further still by overlaying it with a second technique, sending the temperature plummeting to dangerous extremes as a radial pulse of cooling chakra emanated from his position and towards the rooftop. He would make sure to drift closer to keep Kozan within its range, if necessary.

"Not while I stand. But you can work with me. Follow me. Be my arm within Kirigakure, and we will be a new dawn unto our village. We will deliver to her an untold greatness. The very world will tremble at our name." He paused, and gave Kozan another long look. Now he almost seemed sad.

"I need you to kneel, Kozan. Kneel and swear to your new Mizukage. Or you will be knelt."

Jutsu UsedShow

Hyōton ◊ Northwind - Cast at A(35) to increase the radial range to 85m
A-Rank Hyouton Ninjutsu
The user channels a large quantity of Hyouton chakra and releases it in a radial pulse that begins at the user and reaches up to 65 metres in every direction at a speed of [control]. Within this area the air will rapidly cool to severely low temperatures, excluding within a one-meter radius around the user, with whom the area moves. Any water or A-rank or lower Suiton techniques within this area will rapidly freeze, losing momentum and falling to shatter on the ground after one post. Any persons or creatures caught within the area will suffer -5 endurance per post, for up to a maximum of four posts or until they leave the area. The technique lasts for 7 posts.

[Ace Trainer]

”Power hungry.”, Kozan would say out loud. He’d heard the term countless times from his master as the man mused about Kirigakure while working on Kozan’s body. He understood it conceptually, academically, but it wasn’t until now, as he stared at Naohiro’s and listened to his words that he truly felt he understood what the concept was. Naohiro was power hungry. He ‘stood’ before Kozan, asserting the authority he thought he was and trying to tempt Kozan with more power. It wasn’t genuine, or at least Kozan couldn’t assess it to be. After all, Kasai had fallen to the foreign interloper how many months ago, years ago, however long it had been and where had Naohiro been since then? Unwilling to act? Unable? It wasn’t until someone else had seized that power that Naohiro had decided he was willing to make this move. It was an opportunistic, power-hungry move. Something a coward would do.

Perhaps if Kozan was a smarter man, more deliberate, able to assess these things as quickly as was needed for this type of situation, he would be able to twist it and offer Naohiro back a similar arrangement that would be more amenable to their needs. But as the cold bristled against him and Kozan felt his body beginning to respond to it, it very quickly stopped being a matter that could be settled with words. Naohiro demanded Kozan would kneel and in many ways his instincts told him perhaps he should. Power hungry or not, what Naohiro was saying was in alignment with what Kozan knew the village needed. What difference did it make who was the Mizukage? A title Kozan did not hold any special interest in. He did not care to actually be Mizukage, only to serve the village and to do so most effectively was to be the Mizukage. But did it matter?

Be knelt?

Kozan shook his head. It didn’t matter. Naohiro was failing the village, and choosing only now to say the things he should have been saying the moment Kasai fell.

So Kozan would stop channeling and flex his finger. In a single motion an arrow would form from his knuckle and he would grab it and throw it at Naohiro with all his strength aimed directly as Naohiro’s chest. Suddenly, he would fall forward free-falling off the side of the 30 story building nearly 100m in the air. As he descended the tendrils from his back would reach out, slamming into the building to slow his descend momentarily and then launch him downward with 50 strength. As he fell, he would form 5 more arrows from his hand, pressing them against the Samsara armor on his chest that would gently grip onto them. As he fell he’d repeat what he’d done with his tendrils, doing so three times to allow him to rapidly reach the ground without injury. As he landed on the ground, he would scan the crowd that had collected, releasing a pulse of killer instinct. It would irradiate the crowd like a paralytic, ”Don’t move.”, he would command them.

Now out of the range of Naohiro’s blizzard like aura, he would look up at the man who would almost assuredly descend on Kozan and the crowd. Was Naohiro willing to subject the villagers around them to the wide areas of effect of his jutsu? Or would he have to adapt his fighting style? Kozan battle instincts would force Naohiro to answer that question.

SpoilerShow

[Arrow] - done this 6x, keeping them to about half a meter each in length. Threw one, did the other 5 while doing the controlled fall, keeping hold of them.
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.

[Valkier]

Hanging in the air and ready to react, Naohiro made his dodge of the first arrow appear almost casual. While it moved just as fast as he could, the distance between Kozan and himself—and some experience dealing with projectiles—gave him plenty of time to move swiftly aside and give the weapon a wide berth. He turned sideways to keep it in his peripheral vision as it passed harmlessly by, half expecting it to suddenly change or veer course back his direction from behind. Meanwhile, Kozan threw himself from the tower, heading recklessly downwards into the crowds below. Naohiro watched him go, thoughtful.

Instead of pursuing, Naohiro only let himself drift a little lower, ensuring that he'd be clearly visible to all those people—perhaps hundreds, by now—waiting and watching the spectacle from the courtyard all around the base of the tower.

"People of Kirigakure!" He addressed them instead, raising his voice to carry on the winds. "I am Aisu Naohiro. Many of you know me, or know of me. I have sworn my life and soul to the Hidden Mist, to Water Country, and have fought many times in her name." He didn't need to elaborate; much of his recent fame came from his almost single-handed efforts to organise the village's response to the Heart Empire's brash invasion. His was a household name nowadays, and he'd heard more than a few postulate about if and when he might do what he was about to. It was the natural way of things in Kirigakure, especially for one whose name was mentioned in the same breath as the greatest living shinobi. His eyes kept careful watch of Kozan, but also took in the rest of the crowds, even motionless as they were.

"Today I declare myself the Juuniidaime Mizukage." He allowed himself another small smile, knowing how frustrating his next words would be to Kozan. But what was transpiring here today was bigger than just him. Kozan's challenge had forced Naohiro to act, and so now he returned the favour. "One stands among you who thought to take this title for himself. But now Shiimu Kozan runs before me, hiding among you in fear, cowering as you yourselves cower before him. If he dreams his fate to be anything other than total servitude from hereon, I bid him come now and face it."

A pulse of chakra accompanied his last words, carrying a powerful silent command to Kozan. What would he do now, with Kirigakure as his witness? It could all end now, if the genjutsu took hold and forced him to submit; who could still carry the title of kage after backing down in such a manner, and so publicly? Even when the mind-altering effect ended, Kozan would have to slaughter the witnesses around him to undo the damage to his standing. Would he wound his village so? The alternative, perhaps even preferable outcome, was that he'd instead have to return and fight, high up above the tower where Naohiro ruled the skies.

Jutsu UsedShow

[Foresight]
C-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
Prerequisite: [Perception]
If an incoming projectile is visible to the user, or its trajectory is known, the user is capable of predicting its timing and travel path accurately enough to increase their chances of a successful dodge, such as by sidestepping or twisting at the last moment. This allows the user to maintain their speed and direction of movement while still remaining capable of dodging incoming projectiles effectively. This also works in reverse, allowing the user to maintain their accuracy by estimating trajectories even while they themselves are in motion.

[Genjutsu • Epiphany]
S-Rank Status Genjutsu
The user will speak the phrase "face it" any time after completing the required hand seals, causing a specific target who hears it to fall victim to this genjutsu. Upon initiation, the target will suffer an immediate crisis of conscience. They will begin to doubt their actions, intentions, and allegiences up to this point, and discover a profound respect for the caster of the technique. This manifests as a deep-seeded inclination to aid and obey the caster. This technique lasts for 6 posts or until the user dismisses them with the phrase "that will suffice".

[Ace Trainer]

Kozan was successful in fleeing from Naohiro, and his slow descent would ensure the blizzard surrounding him would not descend down on the people around them either. His bright yellow eyes stared upward at the ‘angelic’ like being before them, a small circle having naturally formed around Kozan as he stood in the crowd, his tentacles from his back still swaying defensively as he waited. Then Naohiro began talking, and Kozan found little care for his words. Naohiro was a talker. That much Kozan had come to realize and now it was just a matter of letting the man talk. Naohiro was now claiming the title himself, interesting that he had waited until now to do it. Not when the seat sat vacant for months on end with no leadership as the village festered, but until someone took the seat. Truly who was the coward in this situation?

A tactical decision wasn’t cowardice, so as Naohiro made the accusation, Kozan would simply take one of the arrows now affixed to his temporary chest plate and pull his arm back, heaving the short spear like samsara into the sky directly at Naohiro with all his strength [50 Strength, 50 Speed]. However, as it flew through the air and Naohiro finished his statement Kozan would feel a wave of a new feeling in him. It was unfamiliar, but as he watched the arrow sail through the air he found himself asking - is this right?

His brow furrowed together, looking down at his hands for only a moment then back up at Naohiro. Was he afraid? He didn’t sense any fear coming off of himself, he questioned for a moment even if he could sense fear from himself. Perhaps Naohiro was who was intended to be Mizukage, surely he had a vision for the village. Kozan’s mind began to shift to the notion of Naohiro as Mizukage, perhaps Naohiro would be a good Mizukage? Could his experience as a leader contribute more to the success of the village than Kozan? This doubt in himself was new. But he felt a sudden urge and desire to appease Naohiro, this too was new. Was Naohiro a representative of Kirigakure.

”Stay.”, he commanded the people around him, the killer intent radiating from him slowly diluting down to a less intent rage and radius. His hands would fall to his side, not quite kneeling but doing nothing to hide his presence, now staring up at Naohiro. He would channel for just a second, the fuuinjutsu on his back being paused, indicating he was slowly pulling out of combat mode. Was Naohiro, Kirigakure?

SpoilerShow

*[Flawless Aim Style • Absolute Aim]
A-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
Having mastered the art of ranged combat, the practitioner is capable of calculating all outside factors before launching their projectiles. Ambient factors such as temperature, winds, moisture, any terrain, and even lack of sight on their target can not hinder their aim. So long as they have a means of detecting the location of their opponent and no impassible objects or unavoidable defenses stand in their way, the practitioner's attacks will strike their target with pinpoint accuracy without fail. Living targets must have a Perception technique equal or higher in rank to be able to dodge the practitioner's attacks without some sort of additional defense.

[Predatory Instinct: Dangerous Intent]
C-rank Taijutsu Discipline
A natural born killer, Kozan is able to radiate out his killer intent, triggering natural fear responses in anyone in 30m 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.

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

[Valkier]

Even as he finished talking and his technique reached down to Kozan, Naohiro saw the other man reel back and launch another black weapon in his direction. He tried to predict its path, only to find the spear difficult to follow, travelling directly towards him as it was. Naohiro's eyes, however, were not the most finely tuned of his senses. As he watched and tried to move to avoid the weapon, he listened; the whistle of the spear sung to him as it rose through the air at a lightning pace. The distance between the two combatants worked in his favour, and again he managed to swing to one side and avoid the predicted path of the attack. The throw had been further, and aimed upwards, but even so it had been considerably more skilled—and harder to avoid—than the last attack. Kozan was growing more serious. Naohiro had to act. But as he steeled himself for a tough decision, some of the fight seemed to bleed out of Kozan. Artificially, perhaps, but it still presented one last opportunity to end this without weakening his village. A fading glimmer of hope that this could be resolved without one of Kirigakure's strongest shinobi being lost to another.

"Such attacks will not harm me, Kozan. You cannot challenge me from down there. Yet there you remain. Do you serve, then?" He watched for a moment, then let himself drift steadily lower. "It is for the best. I would not like to cut from Kirigakure her finest weapons, nor see them confined to a robe and an office. There are better tasks for shinobi of your calibre." He stopped at the point where the outer limits of his hyouton techniques were just above the busy courtyard below. Low enough that cooled winds would sweep among the crowds, but where they'd be spared the biting, heart-stopping power of the actual jutsu.

"Release your hold on these people. Bid them return to their homes. They do not need to die for our pride; Kirigakure needs its people, now more than ever." He began to channel again, ready and waiting to see Kozan's final decision. His logic was simple; Kozan, who had shown both here and during their previous interactions a remarkable lack of communicative ability, perhaps even a lack of understanding, would not be well suited to the administrative role of a sitting kage. In fact, a man such as he might be actively harmful to the village's future. This was not just about power for Naohiro, not just about plans brought forward and made manifest with this morning's sun. Kozan was undeniably a powerful shinobi, easily a match for many of the finest Naohiro had encountered. Much better for Kirigakure that he used appropriately. Aimed appropriately. Because he was a man that could be aimed, and not one who could do the aiming for an entire village of others.

"Kneel, and I could name you to the rank of Bannin right now." He considered the figure below, wreathed in his strange liquid darkness. "The Black Dread Bannin, perhaps?" It was rather pretentious, but also dramatic enough to be instantly memorable. It'd make for a fine collectible card for the villagers, too, turning Kozan into a household name even outside the Shiimu. His technique completed as he spoke, and water began to condense from the air around him into a sinuous, twisting trail, gathering mass and definition until it took the form of a dragon's head and tail. A vast maw of suiton, fanged and horned, followed by a many-legged snakelike body which coiled in the air around Naohiro with the head rising above him. The sun behind him shone through the creature, sending rainbows and glimmers of light shimmering across the crowd below.

"Answer."

Jutsu UsedShow

[Reaper]
S-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
The user has trained themselves to become perfectly attuned to all manner of sounds in a wide vicinity of their person, and can focus their hearing to up to 150 metres to identify and track targets. This passive technique allows the practitioner to accurately identify and differentiate people, animals, and all sources of noise within 50 metres of their person, even in the face of loud complicated distractions, noise, or interference. Over 50 metres, the accuracy of the technique suffers slightly and hearing at such an extent requires fewer distractions. Over 100 metres, the user requires silence in their immediate vicinity and can only gauge an approximate direction, distance, and quantity of noise sources, but can still identify the type of creature. The maximum range of this technique is 150 metres. Additionally, the user has learned to interpret vibrations through the ground as a rudimentary tremorsense, and is able to accurately track sources of movement through vibrations within 50 metres of their location.

*Suiton • Water Dragon Projectile - Cast at 50 control
B-Rank Suiton Ninjutsu
After performing the correct hand seals the user creates a dragon head of water. Once it has been created, the user can launch the three-meter diameter projectile towards a target at [50] Speed and Strength for up to 40 meters. Following the head is a long body and tail, stretching nearly six-meters. During the course of it's travel, the user may alter the course of the dragon three times, allowing it to complete a U-turn per alteration.

[Ace Trainer]

Naohiro was fast, perhaps too fast, his comment ringing true, these attacks wouldn’t hare him. Twice now Kozan had thrown spears at the man only for him to dodge them with little effort. Kozan’s mind mentally counted the remaining spears. Four of them left. The attacks would likely be ineffective at this range, but if Kozan could land just one…well, maybe he’d be able to defeat the Mizukage-to-be. His mind shook at the thought, did he already view Naohiro as the true successor? If he did why fight at all? He frowned, his brow still together as he processed further what he was thinking. Was he wrong for this? He had never had feelings like this before, they were new, foreign. But as the fuuinjutsu on his back deactivated, the feelings waned slightly, offering him even more confusion.

And then the realization dawned. These feelings weren’t new feelings for him, but they were foreign. Naohiro had used a genjutsu on him. This was the only reason why he could find truth in this interlopers words. After all, mere minutes ago Kozan was questioning Naohiro’s loyalty to the village at all, there was nothing the man could have said that would have convinced Kozan otherwise. No. This was just mind games. His reserve suddenly steeled, and as Naohiro suggested Kozan release them, Kozan felt the urge to do so. Now cognizant of what he was happening, he’d resist for just a moment longer as Naohiro continued.

The Black Dread Bannin, titles, rank, all of those were things that mattered to the people serving Kirigakure out of self interest. Kozan was not interested, or at least did not care of those things, he was a true Kirigakure shinobi. Genin or bannin, famous, infamous, or unknown, none of that mattered so long as he served his village. Naohiro wouldn’t understand that.

Answer.

And so he did, his eyes locked on the enormous liquid dragon forming around Naohiro. Kozan’s next movement was seamless, chakra would surge through him in two quick pulses. Once to perform [kai] to release him from the genjutsu, once to perform [kai] to reactivate the paused fuuinjutsu on his back. He would reach across his chest and pull three of the arrows out from the truth seeker, very quickly lobbing them in a diagonal arc at full strength (50 Strength, 50 Speed). He would time the release of them so that each was trailing around 5m from the next. The first aimed dead center at Naohiro’s chest, the second aimed at left shoulder, the third aimed at right side of his rib cage. He had little anticipation that these attacks would hit, but any of the arrows could be strong enough to destroy the dragon, and Naohiro dodging them would given Kozan enough time to prepare his next attack. If one did hit, it would be a greivous injury for the Aisu, but for now Kozan was just buying time.

With another surge of chakra, the fuuinjutsu on Kozan’s back would radiate light, shifting his strength around once more as he prepared to create more fuuinjutsu. He had his battle array technique that would afford him the defense he needed, or techniques that could make a platform if he needed to get closer to Naohiro. It was just a matter of whatever would be the best option.

SpoilerShow

Kai x 2 (WP -5, 36 Will Power)
Strength +9 (50 Strength)
Willpower -9 (27 Willpower)

*[Flawless Aim Style • Absolute Aim]
A-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
Having mastered the art of ranged combat, the practitioner is capable of calculating all outside factors before launching their projectiles. Ambient factors such as temperature, winds, moisture, any terrain, and even lack of sight on their target can not hinder their aim. So long as they have a means of detecting the location of their opponent and no impassible objects or unavoidable defenses stand in their way, the practitioner's attacks will strike their target with pinpoint accuracy without fail. Living targets must have a Perception technique equal or higher in rank to be able to dodge the practitioner's attacks without some sort of additional defense.

Then

Mild 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 Endurance.

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

Which puts him at

36 WP (-5)
50 Control (+9)
32 Endurance (-9)