[Graded] Of Mice and Men

[Niro]

An ear deafening explosion pierced through the howling winds of the Minabe no Kabe as a variety of rocks and stone of differing sizes were sent flying into them, only to be scattered and reduced to mere pebbles due to their intensity. One of the many jagged peaks that made up a mountaintop of the great mountain range was utterly obliterated with the only sign it was previously there being a new jagged peak, albeit much smaller.

Akari, Tatsuo stood glued, with his chakra, to the side of the mountain he had just punched into smithereens. He had used a combination of careful tree climbing usage and ninja tools to ascend the mountain and reach its peak as a form of training. The man liked his duty as Tsuchikage and what it allowed him to influence and what it allowed him to change, but sometimes, however, he just needed to break free of the constraints of the administration and stretch his muscles. They ached and urged him to do something as he sat in the Kage's office signing papers upon his arrival in the morning until his departure in the evening. Tatsuo had to break the monotony somehow lest he go insane from boredom. Slowly but surely he was learning just exactly why no Kage in history in any of the villages enjoyed paperwork. They were villages of warriors, not bureaucrats, and to be reduced to a glorified one for the country left a small, but growing, bitter taste in his mouth. He wanted to be out in the field, whether it be leading missions in foreign countries or whipping some brats into shape. Growing older came with the realizations of having should appreciated those times for what they were and it did fill him with a deep sadness whenever he stopped to think of what had come and what would come.

Punching mountaintops into smaller mountaintops however? It definitely got the blood going and rejuvenated the soul. There were few within the country, nah the entire continent, who could contend with him when it came to feats of strength, durability, and survivability. Thinking on the topic brought him to Konoha, specifically to Natsuki, Takeo the Hokage. He was the one man who could go toe to toe with him in a battle of strength and come out alive. Well, that he could think of.

Tatsuo lessened the chakra flow to his feet and slid down the mountainside to just below the newly formed peak. Once more the maroon-haired man reared his arm back and gathered his strength. The muscles in his elbows and chest stretched taut as he did so, their strength making even steel green with envy, before finally shooting his fist forward. The very air cracked at the speed of the blow, the noise echoing throughout the mountain range before being followed with the exploding sound of rocks and dirt as Tatsuo once more reduced the total height of the range.

[Willoria]

She had expected to feel conflicted when the task came down. Akari Ume had simply been trying to enjoy her own day, but it seemed Akari Tatsuo had wandered away from his desk and now reports were flowing in of a mountain or two destroyed. It could be a fight, it could be just him blowing off steam, but as far as she was told no one seemed to quite know which and they needed someone to go in and see. In her mind it was the downside of working the way she did, certainly she preferred when her task was a single target assassination, but sometimes she was sent into situations where her job was to gather information and this was easy to do. Especially since she was literally being asked to simply check on the Tsuchikage and either try to ask him to return to his office, or find out if he needed support.

Of course the faceless shinobi who told her this had no idea this might've been such a pain to ask of Ume, and had no idea her old familiarity with the man.

But oddly enough as Ume heard the task she did not feel that old anger rise to the surface. As she felt was an annoyance as she quickly took off for the area.

Upon arrival she was honestly relieved to find no fight, instead Tatsuo simply seemed to be destroying scenery. She moved quickly, staying in the shadows nearby as she drew closer. She wore black boots and loose black pants. Over a far more revealing part of her outfit, she for now wore a black loose fitting jacket to cover herself completely, her blue hair pulled back and up in its usual fashion. She waited until she got closer to actually break cover and speak to the man. "Lord Tsuchikage. Your absence has been noticed." she remarked in an almost idle, albeit soft, tone. From her time the last couple years with Jinsai she had learned the need for formality overall and even her vocal tones had shifted into a formality when speaking on mission. This wasn't a social call after all. Her appearance had changed quite a bit since she'd last seen Tatsuo in person. "I've been sent to request your return."

Jutsu usedShow

Fukurō no Tsume :: Hidden Path
D-Ranked Taijutsu Discipline
Ume developed the ability to study the landscape before her and seek out locations that would be best suited to avoiding detection. When she makes an approach, she seeks to move along the the path best suited to staying hidden, clinging to shadows, corners and blindspots to best make her way through a location unseen.

[Niro]

Tatsuo had felt the presence of another shinobi creep into his senses. Not only were his physical senses trained to the utmost, but he was also a Sensor. The second a being with nay a trace of chakra came within a certain distance, he knew they were there. Did that mean he knew who they were or what they looked like? Not unless he actively tried to hone in on the sense and right now, he wasn't keen to. Tatsuo was more focused on keeping his footing with the Tree Climbing jutsu than anything else until the woman had spoken up.

Tatsuo threw his head over his shoulder to get an eye on the woman, a frown already on his face at the thought of having to return before he really got warmed up. He had been so cooped up the last few months and this was his first real chance to loosen his stiff muscles. He clicked his tongue at the blue haired woman before chuckling. A defiant grin overtook his face as he shook his head at her.

"No way, been cooped up in recovery and then that old fart Ishidai threw me right back into paperwork the moment he could. At the least you have to catch me, shinobi-chan." Tatsuo taunted her as he settled into a crouch and then jumped off the side of the mountain and onto the side of another. He threw her another grin and a wink before leaping again to another, farther peak.

[Willoria]

The moment he looked at her with that defiant grin and shook his head at her, Ume was struck with a light old familiar twist in her gut as she shook her head at him in return. His demeanor, his words, even as he taunted her she couldn't help a chuckle under her breath. 'When was the last time I saw him grin like this? Saw him happy?' She found she almost didn't want to chase him. In truth, she enjoyed seeing him so happy in that moment. 'I don't think he realizes its me... and the moment he does, that's going to vanish.' She ran her tongue over her lips briefly, her hands on her hips as she thought it over and looked up at him again in time to see him wink at her.

With a huff of frustration she couldn't help it. "There is no way I can keep up with you Tsuchikage-Sama." she said in annoyance, chuckling a bit. "Doesn't mean I won't try though..." she muttered to herself. She resisted the urge to manifest her own shiin for the moment and instead chose to simply take off after him, using the same basic technique to cling to the mountains as she ran and leaped after the man. She knew he was much faster than him, but still she ran. After all, she knew the moment she started manifesting her shiin he'd recognize her, and she wanted to delay that as long as possible. Why not have fun with his game of chase for the moment?

At least until he annoyed her enough that she'd be tempted to take a shot at him anyway.

[Niro]

Tatsuo was oblivious to the turmoil churning in Ume's head and oblivious to the fact it was even her. It had been so long since they'd seen each other, Tatsuo had had a chance to move past their previous relationship drama with Kotaru. The long healing process and recovery had given him time to basically look over and reflect on his entire life and come to terms with thing he hadn't been able to, or hadn't wanted to, before. Sure, he disappeared for a few months due to it, but Ishidai was still spry enough to take the position back while was on the back burner.

"At least try!" Tatsuo shouted into the wind as the duo played their game of mountain lion and goat. Luckily for them, the mountain range of the Minabe no Kabe had peaks very close together and, in the event there wasn't one, there was plenty of mountain side to run along to continue the chase. He dipped his hand down mid run into the snow covering the peaks and packed it into a loose snowball before tossing it over his shoulder at her and continuing his game.

[Willoria]

Ume was racing after him, the confliction in her mind quickly pushed away as she had to focus on keeping her footing and trying desperately to keep up with Tatsuo. She certainly couldn't catch him, that obviously wasn't going to happen, but she had to try and keep up at least. She found herself giggling more than once as she had to try not to fall, though at some point she lifted her head up to check how far ahead he had gotten and found herself suddenly dodging a snowball. A shriek of surprise escaped her lips as she ducked under it and lost her footing. "Oh god snow in my tits!" she shrieked as snow managed to get up into her jacket. For that brief second the composure she had learned from Jinsai was forgotten at the feeling of immense cold that had gotten into her clothing. But she was quickly back on her feet and forming discreet hand seals as she scooped up her own handful of snow and throwing it at Tatsuo out of revenge.

A moment later she was running after him again, shaking the bottom of her jacket as she went to try and get the snow out and whimpering as she sorely wished she hadn't gotten snow up in there. She was definitely uncomfortable after that one. "Ugh.. playful ass." she muttered, chuckling to herself. 'I really don't remember him being like this before.'

Jutsu UsedShow

*Fuuton • Flying Swallow
C-Ranked Fuuton Jutsu
After forming the necessary hand seals, the user coats their weapon in a vortex of wind. This extends the weapon's range by 1m while not adding anything to its weight for 5 posts. It also causes the weapon to gain an edge as sharp as your average sword. This also applies the fuuton passive with [Control] Strength on contact with an opponent.

*[Flawless Aim Style • Evasive Maneuvers]
C-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
The practitioner has learned how to accurately launch projectiles while moving through the flow of combat. This Discipline represents the practitioner's ability to accurately launch projectiles while moving at full Speed, while jumping, rolling, sliding off the ground, or while performing other basic combat movements.

[Niro]

While Ume was casting her seals and creating her snowballs, Tatsuo had been doing similar. Instead of imbuing one with a jutsu, the man had elected to create two instead. He turned mid jump and tossed his first one at the same time she threw her Fuuton-infused gift, the two meeting in mid air in a small explosion of snow. His second snowball came flying through the air where the two had previously collided, intent on smacking her straight in the upper chest. He had noted how the first one had elicited a delightful shriek of outrage and was keen to seen it through for the moment. It had been too long since he'd been able to mess with any of his shinobi and this poor woman was the first he'd the chance to do so since before Soul Country. His feet impacted against the next peak and he finally stopped.

Tatsuo waited for her, hanging from the side of the mountaintop with his duster flapping wildly in the high winds and a wide grin on his face. Snow to the face was never fun, he could only imagine how snow down the top was, especially for a kunoichi. He didn't envy the woman as she continued to race after him, the snow balls only serving to provide a small deterrent.

[Willoria]

Ume swore under her breath as the two snowballs collided. She had really been looking forward to seeing her snowball actually hit Tatsuo, but of course it hadn't. She had covered her face to avoid getting hit by any debris from the colliding snow but instead had only managed to make sure she didn't see the second and getting hit in the chest yet again. "Oh for fuck's sake!" In her frustration she unzipped her jacket to try and get all the snow out, revealing what little she wore underneath briefly.

Once she'd managed to get the snow out she zipped her jacket back up and took off after Tatsuo again. If he stayed where he'd stopped before she'd skid to a stop, pausing to try and catch her breath before looking at him a moment as she shook her head. "Didn't know you knew how to have a fun snowball fight..." she said with a small giggle. "Ready to head back yet, Lord Tsuchikage? Or do I have to chase you further?"

[Niro]

"It's been a few years since I've been able to have fun and act like a stupid teenager again." Tatsuo admitted to the kunoichi as she came upon him. Gone was the wide grin he had been wearing earlier and now nestled on his face was the dignified look of a leader ready to get back to work. He had challenges of rebuilding and reclaiming the land stolen from them from the other nations during the last war and it would come as no surprise to him if it was soon to rear its face again. "I'll be heading back now, thank you for playing along."

Tatsuo crouched low against the cliff face before leaping off into the empty space that led straight down to the frigid tundra below. For most people, it'd be a death sentence. However, the man was one of the very few strong enough to be able to kick off of of the very air itself. As he fell a couple hundred feet, he stomped with one foot and seemed to bounce upwards. Through repeated actions, the man descended the mountain like it was little more than a walk through a particularly cold park back towards the Village Hidden in the Stone.

SpoilerShow

[Sky Walk]
B-rank Taijutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite: 35 Strength
Tatsuo can "kick" off the air due to his massive Strength to propel himself in a chosen direction. He is propelled through the air at a Speed equal to 1/2 his Strength for a number of meters equal to 1/2 his Strength.

[Willoria]

"I'd play along any time, Tats." Ume wasn't sure if he actually heard her before he took off back towards the village. But as he went she couldn't help the small smile on her face. She'd spent so much time hating him as of late, remembering how bad things had been between them towards the end it was as if she'd forgotten how good things had once been. For a brief moment there, as she was chasing him and they were throwing snowballs at one another like children, it was as if none of the bad had ever existed. 'I really do miss that...' She sighed, a shiver running up her spine as a sharp blast of cold wind ruffled her clothing and her hair as if reminding her that she needed to head back too. 'If he had actually recognized me that would have gone very differently... kinda glad he didn't.'

It almost felt like the start of a closure she had always felt she'd never get, and a forgiveness she'd always felt she never deserved. Pushing the ill thoughts out of her mind she flooded her shiin with chakra as she pulled her jacket off in the cold, her eroshiin wings unfolding from her back before she also kicked off the cliff into the winds and riding them down towards the ground.

That smile was going to be plastered on her face for awhile, how odd that a snowball fight with the Tsuchikage was going to be the best start to her day.

Jutsu UsedShow

~Basic Formation: Eroshiin
D-Ranked Ninjutsu
Channeling chakra to their shiin, they cause it to inflate, fully forming into its full glory. Taking the form of wings, they are incapable of flight on their own, however are very aerodynamic, allowing for the user to slowly float down, based on their prerequisite taijutsu. The Eroshiin has a strength equal to 3/4ths the user's strength.

~Glide
B-Ranked Maneuver Taijutsu
Type: Eroshiin
Requirements: ~Feather Fall
Effectively the same as the prior technique, this allows the Akari to glide in all measure of the word. They are able to 'ride' the wind, gaining height through the use of the natural wind or [Fuuton] techniques.