[Graded][Plotboard]The Depths

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Kao
Posts: 8242
Joined: Fri May 21, 2010 8:00 pm

[Graded][Plotboard]The Depths

Post by Kao » Wed Dec 26, 2018 1:41 pm

PreviouslyShow
viewtopic.php?f=60&t=8339817

Jutsu Used:

Wisp
E-Ranked Ninjutsu
After performing the needed seals, Kotaru creates up to five, wispy teardrop shaped balls of flames five inches in diameters. The flames produce no heat and are incapable of inflicting burns. The balls float within three feet of his position and up to a foot above his height and cannot move outside of this area. The fireballs move with him but are otherwise immobile and once created Kotaru cannot control their movement or position. Due to the low chakra cost of this technique, Kotaru can maintain this for x number of posts where x equals stamina/2.

~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.
The journey down seemed even longer than before. Their path was illuminated by Kotaru's flames, though with the rather dim light the fire provided they could barely see more than a few feet in front of them. The rest of the area was shrouded in complete darkness, and Kotaru tried to ignore the feeling that they were being watched, more and more eyes seeming to join in the farther down they traveled. The sensation prompted him to try reach the bottom as soon as possible, initially diving head first with his wings tucked in to build speed before spreading them for more controlled flight.

As he neared the bottom he slowed his descent significantly and eventually landed near soundlessly on solid ground. He looked up, waiting for Kazuo and Koji to catch it. It seemed he had slightly outpaced them and had landed first. With a crack he lit a flare and held it above his head. They had landed in a huge open space, and the jounin's flare illuminated what lie silently around them. Towering bones rested on either side of him, rib cages large enough for half a dozen men to stand inside, one on top of the other. He stared without speaking, waiting for the others to join them.

The trio had a long way to travel before they reached the spirit colony. It had been some time since he had visited, but the way there had been essentially seared in Kotaru's brain. The Catacombs was his least favorite place in Iwagakure, but it was a place that needed a considerable amount of attention. It was still new to them, and as far as he knew they had barely begun to explore it. Any deviation from the path could lead to unexpected and potentially disastrous encounters with angry spirits or giant creatures influenced by their chakra, and Kotaru wasn't exactly in the mood for a fight.

When they joined him he'd announce, "The Black Garden. Final resting place of gigantic fucking rats. Better not linger." He could practically feel the creatures somewhere behind the veil of darkness, and the knowledge that they were most likely skittering just beyond the light of his flames and flares made him agitated. His fingers flexed and he started to move forward again urging his companions to keep up and stay close.
Jutsu UsedShow
~Perfect Flight
A-Ranked Discipline Taijutsu
Type: Eroshiin
Requirements: ~Glide
Stretching their shiin to their fullest, the Akari is able to fly just as well as any bird would be able to, up to a maximum of 30 meters. Other than the height restriction, the user is able to travel equal to their speed, treating it just as if they were moving on land.

Quiet on the Landing
C-Ranked Taijutsu Discipline
Kotaru has mastered landing quietly after jumping or leaping from a great height and is able to do so without injuring himself. Only those using specialized hearing techniques are able to hear his nearly completely silent landing.
Kao's CharactersShow
Akari KotaruBanninIwagakure no Sato Team 18 Jousai [color=#1fb8a3]
Komiya ShizuoJounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#209DD3]
Yanagida Yukino Special Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#a07ac2]
Ishiwara SetsunaChuunin Iwagakure no Sato[color=#E81D1D]
Enkouten Mai Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#CE5412]
Aisu Namie Chuunin Kirigakure no Sato [color=#5bc2d4]
Awai FusaeA-Rank MNKonohagakure no Sato[color=#D95FEA]
Important NPCsShow
Akari Kanehara Akari clan elder [color=#80A0FF]
Sakata KannaIwagakure Councilwoman [color=#3DA43B]
Hazuki Shuran Jinchuuriki researcher [color=#E854C0]
Enkouten Kaizen Iwagakure councilman, clan leader [color=#C65871]
Rock Country Daimyo [color=#AC4A4A]

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Sanjuro
Posts: 3130
Joined: Fri Jul 02, 2010 8:00 pm
Location: Australia

[Plotboard]The Depths

Post by Sanjuro » Wed Dec 26, 2018 5:27 pm

Kazuo slowed his descent after following the creepy flying Akari by kicking the air around him, shooting him in different directions, until he was a few feet above the ground when he finally just let himself drop, tucking and rolling before popping right back up next to Kotaru, just as silently. As his eyes adjusted to the low light conditions they were being exposed to, Kazuo fought to keep from letting out an impressed whistle as he looked around the cavern. He had passed through once before with Tatsuo but it was still just as impressive. It was a giant boneyard. A chill ran down his spine and he flicked his head around, eyes snapping to as many different points as possible, trying to find the source of their predators.

A moment later Koji came padding through the boneyard, having been forced to walk down the wall. His control over his chakra was unsteady at best, just enough to cling to the wall, and with Kazuo having simply leapt off to his possible death, Koji had taken it carefully in case the chakra flow suddenly ceased. There was a low, rumbling growl in the back of the wolf's throat and Kazuo nodded to the beast. "I know. Just stay calm." Kazuo reached out with one hand to rest it atop Koji's head while the other reached out to trace one of the giant ribcage bones that surrounded them.

He turned his attention to Kota fully and noticed the tension in his shoulders, making Kazuo's frown deepen. Something was unsettling the kid. "Giant rats? Doesn't sound like a fun time. There a story behind that?" Even as he was speaking and following Kota, he started to stretch his senses, listening for the scuttering of footsteps or the growl of a hungry belly, trying to pick out the individual scents.

Spirits couldn't usually survive this long on their plane without some source of chakra. He hadn't really thought about it last time, he was distracted by the glamour of delving into a dungeon. Something here was keeping them propagated. Was it the place itself or something deeper within? Another shudder ran down his spine, but his frown turned into a smile. He didn't know if the others had discovered any source of power for all these spirits yet, but Kazuo was looking forward to finding out.
TechniquesShow
[Air Walk]
B-Rank Taijutsu Manoeuvre
Prerequisite: [Heavenly Body Control]
A technique used for sudden changes of direction or controlling a descent, Kazuo kicks the air with enough force to create a shockwave centred on his position that blasts him in the opposite direction. This shockwave isn't particularly harmful, simply pushing him in a single direction for a number of meters equal to 2/3rd of his strength and at equal speed.

[Predator's Instinct • The Hunt is On]
B-Rank Taijutsu Stance
Having spent years honing the art of silently stalking his prey, Kazuo has learned to naturally adjust the way he moves to remove any distinguishable noise even when moving at top speed. Those with enhanced hearing will still be able to make out the sound of his approach whilst moving at top speed, but should he slow to a walk he will become completely undetectable by sound even to himself.

[Predator's Instinct • Distinct Sounds]
C-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
Kazuo mentally takes in and registers the default sounds of an area; creaking on a boat, wind against walls, their own breathing and other sounds one would expect. By doing this Kazuo becomes more acutely aware of sounds that 'don't belong', such as footsteps in an empty room or a branch breaking in a quiet forest. The contrast of sounds is what is important here, not the type, and Kazuo can discern differences in natural sound versus those made by action in most cases unless the actions are deliberately made to sound natural. This focus on distinct sounds once again opens up the user to sonic attacks very damagingly and can often deafen the user.

[Predator's Instinct • Primal Nose]
B-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
After utilizing his nose and training his sense of smell for so long, Kazuo has become able to tap his sense of smell to its most refined and most bestial. Kazuo is able to pick out the most common scents and focus on the freshet ones in an area of 10 meters around him. By doing this Kazuo is able to tell the amount of individual humans, animals or creatures and the most intense smells of each person, including if they were injured or if they were tired by gauging sweat levels. Kazuo can then track these groups of scents with relative ease.
Name Village Rank Color Code
Hirohito, Hideki Kirigakure Bannin #0047AB
Higurashi, Kazuo Iwagakure Special Jounin #FFC40C
Akechi, Gendo Cold Country C-Rank pink
Courtesy of SiaShow


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Kao
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Joined: Fri May 21, 2010 8:00 pm

[Plotboard]The Depths

Post by Kao » Sat Dec 29, 2018 6:16 pm

"Yeah, the story is the first time we came down here, we probably would have died if the giant talking roaches didn't save us. The rats attacked in a horde, and at the time the three of us weren't strong enough to take them out. But if they attack now, I should at least be able to hold them back. Running is probably the better option though, considering how many come at once." Kotaru kept moving forward, his fingers still occasionally twitching as they pressed through the darkness. Other than his tense shoulders and occasional fidgeting Kotaru moved calmly, his pace purposeful without being too anxious. "As far as we can tell," he added after brief silence, "the giant roaches and rats aren't spirits themselves. They're just regular beasts that are affected by whatever the hell is going on down here. We're still not a hundred percent sure about what all is going on down here, but they're definitely mutated as a side effect."

Suddenly the boy came to a stop. Up ahead something shifted just beyond the reach of his firelight. The air was musty now, along with a pungent odor that could only be rotten meat. Kotaru held back a groan when he realized it was in their way, and he watched as it moved again. "Please be a roach," he said quietly, but his words were drowned out by a low hiss that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Kotaru flexed his wings in preparation, and as soon as he made the motion the dark blob began to quiver, and the outline of it rose quickly until it was fifteen meters tall. The hissing intensified.

"Get back! It-" his words were cut off when something hit him and send him flying back several dozen meters, crashing through one of the giant bones. He groaned for a moment as the fragments rained down on him before standing back up, eying the gigantic beast that still lay mostly in the darkness. From the first hit he could tell the thing was both fast and strong, and it was enough to have him stagger for a moment before he fully righted himself. The creature hissed again, the sound ending in a roar, and Kotaru knew they were in for a fight.
Kao's CharactersShow
Akari KotaruBanninIwagakure no Sato Team 18 Jousai [color=#1fb8a3]
Komiya ShizuoJounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#209DD3]
Yanagida Yukino Special Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#a07ac2]
Ishiwara SetsunaChuunin Iwagakure no Sato[color=#E81D1D]
Enkouten Mai Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#CE5412]
Aisu Namie Chuunin Kirigakure no Sato [color=#5bc2d4]
Awai FusaeA-Rank MNKonohagakure no Sato[color=#D95FEA]
Important NPCsShow
Akari Kanehara Akari clan elder [color=#80A0FF]
Sakata KannaIwagakure Councilwoman [color=#3DA43B]
Hazuki Shuran Jinchuuriki researcher [color=#E854C0]
Enkouten Kaizen Iwagakure councilman, clan leader [color=#C65871]
Rock Country Daimyo [color=#AC4A4A]

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Sanjuro
Posts: 3130
Joined: Fri Jul 02, 2010 8:00 pm
Location: Australia

[Plotboard]The Depths

Post by Sanjuro » Sat Dec 29, 2018 6:48 pm

"Giant roaches save you from giant rats. This place is so strange. I love it. But at least if we get hungry, we can cook and eat the big bastards, eh?"

He heard it before Kotaru began his warning. Letting out a shrill whistle, Kazuo ordered Koji to attack and the wolf responded with a bloodthirsty howl, barrelling towards the creature as it struck out at Kotaru. While Koji barrelled into the giant rat, the two quickly enshrouded by darkness, Kazuo moved over to Kotaru's side and shifted some of the debris, attempting to help Kota up. "You okay? Sorry, I'm used to working alone. I should've warned ya before I gave Koji his orders."

Koji meanwhile was aiming to make a meal of this giant rat. He darted around it, snapping at it, trying to outpace and outmanoeuvre it before going in for larger bites, tearing out chunks of fur and flesh. Kazuo listened to the commotion before standing in front of Kotaru, drawing up his presence. "We've got this one. Cover your ears, yeah?" As he spoke he let go of the fine control he normally held himself under, stalking towards the rat with purpose. He clenched his fists and blades slide from his gauntlets, creating a set of claws.

Sucking in a deep breath, Kazuo let loose a feral roar that echoed in the darkness, reverberating across the fractured ribcage. The rat would feel a sudden wave of intense, primal fear. A greater predator had emerged.
TechniquesShow
Koji: [Marōtsume Taijutsu • Coiled Power]
B-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
Prerequisite: Strength ≥ Speed
Koji's powerful muscles are almost always ready to leap into action at a moments notice, especially during combat or other stressful situations. Because of this, he can almost instantly hit his top speed whenever necessary, whether he need to suddenly charge, change direction, or evade an attack.

[Marōtsume Taijutsu • Bestial Assault]
C-Rank Taijutsu Manoeuvre
Koji approaches his target at maximum speed, darting rapidly from left to right during the approach in an attempt to confuse the target and avoid a counter attack. Once in range he will leap at the target, aiming to use the momentum of the charge and his Strength to knock them down. If this is successful Koji will unleash a flurry of bites and scratches to take full advantage of the situation and end the fight quickly.

Kazuo: [Frightful Presence]
A-Rank Sakkijutsu
Kazuo lets out a roar infused with his Killer Intent; any creature that is aware of Kazuo within 25 meters of his position and can hear will be affected by this technique. Should their Self-Control ([Taijutsu+Instinct]/2) be lower than Kazuo's Presence ([Stamina+Strength]/2), they will be filled with a sudden sensation of pure fear. Those affected will be unable to willingly move closer to Kazuo and their Taijutsu will be reduced by 3 as their body shakes in natural response to fear. These effects last 3 posts.
Name Village Rank Color Code
Hirohito, Hideki Kirigakure Bannin #0047AB
Higurashi, Kazuo Iwagakure Special Jounin #FFC40C
Akechi, Gendo Cold Country C-Rank pink
Courtesy of SiaShow


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Kao
Posts: 8242
Joined: Fri May 21, 2010 8:00 pm

[Plotboard]The Depths

Post by Kao » Sun Dec 30, 2018 7:59 pm

Kotaru grunted a response without accepting Kazuo's help, truthfully unable to get a word out for a moment. The blow had affect him more than he thought; it left his entire front throbbing in pain and the impact made him feel woozy. Had he not had his wings spread behind him he'd have lost his balance. He'd made a mistake in letting the rat catch him off guard. "Cover my what?" he garbled, not quite hearing what Kazuo had told him. But even if he did it wouldn't have mattered, for he still would have heard the mighty roar.

The sound seemed to shake him to his very core. His heart fluttered painfully and seemed to rise up into his throat, and his stomach churned and threatened to force him to spill its contents. It was a somewhat familiar feeling, one that he hadn't felt so potently since the day he faced death in the Akari clan's Arena. Kotaru stumbled over shattered bone and nearly fell over. He hadn't even realized he had been backing away.

Meanwhile the rat was feeling the same effect. Before Kazuo's roar, it could keep up with Koji easily despite its size and it swatted at him when he got too close. Koji managed to take a bite out of the beast, and its scream filled the space of the cavern with a guttural cry of pain. But when Kazuo made his presence known, made his power known, the giant quieted and slinked back into the shadows. It was still watching the trio, pacing and huffing every few seconds in response to the fear Kazuo had instilled. It shook itself as if psyching itself up for another attack, but it didn't move any closer to Kazuo. It still tried to fight off Koji whenever he attacked, though its movements were slightly clunkier, stiffer.

Kotaru, feeling suddenly clammy, finally got back on his feet and clenched his teeth when his knees wouldn't stop shaking. The sound of his pounding heartbeat and rushing blood filled his ears as he continued to stare at Kazuo, unsure why just looking at the guy made his hands shake. For the time being he was wasn't of any use.
Kao's CharactersShow
Akari KotaruBanninIwagakure no Sato Team 18 Jousai [color=#1fb8a3]
Komiya ShizuoJounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#209DD3]
Yanagida Yukino Special Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#a07ac2]
Ishiwara SetsunaChuunin Iwagakure no Sato[color=#E81D1D]
Enkouten Mai Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#CE5412]
Aisu Namie Chuunin Kirigakure no Sato [color=#5bc2d4]
Awai FusaeA-Rank MNKonohagakure no Sato[color=#D95FEA]
Important NPCsShow
Akari Kanehara Akari clan elder [color=#80A0FF]
Sakata KannaIwagakure Councilwoman [color=#3DA43B]
Hazuki Shuran Jinchuuriki researcher [color=#E854C0]
Enkouten Kaizen Iwagakure councilman, clan leader [color=#C65871]
Rock Country Daimyo [color=#AC4A4A]

User avatar
Sanjuro
Posts: 3130
Joined: Fri Jul 02, 2010 8:00 pm
Location: Australia

[Plotboard]The Depths

Post by Sanjuro » Mon Dec 31, 2018 6:51 pm

Kazuo's smile turned feral when he saw the rat slow down and Koji start tearing more chunks from its hide. His eyes were adjusting to the lack of light, Kota's flames providing just enough that he could follow the battle without being completely blind. Pressing his left foot hard against the ground, raising his heel up so he was putting all the pressure on the ball of his foot, he took off like a shot. With each step he applied more force and soon there wasn't just one Kazuo in the massive chamber, there were many. Koji, knowing what was coming, leapt back just as Kazuo leapt forward, striking at the rat's side, darting around and under its girth to strike another point, then another and another. With each strike he would leave more afterimages, trying to confuse its sight and break its defences.

He failed to realize the effect he had had on Kotaru. While he had claimed that being surrounded by all these young ninja who were a higher rank and potentially stronger than him didn't bother him, there was a feeling deep in the pit of his stomach that told him it was wrong that they were better. He should be better than them, he had more experience, had trained, and could make people piss themselves just by looking at them. It was wrong that he was considered the weakest.

A growl rumbled up from the back of his throat and he put all of his weight and strength into a lunge aimed right under the giant rat's head, trying to drive his claws up into its throat.
TechniquesShow
[Kōga Taijutsu • Mirage Assault]
B-Rank Taijutsu Stance
Kazuo begins to move so fast that he can create afterimages of himself. This can potentially cause an opponent to get easily confused by the afterimages so Kazuo can capitalize on an opponent's openings. The number of afterimages he can create in a single post is determined by his (Taijutsu+Speed)/5 and Kazuo can maintain this for up to Stamina/5 posts.

[Kōga Taijutsu • Ferocious Assault]
B-Rank Taijutsu Manoeuvre
Prerequisite: 25 Speed
Combining his speed and his occasional ruthlessness in battle, Kazuo employs this technique to attack an opponent from all sides. Beginning with a powerful claw strike to the chest or face, he will then unleash a vicious succession of strikes on the opponent from all sides, moving rapidly around them in order to strike from multiple angles. These strikes are aimed at weak spots like the eyes, in between the ribs, the gut, the ankles, and the throat; and performed at such a speed that Kazuo becomes a veritable blur around the target.
Name Village Rank Color Code
Hirohito, Hideki Kirigakure Bannin #0047AB
Higurashi, Kazuo Iwagakure Special Jounin #FFC40C
Akechi, Gendo Cold Country C-Rank pink
Courtesy of SiaShow


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Kao
Posts: 8242
Joined: Fri May 21, 2010 8:00 pm

[Plotboard]The Depths

Post by Kao » Sun Jan 06, 2019 10:57 pm

The rat was growing agitated at the dog that tore flesh from its thick hide. It was nothing the beast had not endured before. It was old, strong, and it only reached its current level due to many battles with other creatures that would seek to destroy or devour it. The rat had survived it all and had become the king of its domain. These tiny insects were nothing to it. It turned his head and body whenever Koji or Kazuo landed a blow, but even as it was being pushed back, it was learning. It sniffed the air and its ears flicked in reaction to the sounds of their movements, and its whiskers provided an additional tactile sense. Whether its enemies were noisy or noiseless, the rat had no trouble following. It was born in the darkness and had fought in the darkness; the rat hardly ever relied on sight in the depths of the Catacombs.

At one point Kazuo lunged at the rat's underbelly, and the giant beast hissed and darted to the left several meters, surprisingly fast despite its enormous size. The movement allowed it to avoid a direct hit from Kazuo's uppercut, though the blow hit the side of its head disoriented it. And that sensation made it angry. With a low, rumbling hiss it swung its body and tail, bringing the appendage crashing into the bones that towered around them. The ancient bones clattered thunderously as they shattered and fell in huge chunks, many of them larger than Kazuo.

Meanwhile, Kotaru had moved away a considerable distance, putting space between him and the battle. He wouldn't take his eyes off the man even as they moved beyond the dim light of his katon, his gaze following the obscured forms as they darted about in the darkness. 'Fucking...move!' His knees shook. His hands shook. The young jounin couldn't urge his body to move and help and the longer it went on, the more pissed off he got. Knowing nothing about Kazuo he had yet put two and two together that the effect was do to the man's roar from earlier. Kotaru cursed himself and took a few hesitant steps forward, but when Kazuo darted past the illumination of his katon the boy stopped dead in his tracks. Only then did it click.

'Stupid fucking Kazuo.' His first thought was genjutsu, so he quickly formed the seal to kai himself out of it. It changed nothing. His body still trembled, and whenever the older shinobi's form came more clearly into view, fear reached from his gut and clasped tightly around his throat. 'Are you fucking kidding me?' He didn't understand. A growl formed in his throat, culminating in a scream as he raged, "KAZUO YOU MANGY FUCK, WHATEVER YOU DID TO ME MAKE IT STOP!"
Kao's CharactersShow
Akari KotaruBanninIwagakure no Sato Team 18 Jousai [color=#1fb8a3]
Komiya ShizuoJounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#209DD3]
Yanagida Yukino Special Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#a07ac2]
Ishiwara SetsunaChuunin Iwagakure no Sato[color=#E81D1D]
Enkouten Mai Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#CE5412]
Aisu Namie Chuunin Kirigakure no Sato [color=#5bc2d4]
Awai FusaeA-Rank MNKonohagakure no Sato[color=#D95FEA]
Important NPCsShow
Akari Kanehara Akari clan elder [color=#80A0FF]
Sakata KannaIwagakure Councilwoman [color=#3DA43B]
Hazuki Shuran Jinchuuriki researcher [color=#E854C0]
Enkouten Kaizen Iwagakure councilman, clan leader [color=#C65871]
Rock Country Daimyo [color=#AC4A4A]

User avatar
Sanjuro
Posts: 3130
Joined: Fri Jul 02, 2010 8:00 pm
Location: Australia

[Plotboard]The Depths

Post by Sanjuro » Mon Jan 07, 2019 5:53 pm

Kazuo was not used to being outmatched physically. He had no doubt he was stronger but between this thing's girth and speed, Kazuo's strength was frustratingly inadequate. Koji was having the same problems. Even with the afterimages and the fear he had forcibly instilled in the beast, it was able to react and move fast enough to avoid what should've been killing blows. He felt the rumble before he noticed the shadows moving above and realized what was happening.

"Koji, move!"

Kazuo, rather than leaping out of the way, leapt straight up into the oncoming debris. Twisting and contorting at odd angles, he leapt from chunk of bone to chunk of bone. Each time he leapt from one to the next, however, he did so with a forceful drop kick, propelling himself away to the next chunk of bone and sending the bone fragments flying towards the Rat King. Koji on the other hand had fled the sight of destruction and moved to stand at attention near Kota.

The sudden angry scream from a way away pulled Kazuo from his battle trance, glowing yellow eyes snapping from the Rat King who he was forcing to dodge giant bone spear after giant bone spear to the shaking, furious form of the teenaged Kotaru.

'Oh. Well, fuck.'

Koji was as much a part of Kazuo as Kazuo was of Koji. They shared chakra so often that there was almost no difference between them. Using his Sakkijutsu barely had any effect on the wolf. He hadn't considered that, for the first time in a long time, he had another ally he needed to worry about. "I can't! Unless you want Koji or I to rip your spleen out, there's no way to break the effect!" Even as he was yelling, he continued to play leap frog among the bones until he was finally satisfied he had driven the Rat King far enough away. Landing heavily on the ground, he jerked his head and Koji darted forward once more. "It'll fade in a second. Just, use something long range! I'll stay out of eyeshot!"

With that Kazuo looked for a darkened shadow where Kota's lights wouldn't reach him and bound his way towards it, running his hands through a set of hand seals and gathering Doton chakra as he went. Koji, meanwhile, now that he had torn a few chunks from the Rat King, had the scent of it's blood filling his nostrils and the wolf's bloodthirsty nature was beginning to take hold. He moved faster, ducked lower, and sought to keep the beast corralled while Kazuo prepared a giant hole for the rat to fall into.
TechniquesShow
Kazuo: [Kōga Taijutsu • The Wild Hunt]
A-Rank Taijutsu Stance
Prerequisite: 25 Instinct
A method of fighting that relies almost purely on instincts and focuses on the use of all of his senses together, Kazuo is able to fight and track any number of opponents in the area up to his Taijutsu/2. While fighting he delivers strikes to vital areas with pinpoint precision and brutal efficiency while remaining in a constant state of motion, using the terrain and even his opponents as points of movement.

[Doton • Grave Digger]
C-Rank Ninjutsu
After performing the necessary hand seals, Kazuo will cause a 5m long, 10m wide hole to open in the ground at 5 speed at any point within 10 meters of his position. This hole is 5m deep and the walls have a strength of 15, making it tough to break into, along with being completely smooth and saturated with chakra, preventing those caught within from climbing the walls with the [Basic Jutsu • Act of Tree Climbing].

Koji: [Marōtsume Taijutsu • On The Hunt]
C-Rank Taijutsu Stance
After drawing blood and gaining the scent of the target, Koji homes in on the scent and relentlessly pursues it through rain, dense woodlands, even rivers so long as it remains within 50m of his position. Koji gains +6 speed at the cost of -6 instinct due to the single-minded nature of his pursuit. This lasts until the wound is healed or sufficiently covered and the blood is completely removed from the target.
Name Village Rank Color Code
Hirohito, Hideki Kirigakure Bannin #0047AB
Higurashi, Kazuo Iwagakure Special Jounin #FFC40C
Akechi, Gendo Cold Country C-Rank pink
Courtesy of SiaShow


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Kao
Posts: 8242
Joined: Fri May 21, 2010 8:00 pm

[Plotboard]The Depths

Post by Kao » Sat Jan 12, 2019 11:51 am

That was not at all what Kotaru wanted to hear. There had to be a way to stop the effect, the boy thought. Nothing was infallible. Then again, he supposed that pain and dismemberment was a method he could use, but, "My spleen?! No, fuck that!" Despite appearances, Kotaru worked well with people he was familiar with. He and the rest of Team 18 had been together for so long that they knew how one another fought, what to use and what not to use around each other, and how to deal with and avoid the area-of-effect techniques the others had. This trio, however, was not at all attuned to one another.

Knowing this, Kotaru took to the air and took the small amount of light with him. He hoped - assumed - Koji and Kazuo could hold their own after they were plunged into darkness; Koji should be able to smell his way around at the very least, and if the technique he inadvertently used on Kotaru was any indication then Kazuo was certainly worth his salt as a shinobi. The young jounin flew into the air he stared down into the void below. With Kazuo out of sight his heart slowed considerably and he no longer felt the grip of fear around him. He was still wary of the man, of course, but the feeling was beginning to fade and he performed a string of hand seals.

Down below, the rat king was in his element. A life lived in darkness ensured it was accustomed to fighting this way. It sniffed the air and its long, frayed whiskers wiggled as it pinpointed both Koji and Kazuo's positions as they darted around. Even as Koji continued to attack, the rat held firm; the rips in its flesh that Koji inflicted were painful, but so far the wounds were not life threatening and the rat tanked through them and endured.

Then, the muscles in its entire body tensed as it went completely silent, and after a moment it swiftly turned itself into a full circle, swinging its hairless tail to release a rapid wave of air that spread around it from all sides in a circular shape. It was powerful enough to knock down most people and leave them disoriented or worse, and even those who were as physically trained as Koji and Kazuo would need to brace themselves from the attack.

Kotaru, high above them, was out of the immediate range of the attack as it had not spread in a sphere but rather only to the rat's front, back, and sides. Though he couldn't see all that was happening he could certainly hear it; the wave crashed into the surrounding towering bones and shattered them, not in the large chunks but this time in thousands of smaller, more dangerous shards that were several inches long. They spread in all directions, many of them even reaching Kotaru's position a dozen meters above the scene. Several of the shards pierced his shoulder, his eroshiin, his side; he quickly had to bring his arms up and cross them over his chest. Shards lodged themselves in his arms, but better that than through his heart.

Even as the bone shards still flew, he lowered one hand to point two fingers in the direction of the giant rat. Immediately after, a flaming ball formed in front of his fingers and he then launched it toward the dark blob of the rat's form, intending to hit its huge body and light the beast up.
SpoilerShow
The rat has:
• Taijutsu: 35
• Stamina: 40
• Strength: 37
• Speed: 44

Devil’s Geysers
B-Ranked Ninjutsu
After performing the needed seals, Kotaru extends two fingers and a ball of katon chakra roughly 9 inches in diameters will form at the end of them. The chakra can then be launched at a speed of 25 and hits with a strength of 15, and can travel up to 25 meters. On contact, the katon will erupt around the target into a pillar 5 meters tall with a 5 meter diameter. The pillar will burn for two posts before fading.
Kao's CharactersShow
Akari KotaruBanninIwagakure no Sato Team 18 Jousai [color=#1fb8a3]
Komiya ShizuoJounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#209DD3]
Yanagida Yukino Special Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#a07ac2]
Ishiwara SetsunaChuunin Iwagakure no Sato[color=#E81D1D]
Enkouten Mai Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#CE5412]
Aisu Namie Chuunin Kirigakure no Sato [color=#5bc2d4]
Awai FusaeA-Rank MNKonohagakure no Sato[color=#D95FEA]
Important NPCsShow
Akari Kanehara Akari clan elder [color=#80A0FF]
Sakata KannaIwagakure Councilwoman [color=#3DA43B]
Hazuki Shuran Jinchuuriki researcher [color=#E854C0]
Enkouten Kaizen Iwagakure councilman, clan leader [color=#C65871]
Rock Country Daimyo [color=#AC4A4A]

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Sanjuro
Posts: 3130
Joined: Fri Jul 02, 2010 8:00 pm
Location: Australia

[Plotboard]The Depths

Post by Sanjuro » Sun Jan 13, 2019 1:57 am

As Kazuo completed forming his hole in the ground and Koji took a few more chunks from the beast, he noticed the lights vanished and swore under his breath. Switching to relying on scent and sound, he did his best to navigate the dark until a wave of air pressure pushed him back. He braced himself against the ground, crouching down and digging one hand into the ground and lifting the other to cover his head. When the first shard hit his skin, he scowled and focused the water making up his arm to the surface, a dark sheen covering the skin as the bone shards started to bounce off the arm that was covering his face.

Koji was forced to do much the same, claws digging into the earth. Even with his considerable strength, he was pushed back, the sound echoing through the boneyard. A loud echoing growl came from the wolf as the tiny bone shards started to rip into his flesh, over and over again. "Koji, drive the bastard into the hole." Kazuo shouted into the dark, his eyes turning upwards, noticing a glowing ball building up in the sky. Shaking off the pain of the attack, he darted forward, joining Koji in trying to herd the rat towards the hole. All it would take was a single step, one foot caught in it, and then the rat would be thrown off guard long enough for whatever Kotaru was building up to hit.

Kazuo and Koji darted around one another, blending their scents, trying to throw off the beast's ability to tack either of them, before Kazuo came in high and from the right while Koji went low and to the left, an attempt to force the rat king to react to either of the attacks and keep moving backwards. Right into the path of the fireball of Kotaru.
Name Village Rank Color Code
Hirohito, Hideki Kirigakure Bannin #0047AB
Higurashi, Kazuo Iwagakure Special Jounin #FFC40C
Akechi, Gendo Cold Country C-Rank pink
Courtesy of SiaShow


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Kao
Posts: 8242
Joined: Fri May 21, 2010 8:00 pm

[Plotboard]The Depths

Post by Kao » Mon Jan 14, 2019 9:27 pm

Being attacked from multiple sides left the rat king in a bind. Though he had fought in countless battles in the past, nothing was as formidable as the shinobi he now faced. The blow with his tail didn't seem to slow them down in the slightest, and the beast hissed and roared as Koji and his master managed to push it back. Their efforts finally paid off when the rat's back leg slipped into the hole Kazuo had prepared, sending the mutated animal stumbling. It wasn't very deep in comparison to the rat itself, and it was nothing it couldn't get out of.

But unfortunately for the rat, it was enough. Just as it squealed from being caught off balance it was hit by both Koji and Kazuo, sending it tumbling down and it fell onto its side. At that moment Kotaru's fireball slammed onto its hide near its neck and the sounds of its scream and thrashing seemed to fill the entire cavern. The flamed erupted into a pillar around the beast's head. The pungent smell of burning fur and flesh quickly mixed in with the musty air of the Catacombs. It tried to flee, immediately forgetting about both Koji and Kazuo as it turned tail and thrashed about the cavern, sending more bone and debris flying. It only took a minute or so for the rat king to fall still.

Kotaru watched the scene for several seconds before floating back down near Kazuo. The rat's burning body provided quite a bit of light, making it much easier to see their surroundings. A quick glance around revealed that there was no other threats lurking about, and the boy then levied a heavy glare to Kazuo. He was wholly unamused. "Try not to do that again," he growled without saying exactly what he meant; after all, he still didn't know what exactly Kazuo had done. Kotaru stood glowering at both the man and his wolf as he ripped the bone fragments from his arms and side. The blue green wings folded down and he removed bone from them as well, tossing them toward the flames that were still burning their now dead adversary.

"Stupid fucking rat. Let's go before its friends show up." He turned to go in the direction they had been heading and without warning broke out into a run and then took flight, keeping low to the ground and matching the others' pace. "Please tell me you still have the stone," he blurted out when they turned a sharp corner, and they were in darkness once more. "We're almost there and you better not have dropped it." He didn't have much faith in Kazuo after the whole make you terrified ordeal.
Kao's CharactersShow
Akari KotaruBanninIwagakure no Sato Team 18 Jousai [color=#1fb8a3]
Komiya ShizuoJounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#209DD3]
Yanagida Yukino Special Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#a07ac2]
Ishiwara SetsunaChuunin Iwagakure no Sato[color=#E81D1D]
Enkouten Mai Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#CE5412]
Aisu Namie Chuunin Kirigakure no Sato [color=#5bc2d4]
Awai FusaeA-Rank MNKonohagakure no Sato[color=#D95FEA]
Important NPCsShow
Akari Kanehara Akari clan elder [color=#80A0FF]
Sakata KannaIwagakure Councilwoman [color=#3DA43B]
Hazuki Shuran Jinchuuriki researcher [color=#E854C0]
Enkouten Kaizen Iwagakure councilman, clan leader [color=#C65871]
Rock Country Daimyo [color=#AC4A4A]

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Sanjuro
Posts: 3130
Joined: Fri Jul 02, 2010 8:00 pm
Location: Australia

[Plotboard]The Depths

Post by Sanjuro » Tue Jan 15, 2019 7:59 am

The heat washed over his face as Kazuo watched the fireball successfully connect. He didn't look away, watching as it attempted to run, but the constant harassment of Koji and himself seemed to have been enough to drain it of much of its fight, now that it was burning to death it had nothing left to give. The Special Jounin sighed and brushed off his arm where a lot of small shards of bone had impaled, along with plucking a few from his side that he hadn't covered. The wounds began to seal over almost as soon as the impediments were removed. Stepping up to Koji, he began the same process, though the wolf had fared a little worse and he could see some blood staining his coat.

"Sorry buddy, you did a good job." He ran his fingers over the wounds gently before letting Koji tend to them himself, licking at the ones he could reach. Standing back up, he turned to face Kotaru who landed beside them, strange tendril wings folding down and Kazuo eyed them warily. "I'll try. I apologize for that. I guess I've gotten used to working with just Koji or Tsuyu for so long that… well, yeah. I won't use that technique again unless I know you're out of range."

Kazuo bowed his head in a somewhat semi-formal manner to go along with his apology. He did kind of feel bad about it, he had simply gotten caught up in the heat of the moment and failed to assess the situation properly. Really, it was a rookie mistake and one he shouldn't have made. There was no point dwelling on it though, he assessed it, processed it, and moved on with the intent to not do it again.

Following behind the Akari, he reached into one of the inner pockets of his jacket, fishing out the stone that Kotaru seemed so worried about and rolled it in his hand. "Safe and sound. Don't worry, I'm not as entirely useless as you seem to think." He carefully put it back into the pocket he had retrieved it from, the warmth settling against his chest. "It'd be pretty noticeable if I dropped a glowing red rock on the ground."

Shaking his head, Kazuo moved to match pace with the Akari, his eyes darting this way and that while he sniffed the air and listened for any hint that they were either being followed or about to run into something. He didn't really want to give this kid any more excuses to doubt him or whine back to Tatsuo about.
TechniquesShow
[Predator's Instinct • Primal Nose]
B-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
After utilizing his nose and training his sense of smell for so long, Kazuo has become able to tap his sense of smell to its most refined and most bestial. Kazuo is able to pick out the most common scents and focus on the freshet ones in an area of 10 meters around him. By doing this Kazuo is able to tell the amount of individual humans, animals or creatures and the most intense smells of each person, including if they were injured or if they were tired by gauging sweat levels. Kazuo can then track these groups of scents with relative ease.

[Predator's Instinct • Distinct Sounds]
C-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
Kazuo mentally takes in and registers the default sounds of an area; creaking on a boat, wind against walls, their own breathing and other sounds one would expect. By doing this Kazuo becomes more acutely aware of sounds that 'don't belong', such as footsteps in an empty room or a branch breaking in a quiet forest. The contrast of sounds is what is important here, not the type, and Kazuo can discern differences in natural sound versus those made by action in most cases unless the actions are deliberately made to sound natural. This focus on distinct sounds once again opens up the user to sonic attacks very damagingly and can often deafen the user.

[Predator's Instinct • The Hunt is On]
B-Rank Taijutsu Stance
Having spent years honing the art of silently stalking his prey, Kazuo has learned to naturally adjust the way he moves to remove any distinguishable noise even when moving at top speed. Those with enhanced hearing will still be able to make out the sound of his approach whilst moving at top speed, but should he slow to a walk he will become completely undetectable by sound even to himself.
Name Village Rank Color Code
Hirohito, Hideki Kirigakure Bannin #0047AB
Higurashi, Kazuo Iwagakure Special Jounin #FFC40C
Akechi, Gendo Cold Country C-Rank pink
Courtesy of SiaShow


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Kao
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[Plotboard]The Depths

Post by Kao » Thu Jan 17, 2019 12:30 pm

Kotaru huffed and kept moving forward. "Yeah, yeah, good job for not dropping it, I guess." Whenever he ventured down into the hellhole that was the Catacombs he discovered some sort of weakness that he needed to correct, or some sort of gaps in his techniques. To him it seemed a product of luck rather than skill that his katon technique had made contact with the rat and that it was enough to kill it. Not to mention there was the issue with how Kazuo's technique - whatever it was, specifically - had affected him; it was something that he immediately disliked and caused him to be a bit wary when it came to the new recruit. To an outsider he did fine in the fight, but the boy was always hard on himself and pushed himself to be better. It was one of the reasons he had gotten so powerful so quickly. Self-loathing was a great motivator.

The trio ventured farther and deeper into the Catacombs, and as they did the air around them shifted. One moment it was cold and clammy, the next it was almost uncomfortably warm and humid. The atmosphere felt unnatural to those astute enough to notice it, and it was accompanied by the sensation that the air was thick with power of an unknown source. It made the hairs on the back of Kotaru's neck stand on end, and though he was focused it still gave him a sense of unease deep in his gut. Finally when they entered a much narrower corridor with a low ceiling, just wide enough to allow the three of them to stand side by side if needed, he began to slow down and he landed softly, his shoulders immediately stiffening. "We're here."

As soon as the words left his mouth, the rock around them shifted, moving in and out rhythmically as if the walls were breathing. The jounin pressed forward, seemingly ignoring the strangeness of the moving walls. The corridor was several dozen meters long, and when they reached the end of it it opened, revealing an enormous cavern that was large enough to hold possibly a third or more of Iwagakure's above-ground facilities. They had stepped onto a cliff, and below them was a glowing, bustling collection of buildings and structures made of stone. A myriad of spirits floated, walked, and slithered along below, going about their business.

Kotaru let out a long sigh. "The spirit colony," he announced flatly, and he turned toward Kazuo and Koji to gauge their reactions. "They'll send something to greet us pretty soo-"

The boy was unceremoniously interrupted when something large and warm ran into him from behind. He'd have tumbled to the ground, face first, but he was caught by nearly a dozen glowing white-blue, slightly flattened balls, none of them larger than a tennis ball and all of them humming enthusiastically at him. They collectively bounced him in the air like a toy a few times as curses fell from his lips before they set him upright. Kotaru glared at the spirit for a moment, but then his gaze softened - slightly - when he recognized it. "Oh, it's you. Thanks for that."

There was more humming as the spirit orbs flashed in response, and half of them floated to Kazuo and Koji, circling their heads and tumbling over their skin and fur. They were cool to the touch now rather than warm, and to the shinobi and his wolf companion they would smell faintly sweet. "It's how they say hi. I think," Kotaru explained as one nestled itself in his hair. "I call them Janjanbi. I'm guessing they're our escorts for now." The orbs pulsed rapidly as if confirming, some of them floating a few meters to the left toward a pathway that led down to the colony.
Kao's CharactersShow
Akari KotaruBanninIwagakure no Sato Team 18 Jousai [color=#1fb8a3]
Komiya ShizuoJounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#209DD3]
Yanagida Yukino Special Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#a07ac2]
Ishiwara SetsunaChuunin Iwagakure no Sato[color=#E81D1D]
Enkouten Mai Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#CE5412]
Aisu Namie Chuunin Kirigakure no Sato [color=#5bc2d4]
Awai FusaeA-Rank MNKonohagakure no Sato[color=#D95FEA]
Important NPCsShow
Akari Kanehara Akari clan elder [color=#80A0FF]
Sakata KannaIwagakure Councilwoman [color=#3DA43B]
Hazuki Shuran Jinchuuriki researcher [color=#E854C0]
Enkouten Kaizen Iwagakure councilman, clan leader [color=#C65871]
Rock Country Daimyo [color=#AC4A4A]

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Sanjuro
Posts: 3130
Joined: Fri Jul 02, 2010 8:00 pm
Location: Australia

[Plotboard]The Depths

Post by Sanjuro » Thu Jan 17, 2019 6:19 pm

Kazuo rolled his eyes at the sass of the kid but otherwise ignored it. It was nothing he hadn't dealt with before, the Higurashi family wasn't a small one and he had plenty of cousins, nieces and nephews younger than him that all went or were going through the whole teen angst stage.

Following the path, he noticed immediately when the air started to shift. He adjusted his collar and pulled at the edges of his flak jacket to try and get a bit more air flow going. The change in the environment could be scented on the air. The musty smell was largely gone, replaced with something he didn't recognize, but it made his stomach churn for a minute at the suddenness of the shift. Koji's reaction was far more apparent, the wolf's maw revealed rows of sharp teeth in a snarl and he was hunched down, ready to pounce at any moment.

"Easy boy."

Kazuo crouched a little as they went into a much narrower tunnel than what they had been going through. It was tall enough that he wouldn't hit his head even if he did stand completely upright but it was low enough that the difference was palpable and it felt like he would smack his head even if he logically knew he wouldn't.

His discomfort only grew when the walls began to shift and writhe as if they were alive.

"Kotaru. What in the ever-loving fuck was that?"

He eyed the walls, muscles tense. His movement slowed to an almost crawl as he followed Kota who was apparently unaffected by the walls moving like they were in a bloody throat. Was that what this was? Were they walking to a giant mouth? Was this actually the throat and Kota was leading them into the belly of the beast, literally? Maybe he planned to sacrifice Kazuo and Koji to this spirit in return for whatever power the gem held? But then why had he also come down the mouth with them? A deal to let Kota out and leave the prey behind?

It was cruel, cunning, and cold. Kazuo eyed the back of the Jounin who had stopped ahead, wondering how best to deal with this sudden but inevitable betrayal, when he caught up and saw the cityscape below.

"… Well, damn." He eyed the myriad of strange creatures wandering about, as if they were people, going about their daily lives. "This doesn't look like you're feeding me to a monster. What the hell is this place?"

He heard something approaching from behind even as Kota was explaining the situation and spun around to greet whatever threat was coming at them. Koji, already on edge, dove for one of the creatures in the same moment it jumped at Kota but Kazuo quickly grabbed the wolf by the nape of the neck and fought to hold him in place.

"Look."

The pair watched in silent amazement as tiny blue balls moved of their own accord, bouncing Kota around like they were celebrating the kid's triumphant return. Kazuo tensed as they floated over towards him, doing his best to move out of the way of them, but when it became clear that Kota saw them as friends he begrudgingly allowed them to touch him. A chill ran down his spine as the cool sensation of whatever their form was made of ran over his skin but the tenseness in his shoulders quickly vanished.

"It's okay Koji. They're fine, I think. Just… don't eat them." He reached up and poked one that was floating nearby. It flashed in response and floated away, making Kazuo smirk a little. "Janjanbi, huh? Strange little buggers."
Name Village Rank Color Code
Hirohito, Hideki Kirigakure Bannin #0047AB
Higurashi, Kazuo Iwagakure Special Jounin #FFC40C
Akechi, Gendo Cold Country C-Rank pink
Courtesy of SiaShow


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Kao
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Joined: Fri May 21, 2010 8:00 pm

[Plotboard]The Depths

Post by Kao » Mon Jan 21, 2019 2:26 am

Kotaru hadn't intentionally ignored Kazuo's questions, but he had been so focused on reaching the colony that he didn't altogether hear the man. Only after the Janjanbi surrounded him and began to herd them toward the path did he look back, blinking as he belatedly considered the questions. "Feeding you to a monster? That wasn't the plan, but I'll keep that option in mind." The path leading further into the colony was a steep one, and Kotaru spread his wings slightly behind him, opening and closing him so he could keep his balance and prevent himself from slipping on the smooth rocks underfoot. He was unaware how Kazuo seemed disturbed - perhaps disgusted - by the eroshiin, but it wasn't a reaction he hadn't encountered before. He no longer paid it much attention.

"Don't know what that tunnel is. It did that the last few times I came down here, but I came alone and thought it was just reacting to me. I think the tunnel might be possessed by a spirit and acts as a guard or something and alerts the colony of visitors and intruders. This isn't the only way in though, it's just the least dangerous." Kotaru had seen quite a bit down in the Catacombs, and even though he at times hated the place, he had ventured down alone more than once without telling his teammates. Information. Power. He had come in search of both but hadn't had much luck so far.

The spirit orbs led the trio deeper into the colony, and once they were among the stone buildings most of the spirits continued to go about their business. Several spirits that took on appearances similar to animals, however, paused or circled around them briefly - Koji especially - before continuing on, but even after they were out of sight their gazes and presence could be felt. "The only thing I like about the colony is that none of these things are hostile. They mind their own business. Doesn't mean I like the fact that they're here, underneath the village, though. Really need to clean house eventually."

"Still haven't learned how to pay attention your surroundings?"

Kotaru stopped in his tracks and looked to his left, eyes narrowed and frowning as a tall figure emerged from the shadows. The being was humanoid at first glance, but it was easy to see that it was a spirit once it stepped into the dim light. Much of its body was solid black and shining like polished obsidian. Its joints and the outline of its muscles glowed orange-red, and the light flowed slowly, similar to lava. Its hands and the bottom half of its face were the same orange-red, and the top half of its head was covered by a horned helmet.

"I have," the boy spat back defiantly - childishly - despite the fact that for the second time that day he'd been caught off guard, "I just don't care if you overhear me. Besides, I was looking for you. Meet Obsidian Guy. Obsidian Guy, Kazuo and Koji." He stepped back, gesturing to everyone in a hasty introduction. "Anyway, we have something to show you. Show him, Kazuo."
Kao's CharactersShow
Akari KotaruBanninIwagakure no Sato Team 18 Jousai [color=#1fb8a3]
Komiya ShizuoJounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#209DD3]
Yanagida Yukino Special Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#a07ac2]
Ishiwara SetsunaChuunin Iwagakure no Sato[color=#E81D1D]
Enkouten Mai Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#CE5412]
Aisu Namie Chuunin Kirigakure no Sato [color=#5bc2d4]
Awai FusaeA-Rank MNKonohagakure no Sato[color=#D95FEA]
Important NPCsShow
Akari Kanehara Akari clan elder [color=#80A0FF]
Sakata KannaIwagakure Councilwoman [color=#3DA43B]
Hazuki Shuran Jinchuuriki researcher [color=#E854C0]
Enkouten Kaizen Iwagakure councilman, clan leader [color=#C65871]
Rock Country Daimyo [color=#AC4A4A]

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Sanjuro
Posts: 3130
Joined: Fri Jul 02, 2010 8:00 pm
Location: Australia

[Plotboard]The Depths

Post by Sanjuro » Mon Jan 21, 2019 7:27 am

Following the Janjanbi down the curving walkway of the cavern, where Kotaru was seemingly at peace with this place Kazuo was on high alert, eyes darting around, ears straining. The few times he had dealt with spirits that weren't bound by a summoner he had come close to dying. He did his best to not react too overtly to the myriad of strange and fantastical creatures that were flying, walking, crawling, rolling, some even burrowing, around them. Koji showed no such restraint and raised his hackles, growling at anything that got close and snapping at them if they kept approaching. Where Kazuo would normally restrain his partner when he got like this, right now the human was more than willing to follow the instincts of the animal.

A full body shudder ran through him as he whipped around in the direction the voice came from. He blinked a few times, staring at this new spirit, one that communicated. It was strange. He knew spirits could speak, had heard them speak before, but it was always a little disconcerting. This one was human-ish though. If it wasn't for the glowing lines of what looked like lava you could be mistaken for thinking he just had really good skin. Stepping into the light showed the skin to be unnatural though. Like a statue carved from stone and polished to a fine shine.

"Obsidian guy. Right." Kazuo's eyes travelled between Kota and 'Obsidian Guy' a few times before he took a long, deep breath. In and out. He forced himself to relax, the tension in his neck and shoulders falling away, his locked jaw relaxing a little. "I don't suppose you have an actual name, do you? Or is it Obsidian Guy?" Even as he was speaking he was stepping up until he was side-by-side with Kota, eyeing the kid when he mentioned the stone.

He didn't trust spirits, just as a general rule of thumb. But so far none of these creatures had attacked them and really, this was the kid's quest, he was just here because of his damned curiosity getting him caught up in a situation he had nothing to do with… again.

"Right then." Reaching into the pocket, he took out the glowing orange orb, somewhat disappointed that the warmth next to his chest was now gone. He held it out towards the strange talking statue, eyeing him warily. "It doesn't seem to like this one very much, burnt right through a giant glove to scald him. Likes me though. Nice 'n' warm."
Name Village Rank Color Code
Hirohito, Hideki Kirigakure Bannin #0047AB
Higurashi, Kazuo Iwagakure Special Jounin #FFC40C
Akechi, Gendo Cold Country C-Rank pink
Courtesy of SiaShow


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Kao
Posts: 8242
Joined: Fri May 21, 2010 8:00 pm

[Plotboard]The Depths

Post by Kao » Mon Jan 21, 2019 9:07 pm

The spirit nodded towards Kazuo and replied, "I do have a name. It is-" it then began to make a noise that sounded like thick bubbling, followed by a hissing sound that could have come from a fire being suddenly extinguished by water. The young jounin stared, having heard this sound before that the spirit called a 'name.' "Like I said," Kotaru deadpanned, "he's Obsidian Guy."

Their attention turned to Kazuo when he pulled out the stone from his pocket, and its faint glow became visible in his palm. Kotaru raised his brow when the lava spirit took a slow step forward, the glowing lines in his body grew brighter and beneath the light it appeared as though he was bubbling. Literally bubbling. "Where did you get that?" it seethed as it continued to draw closer to Kazuo. "That does not belong in the hands of a human. I don't know how you are even touching it."

"We don't know what it is. That's why we're here." Kotaru responded, moving to stand slightly more between the spirit and his new companions. The spirit's tone and movements put the boy a little on edge, and he wasn't sure where this reaction was coming from. Kotaru tried to continue explaining but was interrupted by, "Idiots. It is a concentration of the spirit's life force and power, and a manifestation of its rage and ill will. Though it is rather small, so this is more like its mild irritation. Now where did you get it?" It spoke to the special jounin, assuming he was the one who had obtained the stone. Obsidian Guy was clearly growing more agitated as it spoke.

Eventually the Akari chimed, "From the head of a giant centipede spirit in Khentii province. I read something about a powerful stone in the mountains and I think I found it in the head of the spirit. But it's dead now and-"

""It is not dead. Hand it over." It opened its hand, and although it lacked visible eyes Kazuo certainly would have been able to feel its heavy gaze on him. Perhaps Kazuo took too long, for the spirit reached forward to snatch the stone away. But just before it touched the stone it pulsed with a light bright enough that it would nearly blind them for a moment, and it became red hot - much too hot for Kazuo to keep holding on to.
Kao's CharactersShow
Akari KotaruBanninIwagakure no Sato Team 18 Jousai [color=#1fb8a3]
Komiya ShizuoJounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#209DD3]
Yanagida Yukino Special Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#a07ac2]
Ishiwara SetsunaChuunin Iwagakure no Sato[color=#E81D1D]
Enkouten Mai Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#CE5412]
Aisu Namie Chuunin Kirigakure no Sato [color=#5bc2d4]
Awai FusaeA-Rank MNKonohagakure no Sato[color=#D95FEA]
Important NPCsShow
Akari Kanehara Akari clan elder [color=#80A0FF]
Sakata KannaIwagakure Councilwoman [color=#3DA43B]
Hazuki Shuran Jinchuuriki researcher [color=#E854C0]
Enkouten Kaizen Iwagakure councilman, clan leader [color=#C65871]
Rock Country Daimyo [color=#AC4A4A]

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Sanjuro
Posts: 3130
Joined: Fri Jul 02, 2010 8:00 pm
Location: Australia

[Plotboard]The Depths

Post by Sanjuro » Mon Jan 21, 2019 9:26 pm

Well, that was a name and a half. "I won't insult you by trying to actually say that." He chuckled when Kota piped up, agreeing with the naming scheme that the kid had come up with. When the time came to inspect the stone, Kazuo found himself tensing up once more when Obsidian Guy approached, his heavy footsteps feeling as though they were rumbling the earth. Even Koji stopped growling at everything else and focused his attention entirely on the golem before them.

"Look pal, I don't know what the problem here is, but you need to step back." Kazuo glared at Obsidian Guy, ready to pounce at any moment, though he knew that trying to fight an entire settlement of unknown spirits would likely get him killed. That was when he felt the reaction of the stone.

It was getting hotter.

Losing focus on the argument going on between Kota and the spirit, Kazuo stared at the orb as it began to glow even brighter, the heat emenating from it growing and growing. He snarled, tightening his fingers around it, trying to force it into submission. Whatever it was it had awareness of some sort, he hoped that it felt fear, and as he pressed he tried to crush the damn thing and rid himself of this entire problem.

That was when it got pissed.

Yelping in pain, the Special Jounin was forced to drop the blasted stone before it seared a hole straight through his hand. Swearing up a storm, he clutched his burnt palm to his chest, glaring between the stone and the spirit that had demanded its return. "Take the damn thing then. Fuckin' spirits."

Koji was growling something fierce, right by Kazuo's side, ready to rip the head off the spirit should it attempt to attack Kazuo. Kazuo in the meanwhile pulled his hand away from his chest and stared at the burn. His glove had been burnt straight through, the black cloth melting into the skin around the edge of where he had been holding the damn thing. The skin visible was red raw and already bubbling and blistering in places, the smell of burnt flesh filling his nostrils as he studied it. He started to pick out the cloth that had been melted, hissing the entire time in pain.
Name Village Rank Color Code
Hirohito, Hideki Kirigakure Bannin #0047AB
Higurashi, Kazuo Iwagakure Special Jounin #FFC40C
Akechi, Gendo Cold Country C-Rank pink
Courtesy of SiaShow


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Kao
Posts: 8242
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[Plotboard]The Depths

Post by Kao » Mon Jan 21, 2019 10:11 pm

As soon Kazuo dropped the stone, the lava spirit's attention left the human trio and locked onto what they now knew was a living remnant of the centipede specter Kotaru thought he had killed. The spirit made a disapproving noise and told them, "From what I can tell, this spirit both drew its power from this stone and fueled it with its own malice. It housed its core, or part of it. It burns you because it clearly loathes your kind. Whatever you think you killed, you only destroyed the body that it needed to stay in this realm. A portion of its essence - a small part of the spirit itself - retreated into this stone so that it could remain in this human realm." With that, Obsidian Guy picked up the stone, turning it between his fingers as it stared from Kazuo to Kotaru.

The Akari didn't like the sound of this. "That doesn't explain why he could touch it and I couldn't, or why it's suddenly mad at Kazuo and won't let him touch it.

"Like I said. It loathes your kind. If you are the only who destroyed its body then of course it wouldn't want you to touch it. Would you want the human who robbed your corpse of your essence to have his grubby fingers all over you? Some of its power and consciousness remains within it, and I can only assume it is waiting for the right moment to regenerate itself."

It must have been the right moment. As soon as the spirit said this, the stone in his hand pulsed audibly, the sound like a faint heartbeat. Obsidian Guy made a small noise of surprise as it opened its palm, and the stone had grown three times its original size, and was now much darker in color. Then suddenly, four long and slender growths erupted from the stone and pierced the lava spirit with a deafening crack, and dozens more began to sprout from the spirit's entire body. The growths ran the length of his arms and legs and down his torso, emerging from his body in pairs and splitting open the lava spirit as they grew larger.

They looked like the legs of a centipede.

"Oh fuck oh fuck-" Without a second thought Kotaru channeled chakra to the small of his back, manifesting the scorpion tail-like appendage that was his temershiin. He whipped it toward the mutating spirit as if to knock it away, but it didn't budge. All the while the spirit screamed, the sound becoming more shrill and bloodthirsty as it turned toward the trio.
JutsuShow
~Basic Formation: Temershiin
D-Ranked Ninjutsu
Channeling chakra to their shiin, they cause it to inflate, fully forming into its full glory. The temershiin takes the shape of a wide and powerful tail. The strength of a temershiin equal to the user's strength.
Kao's CharactersShow
Akari KotaruBanninIwagakure no Sato Team 18 Jousai [color=#1fb8a3]
Komiya ShizuoJounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#209DD3]
Yanagida Yukino Special Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#a07ac2]
Ishiwara SetsunaChuunin Iwagakure no Sato[color=#E81D1D]
Enkouten Mai Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#CE5412]
Aisu Namie Chuunin Kirigakure no Sato [color=#5bc2d4]
Awai FusaeA-Rank MNKonohagakure no Sato[color=#D95FEA]
Important NPCsShow
Akari Kanehara Akari clan elder [color=#80A0FF]
Sakata KannaIwagakure Councilwoman [color=#3DA43B]
Hazuki Shuran Jinchuuriki researcher [color=#E854C0]
Enkouten Kaizen Iwagakure councilman, clan leader [color=#C65871]
Rock Country Daimyo [color=#AC4A4A]

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Sanjuro
Posts: 3130
Joined: Fri Jul 02, 2010 8:00 pm
Location: Australia

[Plotboard]The Depths

Post by Sanjuro » Mon Jan 21, 2019 10:35 pm

Kazuo looked up from his palm, where the skin was starting to change colour and heal already, and paid attention to the conversation once more. He had sort of figured that something like this would happen, it'd turn out that the spirit wasn't really dead. As far as he was aware you couldn't really kill a spirit without somehow stopping them from being able to poof out of existence. That or somehow follow them back to wherever the hell it was they came from and kill them there. Still, the thought that he had been carrying around a malicious spirit right next to his heart was more than a little unsettling. He had said it once and he'd say it again.

"Fuckin' spirits man."

Folding his arms over his chest, he watched the sphere with increasing intensity. He heard it before he saw it. The cracking of stone. It was followed by a far more audible pulse and brown eyes widened in growing horror when he saw the stone grow in size and begin to crack like a bloody egg that was about to hatch. "Kota we need to-" Before he could even finish Kotaru was diving forwards, a rust red tendril popping out from the base of spine that Kazuo didn't have time to find disgusting.

When that had next to no impact, Kazuo swore and began surveying their surroundings. He thought they might have to deal with the other spirits when Kota suddenly attacked their apparent leader but they were… well, freaking out. The Janjanbi that had been following them were flashing over and over, obviously distressed. Other spirits were fleeing back into their makeshift homes, more were growing wings and flying away as fast as they could while even more simply seemed to disappear into the ground. They were… scared. Scared not of them, but of whatever was emerging from Obsidian Guy. Suddenly Kazuo felt a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach.

This was bad.

Turning back to the fight at hand, he grabbed Kota by the shoulder and tried to pull him away from the emerging spirit. "We need to get this thing out of here. Now." He was looking between the emerging centipede and the surrounding village. He didn't like or trust spirits. But he also wasn't about to destroy this place in a fight. Pushing Kota away, he drew a few of his shuriken and threw them at the emerging spirit, trying to draw its attention.

"Oi! This way you big bastard! Come on! Come get me!" As he shouted he was running back in the direction they had come, looking for the way out, trying to avoid taking this thing directly through the middle of the settlement. "Kota! Which way are we runnin'!" Koji started barking wildly as the wolf ran out ahead of Kazuo, trying to ensure the path was clear for his master.
Name Village Rank Color Code
Hirohito, Hideki Kirigakure Bannin #0047AB
Higurashi, Kazuo Iwagakure Special Jounin #FFC40C
Akechi, Gendo Cold Country C-Rank pink
Courtesy of SiaShow


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Kao
Posts: 8242
Joined: Fri May 21, 2010 8:00 pm

[Plotboard]The Depths

Post by Kao » Mon Jan 21, 2019 11:10 pm

The sudden touch to his shoulder made the boy whirl around ready to strike, but he quickly realized that it was Kazuo and not another rampaging spirit. He turned back to Obsidian Guy - what used to be him, anyway - and his throat went dry when the lava spirit's body began to crack further, eventually falling away so that he was no longer recognizable. Where his skin was once black it was becoming an angry red, and the horns of his helmet lengthened and sharpened to form long, sharp antenna.

"No, not that way!" the young jounin shouted when Kazuo tried to run in the direction they had come. Something told him that the tunnel - or more specifically, the spirit that possessed and guarded the tunnel - wouldn't let any of them simply pass through. If they tried escaping that way the tunnel was liable to crush them and the obsidian-centipede spirit before they could escape the settlement and cause more damage elsewhere. The spirit convulsed, the legs growing until they were as long as Obsidian Guy's former body, falling onto its belly as its head flattened and its mandibles grew. It was forming fast, too fast, and as Kotaru searched the cliffs overhead for another way out he knew they had run out of time.

Finally, "There!" Barely visible from the valley was a high cave nestled in the cliffside above, several hundred meters away and opposite from the cave they had used to enter the colony. As soon as he spotted the cave opening he whipped his temershiin forward again, this time wrapping it around the obsidian-centipede's widening torso. He tensed his wings in preparation; Kotaru was fast, but it took time that they didn't have for him to reach his full speed. "Throw me!" he ordered, pointing toward the cave above them. Kazuo would have to do it fast. The young Akari was already struggling to keep the growing and thrashing spirit in his grasp.
Kao's CharactersShow
Akari KotaruBanninIwagakure no Sato Team 18 Jousai [color=#1fb8a3]
Komiya ShizuoJounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#209DD3]
Yanagida Yukino Special Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#a07ac2]
Ishiwara SetsunaChuunin Iwagakure no Sato[color=#E81D1D]
Enkouten Mai Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#CE5412]
Aisu Namie Chuunin Kirigakure no Sato [color=#5bc2d4]
Awai FusaeA-Rank MNKonohagakure no Sato[color=#D95FEA]
Important NPCsShow
Akari Kanehara Akari clan elder [color=#80A0FF]
Sakata KannaIwagakure Councilwoman [color=#3DA43B]
Hazuki Shuran Jinchuuriki researcher [color=#E854C0]
Enkouten Kaizen Iwagakure councilman, clan leader [color=#C65871]
Rock Country Daimyo [color=#AC4A4A]

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Sanjuro
Posts: 3130
Joined: Fri Jul 02, 2010 8:00 pm
Location: Australia

[Plotboard]The Depths

Post by Sanjuro » Tue Jan 22, 2019 3:40 am

Hearing Kotaru's yelling, Kazuo growled under his breath and came to a halt, whistling shrilly for Koji. The wolf halted in his barking at the various spirits to find out what was going on and raced back to Kazuo's side as the Special Jounin moved back towards Kotaru. Their only way out was the way they had come in. He glanced at the Janjanbi and noticed that they seemed to agree with Kota. They had been flashing brightly and floating in front of Koji as they had started to run but now where seemingly happy to hang back out of the immediate danger zone.

"You'd better have a plan, kid." Kazuo said. A frown marred his features when he noticed what Kota was pointing at. Judging the distance, he figured he could at least give the kid a headstart, and then realized what that freaky tail was doing. "Don't die." Trusting Kotaru's judgement and assessment of his own abilities, Kazuo first whistled for Koji to come closer. Once the wolf was within range, he turned to Kota and grinned, something feral and a little wild. "Up you go!"

Grabbing the kid's arms, he spun him around once to build up momentum, almost like a parent swinging around a child. Except instead of gradually picking up speed and then slowly putting Kota down, Kazuo let go at the peak of his spin and sent the kid flying through the air towards the cave he had pointed out. Once that was done, he flicked his hands through a quick set of seals and sent his chakra to Koji, motioning for the wolf to start running for the cave wall. Unlike Kota, Koji couldn't fly, and while Kazuo could kind of… run through the air, it wasn't anywhere near as fast as simply running to and then up the cave wall would be.

He just hoped that by the time he managed to catch up Kotaru wouldn't have gotten himself killed.
TechniquesShow
Koji: *[Basic Jutsu • Act of Tree Climbing]
D-Rank Ninjutsu
By focusing chakra into his/her feet, the user is able to walk up trees and other vertical surfaces in a similar fashion to walking along the ground. This chakra amount must be precise, and although all shinobi learn this technique, the user's control stat will determine how well this jutsu can be executed. Users with low control 2 or lower will often fall during the use of this technique, while users with average control 3 or higher will be able to use this technique functionally. It lasts for a number of posts equal to the user's stamina stat.
Name Village Rank Color Code
Hirohito, Hideki Kirigakure Bannin #0047AB
Higurashi, Kazuo Iwagakure Special Jounin #FFC40C
Akechi, Gendo Cold Country C-Rank pink
Courtesy of SiaShow


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Kao
Posts: 8242
Joined: Fri May 21, 2010 8:00 pm

[Plotboard]The Depths

Post by Kao » Tue Jan 22, 2019 12:01 pm

Kotaru took flight, aided by Kazuo's powerful toss, and he barreled toward the cave wall with the angry spirit still writhing and screaming. The boy grit his teeth as he beat his wings powerfully, giving him an additional burst of speed until he was moving at nearly his maximum. Twice the spirit nearly escaped but somehow he managed to keep it within the temershiin's grasp, wrapped around it like a python. Just before he reached the cliffside the Akari somersaulted midair, releasing the spirit to send it crashing into the rocks. It caused a small rockslide, and the dust and debris momentarily blocked the obsidian-centipede from view.

For a moment there was only the sound of falling rocks, crashing a hundred meters to the ground below. The spirit's lack of movement didn't fool Kotaru into letting down his guard, and instead the boy formed a rather involved set of seals. The jutsu he had in mind was one he had barely even practiced, and he wasn't sure how effective it would be given the nature of the centipede spirit. In the middle of the seals, an ear splitting roar shook the enormous cavern, rocking Kotaru so he could feel the vibrations in the pit of his stomach. Without warning a gigantic limb shot forward, forcing Kotaru to fold his wings so he could drop from the sky and avoid it. But instead of aiming for him, it curved around and lodged itself into the rocks, and as it did so another limb emerged, and then another. Ten legs slammed into the rocks, two on each side, and from the center emerged the slimy, brownish orange head of the centipede spirit.

It was a lot more massive than Kotaru remembered. Not only that but like Obsidian Guy its skin was blackened and shiny resembling volcanic rock, and there were rivulets of what appeared to be flowing lava snaking across the surface of its body and down to its legs. If it had its original powers on top of Obsidian Guy's lava abilities, they were in trouble. "Any day now, guys!" he yelled right before he inhaled, filling his lungs with air and chakra. His shouting got the spirit's attention, and right as it turned toward Kotaru the boy released his technique. Angry flames erupted from his mouth in a huge stream, easily a dozen meters larger than the spirit itself. Or at least, it was larger than the portion of the spirit that was visible.

The spirt hissed and sizzled as it was engulfed by the flames, and for a moment it seemed Kotaru would be able to beat it back. But to his chagrin it crawled out of the hole created by its impact against the rocks, darting to the right and out of the flow of the flames. As it moved it became clear that the obsidian-centipede was absolutely massive; it kept going and going as it fled the flames, and it became clear it was at least 80 meters long. 'Shit shit shit! If left unchecked, it could easily destroy the spirit colony below - or worse, escape into the Catacombs.
Jutsu (Training)Show
Dragon's Breath
A-Ranked Ninjutsu
After performing the necessary hand seals, Kotaru takes a deep breath and expels a large stream of flames from his mouth. The stream moves at 25 speed and can reach up to 200 meters long, and is thin for up to 5 meters immediately in front of him before expanding up to 70 meters wide. Due to Kotaru’s impeccable chakra control, he can alter the size of the stream at creation and at any time thereafter. The stream can be maintained continuously for up to 7 posts; during this time, Kotaru can halt the flames and start them back up again at will.

532/1010 words
Kao's CharactersShow
Akari KotaruBanninIwagakure no Sato Team 18 Jousai [color=#1fb8a3]
Komiya ShizuoJounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#209DD3]
Yanagida Yukino Special Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#a07ac2]
Ishiwara SetsunaChuunin Iwagakure no Sato[color=#E81D1D]
Enkouten Mai Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#CE5412]
Aisu Namie Chuunin Kirigakure no Sato [color=#5bc2d4]
Awai FusaeA-Rank MNKonohagakure no Sato[color=#D95FEA]
Important NPCsShow
Akari Kanehara Akari clan elder [color=#80A0FF]
Sakata KannaIwagakure Councilwoman [color=#3DA43B]
Hazuki Shuran Jinchuuriki researcher [color=#E854C0]
Enkouten Kaizen Iwagakure councilman, clan leader [color=#C65871]
Rock Country Daimyo [color=#AC4A4A]

User avatar
Sanjuro
Posts: 3130
Joined: Fri Jul 02, 2010 8:00 pm
Location: Australia

[Plotboard]The Depths

Post by Sanjuro » Tue Jan 22, 2019 5:29 pm

The world turned into a blur of dull greys and black when Kazuo and Koji reached their top speed, darting in and around buildings and spirits, occasionally just running up and over if it seemed faster. They had to reach the entirely opposite end of the settlement and then run up at least a hundred meters of cliffside, if not more. For anyone else it would've taken at least a few minutes between all the dodging around and stopping and started. The duo was determined to get there in thirty seconds, even if they tore their muscles in the process.

'I hope this kid is as strong as his rank suggests otherwise I'm in all kinds of trouble. C'mon legs, move faster!'

As they got closer to the edge of the town, he saw several large chunks of stone falling from the cliff above and scowled, shifting his trajectory a little. A few calculations ran through his head and he whistled for Koji. The wolf responded immediately and the pair of them ran up the side of one of the buildings rather than going straight for the cave wall. As they reached the roof, they tore across it and then leapt, aiming straight at the cavern wall. It wasn't much of a boost but it was enough to give them a running start. Koji slipped for a second when they started to run entirely vertically, his chakra control not exactly the greatest in the world, but before Kazuo could even think to reapply the technique, the wolf was moving and flying past Kazuo once more.

There was a flash of bright light from the mouth of the cavern above and Kazuo swore under his breath. He had no idea what that meant but he could smell the distinct scent of fire coming from above now as well. He had seen Kotaru use Fire Style techniques before so hopefully the kid had melted the bloody thing. The next thing he heard, crashing of stone against stone and something very large or very heavy moving suggested that maybe he shouldn't be getting his hopes up.

"Almost there! Keep it busy!"

He had no idea if Kotaru would hear his shouting over the sounds of a collapsing tunnel and roaring flames, but he had to at least try and give the kid some warning they were about to bust in on the scene. He clenched his fists, wincing in pain when his fingers dug into the rapidly healing burn on his palm, and summoned the claws from his gauntlets. The plan was simple. Avoid whatever fire was up there, ram into this thing with the considerable force of both Kazuo and Koji and drive it further away from the settlement before the fight could spill back out.

He prayed it would be that simple.
Name Village Rank Color Code
Hirohito, Hideki Kirigakure Bannin #0047AB
Higurashi, Kazuo Iwagakure Special Jounin #FFC40C
Akechi, Gendo Cold Country C-Rank pink
Courtesy of SiaShow


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Kao
Posts: 8242
Joined: Fri May 21, 2010 8:00 pm

[Plotboard]The Depths

Post by Kao » Wed Jan 23, 2019 2:27 pm

Kotaru was doing much more than simply keeping the spirit busy. The centipede was doing its best to stay away from the boy's flames and escape, but he wasn't going to let it go so easily. The beast was slow, moving as though it was still trying to get its bearings in its newly regenerated body that had been commandeered from poor Obsidian Guy. The flames didn't seem to hurt the spirit much - which made sense, considering Obsidian Guy had been some kind of lava spirit - but it still desperately tried to avoid them. Whenever it gained ground or found an opening Kotaru spat the flames to keep it in the same area, trapping it within a space barely a hundred meters large. His flames were constant, never letting up as he created a fiery enclosure around the spirit.

The cornered spirit suddenly stopped and turned toward Kotaru, digging several of its back legs into the cavern wall while letting out a dangerous hiss. The jounin momentarily quenched the flames, a glance at the spirit's tensing body telegraphing what was about to happen. With a swiftness that it didn't seem to have before, the spirit lunged forward, its mandibles widening and dripping with pungent saliva. At the last second Kotaru twisted midair, flying parallel to the spirit's left side. The temershiin lashed forward and wrapped partially around one of the spirit's antennae; it was huge, too large to even wrap the tail around it once. With a grunt the boy landed on the beasts head, opened his mouth, and resumed the stream of fire. At point blank range it seemed more effective - and more painful. The spirit screamed, writhed as the flames slowly but surely melted away its tough exterior.

Just when Kotaru thought he was getting somewhere, a heavy blow hit his side and he nearly went flying off the spirit's head. An appendage that looked much like its many, many legs had sprouted from his head, seemingly to defend itself from the Akari's attack. The blow was strong enough to leave him dizzy for a moment, but he forced himself to shake it off. Taking too long to regain his senses would prove deadly. Luckily for him there was still fuel to his fire, and when two of the newly grown limbs tried to pierce him he opened his mouth, the powerful katon coming out in an even larger and fiercer stream. It was about a dozen meters wider and engulfed both appendages, incinerating them.

The young jounin spared a moment to glance down and around, silently wondering when his damn backup would arrive. All the while he kept his flames going, and once the new limbs had been burned away he turned his head and aimed for the obsidian-centipede's head. Again the beast resisted, and with a burst of speed it attempted to flee up the cave wall. Unrelenting, Kotaru followed with a powerful flap of his wings, and he redirected the katon to the walls to discourage the spirit from heading in that direction. Even though he had the spirit on the run, he noticed its movements were becoming faster, more fluid as it adjusted to its new form.

//yay training done +534 = 1066/1010

Suddenly the spirit turned and dived, giving Kotaru almost no chance to avoid it. Thinking quickly he channeled chakra to his throat and braced himself, and he and the beast collided with a resounding crack. It sent Kotaru flying backwards and down toward the colony, his body twisting as he tried to right himself midair. He shot right past Kazuo and Koji and slammed into one of the taller structures of the settlement. Through the dust his lacrishiin gleamed - parts of it cracked and chipped - and the boy slowly crawled from the debris, his gaze murderous as he glared at the spirit above.

Although his attacks didn't kill it as he had hoped, the spirit was still reeling from serious burns. Parts of its mandibles, antenna, and limbs that were unprotected by the obsidian coating were completely charred. The boy's flames still surrounded it, keeping it corralled in a relatively small area. Kotaru spread his eroshiin and took off again, undeterred. He was fast but Kazuo and Koji had a head start and would reach the still raging spirit before he would.
JutsuShow
~Basic Formation: Lacrishiin
D-Ranked Ninjutsu
Channeling chakra to their shiin, they cause it to inflate, fully forming into its full glory. Taking the form of an almost opaque armor with an appearance of glass, the lacrishiin almost completely covers the user's body. As a pseudoarmor, the lacrishiin has strength equal to the user's strength+3, while causing the user to move with -3 speed.
Kao's CharactersShow
Akari KotaruBanninIwagakure no Sato Team 18 Jousai [color=#1fb8a3]
Komiya ShizuoJounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#209DD3]
Yanagida Yukino Special Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#a07ac2]
Ishiwara SetsunaChuunin Iwagakure no Sato[color=#E81D1D]
Enkouten Mai Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#CE5412]
Aisu Namie Chuunin Kirigakure no Sato [color=#5bc2d4]
Awai FusaeA-Rank MNKonohagakure no Sato[color=#D95FEA]
Important NPCsShow
Akari Kanehara Akari clan elder [color=#80A0FF]
Sakata KannaIwagakure Councilwoman [color=#3DA43B]
Hazuki Shuran Jinchuuriki researcher [color=#E854C0]
Enkouten Kaizen Iwagakure councilman, clan leader [color=#C65871]
Rock Country Daimyo [color=#AC4A4A]

User avatar
Sanjuro
Posts: 3130
Joined: Fri Jul 02, 2010 8:00 pm
Location: Australia

[Plotboard]The Depths

Post by Sanjuro » Sun Jan 27, 2019 7:05 pm

In the fraction of a second he had between hearing the initial sickening crack and Kotaru flying out of the mouth of the cave, Kazuo tried to put on a burst of speed and reach the kid before he was sent flying. A feral snarl escaped the Special Jounin when he realized he was still just too far away and he was forced to watch as the blurred, now somewhat blue form went hurtling back into the settlement. He was close enough to see miniscule movement, enough to suggest that the kid was still alive, and that was enough reassurance for Kazuo to continue with his original plan.

Blasting up and into the cave, Kazuo gave himself all of about a second to assess the situation before he and Koji continued with their full momentum right through the lingering fire with enough speed to blow it away from them and directly into the side of the charred and reeling centipede. Kazuo reared his arm back as he ran, unleashing the claws from his gauntlets, while Koji went lower, aiming to force the giant beast's rear from swinging around to strike them.

Distracted by the searing pain of the fire and the sheer suddenness of the assault, the spirit had no chance to react to the simultaneous attacks before the duo were atop it. A high pitch screech filled the cavern as Kazuo roared right back, attempting to use the momentum from his charge and his not inconsiderable strength to drive it further down into the cavern. Koji had clamped down hard on the other end of the creature, a mouth full of stony obsidian that hurt to bite down on but was an unfortunate necessity, his forepaws grappling with the giant beast as best he could.

Everything seemed to be going according to plan, the beast forced backwards by the combined might of Koji and Kazuo, right up until there was a moment where the cracks in the obsidian where the apparent flow of lava was glowed far brighter than it should have. A rippling wave of heat covered its body like a shell and then blasted outwards. Koji howled as the heat seared the inside of his mouth, forced to let go. While Kazuo had some protection in the form of his gauntlets and the fact he was striking with the blades, he too was pushed back by the intense wave of heat.

With a hop and skip, they backpedalled until they were out of reach of the sudden and intense heat, forced to watch as the centipede coiled in on itself, rising almost like a snake rearing to attack. There in its clicking mandibles was a glowing orb of rust red coloured chakra. Kazuo's eyebrows shot up and he immediately dove for Koji, who was too busy trying to cover his maw with his paws to realize the danger they were in.

He managed to throw the wolf aside with enough force to also drag himself mostly out of the way of a giant beam of chakra that tore through the cave floor like it simply didn't exist, leaving a trench in its path where solid stone had once been.

"Oh fuck me, really!?"
Name Village Rank Color Code
Hirohito, Hideki Kirigakure Bannin #0047AB
Higurashi, Kazuo Iwagakure Special Jounin #FFC40C
Akechi, Gendo Cold Country C-Rank pink
Courtesy of SiaShow


User avatar
Kao
Posts: 8242
Joined: Fri May 21, 2010 8:00 pm

[Plotboard]The Depths

Post by Kao » Tue Jan 29, 2019 4:33 pm

Kotaru's vision blurred as he approached his full speed, focusing only on reaching the centipede spirit as fast as his wings could follow him. The boy was forced to watch as the others were forced back by a visible wave of chakra, and when it reached him he could feel the intense heat. His lacrishiin, already regenerated in the places it had been damaged, protected him for the most part, but it was further damaged by the searing heat. The centipede then reared back to release an attack that obliterated the cave floor, clicking and hissing as it continued its assault on Kazuo and Koji.

"Fun enough for you?!" Kotaru shouted, an aura of chakra beginning to surround him. "Keep it distracted!" He wasn't sure if this was going to work. Nowhere in his experience or knowledge had he ever heard someone using genjutsu on a spirit, but he was running out of options. The spirit was tough - much tougher than it had been in Khentii province - and he didn't have Mitsuo or Tatsuo to bail him out. If something happened to either Kazuo or Koji, or to the spirit colony itself, he would be the one at fault and have to deal with the consequences. That was the pressure of being a high ranking shinobi in Iwagakure; he hated the responsibility, but he hated failure even more.

As Kotaru prepared his next attack, so did the obsidian-centipede. Its previous attacks had been enough to keep Kazuo and Koji back, and it realized that. Its mandibles clicked dangerously as it reared back, but instead of only creating a ball of chakra between them two of its frontmost legs started to glow as well, and the spirit was armed with three masses of chakra. It hurled the two near its front legs, one after the other, in the direction of the man and his injured companion. All the while the orb between its mandibles continued to grow in size.
Jutsu Being PreparedShow
Spaced Out
A-Ranked Status Genjutsu
After channeling his chakra, Kotaru will make physical contact with his target to trigger the genjutsu. Once the genjutsu is activated, the target’s mind will blank, and they will find it very difficult to form complete thoughts. The target will be “out of it,” and will not respond to stimulation such as commands, non-painful physical sensations, or moderate changes in their visual field for 5 posts.
Kao's CharactersShow
Akari KotaruBanninIwagakure no Sato Team 18 Jousai [color=#1fb8a3]
Komiya ShizuoJounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#209DD3]
Yanagida Yukino Special Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#a07ac2]
Ishiwara SetsunaChuunin Iwagakure no Sato[color=#E81D1D]
Enkouten Mai Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#CE5412]
Aisu Namie Chuunin Kirigakure no Sato [color=#5bc2d4]
Awai FusaeA-Rank MNKonohagakure no Sato[color=#D95FEA]
Important NPCsShow
Akari Kanehara Akari clan elder [color=#80A0FF]
Sakata KannaIwagakure Councilwoman [color=#3DA43B]
Hazuki Shuran Jinchuuriki researcher [color=#E854C0]
Enkouten Kaizen Iwagakure councilman, clan leader [color=#C65871]
Rock Country Daimyo [color=#AC4A4A]

User avatar
Sanjuro
Posts: 3130
Joined: Fri Jul 02, 2010 8:00 pm
Location: Australia

[Plotboard]The Depths

Post by Sanjuro » Fri Feb 01, 2019 9:41 pm

"Oh yeah, fantastic! This is what I live for!" The sarcasm was palpable. He took out a few kunai and shuriken, diving out and forward, drawing the attention of the centipede away from Koji who was still nursing his scalded maw. As strong as Koji was, the wolf didn't heal anywhere near as quickly as Kazuo and couldn't take as much punishment as the man could. Right now it was on Kazuo to keep the spirit's attention away from his friend and comrade.

Leaping into the air to dodge the first blast, he pivoted and threw the first of his kunai with a considerable amount of force right at the charred and blackened points that Kotaru had managed to leave earlier. As he landed, he was forced to roll and pop back up with a handspring to avoid the second blast of whatever the strange chakra was, though it did tear a new hole straight through his left leg of his pants and graze the skin. For a moment there was no sensation, then a searing pain and heat.

Hissing, he fuelled the pain into his next throw, this one aimed right at the head and eyes of the beast. He was trying to force the beast to lose focus on the large orb of chakra it was building up. At worst, blind the thing. Whatever that chakra was, it wasn't something he felt like he could stop with a wall of stone. It chewed through whatever it touched like it didn't even exist. More kunai left his fingers, followed by a volley of the blades from his gauntlets, all in all a wave of sixteen blades were sent at every weak or vulnerable point he could see on this monster.

"Whatever you're gonna do, do it now Kota!"
TechniquesShow
[Formless Technique]
C-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
Less of an active technique and more of a passive skill. Kazuo has developed his skills with throwing weapons to the point that he can throw a kunai or shuriken as powerful and accurate from random positions as he could from a standing base. This allows him to attack at full strength whilst remaining mobile, while defending, or recovering from a fall.

[Omni Wield]
C-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
A simple discipline that allows Kazuo to utilize as many small projectiles as he can fit in his hands, throwing them all in the same motion without losing any accuracy or strength to the attacks.

[Predator's Instinct • The Beast Within]
A-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
By giving equal focus to all of his senses rather than relying primarily on his sight as most human's do, Kazuo gives himself an edge in combat. As long as his (Taijutsu + Instinct)/2 is greater than the opponents' Speed or Taijutsu Kazuo is able to predict nearly all strikes aimed at him so long as he is able to perceive them coming, whether by sight, sound or scent, and then react to them as necessary.
Name Village Rank Color Code
Hirohito, Hideki Kirigakure Bannin #0047AB
Higurashi, Kazuo Iwagakure Special Jounin #FFC40C
Akechi, Gendo Cold Country C-Rank pink
Courtesy of SiaShow


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Kao
Posts: 8242
Joined: Fri May 21, 2010 8:00 pm

[Plotboard]The Depths

Post by Kao » Fri Feb 08, 2019 7:54 pm

The beast hissed as the kunai were lodged into its head and eyes, writhing in pain and fury. But only a moment after the weapons met their target, the centipede began to glow with a rusty red light. In the blink of an eye the kunai disintegrated, and the beast turned its injured head toward the sound of Kazuo's voice. It didn't need to see the man to launch an attack, and just as the special jounin barked to Kotaru to hurry up with his plan, the obsidian centipede spirit released another wave of intense heat, this time launching in front of itself and toward Kazuo's position.

"That's Kotaru to you! Almost done!" Kotaru watched with furrowed brows, focusing on the scene below. His specialty was useful but frustratingly slow, and every time one of the others had a close call he futilely attempted to make his chakra channel faster. Finally the boy lunged, flying as fast as his wings could carry him to the spirit's back, landing lightly with his palms pressed against the creature's near searing skin. The effect wasn't immediate. There was a second or two where the spirit whirled around, aware of Kotaru's presence, with chakra rapidly gathering between its mandibles. The boy's heart jumped into his throat, and for a terrifying moment he thought he would be hit by a point-blank, disintegrating attack with no chance of dodging. But then, the spirit's chakra fizzled as if becoming unstable, then both beast and jutsu became still.

Kotaru dropped down, his eyes never leaving the obsidian centipede's head. The chakra floated in front of it, swirling slowly but otherwise not moving. The spirit hissed softly, though the sound wasn't at all threatening but instead sounded almost lethargic. It had been stopped in its tracks, and even the light lava-like substance flowing on its surface seemed to dim and slow. To Kotaru's relief the genjutsu worked. He turned, slowly, and raised his hand in a fist toward Koji and Kazuo, hoping they would understand the gesture. "Don't attack it again," he ordered with his voice low, hesitant. "I don't know how long that genjutsu will hold but it won't be for long, and if you hurt it then we're in for another fight."

Now was the tricky part. The genjutsu would surely wear off at some point, which gave the young shinobi only a brief amount of time to figure out how to deal with the monster in the least damaging manner possible. They still had the spirit colony below to consider. He dismissed the armor-like shiin and made his way toward the injured wolf as quickly as he dared, and then without asking channeled chakra to his hand and placed it over his maw. As the healing chakra did its work he asked, "Do you know anything that'll...I dunno, kill it in one shot?"
JutsuShow
*[Iijutsu • Burn Heal]
B-Ranked Ninjutsu
Prerequisite: *[Iijutsu • Burn Treatment]
Yet another step up in the ability to treat burns, *[Iijutsu • Burn Heal] is used to alleviate pain caused by burn wounds. After focusing chakra into his/her hands, the user will hover them above the burn wound. As the chakra is channeled into and around the burn, it cools the area and works to prevent harmful, scar-producing blistering in the affected area. To provide this soothing relief to large-sized areas of first degree and second degree burns it's fairly quick to do. For medium-sized areas of third degree burns, it takes one (1) post of concentration to achieve the same effects. Lastly, for small areas of fourth degree burns, it also takes one (1) post of concentration due to the very delicate nature of this type of burn.
Kao's CharactersShow
Akari KotaruBanninIwagakure no Sato Team 18 Jousai [color=#1fb8a3]
Komiya ShizuoJounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#209DD3]
Yanagida Yukino Special Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#a07ac2]
Ishiwara SetsunaChuunin Iwagakure no Sato[color=#E81D1D]
Enkouten Mai Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#CE5412]
Aisu Namie Chuunin Kirigakure no Sato [color=#5bc2d4]
Awai FusaeA-Rank MNKonohagakure no Sato[color=#D95FEA]
Important NPCsShow
Akari Kanehara Akari clan elder [color=#80A0FF]
Sakata KannaIwagakure Councilwoman [color=#3DA43B]
Hazuki Shuran Jinchuuriki researcher [color=#E854C0]
Enkouten Kaizen Iwagakure councilman, clan leader [color=#C65871]
Rock Country Daimyo [color=#AC4A4A]

User avatar
Sanjuro
Posts: 3130
Joined: Fri Jul 02, 2010 8:00 pm
Location: Australia

[Plotboard]The Depths

Post by Sanjuro » Wed Feb 13, 2019 4:09 pm

Kazuo crossed his arms in front of his face to protect it from the wave of heat that came barrelling down the narrow tunnel. He felt his forearms blister and bubble under the intense heat and bit down into his lip to avoid screaming out in pain, forced to back away once more. Apparently, the beast could still see without seeing which was… frustrating at best. There was a moment where Kazuo wondered if this was how people felt when they managed to blind him before he noticed Kotaru flying down the tunnel and touching the thing.

He was about to shout out in warning when the centipede started turning but the cry died on his lips as he saw the creature sway, side-to-side, and slow down entirely like it was drunk or something. He eyed Kota with an appreciative glance and then turned to tending his own wounds, pulling the bandage from his upper arms and wrapping them around his burnt forearms.

"One shot kill? Maybe, but they're not my speciality." Kazuo said, never looking up from his burns. Koji trotted up beside him, growling softly, his maw now healed thanks to Kota's technique. "My style is more death by a thousand cuts. I could try a single blow against its neck, but I have no idea if I'm strong enough to cut all the way through obsidian in a single instant."

Finally looking up from tending his wounds, he glanced around the cavern with a slight scowl. "If it doesn't work, we need to at least make sure this thing can't get back to the settlement. Or worse, back to the surface." Folding his hands through a set of seals, Kazuo brought fourth a large chunk of his chakra before slapping his hands to the ground. The earth rumbled for a moment before a large chunk of the tunnel floor suddenly rose up, slamming into the ceiling and blocking off the way back.

"I've got two options. One, I try and cut off its head in a single instant with my claws. Two, I know an earth release technique that is perfect for this kind of environment, it creates a whole shit ton of spikes that emerge from the walls. The problem would be if they were too weak to pierce that things hide, it'd just make it even harder to fight." Scratching at his chin, eyeing the woozy beast warily, he shrugged. "What about you? Got anything we could do in conjunction?"
TechniquesShow
*[Doton • Moving Earth Core]
B-Rank Ninjutsu
After performing the necessary hand seals, Kazuo will press his hands on any earthen ground, channelling doton chakra into it allowing them to lower or raise any 5x5 meter segment of the ground within 15 meters at a speed of 30 and strength of 10. The maximum distance the segment can be lowered or raised is 20 meters. The user must keep their palms on the ground during the course of the jutsu. If they remove their palms at any time, the jutsu will end and they will not be able to raise or lower it any further without redoing the technique.
Name Village Rank Color Code
Hirohito, Hideki Kirigakure Bannin #0047AB
Higurashi, Kazuo Iwagakure Special Jounin #FFC40C
Akechi, Gendo Cold Country C-Rank pink
Courtesy of SiaShow


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Kao
Posts: 8242
Joined: Fri May 21, 2010 8:00 pm

[Plotboard]The Depths

Post by Kao » Sat Mar 09, 2019 6:24 pm

Kotaru listened intently, noting the similarities between Kazuo and his friends. They were all physical fighters, heavy hitters with the better chance of finishing off a difficult opponent in a single blow. Kotaru, on the other hand, wasn't nearly as physically imposing. Frustrated by his own lack of physicality, the boy shook his head. "Genjutsu and katon are sorta my thing, and it looks like my katon only hurts a little. Genjutsu might be a little more effective as far as slowing it down. But without something that will kill it in one go, the best I can do is either melt its mind or cook it. Fighting giant spirits isn't exactly my forte."

With that, Kotaru flexed his wings slightly and glanced behind him. The centipede was still swaying and hissing softly, still in the same semi-conscious state. "We don't have much time, so we might as well try. I'll fly up and keep it from getting away in case you don't kill it in one blow." Just as Kotaru extended his eroshiin and took flight, the spirit's hiss deepened as it slowly turned its body toward the trio. There was no way, Kotaru thought, that the genjutsu had worn off that fast. But the centipede spirit flexed its dozens of limbs, releasing a shrill scream as the huge orb of chakra began to grow in size. The young Akari opened his mouth to scream for Kazuo and Koji to scatter, but before he could draw a breath the chakra went barreling forward at blinding speed, flying faster than any of them could truly see. It crashed into the ground inches in front of Koji's feet and sent a cloud of rock and dust flying into the air, obscuring the group's line of sight.

The earth simply vanished. The chakra created a chasm with a diameter of fifteen meters. The dust settled quickly, and as it did it would quickly become apparent that Koji was no longer standing where he had been; like the ground beneath him, he had disappeared completely. The centipede followed, escaping into the blackness of the gorge. It had happened so quickly that all Kotaru could do was look on at the scene below, staring at the spot where both Koji and the spirit had once stood.
Kao's CharactersShow
Akari KotaruBanninIwagakure no Sato Team 18 Jousai [color=#1fb8a3]
Komiya ShizuoJounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#209DD3]
Yanagida Yukino Special Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#a07ac2]
Ishiwara SetsunaChuunin Iwagakure no Sato[color=#E81D1D]
Enkouten Mai Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#CE5412]
Aisu Namie Chuunin Kirigakure no Sato [color=#5bc2d4]
Awai FusaeA-Rank MNKonohagakure no Sato[color=#D95FEA]
Important NPCsShow
Akari Kanehara Akari clan elder [color=#80A0FF]
Sakata KannaIwagakure Councilwoman [color=#3DA43B]
Hazuki Shuran Jinchuuriki researcher [color=#E854C0]
Enkouten Kaizen Iwagakure councilman, clan leader [color=#C65871]
Rock Country Daimyo [color=#AC4A4A]

User avatar
Sanjuro
Posts: 3130
Joined: Fri Jul 02, 2010 8:00 pm
Location: Australia

[Plotboard]The Depths

Post by Sanjuro » Tue Mar 19, 2019 12:37 am

"Well, I suppose we'll just have to each hit it with our hardest hitting techniques and hope that we kill the damn thing, won't we?" Even to Kazuo's ears that sounded like a dumb plan, but right now it was all they really had. He walked over to Koji and pat the wolf behind his ears, the poor bastard's snout was still recovering even with the assistance of the medical ninjutsu from Kota. "Stay here buddy, we've got this." Rolling his wrists, he looked over to Kota and nodded before stepping forward and to one side, crouching down, digging his claws and the balls of his feet into the ground, almost on all fours like an animal.

As he finally took off like a shot, time seemed to slow. His ears noticed it first, twitching in response to the subtle creaks and cracks of the shifting obsidian body moving once more. He saw it second, the way the dull flames of its eyes seemed to flare back to life, the glowing ball of chakra in its mouth growing once more.

But Kazuo was already airborne. He was coming in from an angle he had hoped to use to slice through its neck from the bottom to the top in one fell cleave. He had nothing in reach to pivot on, no way to change his trajectory. He didn't realize it wasn't even aiming for him until it was too late. Glowing yellow eyes watched as the ball of chakra vanished, trying to track it as best they could, until he saw Koji look up from nursing his wounds.

And then the world exploded.

Kazuo tumbled and crashed into the tunnel wall, feeling his pack pop and a few of his ribs crack. Slowly he picked himself up and ran back towards Kotaru and Koji, the dust and debris settling. There was Kotaru, he sighed in relief, and turned to find his companion only to find a hole where the wolf had been standing.

"No. No, no, no, no!" Kazuo broke into a sprint, reaching the edge of the hole. The beast was gone, but so was his partner. His best friend. "No, come on, Koji! Koji! Howl buddy! KOJI!" Kazuo called down into the pit, praying to hear some kind of a response, anything to let him know Koji was still there, still alive.

Nothing returned.

Yellow eyes flared to a bright, searing red and Kazuo screamed once more. This one gut-wrenching, blood-curdling, filled with pain, fear, but above all else, fury.
Name Village Rank Color Code
Hirohito, Hideki Kirigakure Bannin #0047AB
Higurashi, Kazuo Iwagakure Special Jounin #FFC40C
Akechi, Gendo Cold Country C-Rank pink
Courtesy of SiaShow


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