A Misty Comrade...

Ree + Izanagi

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Ree
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A Misty Comrade...

Post by Ree » Sun Jun 28, 2020 10:42 pm

Following a training session and spar with a fellow Fukusha, Kumori had been doing a lot of introspective thinking and planning for moving forward with his shinobi career. It had dawned upon him that, to progress any further, he may need to step outside of his comfort zone. This included keeping his training solo, or within his clan. If he truly wanted to excel and become the best warrior that he could be, he would need to swallow his pride and search for external motivating factors. The young Fukusha often isolated, and to keep his mind out of the past, he had focused on becoming a better and stronger shinobi. He felt as though he was hitting a wall, after all he had only really learned to harness his chakra since being annexed into Iwagakure. If Kumori was to truly learn and involve, he would need to expand his horizons. He could no longer let his disdain for the village get in the way of his growth. Still, this was no easy task for him. He had deep rooted emotional trauma stemming from the attack on his clan during their nomadic era. He was still young, and as mature as he may be for his age, he had a lot to learn. The boy was unaware of how exactly to approach the dilemma he found himself in. Kumori didn't trust very easily, if at all. He had had some experiences with other shinobi within the village that slightly opened his mind, but he was still very much stuck in his ways. He would do anything to become stronger, even if that meant finding someone outside of his clan to motivate him.

Having pondered this sentiment the last few days, Kumori awoke early one morning intent on bringing his thoughts into reality. He wasn't sure if we was at the point where he would actively seek out a mentor of some sort, no, definitely not. He was willing, however, to pay more close attention to the other shinobi around him. Having not had any night terrors for the few previous nights, he woke up feeling especially motivated. After a quick morning workout consisting mainly of calisthenics, the young Fukusha consumed a moderate breakfast before shedding his night clothes, and gearing up in his normal attire, consisting mainly of dark colors. Strapping on his weapon pouches, Kumori took one good look in the mirror and told himself he would learn something new today. Whether it be from observing others train, or whatever he felt would be necessary. The self talk was good and fine, but it was actually acting on his plans that would be the deciding factor for the day. He was going to step out of his comfort zone no matter what.
As Kumori trudged through the busy village, he thought about where he might find some top tier shinobi training. His plan was mainly to observe, maybe practice a few jutsu. Nothing out of the usual for him, he had trained in close proximity of others multiple times, but always kept to himself and was left alone, which he appreciated. He wasn't quite sure what he was looking for, but he felt strangely optimistic, which wasn't like him. Maybe it was the fact that he hadn't been waking up drowning in his own sweat from the recurring nightmares he was often afflicted by, but whatever it was, he wasn't going to question it. After going over the several options of training grounds, he ranked them in his mind from least to most busy. He often did this ranking before deciding where to train, settling on wherever he felt he'd have the most privacy. Certainly, he would not choose the most heavily occupied training ground either. He didn't want to stick out too much, as he planned on somewhat spying on more proficient shinobi for ideas where he could improve. There were several above ground, those tended to be the most packed in his experience. He could go back to the Narusawa caves, he knew for a fact he could find some experienced shinobi there. However, the most formidable training ground was exclusive to Jounin level shinobi, which he was nowhere close. The more he thought about the ranking system, the more he realized he had so much work to do. Crossing that location off the list, he walked around the village for a bit, visiting some of the surface level training grounds.

As he anticipated, the surface level training grounds appeared quite crowded. Kumori was forcing himself out of his comfort zone, but that was just a little too uncomfortable for him. Still, he observed for a few minutes as multiple groups of shinobi sparred and practiced jutsu all over the place. It was a lot too process, and he was having trouble focusing on any one group. With this, he continued his walk and decided it might be time to check out some of the underground training areas.

Making his way below surface level, Kumori immediately noticed a different energy in the air. It was a bit more quiet, more focused down here. The air felt different too. He wasn't quite sure how to describe it, but it felt good in his lungs. It was refreshing. Also, it was noticeably less crowded. Still, the large village always had some form of traffic and activity, but it was just slightly less overwhelming than the packed out surface level areas. Kumori, making his way through the underground layers of Iwa, made sure to note his surroundings and the people around him. There were people of all shapes and sizes, of varying age groups. There were some Genin sparring here and there, and some elder shinobi instructing the youth in small groups. Still quite a bit of people, but much more leeway down here. Pacing around, observing those around him, nothing particularly stood out to him quite yet. He decided that maybe he should just start out doing his own thing, and maybe something more interesting would present itself. Kumori entered a medium sized training ground where people were decently spread out. Some were training alone, and this made him feel better. He hated feeling like all eyes were on him, though more often than not, this was usually in his head. He wasn't quite sure what he should work on, as he hadn't planned that much out. He stumbled across a three unoccupied wooden dummies, and decided he would warm up with some Taijutsu.

Entering the walking stance of his Flames of Hatred style, he stood with his feet in an L shape, swaying back and forth, casually throwing some strikes at the dummies. For some reason, he simply wasn't that into it. He wasn't there to do what he could've done in the comfort of his own clan's compound. Sighing, he leaned on one of the dummies and resumed observing those around him. Watching some young and obviously inexperienced shinobi trade some blows before an older shinobi, he wondered if he looked that raw an untalented. That didn't matter to him much, he felt as though he was an above part combatant. But that was why he was here, to gauge his skills and possibly learn a thing or two from watching others. He had yet to see anyone use a particularly flashy jutsu, but he continued scanning the battlefield, propped up against the wooden target.

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Izanagi
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A Misty Comrade...

Post by Izanagi » Mon Jun 29, 2020 12:29 am

Shinjiro had been in Iwagakure for a few days now, though the first two had been spent cooped up for the most part as his travel companion recovered. Yesterday he had fortunately received a mission from one of the villages Bannin and been given a week to prepare and train any last minute jutsu. He had been given access to all of the village's training grounds and he intended on taking advantage of that as much as possible. His first day of training had largely consisted of seeking out the grittiest underground fighting rings, taking on multiple opponents in hand to hand combat though that had mostly been to help him loosen up after not being able to spar for a couple days, unusual for someone of his relentless upbringing.

Now he intended to really develop his skills, determining the types of techniques he lacked and may require for the S-ranked mission he was about to embark on. The 16-year-old member of the Karagata family had spent his life dedicated to Taijutsu, neglecting most other aspects of shinobi training and now as a Jounin, he was strong enough to hold his own against even Bannin in hand to hand and especially when wielding a sword. But if he were to kill the worlds best swordsman, he would need to give himself a greater edge. Sure, having been raised as an assassin he had an array of secret talents and tactics up his sleeve but the compound he was to infiltrate was especially well defended. It would take too long and not benefit him much to dedicate time to developing ninjutsu to assist him, especially when one of his partners was a master of the arts, but Genjutsu, that was something the could utilize if he set his mind to it. His mind was particularly strong, he had been trained to resist genjutsu extensively and understood the workings of it. He was sure that over the next 6 days he could elevate what he knew to a usable level. And moreover, he could likely combine it well with Malevolence, the single arrow that he had sheathed at his left hip, tip pointed outward.

Given that he didn’t want to exhaust himself it was crucial to find a training ground with as few people as possible and since he was already somewhat familiar with the underground layout he decided to start there. By his third training ground that he visited however he had grown somewhat impatient, it seemed he wasn’t going to find anything too exclusive, not without at least finding a partner to train with so that he could rent out one of the personal training areas he had found the other day. And so, as he entered the moderate sized training area, disappointingly filled mostly with lower ranked shinobi if there poor taijutsu forms and slow movements were indication, he simply stood near the entrance. “Hey, do any of you want to do some real training? I don’t care what rank you are, so long as you have good fighting spirit!” he called out, sounding almost bored at the idea of settling with anyone here. Regardless he would make sure not to kill or maim anyone, this was Iwa after all, as much as they liked to think they were tough he was quickly learning that there was no comparison to the brutality and strength of Kirigakure.

Natsuki Takeo - 17th Hokage, former Anbu Commander [DEAD]
Karagata Shinjiro - Kiri Bannin; Jinchuuriki, Overseer of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, Kintsugi
Haziwara Youji- Iwagakure Chunin
Takeda Ichiro - A-Rank Waterfall Country; Black Wake, Chishiki, Setsuzoku
Hyuuga Takeshi - Konoha Special Jounin; Anbu
Jouchaku Shigeko - Kiri Genin; HHD

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Ree
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A Misty Comrade...

Post by Ree » Mon Jun 29, 2020 6:31 pm

Still standing closer to the middle of the training grounds leaning up against a training dummy, Kumori was growing impatient. He was still set on his goal for the day, and this area seemed to have the perfect amount of people, no one had particularly caught his eye just yet. Maybe he should continue scoping out other grounds. Feeling slightly discouraged now, he sighed and returned to his normal posture. Heading back towards the entrance of the training ground, someone finally caught his eye. Honestly, he had never quite seen anyone like this. It was a boy in a strange attire, or a man, he couldn't be too sure. He wore a strange outfit that he had yet to see anyone else in Iwagakure wear. The mystery man was also very well equipped, boasting several weapons on his person. The boy, or man, wore a sort of camouflage garment. The hood attached to his upper garment was lowered, but he had a face mask over the lower half of his face. His attire alone was enough for him to stand out quite a bit, but the way he addressed the rest of the people in the vicinity brought even more attention to him. Kumori wasn't sure what to make of it. He looked about the same size, height wise, give or take a few inches, as Kumori himself, though he looked a bit more physically fit under the fatigue like garments he wore, though he couldn't be sure. The male definitely stood out from everyone else within the vicinity, that much Kumori was sure of. Maybe this was exactly who he was looking for. Still, ever the skeptic, Kumori would have to observe just a bit more. The mystery person's words were what really caught the young Fukusha's attention.

"Hey, do any of you want to do some real training? I don’t care what rank you are, so long as you have good fighting spirit!" The man's tone was somewhat harsh, sounding unimpressed. Kumori wasn't sure how long exactly he had been standing here, but his loud call out seemed to take the same tone as his very own thoughts. He too was slightly disappointed and unimpressed with those around him, as he had not come there to see people of equal or lesser than his own skill. Kumori was conflicted, as he wasn't sure who this person was, or what his challenge would entail. His voice had an almost boyish sound to it, as someone not quite a man, but hardened in it's own right. The person was bold calling out an entire training ground, so he must be very confident in his own skills, that, or just stupid. Nevertheless, he had Kumori's attention. Some heads turned at the man's call, but it seemed no one had been as interested as Kumori, who eyed the man heavily from about fifteen meters away. The lower ranked shinobi in the immediate area just ignored the stranger and continued on with what they were doing. Some of the elder looking shinobi overseeing the younger one's training shots looks of venom at the man, as if he was dismissing the validity of their training sessions. Still, no one responded to the man, even the others who had been training alone. Either their ego's were too sensitive to dignify the stranger's words, or they were actually very focused on their own tasks. Kumori, on the other hand, was somewhere in the middle. As he had already began walking towards the entrance, where the masked shinobi stood, seemingly awaiting a response, he continued his gait to try and get a closer look.

As he drew closer to the man in camouflage, he got a closer look at the weaponry on his person and a more detailed look at his clothing. All that was visible was the upper portion of his face, which gave no details away, as his expression was hidden. Even so, his tone seemed to say all he could be feeling. Still skeptical, Kumori slowly approached, trying not to appear as though his entire focus was on the man. His heart rate increased ever so slightly, as he wasn't sure what to do. Would he fold and walk passed the man, or swallow his pride as intended and seek out some form of training with a third party? The stranger's call out had immediately gotten Kumori's attention, but his confidence in this, and his very different attire had kept it. As he drew closer the mystery man, who couldn't have been much older than Kumori himself, he felt discouraged as he assumed his age. However, something very specific grabbed his attention and completely sealed the deal.

On the man's left shoulder, tied around it tightly, was a forehead protector. Upon the forehead protector was not the symbol that represented Iwagakure. Kumori did not have an extensive knowledge of the other great nations, but if remembered correctly, the symbol carved into this boy's forehead protector was the insignia of the Mist, Kirigakure. Kumori's eyes widened slightly, out of curiosity more than anything. What was a shinobi from a different country doing here, here specifically? The young Fukusha was certainly not a proponent of fate, but this seemed all too strange. He was always very skeptical of his own village, and he should probably be more off put by a foreign country. Whoever the man was, if he sought to cause chaos or attack Iwa, then there was no way he would have made it this far into the village, that much he was certain of. Still, in the back of his mind, Kumori wondered after the knowledge he had of what his own village was capable and willing to do, what were the other nations like? Honestly, if the boy had the Iwagakure insignia engraved in that forehead protector, Kumori might have just walked by, though he wasn't sure. The foreigner's charisma was enough to gain his attention, but the foreign emblem certainly influenced Kumori's decision.

Unsure what exactly to say, he let it be known now that his full attention was on the stranger. Kumori wasn't exactly sure what exactly he was going to do or how to respond to the man, but he didn't want to seem desperate. He also did not want to insult the stranger. Pausing about fifteen feet from the camouflaged Kiri shinobi, Kumori took a quick glance around the training field. Surely, if he was in danger and incapable of defending himself, there were plenty of bystanders around. Still, everyone else had resumed their own training regimens, leaving Kumori face to face with a strange shinobi from a nation he had never encountered. This only drew out his curiosity even more, and Kumori decided he would take the stranger up on his offer. If he was truly Kumori's own age and rank, he would simply do what all the others in the vicinity were too self consumed to do, and that was show what Iwagakure was capable of. No, he would show what the Fukusha were capable. On the off chance that the boy was some kind of prodigy from the mist, then Kumori was excited to learn a thing or two about what the village was all about. His mention of rank made him more of an enigma, so Kumori decided to answer. Standing before the Kirigakure shinobi, Kumori responded. "And what does real training entail exactly?"

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Izanagi
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A Misty Comrade...

Post by Izanagi » Mon Jun 29, 2020 10:22 pm

Shinjiro scanned the room, meeting the eyes of anyone who gave him a foul look. His bright green eyes stared back, unwavering, fueled with intense predatory dominance. It was enough that even the higher-ranked shinobi, Chunin and Special Jounin most likely, turned away after a moment or two and went back to their instructing. Despite his relative youth, there was an unmistakable aura of power and confidence that radiated from the teenager. He had opted to wear his camouflage pattern clothing, his more recent outfit had been sent to get cleaned, after being completely soaked in blood and sweat, mostly from his journey to Rock Country, though even in Iwagakure he had already assisted in killing one person. Death seemed to follow the man; it was his specialty after all. His entire purpose in being in Iwagakure was because of his revered skills as an assassin.

Perhaps some of the Iwagakure shinobi had already heard of his skills and certainly higher ranked shinobi would be aware of his presence. As far as he knew he and his travel companion, the Blood Witch; Maido, were the first Kirigakure shinobi to ever enter Iwagakure, though perhaps there had been an occasion before though certainly not for many generations. Regardless he was used to being the center of attention, back home he was a celebrity, one of the hidden mists most famous and revered shinobi though he rarely interacted with the public. Aside from a handful of acquaintances that offered a sliver of normalcy, Shinji’s life was spent training, honing himself into the perfect warrior and assassin. Even by Kirigakure’s harsh standards, his training had been particularly brutal.

The young swordsman huffed lightly in annoyance as it seemed his efforts in finding a training partner here might be futile. But then there was one young man that caught his eye, he could tell he was interested in the offer but was pretending not to be and likewise Shinji assessed the potential prospect. ‘Chunin at best’ he determined by assessing his build and the level of confidence and the way he moved. But there was something about him, something that indicated he had potential, he was wary and composed and seemed to have an air of natural talent about him, if a little lazy perhaps. The young man spoke, though he seemed about the same age and height as Shinji though notably less muscular. “I’m looking to practice my genjutsu, though you can feel free to attack me however you want. It won’t make a difference. If you’re not completely hopeless I might give you some Taijutsu tips” he stated simply, his voice was even but purposeful and despite some level of indifference the way he carried himself certainly backed his confidence. Turning he began heading for the exit, “Come on, I know somewhere more isolated, I’d rather not use more chakra than I have to” he explained simply. The young man didn’t have a particularly large chakra pool despite the powerful spirit sealed within him adding to his reserves. Whatever chakra he used, he wanted to ensure it was spent wisely. He wouldn’t slow his casual walking pace, nor turn to see if Kumori was following him, he could feel him and smell him. Leading the Genin through the tunnels he would head toward one of the reserved areas, near where he had trained with a Jounin the previous day.

Natsuki Takeo - 17th Hokage, former Anbu Commander [DEAD]
Karagata Shinjiro - Kiri Bannin; Jinchuuriki, Overseer of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, Kintsugi
Haziwara Youji- Iwagakure Chunin
Takeda Ichiro - A-Rank Waterfall Country; Black Wake, Chishiki, Setsuzoku
Hyuuga Takeshi - Konoha Special Jounin; Anbu
Jouchaku Shigeko - Kiri Genin; HHD

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A Misty Comrade...

Post by Ree » Mon Jun 29, 2020 11:25 pm

As Fukusha Kumori approached the mystery Kirigakure shinobi, part of him deep down was having second thoughts. The young Iwagakure Genin was the first to admit when he bit off more than he could chew, but then again, that is exactly what he was looking for. And he would not shy away from a challenge, though at this point, these were just random thoughts. He still had no clue who this person was, why he was there, or what his intentions were. He was obviously looking for a challenge, and simply by his demeanor, Kumori was unsure if he was exactly the challenge Shinji was looking for, but he was always down for a fight and even more desperate to learn more about everything. Immediately, the Kirigakure shinobi seemed completely unphased by Kumori's approach. Never intimidated, if anything, his response drew Kumori's curiosity even more.

I’m looking to practice my genjutsu, though you can feel free to attack me however you want. It won’t make a difference. If you’re not completely hopeless I might give you some Taijutsu tips.” As far as the shinobi arts went, Genjutsu was probably what Kumori was the least versed in. In fact, Kumori wasn't sure if he knew even more than a single Genjutsu, let alone the deeper complexities they entailed. Quickly going over everything he knew about Genjutsu, Kumori wasn't positive what he was walking into. Was this a set up? Was he about to face someone on an equal playing field as him, with an extremely limited arsenal of Genjutsu? Or was he dealing with something a bit more dangerous, possibly someone skilled in everything but as simply looking to sharpen up their Genjutsu skills? Either way, Kumori was already too far into this to suddenly back down, that wasn't in his nature. Though, he wasn't ignorant and definitely not stupid to the fact that he may be outmatched. He really had no idea what he was getting into, but he was setting out looking for a challenge and a learning experience, and what more could he have asked for then a foreign shinobi offering him a combat scenario with him? Besides, it was the ending sentiment that really drew the young Fukusha in. If he wasn't entirely hopeless he would give him some Taijutsu tips? Beyond Kumori himself favoring Ninjutsu, he was specifically brought up in the art of Taijutsu. Even so, he didn't know much beyond the Fukusha's exclusive style, and even then, he still had quite a bit to learn.

It hadn't completely dawned on Kumori how little he knew until this moment right now. He had been pondering this for the past few days, and that was exactly why he had set out to find someone outside of his own familial circle to show him a thing or two. At least when dealing with Iwagakure shinobi, he had an idea of what exactly he was walking into for the most part. The fact he had no preconceived notions about this individual sort of worried him, but also excited him at the same time. In fact, he was relieved that he was dealing with an outside presence. This wiped the slate clean of his internal issues and inner feelings about the village to which he belonged. He was also intrigued by the notion he might learn some Taijutsu tips from a shinobi of a different origin. Though a part of him was concerned, he could not pass up this seemingly once in a lifetime opportunity, regardless of if this was a lower ranking Kirigakure shinobi or not. His charisma and confidence said otherwise, but Kumori would rule nothing out.

Come on, I know somewhere more isolated, I’d rather not use more chakra than I have to." Again, extremely vague and particularly concerning. Was this shinobi incapable of amassing a sufficient pool of chakra? What did that mean? Kumori brushed his concerns to the side, and decided once and for all that he would go through with this particularly strange challenge. This isolation idea both comforted and ruled out his previous relief of having his own compatriots surrounding him, as he had no idea what this boy had in mind. Still he found comfort in the idea that there may not be an audience if things got...weird. Though he had doubts in his own mind, the shinobi of Kirigakure obviously had his mind set, turning and leaving the training ground without turning back to see if the Fukusha Genin was following him. Without another word, Kumori matched his pace, following him carefully from a slight distance, unaware of what was to come next.

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Izanagi
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A Misty Comrade...

Post by Izanagi » Sun Jul 12, 2020 9:17 pm

Shinjiro smiled softly as he heard the Iwagakure Genin follow behind him. He wasn’t a particularly sadistic person and couldn’t say that he made a habit of going out of his way to torment others though he was known for being a rather harsh and difficult sparring partner. Such was inevitable when one was trained by elite shinobi and held to a ridiculously high standard even among the most brutal of the shinobi villages, quickly rising in fame and talent until he had practically become a legend and one of Kirigakure’s most revered shinobi despite only being 16 years old.

After about 10 minutes of walking in silence, they arrived at the private training rooms, a simple stone cubed room about 20x20x20 meters. There was ample room for most taijutsu and lower to moderate leveled ninjutsu and the walls were thick and well reinforced. Aside from that there was nothing to use to gain an advantage, much like the room in Shinji’s own home only his was larger and nearly completely dark whereas this one had small fuuinjutsu powered lights at each corner, illuminating the room fairly well and only allowing for a few faint shadows. “Well then, let’s get started” he said, his sinister smirk nearly audible in the inflection of his voice as he moved to block the only exit that was a narrow corridor behind a thick door that he closed tight. Suddenly the fit young Jounin began to glow with an eerie green chakra around his body, a new technique he had been honing in secret and due to his changed chakra coloration as a Jinchuuriki it was difficult to distinguish from his actual chakra cloak. Not caring what his opponent did or said he would seem to stay still and before Kumori could even perceive his movement his wrist would be grabbed and he would be pulled down into the ground, staring up at an afterimage of Shinji still standing at the door even as the real version drove his knee into the Genins back, though he felt back his strength quite well, only applying about 10 strength despite having moved at about 35 Speed.

While he maintained contact with Kumori’s wrist and back however the real technique would begin. The Genin would see the afterimage turn and drag a perfect likeness of Kumori, slamming him on the ground in the same manner, drawing a knife and stabbing the illusionary version of Kumori several times in the back as the Genin would hear his own mimicked voice cry out in pain and attempt to crawl toward him as blood appeared to pool and spread toward him, “…Help me!” it pleaded out to him, so close he could practical reach the other version of himself and then illusion would show Shinji prop Kumori up and draw the knife against his throat, “Run!” the alternate Kumori would plead as his face shifted from one of despair to acceptance and the blade slit his throat wide open, gushing with blood.
Jutsu UsedShow
Blurred Movement
S-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite: 25 Speed
Having honed his body to operating at high speeds Shinjiro has developed the ability to blur his movements at will making his fine movements more difficult to determine. If his opponent doesn’t have a perception/motion tracking technique of equal or greater rank then Shinjiro’s actual movements will be invisible to the eye, leaving only an afterimage of himself in his wake that will persist for a full post before fading.

Jutsu Trained:

500/400 Words trained.

[Genjutsu • Demonic Illusion]
C-Ranked Illusion Genjutsu
This is a genjutsu technique that causes its target to see horrifying visions. Shinji will channel chakra and make contact with the opponent causing them to see an illusion at the discretion of the user. However, they can only make a stationary image, or a visual loop, that is unless the user maintains contact with the target allowing him to strengthen the potency of the illusion and control it so long as contact remains, if broken it will revert to a simple loop or stationary image. This illusion may only last up to 4 posts, or until the user ends the jutsu themselves. As a note, these only effects sight in vivid detail and sound in a minor way such as voices but not anything truly overwhelming or deafening.

Natsuki Takeo - 17th Hokage, former Anbu Commander [DEAD]
Karagata Shinjiro - Kiri Bannin; Jinchuuriki, Overseer of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, Kintsugi
Haziwara Youji- Iwagakure Chunin
Takeda Ichiro - A-Rank Waterfall Country; Black Wake, Chishiki, Setsuzoku
Hyuuga Takeshi - Konoha Special Jounin; Anbu
Jouchaku Shigeko - Kiri Genin; HHD

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Ree
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A Misty Comrade...

Post by Ree » Sun Oct 04, 2020 10:09 pm

As Kumori followed Shinjiro, his mind raced a mile a minute. He really had no idea what he was walking into. To add to the suspense, he was following a seemingly high ranking shinobi from an entirely different village who was looking to practice techniques Kumori had no real combat experience with. The young Fukusha was not scared, but he was a bit anxious as they walked in silence for what seemed like forever. As they arrived to a more private training room, Kumori observed the very simple surroundings. After his brief scan of the room, the mysterious shinobi before him moved to block the exit, a sinister smirk dancing across his mouth. Announcing the commencement of the spar, the Kiri shinobi began to glow with a green colored chakra. Suddenly, Kumori felt very worried, a fight or flight response being triggered in his brain.

The Kiri Jounin seemed to stand perfectly still, and before the Fukusha Genin could even react, Shinji was upon him. Impossible... Kumori was still staring at what was an afterimage of Shinji when he was pulled to the ground at a blinding speed. This shinobi was fast, the fastest Kumori had ever personally encountered. Kumori felt a sharp pain as the Jounin drove his knee into his back. The force was considerable, but it was clear the high caliber shinobi was holding back. If he moved that fast, there was no way he put all of his force into the strike. Still, Kumori was stunned by the assault that took place in the blink of an eye. Kumori's wrist was still being held as he was pinned to the ground, still he looked up at the afterimage of Shinji. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Shinji was dragging Kumori before his own eyes, taking him down the same way he had just experienced. Kumori mind was scrambled, he had no idea what was going on. Was this all some kind of dream? A new form of night terror that had slipped into his subconsciousness?

Kumori watched in horror as he watched Shinji's afterimage stab him in the back several times. The post traumatic stress Kumori had acquired from the attack on his clan kicked into high gear. He felt the same feeling of helplessness he had felt when he watched his mother and father murdered before his eyes. This was eerily similar, and yet even more horrifying. The boy listened as he heard his own voice calling out for help, as his own image crawled toward him in a puddle of blood. Shinji's afterimage stood over Kumori's bloody body and propped him up. As the doppelganger told Kumori to run, he felt his own blood drain as the Jounin bent over and slit his throat, blood gushing all over the floor. Kumori was in complete shock, unable to discern what was reality. He was frozen as the real Shinji still had him pinned to the ground.

The young Fukusha was totally horrified. He was confused, staring at his own murder scene. Kumori felt Shinji's weight on him still, he knew this wasn't real. Was it? Was this Genjutsu. Forcing his eyes shut, Kumori used all his strength to try to stand up, the Jounin's weight bearing down on him. If he could just give himself the slightest bit or leverage, he might be able to wiggle out and act on the fight or flight response pulsing through his body.

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Izanagi
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A Misty Comrade...

Post by Izanagi » Sat Feb 13, 2021 7:58 pm

Shinjiro held the Genin with cold indifference, perhaps only mildly curious what kind of resolve the boy had. He knew shinobi from other villages at Kumori’s age tended to be rather weak minded and inexperienced though he had been led to believe Iwa shinobi were a more hardened sort, raised in a stricter military society than other villages. Yet, despite that he doubted they experienced the kind of brutality and infighting that was commonplace in Kiri. Back home, especially with the traditions of the bloody mist resurfacing, every Genin had experienced death, had been forced to kill another and seen their friends die before them. Many were left mentally broken or damaged to some extent as a result, this created many eccentric and disturbed individuals and Shinji was no exception to being shaped into something not quite human as a result of his extensive trauma. “What does your life mean to you?” he wondered aloud. “Would anyone care if you went missing?” he questioned. Truly, it would make no difference at all to him if he decided to kill Kumori. He was confident he could get away with it, he had already murdered one Iwa shinobi in a training room much like this, not more than a week ago.

The teenage assassin pressed the tip of his kunai into Kumori’s back. He hadn’t applied any of his poisons to this particular blade but that wouldn’t make any difference, the Genin was completely at his mercy or lack thereof. “You want to be strong, don’t you?” he stated, stabbing him no more than an inch deep into the muscle of his mid back, being sure to not penetrate deep enough to pierce any organs or sever bone. Just enough to hurt and break the genjutsu that was inflicted upon him. “To assert your will and dominance onto others?” he continued, stabbing him again on the opposite side of his back, again shallow, enough to bleed and hurt but not do any life-threatening or debilitating damage. “Do you have the resolve to embrace pain?” he wondered, enunciating the last word with another shallow stab, this one to the right side of his hip, “Accept your fear?” he wondered, twisting his arm harder and shoving him to the ground again as he tried to resist. Once again Shinji’s body began to glow green as he focused his chakra, gathering much more this time as he prepared for a much stronger genjutsu, one that would probe deep into the boy’s mind as reveal to Shinji everything that haunted his mind. “Do you have what it takes to remove your weaknesses?” he questioned, bringing the kunai to his throat, exactly the same as in the vision he had been shown. A precognition of his death. This time as he drew the blade against his neck, the genjutsu would activate. The cut would once again be shallow, enough to bleed but not sever any essential veins or arteries. But Kumori would not be able to see himself, only feel the blood flowing down his neck, the pain spreading throughout his back and soon be plagued by the sounds and visions of the deepest fears that plagued his mind. Likely it would be his family killed before him all over again, him once again being too weak to save them but this time it seemed he might join them in their death.

Shinjiro would and hear see everything Kumori did as he probed the boys mind to extract his fears and manipulate them against him. Where a normal person might feel sympathy towards the Genin for his trauma and the tragedy of his recent past Shinjiro saw only fresh wounds that could be exploited. Much in the way an enemy shinobi could and would use these weaknesses against him. The young assassin of the mist village was only slightly older than Kumori though had been trained and tortured in a similar way since he was a young child, broken and pieced back together again time and time again. Now, his empathy was barely existent, only being able to connect with those that had endured similarly to himself. Everyone else was simply weak, their lives to that point existing based off nothing but chance that they had survived as long as they had, lives that had no value and could be snuffed out on a whim. With this technique he could at last understand the pain of others and assess their potential as a shinobi, creating new fears and inflicting his own suffering if they had been unfortunate enough to not have the opportunity to become strong before that. “Do you want to die? Do you want to join them?” he questioned in a low, cold tone. He released the boy’s arm and grabbed him by the hair instead. He even released some pressure off his back. He would be given a real chance to cast jutsu or fight back if he had it in him though Shinji still held his hair roughly and gripped the kunai, the tip pointed close to his bleeding neck. If he didn’t have any reason for living, any fight or drive to become strong and continue the life of a shinobi, then it would be a mercy to kill him now and allow him to join his family. Shinjiro wasn’t often considerate of others though he was kind enough to be a tool to end someone’s suffering should that person have no place left in the world.
Jutsu TrainedShow
957/400 Words

[Genjutsu • Visions of Fear]
A-Ranked Warp Genjutsu
After chanelling chakra the user will cut their target in order to initiate this technique; the target will then begin to see things. This allows the user to tap into the target’s consciousness and find their fears and make them seem real. They may begin to see and hear animals, people, things, and/or events that they are terribly afraid of. The user can also manipulate these fears to become more pronounced and combine them together as they see fit. This genjutsu will last for 4 posts.

Natsuki Takeo - 17th Hokage, former Anbu Commander [DEAD]
Karagata Shinjiro - Kiri Bannin; Jinchuuriki, Overseer of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, Kintsugi
Haziwara Youji- Iwagakure Chunin
Takeda Ichiro - A-Rank Waterfall Country; Black Wake, Chishiki, Setsuzoku
Hyuuga Takeshi - Konoha Special Jounin; Anbu
Jouchaku Shigeko - Kiri Genin; HHD

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Ree
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Joined: Sun Sep 29, 2019 11:57 am

A Misty Comrade...

Post by Ree » Sat Feb 13, 2021 10:15 pm

What does your life mean to you? The words seemed to echo in the Genin's mind. This was no training session, it seemed that his life was now on the line. Kumori was in extreme danger, there was no doubt in his mind. It was true, the boy never informed his clansmen when he set out to train. Nobody knew where he was, he could vanish and the only one who might notice would be his uncle. Adrenaline was coursing through his veins, so much so he barely felt Shinjiro's kunai piercing into his flesh. In the blink of an eye, the wound caused Genjutsu to cease and Kumori was no longer watching a vision of himself being slaughtered. This time it was very close to becoming reality. The entire time, the Kirigakure shinobi was taunting him, narrating his demise...or was he? Could this be a test? Was he pushing Kumori past his limit to establish a new peak? The young Fukusha had not been in this much danger since that fateful day his clan's camp was ambushed. The difference was this time he was no longer an innocent child, a helpless bystander. He listened to Shinji's words as the man exerted his will over Kumori. It was the most brutal form of encouragement to ever exist. He was questioning Kumori's desire to become stronger, seemingly dangling the opportunity in front of him. Is this what Kirigakure was like? Kumori had spent the last few years of his life loathing Iwagakure, but it seemed the entire shinobi world was like this. In his mind he had but two choices; adapt or fold under pressure, losing his life.

This was not the end. Not like this. If the young Fukusha was to meet his demise today, he wouldn't go out without a fight. Mind racing, blood pumping, he considered every possibility, frantically hoping for an opening. If Shinji wanted to kill him, he would be dead already. Wishful thinking on Kumori's part, as he wouldn't put playing with his food past this deranged killer. Kumori hung on to every word the Kirigakure shinobi was speaking. It was true, Kumori longed for power. He desired to be the one in Shinji's position, life in the palm of his hand. He wanted to inflict his pain on the world. A sharp pain danced across his back as the Jounin punctured him yet again. Do you have the resolve to embrace the pain? Kumori's resistance was met with his arm being twisted and forced back down to the ground. Another stab wound, this time closer to his hip. It was strange...Kumori had never felt this before. His life was at risk, but he felt his fear being replaced by thrill. He had never felt so...alive.

Blade to his throat, drawing the slightest amount of blood, he knew his window was closing. As his flesh was opened yet again, more tormenting visions and sound assaulted his senses. Blood dripped down his neck, pain shot all across his body from the various wounds and incisions inflicted on him. He heard screams, he saw his parents being slaughtered. This didn't bother him as much as it would have a few months ago. Kumori had spent his entire life revisiting these moments. Of course now it felt very much real, as though he was legitimately reliving it. Still, it was exhilarating. The boy was struggling, no doubt about it, but he also felt a form of clarity wash over him. Shinji's cold voice questioned Kumori's will to live. Would he join his parents? No, their deaths would not be in vain. Suddenly, the Jounin released his arm and grabbed him by his hair instead, relieving some of the pressure from his knee in Kumori's spine. This was it. If he was going to make it out of this alive, now was his chance. With the kunai poking into his neck, Kumori's eyes flashed a purple hue as his Shogo-zumi activated instinctively. The screams of his family echoing in his ears, giving him all the motivation he needed. Not that the boost in speed his Doujutsu afforded him would be much help in this scenario, every little bit of gas in the tank would help.

As fast as he could, Kumori quickly strung together some hand seals, as he was granted a bit of leverage from being held by his hair. It was a long shot, but it was now or never to give himself a fighting chance. Had the hand seals been successfully woven, a clone of Kumori would appear. This time, the clone of the Fukusha would be of his own accord, made entirely of Katon chakra. As soon as the clone was manifested, about 2.5 meters in front of the tandem, it would perform a jutsu of it's own. Kumori would not be able to escape the crossfire should Shinjiro maintain his grip. Do you have the resolve to embrace the pain? The sentiment echoed in his mind again as his plan came to fruition. The clone would spew a cone of flames directly at both Kumori and Shinjiro, as the Fukusha offered himself as collateral damage. Embrace the pain. Should Shinji continue his hold on Kumori, they both would be engulfed in flames, as Kumori sacrificed himself to create an opening to free himself from the grasp. The top portion of the base of the fire cone would hit Shinji, the bottom, himself. However, should Shinji release him to dodge the attack, Kumori would attempt to roll to his feet and enter the Walking Stance of the Flames of Hatred style he had been raised fighting with, facing the sociopath head on. The Genin was at a severe disadvantage, but he didn't care. He was embracing the pain. Should he die today, it would be an honorable death, and he would go down swinging. This was his only chance to make it out alive, and it was all or nothing.
Jutsu AttemptedShow
+2 Speed from the Shogo-zumi

*Katon • Flame's Shadow
C-Rank Ninjutsu
After performing the correct hand seals, the user will create a copy of themselves out of katon chakra. The clone has stats equal to the user, and is capable of using Katon Jutsu. The clone will only last for 3 posts.

*Katon • Flame Jet
D-Rank Ninjutsu
After performing the correct hand seals the user draws in a deep breath before exhaling out a cone that is up to five meters long and three meters wide at it's base. The cone travels at a speed equal to [Control] and impacts with a strength equal to [Control].

If Shinji releases his grasp:

~Flames of Hate • Walking Stance
D-Rank Taijutsu Stance
The Fukusha will pair their feet in an L stance, and have a casual movement to them despite their mind being on edge. This stance is typically used to lull opponents into thinking the user is relaxed as their feet are paired shoulder width apart, and knees slightly bent for immediate leverage when needed. While moving the user will typically keep their body on edge as if to react out of instinct to dodge, parry, or block any incoming attacks. In this stance the users keep their torso up straight.

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