Trial For The Marrow

[WrightJustice]

Nishiki had gained an interest in one of seven's daggers, a young woman who yet sought a master to truly fit amongst their kind just as he himself still yet sought a pupil; a swordsman and their dagger.
It never looked proper for the grand fox to be without a properly assigned disciple or whatever one might call such an arrangement and this fair skinned maiden was perhaps a good fit, at least he had hoped as he began to study her and assess her skills but more so perhaps from a slight haze of nostalgia.
"Was this a good idea?" he pondered, imagining the reverse roles of himself now training a Kaguya as he once was in his youth but he swiftly shook away those thoughts as it was too late to back out now.

The bannin had arrived at the usual Seven Swordsmen training building, having set himself up in the middle the battlefield which span an 80m diameter and had its usual domed ceiling that reached 50m in height.
However that wasn't the whole truth as he did not appear as himself but a strange, hooded figure and indeed there were nine total of such figures all sat in a circle with their backs to each other and their foxy tails all interwoven in what could only be described as a tangled mess as they shifted and wormed their way amongst each other.

Each figure whilst closely resembling one another did have varying differences; their hooded cloaks were indeed all black with filigree like designs embroidered throughout but each slightly different with most being silver in colour and clear leaves and flowers, though three stood out with golden designs and one had pink.
Four silvers, a gold and the pink had a lotus based insignia in the centre of the back whilst one gold had a lily, the third gold had fox tails and the final silver also had a lily.

Each also had matching colours around the rim of their hoods and along the bottom of the cloaks but one of the four silvers had off-white colouring instead and another silver had their hood down but donned a blank looking mask, as did the gold with a lily.

On closer inspection it seemed like perhaps there wasn't actually nine tails to each man and the pink patterned figure only had seven tails and one was fully white and two of the lotus silvers had zero tails at all whilst the gold with a lotus had nine white tails and the gold with a lily had nine pink tails.
Also for those without masks a closer look at their face revealed glistening rubies and sapphires for eyes; one for each eye except for 1 silver with the lotus which had a sapphire in both eyes and had slightly fading to white but still pink tails similarly to the gold with a lotus which had rubies in both eyes and similar tails.

It was all a test as Nishiki had sent instructions to Asuna to meet him... At a bar in the furthest province within the walls towards the southeast at which she would be seated at a table expecting to await for his arrival, however a strange bartender would instead give her a drink on the house in a peculiar cup which as she drank should begin to notice writing on the inside.
If she deciphered it, which should be easy enough, she was to go to the bar itself and ring the golden bell nine times at which the shady bartender would hand her an envelope full of further puzzling instructions and eight special kunai that looked like seeds along with a pass back into the inner walls without question.
The note would instruct her to enter the dome of seven blades and bare witness to the infested golden flower of many roots, slay that which was laced with moonlit poison, that which had roots full of colour, roots of no colour and roots abandoned and slay that which both eyes of rage and eyes of sorrow and slay that which could not bare to look upon her and any that would bare the fruit of falsehood.

Once eight foul anomalies were stricken down by the seeds of purity one last being with its sun lit eyes and faded but yet colourful roots shall stand and must be struck with blade true. Once accomplished reality will dawn and the hidden fox will grow like a brilliant lotus of grand finery and it too shall sprout blades true which shall clash with her own.

[Kabu]

To say that Asuna was confused by the strange sequence of events this day would be an understatement. First she had been summoned to the bar only to be met with the strangest bartender she had ever seen. Their behavior had also been incredibly suspicious, having given her a free drink for no perceivable reason. To be quite frank she hadn't yet gotten a taste for alcohol... She hated the taste and the first time she had a drink she had nearly lost herself in a way that she very much disliked.

From there she had been presented with a series of strange riddles, confusion and annoyance only growing the more time that passed. As she walked into the Swordsmen's training facility, kunai stashed in her weapons pouch, she vowed to strangle whoever it was that leading her on like this. Someone was messing with her and treating it like a game and she was not happy about it. She was going to get to the bottom of this and then make her displeasure very much known, likely in a very violent manner.

"Whoever is here, come out and face me!" she shouted, her sights locking onto a group of strange cloaked figures as she did. They all looked very similar... She would have thought they were clones if not for the tails that they possessed having different, and very strange, designs.

It was then that she mentally gasped, realization striking in that moment. The designs matched up with the riddle she had been given... She was still confused about what this was all about but a smile crossed her face nonetheless. She couldn't help but giggle at the realization of having to fight after all... She would be getting her vengeance and be fulfilling the task that she had been given in the same breath.

To that end she got into her battle stance, calling out the group before her as she stared them down. "Fight me!" Perhaps a different person wuld have taken that chance to leap into action rather than calling out but she had always preferred to face her opponents face to face. It wasn't about honor or anything stupid like that but rather... that was just part of the thrill of a combat encounter to her.

[WrightJustice]

Nishiki waited with bated breath as Asuna finally entered the arena calling out to whomever may be waiting for, demanding for them to face her as if they were a coward which disappointed the hidden fox a little as she was not prepared to deal with his antics but at the same time neither did that man which washed way some of the disappointment with nostalgia.

Besides the young woman had still taken to his clues and found this place and a smile was still put upon her face as she clearly recognised the meaning of it all even if she didn't want to finish the game as it were.
"Not one for a bit of fun and games?" a voice reverberated from the nine figures, sounding off their disappointment "Very well" they then spoke with resolve as all but one vanished in a poof of smoke, leaving behind the singular correct figure which had been sat facing the tunnel she stepped through from the get-go with its sapphires eyes, golden lotus design and fading tails.

The figure then moved to stand on its feet as it then raised its hands towards its shoulders and for a brief moment probably seemed to disappear in a puff of smoke like the others but, nay, the disguise simply dispersed to reveal the true fox hidden within as he grabbed his two Kiba blades and pulled them off his back with the wrappings unfurling off them as he moved with grace.
"I wished to test you as a dagger" the cunning man spoke in coy tones, his fangs shining at the corner of decadent smile.
As he moved with grace so too did his black kimono, its flowing sleeves wisping through the air as he essentially unsheathed his blades with its golden pattern similar to the figure's cloak but much more refined and the back lotus appearing much more clearly as the insignia for House Tsukino.

Nishiki's nine tails joyously flowed behind him, still pink but now faded closer to his father's colours as his long hair flowed back with beauty and he of course had his usual markings of a jinchuuriki; his black rods that appeared to pierce his wrists under his sleeves and five mini elementals floating now floating around him, one for each basic element.
However a peculiarity that could probably be heard before they were seen was that a small bell dangled from the tip of each tail, each chiming away with every movement as their string swayed along their tail's path.
"Let us see your swordsmanship and prowess in combat with me" he spoke with a hint of curiosity, clearly wishing to see her skills as he began to move in a position familiar to any Zantou practitioner.
"Can you cut all these bells off my tails?" he then questioned, marking the goal of his test as he properly planted his feet and held his right blade high above his head pointing towards Asuna with the left lower and parallel with the ground as he took a deep breath.
Then with a loud battle cry "Kyaaa!" that bellowed out to fill the arena the man filled with energy and the start of the match was signalled.
"How droll" another voice deep within finally spoke out in within Nishiki's mind as Yoshimitsu realised the intentions to rely solely upon his own swordsmanship and not on the beast's gifts, amused at such fruitless endeavours.

SpoilerShow

*[Zantou • Winter Maelstrom]
A-Rank Taijutsu Stance
Prerequisite(s): *[Zantou • Winter Blizzard].
Building upon its parent technique, this Stance further builds upon further sharpening and refining the practitioner's capacity to focus on the opponent and the task at hand. Drawing in a deep breath, the practitioner also gathers up their energy and releases a kiai. The level of skill the practitioner has attained allows the practitioner to effectively attack and block from a neutral stance without any detriment. While in this Stance, the practitioner can effortlessly ignore non-critical distractions, focusing solely on the opponent(s). They also are able to ignore extreme heat, extreme cold, moderate oxygen deprivation, extreme fatigue, and even extreme pain. They can read the opponents' muscle contractions and body positioning very accurately in this stance, and they are able to read the direction, the type, the timing, and the speed of an attack that is imminent. The opponent can still effectively mask their movements if they have a movement-concealing Stealth technique of equal or higher rank than this technique. While in this Stance, the practitioner is conferred with a +4 increase to Strength and Will Power but suffers a -4 penalty to Chakra Pool and Control. The practitioner may end this Stance whenever they so wish.

(*[Zantou • Winter Solstice]
D-Rank Taijutsu Stance
The basic Stance of Zantou, the practitioner holds one blade forward, parallel to the ground, and holds the other high over the head, pointing toward the opponent. The low blade grants the practitioner the ability to quickly defend against an opponent's attack while the blade raised overhead allows the practitioner to either quickly attack or counterattack with a powerful downward swing or thrust. This pairing of defense and offense serves as one of the cores of Zantou's swordsmanship. Drawing in a deep breath, the practitioner also gathers up their energy and releases a kiai. This Stance allows the practitioner to ignore non-critical distractions and minor environmental factors, such as small amounts of excess heat, small amounts of excess cold, small amounts of fatigue, and even small amounts of pain, allowing them to focus entirely on their opponents' movements and the tasks at hand. While in this Stance, the practitioner is conferred with a +2 increase to Strength and +1 increase to Will Power but suffers a -2 penalty to Chakra Pool and -1 penalty to Control. The practitioner may end this Stance whenever they so wish.)

Area Awareness
C-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
Nishiki has trained his sense of spatial awareness so that he can not only constantly remain vigilant of what is around him with great skill, but is also able to expand it further so that details of his surrounding environment come to him naturally and easily. This means he can more easily figure out the space he can manoeuvre and generally work in, even in wide areas which is particularly useful for using wide scoping jutsu and kinesis.

SpoilerShow

[Kabu]

As the mystery man spoke Asuna stood and waited, hand on her sword all the while. So that was it... It was quite embarrassing to still be a Dagger at her rank but it was fine. She had never had her eye on a normal position within the Swords, her sights having been set on the position of Overseer. Of course it would be easier to achieve her goals if she were to become a full Sword first but... In any case with the removal of Kaguya Hitachi, whom she had never really learned anything from to begin with, it was true that she was in need of a new Sword. One whom would hopefully have something to teach her this time.

All said, she could feel her excitement growing by the moment, a smile emerging on her face. She could sense that this man was stronger than her and now rather than anger or frustration she was moreso excited at the chance to test herself. "Why didn't you say so sooner? I'll show you what I can do."

As Nishiki charged at her she charged ahead herself, channeling chakra as she did. He was certainly faster than her but she had trained for this. As she dashed forward she cracked her hip, a skeletal scorpion-like tail emerging from her spine.

Once within range she increased her speed to its maximum in one burst, drawing her blade as she slashed at Nishiki's left side, a burst of chakra emerging from her blade in that instant. Whether successful or not at landing a hit this was simply a distraction for her real goal, her bladed tail lashing out towards the nearest bell. It was a highly reckless maneuver but that was just how she was and had been. Her goal as always was to end this as quickly as she could.

JutsuShow

DisciplinesShow

*[Iaido • Ancestral Focus]
D-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
The hallmark of Iaido is its practitioners abilities to launch an attack even when their swords are sheathed. This Discipline represents the practitioner's capacity to consistently execute a sword draw and slash all in one movement by gripping the edge of the scabbard and pulling the scabbard slightly forward before drawing the sword. This Discipline enables the practitioner to immediately draw their sword and attack at the start of combat.

*[Iaido • Weapon Mastery]
D-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
Since Iaido is a style that prioritizes speed over brute strength, wise usage of the blade is paramount to the practitioner's success in the style. This Discipline represents the practitioner's knowledge of their weapon's strengths and weaknesses in combat, allowing them to use the weapon more efficiently both inside and outside of its use in Iaido techniques and avoid unnecessarily presenting their weapon's blind spots to the opponent.

*[Iaido • Ambidexterity]
D-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
After practicing for a long amount of time with the concept of using both of their hands with equal skill, the user has developed a level of ambidexterity that allows them to utilize both hands equally and as effectively without any penalty. This extends to other methods of combat or simple everyday life as well.

*[Iaido • One with the Sheath]
D-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
Prerequisite(s): 8 Speed.
The practitioner has learned how to more quickly and efficiently sheath his blades. The practitioner can now seamlessly transition from drawing their blade to slash to sheathing their blade, allowing the practitioner to sheath their sword in half the time, up to a maximum speed equal to their Speed score, for the more rapid execution of Iaido techniques.

*[Iaido • Ancestral Visage]
C-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
Using Iaido to its fullest requires a keen eye and quick reactions, enabling its users to target weaknesses and openings that their opponents present almost instantaneously. This Discipline represents the practitioner's ability to attack openings that present themselves, the practitioner now able to reflexively attack an opening in almost the same moment that it is observed. This Discipline reduces the gap of time between a practitioner recognizing a potential opening for attack and launching the attack to exploit said opening to almost nil.

*[Iaido • Spectral Flight]
B-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
Prerequisite(s): 15 Strength, 25 Speed, *[Iaido • Ancestral Visage].
In order for Iaido to stand toe to toe with a variety of high-level opponents, refining fundamentals to a new height is necessary. This Discipline represents the practitioner's ability to quickly accelerate to max movement speed and decelerate to a full stop at a moment's notice. This does not offer protection against attacks that the practitioner does not know is coming.

Ninjutsu • Gotcha
D-Ranked Ninjutsu
While their sword is sheathed the user channels chakra, when they next draw their blade a blast of chakra approximately two meters wide and two meters high flies in a single direction at a speed and strength equal to the user's [Control]. This chakra can be held for a total of five posts, fading at that point if not released.

*[Iaido • Death’s Gate]
C-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite(s): 15 Speed.
Drawing upon the superlative speed of Iaido, the practitioner momentarily torques the muscles in their body to draw their sword from its scabbard and deliver a blindingly fast slash before sheathing their blade. Properly reading this attack requires the opponent to have a Perception technique of equal or higher rank than this technique. Otherwise, they cannot accurately read the attack and will be unlikely to completely avoid the attack, if at all.

~Death Bone Pulse • Scorpion's Sting
B-Ranked Taijutsu
The user roll their hips, causing the base of their spine to ossify and create a flexible tail made of bone that extends behind the user for a total of two meters and has a sharp blade on the end, the flexibility allowing for it to be used as any normal tail would.