Transportation of Goods (Frost B rank Mission Event)

[Chigokai Yuna]

And so it has begun. Some of the other smaller towns around Konoha are bringing in some goods and resources well needed for the war effort against Frost. But with the Frost just outside the Walls, ready to attack at any time, they will need protection. One ninja in particular, Uchiha Maikeru has taken up this responsibility. He will be going to a small town that is known for their medicinal practices, the type of medicine they have will prove useful, along the way back to Leaf, if he follows the map exactly, he and the caravan will be able to stop by some other small towns that are willing to give weapons and food to help with the war effort.

At the Gates of Konoha, Maikeru would find a girl, about a few years older than him, seventeen. She has blonde hair flowing down her back going to the small of her back. She wore a pink tank top with blue jeans. Olive skin and amber like eyes. Once she seen him make his way over to the Gates, she walked over, hands in her pockets.

"You the guy?"she brushed her hair out of her face to get a better look at Maikeru. "Of course you are the guy, nobody ever really comes around the Gates unless they want to look really suspicious. I am Amura. Yin Amura."

She turned around and faced one of the gate guards. She presented them with some papers. "The boy is with me. We will be going to get some much needed supplies." The Gate guard looked over the paperwork and nodded and waved them off.

Amura turned over to Maikeru. "Normally Genin won't be able to get passports, but I had to jump through hoops just to be even able to take this mission. You better be someone I can count on and not have to save your butt ten million times." She flipped her hair to show attitude, as if this kid wasn't someone that she had expected to come with on a mission as important as this.

As they made their way towards the small town, Amura looked over at the kid. "Do you think that things will ever go back to normal? Like, the Frost going back to where they came from and we all can live in peace without all these stupid restrictions that came into effect once the Frost made their presence known?"

(Hello, I'll be your mission moderator for this special event mission. Just so you know, word count will still be the same, 5k words. Will allow people to join in the middle of mission, seeing as this is an event, but they will still need to make the word requirements as well.)
(407/5000)

 

[Maikeru]

When Maikeru approached the gates, he wasn't sure what he expected. A seasoned, grizzled vet who would guide him through this mission maybe. Or a team of his friends and peers, that was also possible. What he was not expecting, was a blonde girl around his age who looked like she belonged on the cover of a magazine, rather than the battle field. She was pretty, that much was sure. Luckily, however, this was not something that affected Maikeru. He was not like boys his age, a pretty face did not distract him. He was here to do a job, and that's what he would do.

"Yep, I'm the guy." He said, giving the girl a small, two fingered wave. "Uchiha Maikeru, my friends call me Joker."

He listened as the girl referred to him as 'the boy', causing him to grimace a bit. Well, at least he knew a second date was off the table immediately. Plus.. the way he was dressed wasn't strictly professional either. He was told this would be a stealth mission, as such, he had worn the stealthiest clothes he had. A long black trench coat, over a black sleeveless shirt and black slacks, along with his trademarked dark red gloves. He had also decided to use his blood moon blade this time around, rather than the obnoxious red great sword that he usually carried. As proud as he was of the blade, he was sure a Katana strapped to his back would be just a bit stealthier. The final piece, the mask that Maru had given him held aloft in his right hand.

"Well, I have two sennin who are willing to give me a passport when I graduate the academy, so, I wouldn't exactly call it difficult to get one. Well, three if you count the Hokage's Advisor. He's the leader of my.. special division, I guess you could call it. Sometimes I suppose it's who you know, not what you know. Funny how things work out sometimes."

He shrugged his shoulders at the girl as they walked outside of the gate, the light breeze blowing the tails of his trench coat behind him as he stepped in unison with her. She seemed determined, and at least kind enough not to insult an Academy Student she had been 'stuck' with. He was sure that's how most people would view it, before seeing Maikeru in action. He rubbed his eyes as he activated his Sharingan, trying to use it to gain a feel on the girl's power. It wasn't something he had done often, and more often than not, it failed, but it was worth the try.

"Will things go back to normal?" He asked, rubbing the back of his head. "I'm not sure. I think that relies on us, doesn't it? Not you and I, but, our generation. We're the future leaders of this village after all. Don't tell anyone, but you're looking at the next Hokage here. I'll put in a good word for you when I climb the ranks, don't worry." He gave the girl a wink as he donned the mask, wanting to hide his identity. It was better the frost though them mercenaries than leaf shinobi if they were caught. They couldn't be pawns used against the leaf, at all cost. "But, I doubt peace will ever be possible. Not with our Hokage. After we push them back, we'll probably move to their own village, and burn it to the ground. Lord Fourth, and some of his council, are very fond of fighting. I don't even know if they opened negations with the frost. Hell, I don't even know why we're fighting this stupid war. That's troublesome for everyone involved, and a bit indicative of what his reign will consist of. But, I'm just a fifteen year old academy student, what do I know?"

(645 words)

 

[Chigokai Yuna]

Amura always held first impressions as a thing, and the way Maikeru was dressed made her sigh a little bit. "Uchiha?" She asked, "Then I guess we have some luck for a change. Uchiha and Ghost walker, killing Frost Shinobi." To prove her point of being a ghost walker, her whole body became transparent for just a few seconds, before becoming whole once again. "Don't worry, I'm more alive than a lot of the superiors are, they sure don't know how to live a little." She gave a small evil grin.

Her walk, quickly went into a run, her amber eyes filled with determination as she was making her way to the small town, not even slowing down for Maikeru, hopefully he could keep up with her. It took them a few hours, but they finally made it to the small town. The people around were all armed, and instantly were on high alert and high paranoia upon seeing the two Leaf Ninja.

"Stay right where you are! Make no sudden movements or we will kill you where you stand!" said one man. Up on the roofs of the nearest buildings and houses came people armed with bows and arrows and cross bows.

"Shit. Should have known that they were the paranoid type. Let me do the talking." Amura said in a low voice to Maikeru. She then turned her attention to the group of scared villagers, her hands raised in surrender. "We mean no harm. We were in fact, sent here to escort a caravan of yours to Leaf, cartfuls of medicine and the like."

The man thought about it, then asked, "Why is it just two kids? Surely the Leaf could send more than just two kids to protect us while we deliver medicine that is super important to them!"

Amura sighed, they weren't making this easy, "We have our people stretched out thin of covering important areas and probably going on high risk missions. But I can assure you, me and my friend here can do a lot more than what just normal kids could do."

The man looked at Maikeru. "What say you kid? You seem quiet on the situation. Do you have doubts in yourself and your friend here?" Before the Uchiha could even speak, he turned to his people, "Go and get the carts ready, I'll let you all know if this is just a false alarm or the real deal. Otherwise, everyone get back to your posts." He then noticed a piece of paper Maikeru was holding. The map. "Let me see that." If Maikeru hands it over, the man will then ask, "So the Leaf wants you to make a few stops on the way back? That's putting my people in danger. Tell me boy, tell me why I should even let a caravan be guided by two adolescents to make extra stops when I've only agreed to sending my supplies and my supplies only to Leaf, and for my people to have a safe passage back? I've only agreed for a quick trip, not a detour."

(515)
(922/5000)

 

[Maikeru]

Maikeru put on a pleasant smile for the men, but, he really did not have time for this. There were people in leaf that needed these supplies, that needed them a lot. He inhaled deeply, closing his eyes as he did so. There were a few options he could take, and none of them quite pleasant. Paranoia didn't listen to reason, which was the only way this ended without violence. Instead, the boy removed his mask, looking into the eyes of the man across from him.

"So, you question why you should trust us?" He asked, squinting, getting a read on the man. They weren't shinobi, or at least they didn't carry themselves like it, which meant that they probably didn't have training with their chakra. Good. "Well, if you had bothered to ask our names, you would know that mine is Uchiha Maikeru. I hail from the Uchiha clan, one of the most feared and infamous clans in not only the leaf, but the world."

As he spoke, the man would watch as his charcoal eyes began to lighten, but not much. The deep black turned instead into a crimson, with three tomoe spinning around his central pupil. As the the man stared into his eyes, the tomoe would begin to spin, sending chakra into the optical nerves of the man, as Maikeru attempted to place the man under an Uchiha genjutsu.

"Why are you going to trust us? Because you have no choice. Either you do so, or my partner and I will make you. Now, rally your men, and let's get going. There are people who need these supplies, and you're standing in the way of helping people in need."

With his genjutsu cast, Maikeru returned his mask to his face, cutting the chakra flow to his eyes. As he looked to his partner, his eyes would be going through the final stages of returning to normal. He gave her a wink, before he walked past the man, going to inspect the cart. He wanted to make sure that all of the supplies they were suppose to be getting were on it, and this paranoid man was trying to take advantage of a people in need. He was aware that it was possible that his genjutsu hadn't worked, which is why he kept a wary eye on the men as he walked by them.

If any of them attacked him, he was ready. Normally killing disgusted him, but, this was a time of war. There were civilians caught in the cross fire of this pointless war that needed these supplies, and nothing was going to stand between him and getting them the help he needed.

(448 words)

(OOC: Hypnotic suggestion (rank 3) used on the man)

 

[Chigokai Yuna]

The man, like so many others before him, fell victim to the infamous Uchiha Sharingan. His own eyes became cloudy, hazy, as Maikeru talked. Once he was finished talking, and deactivated his Sharingan, the man's own eyes returned to normal.

He turned to his men and nodded. They finished preparing for the long journey to Leaf, with some carts full of medicinal items, and some carts ready to be filled on their next few stops.

Amura followed close by and said, "Sheesh, you just do that whenever you want? To get what you want? Now I understand why Uchiha are so infamous."

Once everything was settled, the caravan started to make its way to the next closest town, in hopes of them giving some supplies out. It was as a slow, boring progress to say the least. That is, until a small band of bandits came. Amura quickly finished the ones closest to her, and no doubt Maikeru did the same with the ones near him.

They were almost near the next town, small houses poked over the horizon. But, all of a sudden, the caravan came to an abrupt stop. "Ugh, what is it now? Come on, I have a bad feeling about this." Amura asked Maikeru. She went on ahead to check whatever it was out. If Maikeru chooses to follow her, he would start seeing blood everywhere. There were a couple of bodies lying still, the horses pulling the carts, weirdly enough, seemed calm. And in front of the caravan was a single living man.

He wore a headband loosely around his neck, and on his left arm were headbands from some of the other Villages, Leaf, Cloud, Sand, and Stone were on his arm. Whereas the one he wore around his neck seemed different, almost unknown to Maikeru.

"Uchiha Maikeru and Lin Amura. Our spies have told us all about you two. They keep track of all ninja, wether they be significant or not. You two seemed to almost slip past of us not knowing of your existence if it wasn't for Amura getting into trouble as of late with the higher ups, and Maikeru, working closely with the Sennin of the Leaf. Yes, I know all about your plan of swordsmen. You know, for the Hokage Mansion being what it is, the security is terrible for someone has found a way to eavesdrop on your talks. You two have made a grave mistake. We've been watching you two since you walked out of your safe little village."


"Enough of this bad guy tough guy act." Amura said, she charged at the Frost man, only to find a sword in her gut. A surprised look on her face, followed by pain. She folded like a lawn chair as the sword was pulled out, blood glistened on the blade.

"What about you boy? You going to attack me? Or use that Sharingan of yours to get what you want, like you did to the leader of these people?" The Frost Shinobi asked Maikeru directly. Nearby one of the people groaned out in pain. "Then again, I expect no less, all you Leaf do is take. And if you can't take, you fight for. Like little children that don't know any better."

(544)
(1466/5000)

 

[Saitou Rei]

Standing before of the Phoenix Gate, a young girl looked. Looked down to the ground where the blood of her classmate had been spilled; looked out to land in which her father had died; looked beyond to the great unknown where her mother still fought to make her way home. Nothing good had ever been associated with going beyond these gates in her short life. Yet they stood wide open before her, awaiting her departure, demanding it. Though it was true that she wouldn't be going far, this moment seemed to the young kunoichi-in-training to carry significance. Her world would become a little bigger today, and perhaps a little darker. Finally, she looked beside her to another young, dark-haired shinobi-to-be with whom she was to set down this path. "Let's do it."
~ ~ ~
Making their way east, they would quickly come upon the town where Maikeru and Amura would have picked up the supplier. They had already gone; Reicheru looked at the map they'd been provided and tried to get some information confirmed. They should have moved slightly southeast next, was that true? How long ago? How many with them? She put on her best diplomatic face with the paranoid worried civilians who made gathering information more difficult than necessary were concerned about the well-being of their friends and neighbors who had gone with the caravan; when necessary, her rough-around-the-edges companion could work his magic to make sure they got what they needed.

Though it was supposed to be a simple escort mission not far beyond the gates and power of Konohagakure, the greater Land of Fire had become increasingly sketchy. That combined with the new formation of their swordsman squad was enough to convince someone behind the scenes that Reicheru and Katsu should rendezvous with the caravan as extra support. Quickly and silently they flew through the treetops along the prescribed route, scanning for her friend, all the while hoping that no one else had access to the information they had about the group's whereabouts. There were signs of a scuffle along the way, though it didn't seem premeditated (more of a random attack by an unfortunate groups of thugs) and thankfully their fellow Leaf nin seemed to have handled it well considering all signs pointed to the caravan continuing on course. Perhaps their backup wouldn't be necessary after all.

Unfortunately that would not be the case. In the distance, they began to hear voices. They shouldn't have caught up yet, not on the road - they should have been able to catch them when they stopped in the next town at the rate they'd been progressing. Silently coming to a stop, Reicheru began to move more purposefully and as silently as possible among the tree tops, careful not to stir the branches beneath her feat and give away their position. Finally, the scene playing out beneath the leaves came into view, and the sight was enough to set off every alarm and tighten every muscle in Reicheru's body. Amidst the blood and bodies that were strewn about the supply carts, only three figures remained standing. Maikeru she recognized immediately in his getup from their fight; the blond she knew as Amura from the picture shown to them during their mission briefing; the last, the enemy, was a mystery to her. His boasting of the work their spies had done set Reicheru on edge, especially when he mentioned the swordsmen. If information from the Hokage mansion had so easily been leaked, then it was no wonder their path had been found out. How many other missions had been compromised? What about their leader's locations? The bunkers?

She was snapped back out of her anxious thoughts as Amura charged the Frost nin, doing everything in her power to keep from screaming out, 'Stop!' They had no idea what the power of this man was, or how many others were waiting amongst the trees… waiting perhaps only feet from where Reicheru stood… ready to attack all at once. Her mouth trembled and eyes widened as she could only watch as her comrade was run through by the enemy. Her jaw tightened as he turned to Maikeru and began to lecture him about morality, and her fist clenched as she considered what could happen next. There was no way around a conflict, and if they didn't step in now… Reicheru couldn't imagine living the rest of her life with the memory of a friend dying in front of her while she watched from the treetops. For any shinobi, that was not an option.

Giving Katsu a quick warning glance, she shot out onto the path. Her sword was already drawn, it's protective chakra enveloping her as she dashed toward their downed teammate. Grabbing Amura and instantly leaping back beside Maikeru, she held her sword out defensively with one hand and channeled her chakra into the other, which she held over Amura's wound, desperately searching for signs of life in the girl. "That's big talk for a man who just slaughtered a caravan of innocent people that was transporting goods to help save other civilians who would be caught in the crossfire of Shimogakure's thoughtless violence. We may be the younger ones here, but you're the one that sounds like a child!" Reicheru called out, her voice strong but her left hand shaking slightly. How quickly it had come, her first real test as a shinobi; more real than any exam, this would be the true test of her merit and the strength of her will and beliefs. "Also, if you knew so much about the swordsmen, you should have known you'd never catch one of us alone."

[WC: 947]
[OOC: Coagulation (Rank 1) used on Amura]

 

[Imaya Kuza]

Katsu had somehow not ended up injured on his way to the mission rendezvous, but had instead had Catsu, his feline companion, sitting on his lap for the last half hour, leading him to be quite late. However, what was he going to do, move the cat? All the same, he rushed to try to make up for it, though what are the chances they would run into a Frost nin this soon?

He followed behind Reicheru, straight-sword strapped to his back, and for most of the journey simply attempted to flirt. When they passed the village, Katsu more or less growled at them and they backed off. He was small, to be sure, but these villagers decided it best not to test their luck with how well a kid could wield a sword. He beckoned whoever seemed to be the leader to kneel such that Katsu could whisper into his ear, but instead of such a secretive talk, Katsu placed his hand on the elder’s forehead, extracting the memories from when Maikeru had passed by with this blonde cutie. Figuring out which way they headed after, Katsu informed Reicheru and they went along their way.

As they took sight of the caravan and the scene which accompanied it, Katsu quickly linked up Reicheru and Maikeru to his mental network, which should allow them to communicate without tipping off their foe.

And then, Katsu charged in.

“Bet you think you’re strong, eh?!” Leaping from above, Katsu threw his sheath first directly toward the afro, intending to strike the man’s head or, at the least, distract the man as Katsu descended with a downward slash. Pushing off any sort of parry, or just touching the ground, Katsu would back off and take a position slightly away from Maikeru. Too close and they’ll hinder each other, while this wider formation would allow them to exploit any focus their foe makes. “Beat the cutie, but how ‘bout I show you a real fight, eh?”

Katsu licked his teeth, his smile wide, as his mind worked behind this front he put up. Truth was, he was as scared as Reicheru was, he always was this scared during a fight, but he knew he couldn’t let the fear win, he could never let it win. Turning that terror into energy to focus, he motivated his body to relax ever so slightly so to not lock-up, which was quite contrary to how fear normally worked.

‘Maikeru, raze the surrounding trees with a wide fire, worry about the spread later. Reicheru, toss the blonde to cover and forget about her for now.’ As he telepathically communicated his intentions, taking into account Reicheru’s worry about enemy reinforcements and the unfortunate baggage their side was forced to carry. They were capable, but if it came to it he’d rather not force himself to worry about this superior of theirs. ‘As for this punk, let’s cut off his arms and legs so I can pick out his brain for all it’s worth.’

[WC = 502]

 

[Maikeru]

Maikeru stared blankly at the man as he postured his position to him. Well, he guessed it really was the villain's way to monologue. He took in a large breath, before letting it out in a tired sigh. He had failed. Even if he wins here, even if Lin was able to survive, he had failed to protect everyone as he said he would. His teeth grit against each other as he looked at the man, closing his eyes tightly. He just wanted this to be over, he didn't want to see this. This world was cruel, and harsh, and this was his first real taste of that. He opened his eyes to speak, a single hand hover over the masquerade mask his wore over his face.

"You're right, I'm weak." He said to the man, his fingers gripping around the mask. "I've always valued human life, I've always despised death and killing. Even the bandits I dispatched, sure they'll have some broken bones maybe a concussion or two. But, when they wake up, they'll go home to their families, to the people that love them despite their sordid lives. That has always been my weakness. I've never been able to take a life, even one as vile and putrid as yours. So, thank you."

As he removed his mask, and opened his eyes, the three tomoe of the Uchiha clan burned fiercely. His eyes burned deeply into the man's filled not with just pride, but with determination.

"You've taught me a valuable lesson today. This world we live in, the pages of it's history are soaked in the blood and actions of despicable men like you. My kindness, the gentleness of my heart, it will never do me any good. The worst thing in this world is for good men like me to stand by and do nothing. So, thank you. You've shown me what I need to do."

A single tear, not the typical pale color of a tear but a stark crimson red eked from his right eye, trailing down his face until it dripped onto the cold, brown earth beneath them. He tore his mask from his face as a gust of wind blew between the two combatants, sending his mask flying into the woods behind him and his trench coat bellowing in a dramatic fashion, the cloth splayed out behind him, held to him by the fiery determination that burned in the Uchiha's crimson eyes.

His eyes closed for a moment, just the briefest of so, before opening again. The three tomoe in his eyes began to shift, morphing into something foreign, something new, something menacing.

The completion of his Uchiha heritage stared back at the man, a fully formed Mangekyo Sharingan, the worst nightmare of the shinobi world. This man had sealed his own fate the moment he struck down a member of Maikeru's family, the moment he struck another leaf shinobi.

As the wind picked up, and begin to almost sing, it's imposing melody crescendoing onto itself. The trees themselves seemed to bend and whip a melody of death and disaster between the two combatants, Maikeru just smiled. It was a smile of confidence, of reassurance of his own abilities. The appearance of Reicheru and Katsu didn't surprise him, it was just another sign of this man's demise.

He stood quiet, motionless, letting the wind pick up and dance among them as Reicheru and Katsu spoke. The entire time his eyes did not shift from the man in front of him. The only movement was Maikeru's hand drifting to his Katana, gripping the hilt of it firmly.

"She's right, you know." He said, adding on to Reicheru's speech. "Your spy was as ineffectual as you are. We are the swordsmen of the leaf, and we never stand alone. Count yourself lucky, frost shinobi. Though you will die today, you got to witness something truly special with your last moments on this earth. You were able to witness the birth of Kashima. "

As he drew his blade, slow, methodically, letting the metal of the blade play off the wood of his sheath, the eerie sliding noise bringing the crescendo of the wind to a halt as the symphony of his death, and of birth come to a final head. The sound of his blade cutting through the air as he pointed it at the man was the final noise of this melody, Maikeru's mangekyo sharingan drawing into a tight scowl.

"Before you die, one last thing. Her name, was Yin. Yin Amura. Now, bleed him, Kashima!"

(751 words)

 

[Chigokai Yuna]

The man looked over at the Uchiha, he seen the kid remove his mask, and finally seen his Sharingan change. A big smile came upon his face. "Great! I always love a challenge. I promise not to have you in little pieces if they do recover your body." And just as he finished speaking, a girl jumped out from her hiding place and dragged Amura away. And then after that, he heard the voice of another little adolescent. Bringing his blade up without a thought, he blocked it easily.

Their reactions to the whole ordeal around them only made the man laugh, a wicked grin was on his face, as he brought out a cigarette and lit it, putting it in between his lips. "Amura, be a dear and drop the Genjustu, let their minds rest easy, even if for just a small moment."

The almost dead girl that was in Reicheru's arms dissipated into nothingness, along with the dead bodies. When the Genjustu was finally gone, the three Leaf Ninja will find Lin Amura standing right next to the Afro shinobi. The dead people, weren't dead at all, as once the Genjustu was over, they appeared right next to one of the horses, all of them tied up and gagged.

"I do gotta say, it was rather touching and heartwarming that you all thought that highly of me, even though I was just a stranger to you all. Maybe, under different circumstances, we could have been friends. But I might guess not, given some information I have gathered on you all. Xano?"

The Afro Shinobi grunted. "Let's just leave it at this. Blood could be spilt, which would mostly be yours, or you let us have these carts, the people will be freed. Only catch? You could help us. We will help you all even more. As I understand, there are some people that you loathe, hate, that live in the Leaf. Katsu. There is a blue haired shinobi that goes by the name of Ziren. I know of your hatred towards him, it is understandable, he wanted to get rid of the lot of you, even though you were all doing your own thing. We can make sure that he suffers greatly for the wrongs he has done to you and your friends. Maikeru. (Is there someone that you hate? I'm pretty sure that my people will find out and help get rid of whatever that problem is.) And Reicheru. Maybe it is time that the current leadership of Leaf to fall. And for someone like you to take it's place. You already know that all of the higher ups have no problems killing children. I'm sure in Shimokagature that we will honor Uchiha Nitish's death, for he didn't deserve what has befallen on him."

Xano had left it at that, unmoved by their little threats. Amura then spoke up, "Just think, of all the people that have done you wrong were gone. Those who have treated you all so badly even though you were just academy students. We will make them pay. You all can build a new Leaf. One in which you all make the rules. I have lived in Leaf my whole life, as my parents came from Frost, and I have to say, the current leadership cares nothing. Reicheru, you know first hand, seeing the Hokage kill someone you knew. Someone who had carried the same blood as him."

Xano cracked his neck."So, what do you all say? We know that this is an offer to good to pass up. To right the wrongs of the previous generation. Just let us do the work of erasing away all of the bad memories."

(662)
(2128/5000)

 

[Saitou Rei]

Reicheru's breath caught in her throat as Katsu made such a bold move against their enemy, worry wracking her body. She knew that he could handle himself, but the nearly-lifeless body in her arms reminded her of what they were up against. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as Katsu used the momentum of the parry to leap back, putting space between them and also leaving the man partially surrounded. Would the man stay, fight a three-against-one battle? Would their numbers give them the advantage, even if he was stronger? Eyes narrowed, she couldn't help but shake the feeling that there was more to it than this one man. She turned to Maikeru, wondering how he would proceed. He'd been placed in charge of Kashima just beneath Yukio, and had had perhaps gained other intel on their opponent before her and Katsu's arrival.

As the wind picked up around them, the dark mop of hair that typically hung down in Reicheru's eyes was tossed back behind her. Similar to the mask Maikeru wore, it helped to conceal her emotions and reactions to an extent; now the shock would be evident on the young girl's face as she watched her friend open his eyes, his red tear-streaked face holding something she'd heard of but never seen in person. Memories of their fight back in the village flashed through her mind - memories of the power even a two-tomoe Sharingan displayed. The change from three tomoe to Maikeru's particular mangekyo was subtle, yet somehow communicated the new strength and terrifying power that accompanied it. How fitting; Reicheru was surprised again and again by small changes Maikeru made over time to make himself a force to be reckoned with.

A smile spread across her face as Katsu's voice rang in her head. 'Got it.' she shot back as she stood from her crouch. Though she doubted that the fear would ever truly dissipate, she was filled with a new confidence in the abilities of the shinobi she stood beside. They may be young, but so long as they stood together they could withstand anything; she was sure of it. Though it was apparent to her that she was the weak link among the three, she was determined to prove her ability and earn her place among the swordsmen, and now was the time to do so.

Before Reicheru could take her first step to the back of the supply cart she intended to place Amura down on, everything changed. The body faded into nothing, and the sudden lifting of her body weight would have made Reicheru feel light if the circumstances hadn't made her go numb. It felt like the plot twist of a low budget thriller - 'it was a dream all along!' But this was no film, and the threat remained very real, if not more so than before. The muffled cries of the civilians who remained conscious drew Reicheru's attention. While relief flooded her that they hadn't been harmed, she was suddenly burdened with the added responsibility to make sure they stayed that way. Making a tight fist with the hand she'd been using to keep Amura alive, she gritted her teeth with disdain as the Frost shinobi began to speak.

The amount of deeply personal information they had gathered was unbelievable. Reicheru's gaze settled on Amura who had double crossed them and fed their enemy this information. A flash of violet danced in Reicheru's grey eyes as her left hand moved to join her right on the hilt of her blade. She had experienced pain before, but the feeling of betrayal was new. It was… jolting, like having ice water thrown in your face, or biting into a sour fruit that you expected to be sweet. The sour taste in Reicheru's mouth only grew as the Afro Shinobi brought up Nitish, and inevitably the memory played over in her mind of the man she called 'Hokage' driving his blade into the beaten child. How could they have known she was there when that happened? She doubted she would make it onto any sort of official report of the incident, as Kenshin and Ziren were the only ones to take note of her presence. Looking back at the blonde traitor, the young kunoichi swallowed hard as she considered the implications. How many others had been planted? Who could she trust?
In fact… maybe, maybe what the Frost shinobi was saying made sense. To get that kind of clearance into the Hokage mansion, the traitor had to be someone of a high rank, someone trusted by Konoha leadership. Maybe… maybe changes did need to be made. She thought again of how Uchiha Takeshi killed his own clan member without hesitation. She remembered how Kenshin defended those actions. How his passing had gone by unnoticed by the majority of the village, and how those who knew hadn't had the decency to even inform his friends. Yes, things needed to change.

But not like this. Soon enough, she and her friends would be the new Leaf. Their generation could right the wrongs of the past, so long as they didn't lose sight of who they were and what they fought for. What happened with Amura didn't change the fact that what Maikeru said was true: they would not stand alone. The blonde's added attempt to pick at Reicheru's wound finally drew a retort from the young Konoha kunoichi. "You're right, I have seen that. And I won't become that. No one from Leaf is going to suffer by my hand; not that you could relate." Though icy, her voice was calm; though the fear she felt earlier lingered in her stomach, the words they'd used to try to turn her instead filled her with determination.

'We'll need to take these guys alive. They've gabbed so openly already about their infiltration prowess, I don't think it will be hard to get the names of their moles out of them. We still have the numbers advantage, but we still don't really know how strong they are. We have to be careful. And if things take a turn for the worst, Katsu, you need to get this information back to Konoha. Ready when you guys are,' she communicated to the boys over their mental link. Taking up a fighting guard, her eyes narrowed and she readied herself to defend the future - one in which others could fight proudly for what their village already stood for and not for what it could be.

[WC: 1,088]
[TWC: 2,035/5,000]

 

[Imaya Kuza]

It was all a genjutsu? Katsu laughed at the thought. A useless genjutsu, as it changed nothing. The enemy was still here, there were just more. His knees, however, quivered. Nothing like gang fights, he couldn’t stop the shaking with just a reassured smile to himself. With one hand, he did what he always did: perform a self-inflicted genjutsu, one that calmed him and presented a deep, yet energetic focus which channelled his fears and doubts and cowardice into combat reflex.

“Ziren? Takeshi? All the rest of those punks in Leaf? Damn right, I want them gone. They threaten my friends, they’ll get what’s coming,” Katsu stated proudly, uncaring who heard him. From his link with Maikeru, he could be sure this wasn’t some other level of genjutsu, with both their talents for illusions combined. “But you… you’re acting like you’re in control of this situation, like you’ve got all the cards, know everything there is to know about us. And you’re right in front of me.”

With that and no further warning, Katsu would lunge again at the afro shinobi. With mental focus, it would seem to the Afro that Katsu split into three distinct Katsu, the Basic Clone technique at work, performed with no handseals nor delay of any sort. Should Afro have no way to deny this sudden mental assault, Katsu would continue on, from his unsheathed blade many near-invisible wires with a faint yellow hue stretching out and surrounding Afro, hopefully who is none the wiser as Katsu attempted to use his supposed current foothold in his foe’s mind to obscure the presence of the wires.

The slashes would come from three directions, the true strike hidden amongst the clones. One would flank the Afro to Katsu’s left, a simple hack to the back of the legs as he passed. The middle Katsu would aim for the eyes, intending to cripple the man’s vision permanently. And the last Katsu would attack from below, using the middle Katsu as cover while he thrust his blade upward to the heart of the Afro from between the middle’s legs, a lethal blitz.

The true Katsu was the first, however this was also the Katsu whose aim was the least crippling. He predicted that the Afro, even if he suspected which Katsu was real, would nonetheless guard against the latter two who struck at the eyes and heart simply due to the risk posed should either strike land true.

‘I’ll keep Afro busy, you two deal with the traitor,’ he would tell Maikeru and Reicheru telepathically, readying his fist to follow-up on his assault whether it landed or not, intent on keeping the pressure up so that there was no room for multi-tasking in their bout.

[Using Basic Clone, Wired Augment, and Mesmerise. Maintaining Sensory Link.]

 

[Maikeru]

"Katsu, you have nothing to fear. You either, Reicheru." Maikeru would say, sensing the emotions of the two of them through the link. As he spoke to them with his mind, he took a calming breath. It was clear he would have to be extra calm in this situation, this link was a boon but it wasn't without his drawbacks. "I made a promise to you when I brought you into Kashima didn't I? That we would live and die as one. Well, as the leader I have to make sure to protect those who follow me. So, feel no fear as you go into this fight. If it comes down to it, I will jump in front of his blade to make sure you guys make it home tonight."

He turned back to his friends, flashing them his patented Uchiha smile, before turning to face the enemy.

"I'm sorry guys, I was hoping to save this for a much cooler moment. Call it my vanity I suppose, but, I always have been one for theatrics." As he spoke, he pointed his blood moon blade towards the man in front of him, his Sharingan staring into his eyes. "I couldn't call myself the leader of Kashima if I didn't have something to back it up. Katsu, you have the most unique sword style I have ever seen, it's truly terrifying. Reicheru, you're a Nanjirou, and I will probably never match your raw, natural skill in the blade. Well, this is what I bring to the swordsmen. So, I am deeply sorry for hiding this so long from you."

He was silent for a moment as the wind picked up again, swirling around the boy in an unnatural pattern. It was a windy day, but the wind seemed to be gathering around him, as if coming to it's master beck and call.

"And I'm sorry to you as well, for making you wear this illusion for so long. You don't deserve the facade of a lesser blade."



As he spoke those words, the blade of his blood moon blade began to glow an eerie blue light. The color in the blade grew as the light swelled, beginning to stretch up the arm of the young Uchiha. It was evident to anyone with a modicum of Shinobi training that the boy was channeling his chakra into the blade. As the light grew, and blossomed, the wind swelled once again, blowing the hair trench coat of the boy wildly around him. For a moment, the light seemed to vanquish all shadows, to illuminate the righteousness that was held in the hearts of the three leaf shinobi. Then, as quickly as it came, the light exploded around them, disappearing in a violent burst of radiance. When it was gone, what was left was nothing short of a masterpiece of blacksmithing.

The blade itself was longer than the average katana, making it seem unwieldy to the untrained eye. The blade itself seemed to sheen with forged perfection, even down to the tsuba which seemed to wrap around the blade as it that piece of metal was destined for that from the moment that the it was laid into the earth. The hilt was wrapped in a cross pattern with a deep viridian cloth, and the sheath on his back was a deep black, that seemed to have steal the color from the night sky. From the end of hilt was a chain, on the end of which was a very familiar uchiha crest to anyone who had known Maikeru any length of time. It was the crest from the necklace that his sister had given him long ago.

"This is my blade, Kusanagi. Can you hear it roar, frost shinobi? I hope so, because it's telling you why everything you've just said was nothing more than wind in an empty field. You're quite right, I have problems with the way the leaf is run. This whole war is nothing more than excuse for our two countries to flex at each other, and because of it, some of us won't be returning to our families. There will be crying, there will be sadness, there will be death, all because our villages were incapable of talking to each other like people."

Maikeru paused, moving to point his blade at Yin. He trusted Katsu to be able to hold off the leader of the two, at least for a little bit. He and Reicheru could take out Yin, and then overwhelm the older man. As long as Katsu lasted just a little bit.

"But you, I hate both of you. You've made me into something I never wanted to be. You think I would betray my village, my home, my family, simply because of grievances I have with the leadership? Well, if that's the case you're even dumber than they are. I love the leaf village. It's where I grew up, it's where I met my friends, it's where I learned what kind of man I wanted to be, it's where I experienced my first love." Maikeru paused at that moment, unsure if he should have shared that last tidbit. "Nothing you could ever say would make me betray that. So, draw your blade, and let's be done with this."

(883 words)

 

[Chigokai Yuna]

Xano gave the group an evil smile as they denied the Frost's help. "Heh, I guess that we get to have more fun then." As soon as Katsu rushed forward, the Afro Ninja made hand seals. Though he couldn't sense the Genjustu affecting him, he was no pushover. As the three Katsu's made their moves, the samurai made a single hand seal, and five sharks made of water materialized around him, shooting out in all directions. Xano used this opportunity of his water shark bomb to jump straight up and rolling out of the way, calmly standing back up. "You got spunk kid, I give you that. Unfortunately, you chose the wrong side."

Amura let out a yawn as the Leaf children talked about how they will stop them. After they were done. She cracked her knuckles. "Glad you all feel that way about us. I didn't want to work with Leaf Shinobi anyways, even if any were to betray their own Village. Now then, how about we do what all shinobi do? See if you all really want to keep all this medicine for your village."

(Used water shark bomb, special action; feeding frenzy)
(Bmod called on all in mission)
(Xano and Lin Amura vs Uchiha Maikeru, Naikiri Katsu, and Saitou Reicheru)

 

[Shirai Sadao]

Maikeru:
Hp: 20,100 - 638 = 19462
Cp: 14,100 - 450 - 2065 - 2310 = 9275
Status:
Ap: 8 - 7 = 9ap Next Round

Saitou Reicheru:
Hp: 13,780
Cp: 16,430 - 657 - 600 - 698 = 14475
Status:
Ap: 6 - 5.5 = 6.5ap Next round

Katsu:
Hp: 10,675 - 1202 = 9473
Cp: 9.180 - 204 - 367 - 698 = 7911
Status:
Ap: 6 - 5.25 = 6.75ap next round


-------------------------------------

Lin Amura:
Hp: 17400 - 3510 - 527 - 890 - 914 - 1386 - 3164 - 191 - 418 = 6400
Cp: 17400 - 600 - 385 - 110 = 16305
Status:
Ap: 6 + 1 = 7 - 5.5 = 7.5ap Next round

Xano:
Hp: 18600
Cp: 15600 - 420 - 225 - 625
Status:
Ap: 6 - 6 = 6ap Next round

Xano Clone:
Hp: 2652
Cp: 2652
Status:
Ap: 1.5

Round 1:

Lin Declares a Dual against Meikeru = 0 Seconds

Katsu does a hidden Action against Lin Amura = 0 Seconds [Miss]

Katsu Equips Hanabira with Initative = 0 Seconds

Katsu uses Wired against Lin Amura with Initiative = 0 Seconds [Miss]

Maikeru Activates Sharingan = 0.625 Seconds

Saitou Reicheru uses Iaijutsu Mastery = 0.834 Seconds

Lin opens Gate 3: Gate of life = 0.834 Seconds

Xano equips Grimlight = 0.834 Seconds

Maikeru Enters Fire Style: Heat Caress = 1.25 Seconds

Saitero Reicheru enters Defensive Stance = 1.668 Seconds

Lin opens Gate 6: Gate of View = 1.668 Seconds

Maikeru equips Kusanagi = 1.875 Seconds

Katsu uses Sensory link on Maikeru and Reicheru = 2.5 Seconds

Lin opens Gate 7: Gate of Wonder = 2.506 Seconds

Katsu enters Defensive Stance = 3.334 Seconds

Saitero Reicheru uses Wrath Seal = 3.336 Seconds

Xano uses Blade Trail on Katsu = 3.751 Seconds [Hits!]

Lin Equips phantom gloves, using ethereal weapon = 4.173 Seconds

Maikeru uses Higuma on Lin Amura = 5.313 Seconds [Hits, Miss, Miss, Hits, Hits, Crits!]
- Lin Bleeding Rank 1/ Open Wounds Rank 1
- Duel Weapon strike [Hits!]

Xano uses Dynamic poke = 5.835 Seconds [Miss!]

Saitero Reicheru does a hidden action against Lin Amura = 6.253 Seconds [75% partial hit]

Katsu uses Executioner on Lin Amura = 7.084 Seconds [75% partial hit]

Lin uses Step in flash against Maikeru = 7.09 Seconds [Hit, Miss!]

Maikeru uses Annihilation on Lin Amura = 8.751 Seconds [50% Partial hit]

Lin uses Thunder Fist = 8.757 Seconds

Xano uses Elemental Clone = 9.169 Seconds [Maikeru and Saito aware, Katsu Unaware]

Saitou Reicheru uses Executioner on Lin Amura = 10 Seconds [Crits]
- Lin Bleeding Rank 2/ Open Wounds rank 2
- Saitou Reicheru attempts to cleave onto Xano [Misses!]

​

Notes:
- Initiative does not make the moves free simply lowers the timing
- Added cleave and Open wound stacks

 

[Chigokai Yuna]

The fight has started, it would be a life and death fight. Amura dodged to the side when she seen some wires coming right at her, she kept her eyes on Maikeru, not really looking at his eyes, as that would be a foolish mistake, but rather his hands and feet.

Her first gate was unlocked, Gate of Life. There was a change in the air, something, unsettling. "Don't look at the Uchiha boy in the eyes, of course, you'd be stupid enough to do that, Xano."

Xano let light come into his sword, giving it a faint glow. "Hmph. He can babble after we kill these kids."

Amura opens her second gate. The Gate of View. Again, the air seemed to be even more uneasy. She seen the Uchiha boy bring out his sword. "You all, will know what it means to lose everything..." She said, as she opened another gate. Gate of Wonder.

Xano brought Grimlight and struck towards Katsu, leaving a slight wound on the Yanamaka. While he was doing that, Amura let her own spirit travel a little bit out of her own body, forming ethereal gloves over her hands. It had just appeared when she got hit by the sword that the Uchiha had. She dodged the next two strikes, but the last three hits, especially the last one, she actually felt that one. She felt blood coming out of her.

Xano lunged his sword at Katsu, but this time, he had missed. Amura heard feet running at her, and dodged out of the way to avoid most of the strike against her. She twisted her body around and brought two quick strikes on Maikeru, but only one had hit. She wasn't fast enough, to get out of the way, as she felt another grazing strike hit her.

She let her fists be consumed with electricity, making it sinister looking, with her spirit, and electric currents both running over her hands.

Xano made a quick hand seal, and a clone appeared by his side. Amura was paying so much attention to Maikeru, that she didn't see the Nanjirou girl coming at her, another well swung hit, made the ghost walker grit her teeth. She has trained for moments to kill, she still has yet to show these kids what they should be scared of.

(Working on actions)

 

[Maikeru]

This was it. The fight had started, and there was nothing Maikeru could do to avoid it any longer. Oh how he wished that the posturing had continued a bit longer, how he could avoid this just a little bit longer. If only he could keep holding onto his childish innocence, that would be the dream scenario for the Uchiha teen.

But, that was not the way the world worked. There came a time, where you had to let go of that, let go of everything, and just give in to where fate was taking you. That time was now. Doubt began to creep into his mind, into his very being, as the two opponents began to prepare themselves. He gulped hard at the air and spit in his throat, bringing his second hand to the hilt of Kusanagi to steady the shaking blade.

This was his first real fight, this was the first real combat that any of them had ever seen. Sure, they had sparred, and they had trained, but, nothing like this. This was the real deal, life or death. Death. They could all die here. Himself, Donda.. Reicheru..

All of a sudden his sword felt heavy in his hands, as if the blade had been filled with molten lead. The weapon that had moments ago felt as an extension of himself, as part of his own being, was now too heavy for him to swing. He was going to die here, he was going to die.. He was going to die..

‘Enough!’

Maikeru heard something at the back of his mind, but, it wasn’t words. It was… sensations, emotions, feelings, all whelming up inside of his body. It was a warmth that filled him, relieving the tension in his arms, lightening the load of his blade, but.. It wasn’t him. He wasn’t doing this.

The emotions began to build, surging inside of the chest of the Uchiha boy, giving him confidence, giving him his reason to fight. He wasn’t going to die today, his friends were not going to die today. Tonight, they would sit at the Udon bar, and toast to their victory. There would be merriment as they celebrated the help that had brought to the leaf village, as they thought about every life they were going to save tonight.

He smiled for a moment, looking like a lunatic with his Sharingan spinning wildly in his eyes, and the most insane look upon his face. What kind of person smiled in combat? He felt Kusanagi pull, as if drawing him towards the combat. Was all this the work of the blade? How interesting.

He inhaled, before exhaling deeply. He was ready. He was going to lead his friends to victory.

“Hey, guys.” He said, bringing his sword up near his ears in a ready stance. “If we all make it home tonight, Udon is on me.”

And with that, he stepped forward, his pace quickening as he approached the traitor. His swung his arms in a large upward slash, his sword cutting through whatever resistance the air had tried to throw against it, the honed edge creating a whistling noise as soared to, and through the flesh of Yin. He stepped into his blow, using the move Danni had showed him, the memories of that encounter etched into his mind and his muscles. He twisted the blade bringing it back towards the girl in a dance of death and blood. He continued, his body moving completely of it’s own will, his Sharingan moving quickly around the battlefield, creating a trail of crimson light behind them.

It was then that he noticed Reicheru join into this dance, with Xeno and Katsu doing their own duet right next to them. Through the mind link he could see every move that his partners were going to make before they made it, his Sharingan confirming the images that appeared next to him. He stepped to the side with his next slash, giving room for the Nanjirou to join in.

The two allied shinobi flowed around each other, their blades and feet moving in unison with one another, creating a hypnotic pattern for any watchers on. There were blows taken by both himself and Katsu, and he felt the backlash of the icy hot pain of Katsu’s blow. It drew his focus away for a moment, his Sharingan shifting to the eyes of Xeno, before refocusing back on Yin.

They all had a job to play, and Maikeru would see his through before he helped out the Yamanaka. He went in for a feint, his blade coming at chest level towards Yin, before he ducked out. Behind him was Reicheru, her Nanjirou heritage showing in every step that the girl made. Every graceful swing of her blade was a work of art, and it took Maikeru a second to get back into the flow of combat.

“Just give up!” He yelled out towards Yin and Xeno. “You’re outnumbered and outclassed. I don’t want to kill you, but I won’t hesitate to end your life if I have to. You don’t have to die for your village, none of us have to die for our village!”

(866 words)

 

[Saitou Rei]

As the two sides lunged at each other, the young girl looked. She looked on as her friends rushed head first into a battle they did not ask for; she stole a quick look at the civilians who had gotten caught up in something they didn't deserve; she looked at the blade in her hand that had only ever seen the metal of another blade and never blood. No, nothing good seemed to come from beyond the gate. But now was not the time to look. Now… now was the time for her training to be put to use. Every evening she spent with the tatami mats drawing out the human venous system, every spar with her cousin and classmates, every class she'd attended - it was all for this moment. It was to protect those who could not protect themselves, to protect those she loved, to protect the possibility of a kinder future like she and Maikeru had discussed not long ago over dango. Today, she would take her place on the stage she had only been able to watch before from the stands.

Closing her eyes for a fraction of a second, time slowed down. Though the fight had begun, a reflection of the war between their countries on a smaller scale, all noise fell away from Reicheru's mind for a only moment; blurred images of Maikeru and Katsu clashing with the Frost shinobi played in the background. In the silence that had settled on her, she drew in a deep and steady breath. Then, her eyes shot open, the violet hue of her grandmother dancing in the cold steel orbs.

​

Her footsteps were quick and quiet, though decisive. As she shot across the road that had become a battlefield, she felt her great-grandfather's spirit and chakra awaken and coat the blade. A smile crept it's way onto her face as she approached from behind Maikeru; even as he kept the traitor busy with a flurry of blows, she trusted that the combination of his Sharingan with their mental link would make this a seamless transition. Sure enough, as he brought down the final blow in his attack, he stepped away to allow Reicheru to throw all of the momentum she had gathered in her charge into her strike without redirecting her movement, hopefully catching Amura off guard. Though the girl was quick, Reicheru grinned as the blade connected with her side. That would be enough.

With a click of the lever on her blade as her momentum carried her behind the Frost girl, Reicheru skidded to a halt before turning to prepare to launch another attack. She remembered her spar with Maikeru; she wouldn't get cocky this time, no landed strike was good enough until the enemy was down. Moving and dodging in sync with her partner and trying to make openings, she gritted her teeth as her companions traded blows with their opponents. Shinzo's "don't get hit" mantra had shaped much of her training after the class, but she found that watching her teammates take such hits hurt just as much. Just as her gaze drifted over to Katsu to see how he was faring, it would seem Maikeru had done the same as she suddenly felt the sting of Amura's fist on Maikeru. Reicheru's nostrils flared with anger that she'd let her guard down against her target; Katsu had his job, and she had hers. She would be no good to him if she couldn't keep up her end, and no good to Maikeru if she wasn't focused.

Their cohesiveness as a unit couldn't be denied. Though reeling from the hit, Maikeru continued to bombard his aggressor to make an opening before suddenly bowing out for what he knew was coming. Launching herself up and over the Uchiha, Reicheru made eye contact with Amura for a moment as she sailed toward her holding her blade over her head. Those amber eyes… they were like an animal's, like a beast that had been cornered and bared its teeth to show its strength. Thinking of all of those who had fallen prey to this predator, Reicheru summoned her strength and brought the hilt down on the girl's head before twisting her wrist and maneuvering the blade so that it flowed down into her shoulder. As blood began to coat them and paint the ground around them, Reicheru fought the instinct to stop, to even hesitate. She hated every part of this, but the enemy's actions gave them no other choice. "Why?!" she cried out as the blade tore through flesh and muscle with a horrendous sound. But she knew no answer would come; it was simply their lot in this shinobi life to be at odds.

Once again, their sensory link made Reicheru aware of another player on the field. Using her left hand to pull up on the blade while her right hand pushed down, her sword ripped through her opponent in an awful way and freed itself, allowing the Nanjirou to twirl and attempt to strike Xano and make him drop the clone. However, the older shinobi was fast, and as she straightened to retake a fighting guard she looked him over and wondered if he'd even broken a sweat. No matter - his comrade was in bad shape, no matter how persistent. Would he risk her life here, and for what? "He's right," Reicheru said before drawing a heavy breath, "we don't have to do this. This is senseless, all of it." Though she hoped against hope, she anticipated their plea would fall on deaf ears and kept her sword raised, prepared to do what was necessary to protect those who looked on at her.

[WC: 951]
[TWC: 2986 / 5000]
[Actions Sent]

 

[Imaya Kuza]

The fight moved quickly, but Katsu did not. This was the first time he’d faced an opponent of this level, and to the death. It would be a lie if he were to say that he didn’t feel his body and mind stiffened when it all began. As he created his yin wires from his blade, the wires were much too thick, enough to be visible. It was easily evaded.

The afro man slashed him up a decent bit, all while Maikeru and Reicheru made headway against the traitor girl. And, with the smell of his own blood and that of his enemy’s mixing together into a metalic scent, Katsu smiled. This was… excitement. The fear, the adrenaline, it fueled him.

As the afro’s next strike came up, but this time Katsu wasn’t slow. Moving toward the blow while rolling around it, Katsu spun like a twister before firmly planting his feet and swinging his blade nice and wide with the intent to decapitate the injured girly. He was off the mark a bit, but not by much.

Upon hearing his comrade’s words, he searched for signs of hesitation through the link. There were none. They didn’t want to kill, but they wouldn’t let themselves get killed either. That was good. “Enough grandstanding. Come at me, Frost freaks!” His allies might notice, but Katsu was clearly not thinking normally. His mind was a mess. There was logic and sense in it, but he was channelling so much fear into his actions that anything he said through the link would come out rather incoherent, almost bestial. They might have the advantage in terms of numbers, but the truth was that Katsu had never been quite so confident in his strength. His fights were always won by grit and wit. He had always striven to overcome, but that just meant he'd always fought desperately..

[Sent in Actions]

 

[Shirai Sadao]

Maikeru:
Hp:19462 - 2750 - 1300 = 15412
Cp: 9275 - 900 - 3624 = 4751
Status:
Ap: 9ap - 8.5 = 8.5ap Next Round

Saitou Reicheru:
Hp: 13,780 - 1925 = 11855
Cp: 14475 - 527 - 483 - 698 = 12767
Status:
Ap: 6.5ap - 6.5 = 6ap Next round

Katsu:
Hp: 9473
Cp: 7911 - 215 - 225 - 420 - 735 = 6316
Status:
Ap: 6.75ap - 6.25 = 6.5ap next round


-------------------------------------

Lin Amura:
Hp: 7536 - 150 - 150 - 1625 - 150 - 150 - 150 - 150 - 2025 - 783 = 2203
Cp: 16305 - 1090 - 560 - 680 = 13975
Status: Bleeding rank 3, Open Wounds rank 3, Dazed, Sprained Heart
Ap: 7.5ap - 6.75 = 7.75ap Next round

Xano:
Hp: 18600 - 290 - 225 - 110 - 1265 = 16710
Cp: 14330 - 300 - 625 - 90 = 13315
Status:
Ap: 6ap - 5.75 = 6.25ap Next round

Xano Clone:
Hp: 2652
Cp: 2652
Status:
Ap: 1.5
</COLOR>

Round 2:

Katsu uses basic clone against Xano = 0 Seconds [Partial hit 50%]

Katsu Does a hidden action against Xano with initiative = 0 Seconds [Hits]

Maikeru activates Mangekyo Sharingan = 0.56 Seconds

Katsu uses called shot against Xano's weapon = 0.74 Seconds [Miss]

Katsu uses Gasher against Xano = 2.59 Seconds [Miss, Hit, Miss]

Lin uses Chidori against Marikeru = 3.33 Seconds [Hits]

Saitou uses Flashbang against Lin = 3.85 Seconds [Hits]

Xano uses Mystical Force on Lin = 4.16 Seconds
- Katsu uses Deadeye basic strike and prevents the Jutsu

Maikeru uses Omni-flash against Lin = 4.45 Seconds [Miss]

Katsu uses Blade trail against Xano = 5.18 Seconds [Hits]

Maikeru uses Basic Strike called shot heart against Lin = 5.28 Seconds [Hits]

Lin uses Sub Atomic Scorch on Saitou = 6 Seconds [Miss]

Maikeru uses Basic Strike called shot heart against Lin = 6.11 Seconds [Hits] [Heart is sprained]

Saitou uses Lunar Steps against Lin = 6.54 Seconds [Hits, Bleeding rank 3, Open Wounds rank 3]

Maikeru uses Basic Strike called shot heart against Lin = 6.94 Seconds [Hits!] [Lin heart Fractured]

Maikeru uses Basic Strike called shot heart against Lin = 7.77 Seconds [Hits]

Xano uses Kill Driver on Saitou = 7.91 Seconds [Hits, Hits, Hits, Hits, Hits, Hits, Hits, Hits, Crits, Hits]

Xano uses Pressurized mist against Katsu but hits a Clone! = 8.08 Seconds [Crits]

Katsu uses Executioner against Xano = 8.51 Seconds [Miss]

Maikeru uses Basic Strike called shot heart against Lin = 8.6 Seconds [Hits]

Lin uses 16-Hit Combo against Maikeru = 9 Seconds [Miss, Hits, Hits, Miss, Miss, Miss, Hits, Hits, Crits, Partial hit 50%, Hits, Hits, Partial hit 50%, Hits, Crits, Hits]

Maikeru uses Basic Strike called shot heart against Lin = 9.43 Seconds [Hits]

Saitou uses Focal Blade against Lin = 10 Seconds [Hits]
​

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Notes:

 

[Saitou Rei]

The crackle of lightning coming from Amura's fist told Reicheru that she was right not to let her guard down, though she didn't expect it to be the traitor that struck first given her condition. Reicheru turned her blade away from Xano and toward the girl, but found that she wasn't moving toward her but Maikeru. Though she trusted the Uchiha to be able to handle himself, their purpose was to have each other's backs. As quickly as she could the Nanjirou channeled her chakra into her blade and began molding it into an element she was still trying to master but that seemed her best option in this moment, Sofu Ken beginning to glow with a white light as she did so. Running at the pair, if she couldn't make it in time to intercept the attack she would try to distract and disorient the blonde, throw her off balance and off target.

Yet, it was all for naught - Reicheru could only watch as Amura's chidori connected, the burst of light she'd been preparing exploding around them a moment later. "You're gonna regret that," Reicheru would whisper in the girl's ear as she jumped behind her, prompting a strike from the traitor. But it would seem her flashbang had been successful in blinding her for the moment, making her attack all the easier to dodge. What's more, in her attempt to take on her opponent from behind, she'd left herself wide open to Maikeru. As the Uchiha struck her, the force of the strike knocked her forward into Reicheru's waiting readied blade, which would serve to push her back to Maikeru. She'd gotten stuck in a loop, and in her disoriented state Reicheru suspected she wouldn't have the wits about her to break out of it. They should have her wrapped up in no time; she couldn't keep up with the two of them, and once they had her down she was certain that Xano wouldn't stand a chance against all three of them together. As Maikeru continued raining down strikes on the injured girl, Reicheru moved to rejoin the dance alongside him and begin to put this conflict to an end.

That was when it hit her, quite literally. The heat of Xano's blade on her back surprised her, so much so that she found herself unable to react and defend herself. She struggled against the onslaught to turn herself around and bring her blade up, thankful again for even the smallest amount of protection her great-grandfather's chakra provided as she stumbled against the weight of the attack. No matter how she moved or rolled the strikes kept coming, until finally Katsu forced Xano's hand to deflect the boy's attack. Reicheru took the opportunity to leap backwards, taking a deep breath and readying herself. Images from their mental link of Maikeru and Amura exchanging blows filled her mind; blinking to restore clarity, she evaluated the field. In Lin's state, Maikeru could handle her. As blood trickled down her arm and between her fingers where she gripped the hilt of her sword, Reicheru charged back at Xano before he had a chance to repay Katsu with a strike. "Now you're gonna regret that," the young girl nearly growled between gritted teeth as she brought her sword against him, fighting desperately for her life and the lives of her friends.


[WC: 560]
[TWC: 3546 / 5000]
[Actions Sent]