Unforgiving Sands [Invite Only]

[Baek]

Desert sands swirled with the barren winds come from the eastern regions of the country. Each searing wind carried with it, temperatures hovering above 100 degrees Fahrenheit and when those mixed with the infrequent cold fronts coming from the west the resulting sandstorms were truly natural terrors to behold. There was a particular 100x100 meter set of land that was spacious with only a four or five 3 meter high dunes reaching meekly for the sky. Smooth waves were pressed into the ever-shifting earth so that the desert very nearly resembled a sea of sand.

There was no water in this place. Very little to be found in the air, none to be found on the ground; this was not a life sustaining place.

It was into this harsh environment that Baek stumbled. After days of searching for a worthy opponent he felt as if another foray into the desert would completely suck him dry of his strength. Even so he swallowed the last of his spit, noted the grit left on his tongue, and kept his feet moving through the loosely packed sand which seemed suck him.5 meters into the ground with each step that he took. His cloak thrown back over his shoulder Baek had already switched between draping entirely over his skin to keep the brutal day’s sun from scorching his skin to tossing the flaps over his shoulders to let what little air brushed past him cool his skin. Already he was drenched in sweat, but his face acknowledged none of it as his hand quickly perused through the pockets of his cloak.

150 ninja stars, 45 marbles, 2 fragmentation grenades, 4 smoke grenades, and 1 stun grenade left him feeling light for movement purposes, but truthfully he’d never really found much use for ninja tools such as those. The only weapon he had ever truly relied upon was the daito katana hanging from his left hip. It had been his father’s and now it belonged to him; he carried it with pride at all times.

His sleeveless white shirt was pressed slick against his skin due to sweat and his black pants made it feel as if a sauna were wrapped around his legs. The bandages starting from his shins down and the set sticking to his wrist and forearms completed the uncomfortable apparel he wore. The only thing he did not currently regret was the headband with his village's insignia proudly flashing in the sun's red-orange rays; it was the symbol of his loyalty to Kusagakure no Sato. It was a symbol of his dedication to something greater than himself.

As he trudged mindlessly onward he began to wonder what sort of honorable foe would find themselves traveling in this heat, across these unforgiving sands.

[OOC: Any corrections you have, you can make here in OOC or PM to me. Whichever is convenient for you works for me. Thank you for the chance to learn here.]

[Nyu]

Enter, Alexander, the Achilles of the Hidden Mist. He walked in this unforgiving desert, watching the seas endless sand moving around him. This was however, not something that bothered him as much as you may have thought, from someone from the water country. The reason behind this was because of his mastery over the cooler elements. He stood there virtually unaffected and walked on with little to no difficulties. The sand coming up in puffs around him as he walked he did the only thing he could do. He walked onwards and took a few deep breaths. They were hot, but cooler than around him. Alexander looked around and saw more sand dunes and mounds of sands all around him. He kept walking in one direction, hoping it would bring him out of this desert. He looked around and walked onwards still looking for something to end his never ending boredom. The Achilles of the Hidden Mist stood there in this foreign land, wondering how he got there. Nevertheless he was there, and he was bored.

The Mist Shinobi stood under the sun with his massive blade hoisted on his shoulder. The Masamune was his blade of wonders. That was not the only thing he held upon his body. He also had one katana and six wakazashi. He also had numerous smaller weapons upon his body. This included 20 kunai and 75 bo-shuriken. Alexander knew way to use these and then thought about everything he was performing. He was holding his massive blade with one hand and he took a deep breath, of the hot desert air. He made his way around a small mound of sand and smiled, there was someone there. He looked at the male that was making his towards him and he knew he was a ninja. Not just because how he walked or carried himself, but the head band of his village was hanging out in the open. Alexander’s was hidden under his clothes and he could only do one thing and one thing only. Smile. His boredom, somehow, was about to end. He was standing there 20 meters from a new source of entertainment.

[Baek]

Perhaps it had been because his mind was occupied by the growing thirst blotting out all other senses, but suddenly there was a person standing before him. Baek noticed the shadow first and was immediately intrigued by all the odd angles jutting out from this stranger’s figure. Looking up he found a roughly smiling young man, one who Baek guessed couldn’t have been much older than him. That was where the similarities drew to a close.

Separated by 20 meters of sand Baek could taste the primal instincts of this new presence, there was a certain pressure that was not quite bloodlust nor was it benevolent; it was an excited desire to fight. For a moment the mere fact that he could perceive this impression from his man without any latent sensory abilities made him hesitate, but at the sight of all the gleaming edges of steel he could feel his own lips part in a small smirk of their own. So that’s what he’s getting all excited about; he’s found a playmate. By now his cloak had been tossed back over his shoulders, his hard, lean figure traced out by the clinging shirt and pants he wore, but most importantly was the katana that no longer seemed like a burden he needed to carry; it had quickly become a necessity that he was glad he was rarely without.

Remaining statue still Baek stroked the hilt of his blade with his left hand. There was no intent to draw it, even just by observing the motion, rather it was almost a loving stroke, the kind of possessive gesture that preening mother’s made over their favorite child. Allowing his eyes to wander up the length of the stranger’s shoulder Baek found himself whistling in amazement. “That’s something of a monster for a sword,” he commented conversationally. The tiny grin that had come when he’d began to realize that a truly worthy opponent stood before broke out into a wide-grinned, toothy smile that had a child-like innocence to it. “The fact that you’re holding it with just one hand means you’re something of a monster for a man as well doesn’t it?”

He hadn’t really been expecting an answer; if he did get one he wasn’t sure what he would make of it either way. His words were simply observations that he spoke aloud as if to warn his body of what sort of danger it was about to immerse itself in and his body responded in kind. Taut lines of muscle clenched until there were a small series of spidery veins rippling along each of Baek’s arms. His forehead bore a single, thick cable that streaked diagonally from his hairline before disappearing above his brow. All the while his smile gave no indication of the readiness to fight, the preparedness to die, and overall the exhilarating excitement setting his blood afire as he stood casually still as if waiting for something to happen. For a second he wondered what the swordsman was feeling. Could this feverish will to fight have been something emanating from both of them or was it a completely individualistic experience for either man?

Letting out a low chuckle he cleared his mind of burdensome thoughts as his center of gravity dropped, his knees bent, and his left hand snatched the body of his sword’s sheath to steady it while his right hand loosely grasped the hilt of the katana. All the wires that strung him together as a human being tensed as one and he became like a rubber band stretched and waiting to be snapped at the slightest provocation, a tiger ready to rip and tear with tooth and claw.

Before he could admit the truth to himself his body knew; Baek had become…ready.

[OOC: Forgive me if the small talk and theatrics are annoying. It’s the way I write and I wouldn’t have wanted to just jump at you with sword swinging madly. Thought I would at least give us some pretense of violence beforehand.]]

[Nyu]

[OOC: Remember to Spoiler what your doing, not needed but it helps your opponent understand what is going on with your character and avoids issues further on duing the fight.]

Alexander, still musing himself with the question of the other shinobi about being a "Monster of a Man.", noticed the shinobi's harden battle stance. A smirk would sprout on Alexander's face. The shinobi fancied himself as a swordsman huh? Alexander picked up his massive blade and twirled it ever so easily between his fingers. He placed the sword's blade deep into the sand and smiled at the white hair fellow. It was clear that this was going to go off, so why not just let it happen? The Achilles would not even use his big sword, unless it really got to that point. He looked at the white haired swordsman and understood that by his look, he was going to attempt to fight him in a sword fight. Alexander could match him in such a manner. Alexander drew his Katana from its' sheath and looked at the male with studying eyes. He looked directly at the boy in his stance, he took up his own. His eyes would seemingly transform before the lad.

His eyes of normal deep blue, like the ocean, would change into the icy blue of the northern mountains, in their endless winter. His concentration would be on end, heightened to its' extent and he held his blade there. His sword was at his waist, his dominat hand on the handle closer to the hilt. The blade was slanted at a 45 degree angle facing the young lad. His stance was that of one of the many disicplines he knew. He looked at the white haired ninja and his smirk stayed on his face. The boy knew something about sword postuing that was for sure, but did he know how to use the sword that was the real question here. Alexander gripped his sword and a gentle wind blew between the two. The sane was silent and still save for the small puff between them that was stirred up by the movement of the wind. The calm was quickening and there was no one around them. The sand underboth ninja's feet had become a small mound, due to the forced movement of each ninja's feet becoming the base for their stance.

Both shinobi were ready, bloodlust or not, this was going to be a fight that both ninja would remember under the end of their days.

SPOILER: Click to show

Chuuhan no Shisei (Middle Level Posture)
Rank: "E"
Skill: Taijutsu
Effect: A stance with a sword held at the midsection.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: Chuuhan no Shisei is the most basic of the six stances of Gyakusatsu and offers the optimal balance between offense and defense. The user brings his/her sword to the midsection held in a forty-five degree angle upwards with the dominate hand held at the top of the handle below the guard. The stance is used to transition easily between offense and defense as well as counters. The feet match the positioning of the hands with the dominate side in the forefront.
Limit: Gyakusatsu

[Baek]

The man continued regarding him with an unsettling smirk, one that called upon the forge fires of Baek’s temper, but he remained immovable in his restraint, the irritation he felt boiling deep within him serving as fire for the fierceness of his techniques. Now the two swordsmen faced one another, one holding a weapon pointed at the other, who seemed prepared for anything coming for him.

I’ll end this before it even begins.

That was Baek’s thinking and true to his nature he followed through on that simple thought. Crouching even more deeply into his stance he let out a deep, cleansing breath and closed his eyes turning his focus inwardly for the space of .5 seconds. The time itself was meaningless for however short or long it was he had delved deep within the vaults of his mind to pull forth the power that lurked within the human mind. When his consciousness touched it his eyes snapped open and his lips parted as if to release another breath…but it never happened.

An explosion of movement sent a rising pillar of sand soaring upward for 4 meters as a slender blur of motion crossed the sands at inhuman speeds. Behind him the desert sands rose up in sequential order, smaller pillars of about 2 meters height raising into the air as Baek flew by, his speed rousing tempest like winds close to his body while a hawk-like cry signaled his motion. Despite the nature’s melodramatic response Baek paid no heed as he crossed the distance of 20 meters in a single second utilizing the raw power of his released muscles. As his feet slammed into the ground bringing him crouching and nearly face-to-face with his enemy, but avoiding the inherent tip of the enemy’s blade which had been fixed on his previous position. Staring at his larger opponent, Baek drew his sword from its sheath while his feet adjusted with practiced motions into his Battojutsu stance. Like a metal snake, the blade hissed free from its casing and with equal animalistic bloodlust rushed forward.

Four blurring thrusts, one aimed at the right shoulder, the next seeking to impale the enemy’s right leg, before flowing into a lunge that would take the opponent in the chest, before finishing off the vicious combination with an extended thrust that would strike out at the opponent’s abdomen even if there was time left for the man to react. All of this would have taken place in the span of 3.5 seconds leaving the enemy little time to react.

The Initial Gate’s opening made sweat evaporate from the surface of Baek’s skin and when he wasn’t in motion the steam gave him the impression of some mystical being wreathed in a mysterious fog. Even with after his opening attack, his ambitious nature would not let him rest, the excitement of combat goaded him to press further. Twirling with dancer-like grace he sought to spin behind his opponent where he stopped facing the opponent’s back just as his sword was re-sheathed from the previous attack.

Using Battojutsu: Shihogiri-zuki at the beginning of a battle without knowing who his opponent would have been frowned upon by his deceased sempai, but Baek and the man had already established their intentions in the moments of their meeting; they were both ready to die. Keeping this fact burrowed in the depths of his heart, he drew upon the inferno of his battle-anger and once again gathered his feet to a shoulder-width distance, his heels rising off the ground as his body angled towards the enemy in preparation of the next attack; Battojutsu: Irounakugiri. His hand which had been resting on the hilt of his katana gripped the weapon passionately before in a precise deadly yet graceful motion drew the sword upward in a rising slash that painted a metallic crescent in its wake. Although he had not intended it the attack would rip through the opponent's right hip and tear through the back muscles before clearing the left shoulder.

The fastest of his Battojutsu techniques complimented by the uncontainable power offered by the opening of the first chakra gate. As his blade slid back into its sheath Baek turned his back to the opponent he was certain could not have lived through such a vicious onslaught of swordsmanship. His eyes closed and he murmured a silent repentant prayer for the soul of the departed.

SPOILER: Click to show

First Gate— Mûlâdhâra [Open/Initial]
Rank: "B" Rank
Skill: Taijutsu, Supplementary
Effect: The body can only go 20% of it's limits naturally, with all the gates on. With each gate, however, the body can go an extra 10% for each gate broken. The Initial Gate enables the user to push forth to 30%. When a user takes the time to break this gate, they become capable of moving .5 times faster than normal. This means that a user who is capable of performing 4 movements would be capable of performing an amount of 6 movements in total. (4 base movements + 2 movements for the ×.5)
Special: The user must concentrate within their inner body for one brief moment in order to bring forth the gate.
Drawback: Simply put, the Hachimontonkou work on a 100% scale. Unlocking the Initial Gate expends 10% of the aforementioned one hundred each round it remains open. What this means is that if you were to perform under the Initial Gate's influence for two rounds, you would have used 20% out of the allotted one hundred. BUT, the moment a user goes over this 100%, their entire musculature will begin tearing apart, resulting in short stints of temporary paralysis accompanied by shocking pains. Repairing this damage requires medical attention with a success rate of 90%.
Description: Located in the region between the genitals and the anus, the Inital Gate is the first of the Hachimontonkou. It's not rare for a shinobi who uses a good deal of taijutsu to know how to unlock this gate. This gate is usually broken in order to perform a needed devastating attack or for a temporary boost to get out of a sticky situation. However, keeping this gate unlocked for an extended period of time can put a lot of strain on the user's muscles.
The rank of any Taijutsu Attack is increased by One Rank.

"D" Rank Taijutsu have "C" Rank strength.

"C" Rank Taijutsu have "B" Rank strength.

"B" Rank Taijutsu have "A" Rank strength.

"A" Rank Taijutsu have "S" Rank strength.

"S" Rank Taijutsu gain an additional "D" rank's worth of power.


Takes 1 movement of preparing before able to unlock the gate. User is unable to perform any other techniques during this preparation time period.
Limit: Only accessible to Chakra Gate users. Must have at least 540TP in Taijutsu techniques.

SPOILER: Click to show

Battojutsu Stance
Rank: E Rank
Effect: Allows the use of Battojutsu forms
Special: None
Drawbacks: None
Description: The practitioner moves into a bow stance, their main hand gripping the hilt of the sword and their offhand resting half way down the sheath; they stand slightly crouched, able to easily move to a kneeling of standing position for their forms.
Restrictions: Must have a Senpai/Sensei of a Kenjutsu Dojo to learn.

SPOILER: Click to show

Shihogiri-zuki (Four Direction Cutting Thrust)
Rank: B Rank + 1 rank= A rank
Effect: Up to four moderate (B Rank or less) deflections or strikes (B Rank) to four or less opponents nearby.
Special: None
Drawbacks: Cannot be used twice in a row - needs a moment to be prepared again
Description: Commencing from a standing position, then practitioner makes either four moderately deflecting blows or four strikes to up top four opponents around him, choosing to deflect or attack for each.
Restrictions: Must have a Senpai/Sensei of a Kenjutsu Dojo to learn; must have Quick Strike (B Rank) or Reflex Training (B Rank); Must be a TaiJutsu Specialist

SPOILER: Click to show

Irounakugiri (Complete Cut)
Rank: B Rank + 1 Rank= A Rank
Effect: One strong (A Rank) strike to each opponent nearby, deflecting or damaging them
Special: None
Drawbacks: Cannot be used twice in a row - needs a moment to be prepared again
Description: Commencing from a standing position, the practitioner makes one fast, powerful swing around himself, either striking opponents or deflecting attacks.
Restrictions: Must have a Senpai/Sensei of a Kenjutsu Dojo to learn; must have Quick Strike (B Rank) or Reflex Training (B Rank); Must be a TaiJutsu Specialist

[OOC: I know I get 12 movements with the opening of the first gate and I counted the initial movement to open it among those 12. I made sure to maintain the stance requirement as well when performing the Kenjutsu techniques and I altogether counted up 12 movements in that post. I hope I didn't miscount there. Please let me know if there's an error.]

[Alucard]

[OOC: Gates huh, well Gates are great and do a lot of them when they stack. Though if you want to end quickly, then yes use gates.]

Alexander, felt something roughly odd from the man. He felt aodd aura and his frozen mist began to fluz from the man. He quickly moved his body away 60 meters, his one handed half seals moving as they did so. His wings of blue spread free and flapped furiously. He jumped into the air and took flight climbing higher and higher into the air. He glanced down upon the pea of a man. He knew that the white haired person was using a technique of dire strength, with dire conquences. Alexander would sit here, 100 meters in the air and sit there, letting him fight his battles inside him. Once his muscles wore out, and slowed down Alexander would swoop in, and end the man's life, with a quick and sudden execution.

SPOILER: Click to show

Touketsu Sagiri [Frozen Mist]
Rank: C
Skill: Passive NinJutsu
Effect: Creates a thin unseen mist of ice about the user.
Special: NinJutsu Passive
Drawback: ---
Description: With long use of the ice release via the Kaishin blood limit the user is capable of sustaining a permanent, fine mist of ice about their body. Taking nearly zero effort to sustain, they unconsciously use the blood limit in order to freeze and suspend water vapor in the air around them. Typically an unintentional action, only those of master like skills have managed to manipulate this unseen form of ice about them, heightening awareness of movements about their proximity by reading movements of the mist. When first learned the user is capable of sensing movements within a 10 meter radius. Each character rank above B increases the radius by 10 meters.
Limit: Requires 500+ tp in Kaishin; requires char rank of B rank+

Shunshin no Jutsu - Oshi (Body Flicker Technique - Push)
Rank: "C"
Skill: NinJutsu/TaiJutsu
Effect: A Jutsu that allows a user to rush forward in almost instantaneous speed. Used to draw the user close to the opponent.
Special: ---
Drawback: May use 3 times a day. May perform 1 more each time learned. Passing amount renders the user's legs immobile due to severe pain. Unable to perform again unless gained medical treatment. Must move through an opening. Unable to maneuver around obstructing objects. Can't attack while performing any Shunshin or Variation.
Description: User is able to move forward in a straight line along the ground in almost instantaneous untraceable speed while temporarily masking the user's movements within 10 meters. A puff of smoke is occasionally used to disguise the user's movements. It is accomplished by focusing the user's chi along the ankles and foot. User mostly moves just with their ankles and feet. Jutsu takes up no movements. User may only use this Jutsu half of the movements may allow in a single round while rounding down. Example: User has 5 movements, user is able to perform Jutsu 2 times per round.
Limit: Universal NinJutsu or Universal TaiJutsu

Tsubasa Sodachimasu no jutsu (Wing Grow Technique)
Rank: C-Rank
Skill: Ninjutsu
Effect: Lets the user grow wings of a bird out of their shoulders.
Special: Ram
Drawback: The user may feel some pain, due to the initial outburst of the extra shoulder bones that are used for the rest of the wings to grow on. Cannot Re-grow wings that were ripped or severed from the body. If one wing is removed then it is impossible to retract the wings. If a wing is injured somehow, once retracted they cannot be used for 2 weeks OOC.
Description: The user forms the handseal, and then the extra shoulder bones that come from the Ritual of Talon and Feather burst through the back of the user and they start to grow into wings of any given bird, through chakra increasing the length of the bones, (user chooses) that are twice the length of the user’s arms. Chakra will numb the pain, but it will still hurt. The chakra will also accelerate the growth of the skin, but it will come out with feathers, having stimulated the chemical. The user may then use the wings to fly and perform other techniques that require this jutsu. When the Tsubasa wishes it or has an injured wing they can retract the wings into their body to heal over time or simply to hide them.
Limit: Must be a Tsubasa, must have Ritual of the Talon and Feather performed on them.


OOC: Using gates is nice, your open before you use them, which takes a movement and thus allowing your opponent an opening. Frozen Mist is one of those rare techniques that allows me to do some fun things. Half of my movements a turn is 6, so that is why I am able to use and preform Sushin 60 meters. Good try however.

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[/spoiler]

[Baek]

[OOC: I’m going to assume this is still Nyu given you posted as if it was, but that’s just a guess. Since I’m learning I’m going to post, but I wanted to ask two questions here: the first being, are we allowed to perform seals while performing Shunshin? From the description of the technique it suggests no, but in your post that’s what I’m getting. Second, I’m not absolutely positive on this which is why I’m going to ask: I can simply close the open gate, can’t I? I didn’t see anywhere where I couldn’t do that. Thank you in advance.]

Something felt wrong. There was no heavy movement behind nor did the sand give their grainy cry when something heavy bore its weight against the ever shifting desert ground. Steam still rolled from his skin and with an exhale he allowed the torrents of chakra pouring through the open gate of his mind slowly return to its normal dormant state. As always after he opened the gate he suddenly felt smaller, unequivocally miniscule when compared to the latent power residing within him, waiting to be released once again if only for a short burst.

Gripping the katana hilt jumping out from its sheath on his left hip he turned around to find that there was nothing on the ground. No blood, no body outline…nothing. Everything had happened so quickly that he hadn’t given it a moment’s thought once his initiative had been complete, but it had been a foolish endeavor it seemed. An ironic grin split his cheeks as he threw his cloak aside, the desert heat rushing to plaster itself against his skin once again as hard, emerald eyes searched the desolate terrain for where his enemy might have gone. The last of the steam had long since drifted from skin and the leftover perspiration actually served to cool his body; he enjoyed licking the salty residue from his lips. It was only after he turned a full 360 degrees that he spotted something in the sky.

Nothing distinct, but from its odd shape he could have sworn that it was…

“Heh…to think that a swordsman would resort to such trickery,” he muttered cheerfully as a hand went to his brow to shield his eyes, “Here I thought I’d have to worry about some backlash and all I get is an escape artist. Still…he did manage to get away; a mistake I won’t make again”

Instantly his left hand was up and in position. If that tiny speck of blue plastered against the otherwise clear, sunny skies of the desert was truly the man he’d been fighting then at this distance there was no need to hide his seals since it was likely the fellow couldn’t much make out what he was doing from all the way up there. Focusing on the streams of energy within his being he pulled from one of the elemental powers at his disposal and immediately smiled at the warm familiarity of the Raiton chakra. Its deadly, wild force seemed exactly the sort of nature chakra that should always be utilized in battle—at least for his purposes anyway.

Not a moment after he’d begun the half-seals were completed, taking approximately a time of 1.6 seconds before the jutsu was ready to be utilized. Cocking his head upward Baek opened his mouth and channeled the raw electrical presence blooming up from his stomach. It was warm and it tickled as it rumbled harmlessly up through his intestines before finally shooting into the sky, continuing high up as a tiny blue fairy of an attack. It was a ball of compressed Raiton chakra meant to explode once it reached a certain height, blinding any aerial enemies that presented a threat to him from out of reach; he’d use the chance to perhaps take cover, he could use the time to regroup. Upwards it shot until it looked as if it was going to fly straight into the sun. It was only once it had reached an altitude of approximately 120 meters that it exploded in a flash of brilliant light, outshining even the sun for a second with its fierce iridescent blue glow. Baek protected his eyes with a hand and waited calmly; his body hadn’t escaped completely unscathed from drawing on the power of the Initial Gate.

Next time he wouldn’t miss, not matter how strong his enemy was.

---

SPOILER: Click to show

Raiton – Eikoudan! (Thunder Style – Light Up the Sky!)
Rank: B
Skill: Ninjutsu
Effect: Allows the user to effectively send a blinding light into the sky, rendering all those at least thirty meters or more above the ground, and within thirty meters of the light blast, to be blinded by the light for one turn.
Special: ‘Handseals’
Drawback: Not meant to blind users on the ground.
Description: After performing the correct handseals, the user opens their mouth and spits out a small glowing blue ball into the sky. It consists of highly compressed raiton energy, packed tightly during the technique’s preparation. Once it reaches the skies, it goes off in a brilliant blast, blinding all flying within the area blind for a short period. Excellent for when the raiton user is outnumbered or simply surprised by aerial assailants, and has no way to fend them off when escape is necessary.
Limit: Raiton Release

[OOC: I guess another thing I forgot to ask was how many seals does it take to perform a B rank jutsu? I know how many seals a B rank user can perform, but how many seals does just a jutsu take? Is it 8 as the one-handed seals suggest? Sorry if this is something I should know…I’m just terribly lost here.]