Starring:
Date: September 3, 2013
Summary:
Katsurou and Sakuryu find themselves in a fight against each other with their lives on the line.
Poster's note: foul language filtered in obvious places.
"Battle of the Shirayuki"
Waterfall outside of Konoha
It was mid morning and the smell of rain was in the air. A shower that had lasted maybe an hour awakened Katsurou from his slumber. He waited until it was over before going out for a walk. With the village packed due to the Chuunin exams, Katsurou need to get away. At least for a little bit. It took some doing but he assured the guards at the gate that he would be fine going out for a walk with his teacher and guardian, Shirayuki Ruko, at his side. He was told not to venture out any further than the waterfall which Katsurou agreed to.
Once at the waterfall, Katsurou kneeled at the bank of the stream and ran his fingers through it as if testing the temperature of the water.
"I dont know why youre concerned of the temperature. Its not like the cold bothers you. Snow, your new get-up has you shirtless all the frost time no matter the weather."
Katsurou looks back at Ruko. "It is habit i suppose."
Ruko hmphs. "Well, lets not be too long out here I have a lunch date with an Iwa nin." The older Shirayuki goes to find a nearby boulder to lean against while watching Katsurou "play" in the water.
Sakuryu sighs a bit as she closes her eyes, she had hired a couple of people to alert her of the other Shirayuki's location. She watches from afar, "Ninja Tactic number 1, in a stealth situation keep a far distance, stay quiet and remain focused and vigilant." she recites in her mind before settling into her spot. "Seems Ruko is playing watchdog…" she murmurs as she stays, taking note of the meeting. "Guess I wait then…'
Sakuryu had been watching her cousin for a while now. With his defection to Konohagakure the Shirayuki were not pleased nor was the Kirigakure council, He had inherited the Shirayuki blood and thus his body held secrets owned only by Kirigakure and placed the noble heritage of the Shirayuki in jeopardy. "I won't attack him outright…he deserves one last chance…."
"And get a hair cut already. You look like a man without a home." Ruko calls out to Katsurou from his position. Of course all of this would go ignored as Katsurou slips off his steel shin guards and gauntlets that once belonged to his father. He rolls his pant legs up to his knees and slowly makes his away a few feet away from the bank of the stream. "Catch some fish for us, kiddo while i catch some sleep. You kept me up all night talking in your sleep."
Katsurou looks back towards Ruko. "You could always find your own apartment to stay in."
Ruko scoffs. "And give up a free gig like I have? No thanks. Wake me up when its time to go, and im serious. Dont keep us out here too long or else I'll turn you into a block of ice and drag you back myself."
Sakuryu sighs a bit and stretches. "These two….are far too relaxed." She grumbles at the situation as she looks at her recently gained birthright with a frown. "This shows my acceptance…I was told he is a thief and a Bingo Book registered felon…" She sighs and contemplates. "Why can't Aoitsuki be here…." She curls her grip tighter before slipping her birthright back behind her back. "Freeze you Katsurou…." She shakes her head.
Sakuryu had been debating this for a while, at the meeting it was stated that attacking him might be considered an act of crime…yet Kiri stated they wanted him dead." She huffs and clenches her hands even tighter. "Why must my clan have such embarassments upon them." She stares at the layabout Ruko, another exile but stated to be strong otherwise. "I can't take them both out…. and I'm sure that they have the bonds of thieves…" She glares "I need to separate them…"
Whether Ruko was kidding or not, fish did sound good for dinner. Katsurou takes a few more steps out into the water and focuses on any movement he may pick up on under the water. A few fish come to nibble on his toes but they werent big enough to do anything with. Meanwhile, snores from Ruko can be heard all the way to Katsurou. He acknowledged the sound but didnt let it break his focus he had on his fishing. Finally a fish big enough worth catching comes up to pick on the smaller fish that have gathered around him. The Shirayuki hunkers down and watches for his chance to strike.
Sakuryu sighs. "He deserves a face to face confrontation rather than a blatant assassination…" She returns her birthright to her hip and slowly stands, though she hides the weapon carefully. She throws a few needles at the fish at Katsurou's feet, pinning a few dead as she approaches. "Shirayuki are legendary fisherman… do you shame us in more than one way Katsurou?"
Sakuryu walks in slowly from the distance, her eyes cold and leveled on her older cousin, a few needles of ice still in her hands as she watches him. She was wearing some armor as well as her new pirate attire, this out of respect for another Shirayuki vagabond she had met in her travels. "Before you do anything, tell me why….' She looks at him stoicly, keeping alert for an attack from the slumbering Ruko.
A puzzled look comes over Katsurou's face as he sees his prey become riddled with ice senbon. "I thought you were sleep—" Katsurou began to say as he raises his head to see Sakuryu coming from distance. "Sakuryu." He says softly. He focuses chakra enough to step up onto the water's surface. "Why I left Kiri?" He clarifies. He lets out a sigh and lowers his gaze from Sakuryu to the ground. "Sakuryu, it has grown too complicated now to explain. It started off as something that wasnt as true as it seems. I stayed loyal and did my part until I realized our…well, your Mizukage had thrown me to the wolves and set me up for failure in the process. Unfortunately it has grown to where it is now my word against his and I know too well the outcome of that. My only regret is the shame the Mizukage has made me bring on our clan. Because of him, I no longer have a home."
Sakuryu glares at him a little as she twirls an ice senbon between her digits. "Just come with me and make your case! You more than all others should know that the Shirayuki are noble born and bred and have sway with the village! Come back with me of your own free will. You will be punished but you'll keep your life!" she huffs and clenches her hand, shattering the needle.
Sakuryu looks at him with a slow breath out. "Negotiations have broken down, if you don't return it could cause another war. You've been causing a stir unlike many before… Remember your sister Katsurou! She has relinquished the title of seven swordsman and faded from the light!" She yells the last part staring him down.
Of course Sakuryu bringing up his sister makes Katsurou's heart drop. Aoitsuki had always been his light. If she had lost hers then what could that mean for him? The Shirayuki closes his eyes and sighs. "I fear it is not that simple, Sakuryu. I do appreciate your concern however…I cannot go back. I cannot allow myself to continue serving the current Mizukage. Not after what he has put me through. One day i do plan on returning, and that day will be the last day Yuge wears the title of Mizukage. Until Yuge comes clean with his actions, I am not able to have my past clear. I would rather live as a rogue than to serve in shame and false accusations."
Sakuryu grits her teeth "Listen you cur…. if you do not…..if you don't come back to the village now…..I may be forced to take your life. Just listen! I am allowed to bring you back!" She looks up at him with concern. "Otherwise I might have to take drastic measures…and you know I don't want too…. Aoitsuki was my mentor…I know you were her sister but you need to listen to me with this!" She looks at him seriously to see if he would come along. "I won't even tell them about Ruko…"
"Tell who about wha—?" Ruko wakes up and looks at Katsurou then looks over to whom he is addressing to see Sakuryu. "Oh…" The older Shirayuki gets to his feet while dusting himself off. "Little Sakuryu you've grown."
Meanwhile, Katsurou has not taken his gaze away from Sakuryu. "I am not going back, Sakuryu. Not yet. Not until im ready to take on the Mizukage. So that leaves us with the only other option. You must do what you have to and I as well. Just know that I will not hate you for it, nor could I ever."
"Katsurou…you do know if things get rough, I cannot step in. I may be exiled but I still honor the nobility of Shirayuki affairs." Ruko says with a look of concern on his face.
Katsurou nods. "I understand." With that said, the Shirayuki closes his eyes and takes in a deep breath. A few moments later patterns of various symbols appear on his bare upper body. It glows with a light blue color much like the aura that now outlines his body. Katsurou opens his eyes and exhales a chilly breath. Sakuryu would also notice once close to him she would feel the chill radiating off his aura.
Sakuryu shakes her head. "You know I don't want to..but I am bound…." She bites her lip and clenches her fist. "Very well since I am almost a recognized Shinobi of my own volition I have to accept the challenge of another Shirayuki." She bows her head before taking a few steps back. The air around her would become very still. Her skin becoming pale as a corpse or porcelain, the air around her shifting slowly to become almost an aura hurricane. Her hair would begin to flow and sparkle as her breath becomes smoke and cold. "I apologize for any indescretions against those that have come before or have yet to come, I ask forgiveness for battling blood against blood and I ask that this end in the proper way…and peacefully." She bows her head to Katsurou before she opens her eyes, the deep almost soulless orbs now a deep shining blue.
Sakuryu pulls chakra into her from the very air as she stares him down. "Who makes the first move?" She asks as she bows respectfully to him, as she stands frost spiderwebs out from where she stands
Katsurou would return the bow given by Sakuryu. "Allow me to make the first move." He says as he weaves together a series of handseals in a blurr. A medium globe of water slowly rises up in front of his chest and hovers in place. "Forgive me, Sakuryu…" He mutters softly. Then without warning tiny droplets of water begin shooting forth from the medium globe of water in front of the Shirayuki. If any manage to hit Sakuryu it would have the same affect as being hit by a paintball gun.
Sakuryu nods. "No apologies dear cousin." She says before moving her hands even faster, years of being bed ridden with nothing to do but study and meditate had given her expert control of her chakra, soon she splits into a series of different Sakus each getting pelted with the water bullets, soon crumbling to a pile of ice on the ground. leaving nothing but shrapnel in it's place. Soon from a hidden location a heavy mist would roll in, a bank of impermeable water covering the land. Saku was skilled at hiding and striking from afar, soon a hail of needles would rain down from the treetops each aimed to paralyze or kill him.
Katsurou whips together another series of hand seals which causes the orb of water in front of him to quickly take the shape of a series of water streams in the shape of ribbons that dance about him. As the icy needles make their way at him, each of the ribbons deflect the attacks off their course. It was then he notices the heavy fog roll into the area. This brings a smile on his lips. With him unable to spot the girl he takes the time to focus some of his chakra and wait for her next move.
Sakuryu knew to keep silent…if she did succeed in killing Katsurou..it would secure her recommendation for Anbu Squad though the price did make her heart sink. She carefully assessed the situation and soon let's a field of needles fly forth at him, aiming once more to take out his vitals, hidden in the storm a single rose of ice aiming to pierce his heart. Sakuryu knew this was a battle between relatives but the Shirayuki were always very careful with their duels and with matters such as this she couldn't afford to overthink or to make any mistakes, no….in this situation Katsurou was the mark.
The ribbons of water continue to dance about him as Sakuryu's attacks come at him. Unfortunately one of her techniques hits its mark and slices his arm. He holds his arm with a grimace on his face. Now that the mist had faded he was ready to go back on the assault. The ribbons of water splashing into the larger body of water under him as he began working his hands in a series of hand seals. Almost immediately the wind around him picks up pretty heavily. With a thrust of his hands at the girl, he sends a pulse of wind in her direction and follows it up with another one. Then with a flick of his wrist he creates a shuriken made of ice and sends it her direction as well.
Sakuryu sees the wind coming and quickly forms another field of ice clones though while one gets hit and destroyed the other two attacks find their mark making Sakuryu grimace. "Nnnghh sleet…" She huffs and glares at him. "You will still lose." She gathers herself up and forms the seals quickly. "Beware the entrapments of beauty…." She says in a low voice, her eyes almost staring a hole through him. The rose that had cut him would glitter softly before blooming out. It would be a beautiful sight under normal circumstances but for this time it unfortunatley was not. Soon the petals flurry from the stem, flying out to surround Katsurou, aiming to capture him in a heavy storm of razor edged pieces of ice.
While this is distracting him a hand would slip behind her back, it was time for the legend to be shown. Sakuryu had recently gone on a mission to retrieve the ancient bone and Ice Kusari gama, a weapon only told about in the childrens tales of the Shirayuki. She would hold it above her head, the tool pulsing with a glittering shine to show her heir apparent status to the exiles. Soon she would allow it to take her chakra, the blade glowing softly as it grows, becoming sharper, keener, barbed, and more deadly before she begins to spin the now almost headsman's scythe above her head by the chain. She would narrow her gaze upon him before throwing it hard, aiming to take a deep cut at him, using the chain to create a hard arc to slice him.
Sakuryu's attacks shatter Katsurou's ice clones left in his stead. Ice shards rain down to the bottom of the water. Katsurou was off to the side of the Shirayuki girl but something had caught his eye. "Is that?"
"The Kusari Gama." Ruko finishes his sentence from afar. "I had wondered if that fairy tale was true or not. If she has that, then now is not the time to underestimate her Katsurou."
Katsurou furrows his brows. "Right. Let us finish this." He forms together a series of hand seals. Sakuryu will soon feel a chilling wind pick up around her. If the technique is successful, the cold winds will grow so intense that it would lift her up off her feet. Within the vortex of the frigid whirlwind tiny ice crystals are hidden in the winds, which at a high speed would rip and tear flesh and clothing of anyone caught in the freezing whirlwind.
Sakuryu gasps and watches as the air comes at her. "No!" She tries to form a clone but ends up caught, the razor winds tearing at her hard
Katsurou watches as Sakuryu is trapped within his Freezing Whirlwind Jutsu. It was the first of his deadly combination that he will soon become infamous for. He claps his hands together and goes through a series of hand seals until finally slamming his palms on the ground under him. A trail of ice crystals travel rapidly towards the Shirayuki girl. Once it reaches her within the vortex, it travels upward and encases her whole body within. The sheer cold of being trapped within would take anyone's breath away and do wonders to a person's fatigue. The Shirayuki stands up and brings his hand while forming a seal up to his chest. He then calls out, "Kai!" and the ice crystals that encased the girl implodes with shards of ice cutting and slicing skin and clothing all about her body. It is normal for this technqiue to leave anyone as a naked and bloody mess.
Sakuryu screams as she gets torn apart, pale skin stained red with blood, she curses and looks up at him. "Unfortunately…I cannot…..cannot die here today….I have things I must do…I must leave…" She sighs and quickly forms her hand seals, using the blood on the ground as the sacrifice for the summon she calls forth the shadowy fox Yukihana. "Yuki…please…" She asks the fox as she looks at Katsurou, picking up Yukihana and dashing off as she pulls chakra through the ice rose on the field forcing it to blossom and shred him apart. "I'll return dear cousin! Once I master it!" she says quite cryptically as she races off
Yukihana comes forth with a yip and sees the bloody mess around her. "Of course!" She hops onto Sakuryu's head and forms that beloved ball of blue flames, letting it shower and cover Sakuryu as she retreats, the mist would come in Lazily causing Yukihana to worry, so she carefully slides off of Sakuryu while she's not noticing putting herself between the two combatants ready to take any blow in the place of her dear partner. "Attack me not her!" She yips and flares out, a ghostly aura enveloping the small form
"Katsurou…" Ruko says off to the side with a tense look on his face. Everyone present knew that Katsurou had the upper hand and the girl's life was in his hands.
"This is the end, Shirayuki Sakuryu." Katsurou takes a step back and forms a hand seal at his chest. An ice clone of himself appears on opposite sides of him. Just as it seems he was moments away from letting his clones tear the bloodied girl apart, all three bow their heads to the girl. "This fight is over and you will accept the shame of defeat at my hands. I will let you keep your life on these conditions… you forget about me and your hunt. Keep in mind that I could have finished you off today, but I chose not to. My war is not with my own blood it is with the Mizukage. Secondly, when i arrive back in Kiri I will have your word that the Shirayuki will have my back when i lead the charge against Mizukage Yuge. Then lastly, once Yuge is replaced by someone more suitable and all is quiet once again, you will relenquish your title of heir to the frozen throne and give it to me instead…or choose to marry me when you are of age. Do you agree to these terms?"
Sakuryu waves a bloody hand. "Yeah, but send someone to take me to the hospital, my disease….it hit me." She chuckles a bit before looking at Yuki, Go get help, say I was ambushed by a random intercept, tell noone of Katsurou." She looks back at him. "i'm going to lay here and not die, I'd run, and break all the evidence of you being here…" She says before laying down, allowing Yukihana to bathe her in cleansing fires once more.
Yukihana nods and picks up the Kusari gama in her jaws, gently moving it to Sakuryu's body before resting next to her, bathing her in the cool healing flames once more, concentrating on keeping the barely living girl in this realm.
"Nonsense." Katsurou says as he makes his way towards the girl. His clones puff into a cloud of smoke as he kneels down to scoop the girl into his arms. "Hop on, Yukihana was it? You can keep stabalized as we head to the hospital." He allows the summoned fox time to hop onto Sakuryu before he stands up with her in his arms. "You were attacked by clan rivals who want to send a message to our clan by taking your life. It was a good thing that myself and Ruko was around to help fight them off. Now rest cousin, we will be at the hospital shortly." With that said, he nods towards Ruko and they both exit the area heading back towards the village.
