Starring:
Date: January 18, 2012
Summary:
In founding out the man responsible for both her failure in a mission in assisting the Konohagakure as well as griveously injuring without effort was at the exams, Rise wasted no time in hunting him down. Naturally, Kibushi would not allow her to take her emotions out on him without putting up a fight and then some..
"First Promotion Exams - Blood of Mist, Wills of Steel: Rise vs. Kibushi"
Unknown Geyser Cave within Shiren Caverns
West Shiren Caverns [Land of Wind]
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The western area of Shiren Caverns is typified by long vertical passages. Narrow walkways formed by accidents of geology wind over deep pits, with stalagmites and columns jutting up all around. A trained shinobi shouldn't have too much trouble climbing up or down these passages, provided they aren't hindered by rivals or the local fauna. Say, isn't that spider web abnormally large…?
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It was reckless of her to rush so blindly around the cavern, but even so, Rise could no longer keep her feet still once the bomb shell hit. The Kaguya from before was at the exams… and because of that, she couldn't stop herself from grining like a shark-tooth maniac throughout the entire trip.
Along the way in a few rare instinces, Rise -did- catch sight of a few other fights taking place and even the weaker shinobi fleeing with a scroll in hand. But, such people mattered very little to Rise by comparison. All that did matter was for her to hurry up and get to the last place Kibushi was spotted to met out that bitter sweet revenge.
Tending to his wounds within the relative solitude of the mist filled area with spewing geysers and microbial life for company, Kibushi would have healed considerably due to a lot of the natural conditions and knowing how to use them to the fullest. In fact, the sulfuric geysers were aiding his treatment more than hindering it due to how he would utilize the elements. The Kaguya was sitting within the mist almost as if it was a sauna, deeply but carefully breathing in and out slowly. He was fully dressed, and he had restocked his ammunition from before by springing a shuriken trap, but for now he was resting and recuperating.
Against her will but at least in following a more sane line of thought, Rise eventually started to slow down for dual reasons: To conserve her stamina and to better avoid tripping over a rock or into a boulder once the mist hampered her sight. A murmered curse is emitted within minutes of entering the mist; only to catch not even the scent of Kibushi in the air. Not that she could've to begin with given the thick natural scent of the mist making it all the more difficult to even focus.
Then came the sound of someone breathing. Difficult to hear over the geysers and too subtle for most ears; but, not enough to keep from attracting Rise's attention. Or even if it -did- prove to be a false alarm in the end, the sound was a good enough hint to follow behind in her book.
The swirling of the mists was enough for Kibushi to know of a presence, but he would not seek to hide or find shelter. Instead, he remained where he was, calm and ready. There were people here that could easily sense his presence, and others whom could not. If they had to stumble upon him, it would not be to their advantage any how. If not, then it was too late to act any how.
Kibushi would be able to see something rapidly streaking through the mist, but not what it was until it scrapped along his cheek and cut in to his ear. The other kunai however, he would side step, keeping his attention forward. At this point, it didn't matter whom it was in front of him, The attacks had been made, and he would respond in kind. As there was a shadow for him as well, Kibushi would move quite suddenly in order to send a mid level fist towards this unidentified foe, stopping his movement to send a high angled elbow that would end with a twirling draw of his katana, cutting through the mist and perhaps his opponent as well.
She grinned at the new sound that reached her ear. The sweet, sweet sound of flesh being torn off brutally. Albiet, only a little in this case, but still!
Rise celebrated too soon unfortunately, because as soon as soon as she blinked, Kibushi was on her in an instant. The punch meant to gut blow most average heighten people was taken to jaw in her case. She rolls with the force of the punch and manages to spin around in time to take the elbow with the back of her arm and move along with the force of it before it could even bruise the skin. Mid-spin from the force of the strike, Rise draws out her combat knife and raises it in a instinctive high-guard, blocking the katana and forcing (should the Kaguya not withdraw immediately) Kibushi meet her, face to face as she pushed back against the longer weapon.
"Long time no see.. Shiro-kun.", She greeted mockingly through gritted teeth, trying and succeeding in pushing the Kaguya back enough to break off the engagement in her favor with a meter leap back. Her blood hungered to immediately keep up the exchange by tooth and blade, but first she had to size him up carefully and completely. "… I see ya managed to stay pretty intact too… Go—", Her last word is phased out by the wind drawing it away as she quickly rushed in again. Intent on slashing his sword arm with a horizontal cut, followed by a powerfully leap overhead to try and kick him down into the earth! As soon as she landed, Rise went stepped straight back into close quarters to feint another horizontal slash before spinning around with the force of the blow to try and hit him with a roundhouse.
It was her… Kibushi would grin immediately. "My little death blossom…" he would say, just as mockingly to her as the blade she sent towards him would scrap loudly against his own with a reactive block from his sword coming casually from him. Her rise and crashing down from the sky would receive a fanged grin from Kibushi as he'd hop back, only to be feinted in to spinning around and sending his own round house kick against hers! Their leg's would smack and crash in to each other heavily before his weight and power would over come her own. His eyes widened slightly as he'd gaze on the girl. "I did not expect to find you… so soon." Kibushi would state as he'd not waste any time rushing her and attempting to grasp her neck to send her back in to the sky before, if successful, sending her back down the opposite way from how she had attacked him: head first. "Your petals… they are quite vibrant even inhere." He'd comment once more as he'd watch her after his attempt.
One would think Rise would've learned her lesson in trying to fight Kibushi straight on after being forced back by Kibushi own roundhouse kick. But alas, she refused to listen to reason. Only instinct and blood lust in trying to chop Kibushi's arm away, fail from a lack of speed and an already weak leg, and end up slamming into the earth. What little sense she had in her is the only thing that allowed her to at least roll back, albiet dizzily, into a ready stance once more. Combat knife still in hand and thankfully not in her body from moving her hand at the wrong time during the attack.
"… pewt!… Like I care about freaking… whoa… uugh… petals.. n'stuff…" She started off strong, but ended up murmering the last as she swayed in place. She is quick to recover (thankfully enough) by using her free hand to dig into the back of her pouch and throw two sets of shuriken. The first flying straight and true while the rest seemed to lack any real direction until abruptly curving back in at Kibushi. "All I want, is your head on the ground!", She growled out admist the throws before running back in as soon as she got the chance to, to try and hit Kibushi with a double flying kick. The second one lower to keep him from ducking easily under her strike.
Flicking his sword up swiftly, the shuriken would make contact with his blade, but the force of the throw allowed the one that was actually split in two to still streak forward towards Kibushi so fast that his shoulder was sliced a bit. He would smirk at that as he'd use his other hand to flick his own set of shuriken in opposing directions in order to intercept the tricky throw sent at him, the weapons being stopped a mere foot from their destination by his countering projectiles. As he split double kick came at him, her light weight frame simply didn't have the mass to accelerate with great force at him very fast… like a feather in the wind by comparison, so he was able to block bock of her feet with his fists before he'd attack to send a heavy kick up under her where she would either fall or manage to find the ability to avoid or defend herself from it. His blade however would be stabbing down on her at the same time, giving her little room to react in such a position. "I care… I assure you." Kibushi would state.
Light as a feather is right because even after being thwarted in kicking, it took little effort from somersault to the side then back flip out range of Kibushi's blade and then some. "Wha… *headshakes*… Wait, why do you care?", She asked openly worried at first, but quick to assuage her worries with transforming her rage into power. Literally, but not without attempting to ensure the transference of her anger by sweeping Kibushi off his feet with a circular low kick as soon as she dashed into range, then an uppercut releasing it all. While still in mid-air (or possibly as soon she's allowed to recover) rise quickly follows up the punch with a aerial/flying kick to the Kaguya's chest while yelling out, "Make sense dang it!!"
Stomping upon the ground, Kibushi would hold firm against her kick, but soon find himself losing his footing slightly with a small bit of shock as he'd be suddenly rocked by an uppercut. However, he would not have been knocked off of his feet, just to the balls of his feet, and when her descending kick would come against him, he would rotate out of the way in a low manner, his blade being drawn as he twirled it around his back and pivoted to attack her with a myriad of savage strikes against her flank. "To drive you in to oblivion… only to see you charge back out…. is awe inspiring." Kibushi would state as he still faced Rise without baring his true fangs, not out of disrespect, but out of the desire to push her, not break her.
There was no time for Rise to dodge the blade, only let the blade dig into her side and roll with it just in time to keep more than just a good chunk of her from being torn out of her in the process. As soon as her feet were able to touch more firmly on the ground out of desperation put more effort than intended in avoiding the flurry of death from the Kaguya. Even /if/ his only intentions were to both figuratively and literally push her into a corner, panting heavily from the effort of weaving, sidestepping, then finally leaping out of the path of the last attack.
"….." Try as she might, she couldn't form words to counter his argument. Her rage.. her disappointment.. both and more were slowly fleeing her mind as she fought Kibushi on what felt more even ground. And if she hadn't needed to catch a breathier for the moment, she would've gladly done just as he had asked. For now however, she simply settled on sheathing her knife to more freely consume a soldier pill; blissfully ignorant of the wild look and the hair frizzying effect it was having on her.
Kibushi would grin… this time… widely. This time…. honestly. He would stare at this girl. He would look at her as if he would devour her whole. "That is what…. I’ve wanted." Kibushi would say as he would crackle his knuckles before blurring completely out of view only to send a heavy handed fist against her, and then, another, and then another, he would simply begin to try to pound away at her rapidly, not shedding and inch of power as he barraged her ruthlessly.
Despite quirking a brow in confusion, Rise too began to grin broadily along with Kibushi. Eyes focused intently on Kibushi now without a hint of being averted for anything short of a lethal blow from another. And as for her 'reply' to his mysterious statement, Rise refused to back down this time around. Every blow taken by the back of the hardest portion of her arms without her giving ground except to let the last blow knock her back into the air, hit the ground in a short slide, and… vanish. Her reappearance is at Kibushi's feet, and should he not take her next strike seriously, the Kaguya would be punted into the air with Rise following in his shadow just to bear hug around the middle with enough force to knock the air out of him. Winding him possible enough to keep from landing safely on the ground.
Even /should/ she miss the kick, Rise would refuse to avoid bear hugging Kibushi to death. Despite risking being run through for the effort.
Kibushi kept his gaze upon her, no longer cool, but certainly not out of control. As she swiftly came to destroy him… he would beat her to the punch with great purpose. Disappearing with a powerful twist and skip of his body away from her kick, his blade would have taken advantage of her charge after him to bear hug her, cutting into her multiple times in in instant before holding her up from falling with the pommel of his blade against her throat. "Death Blossom… I cannot allow for you… to defeat me here. I cannot allow for you to become content… chase after me… for what ever reason drives you. I will be waiting." Kibushi would state as his eyes did suddenly cool and he'd sheath his blade. "For the time being… share a meal with me, and let me tend to your wounds." He would offer as if he had none himself. However, must like her, enduring pain…fighting and struggling to become stronger, he felt it was in their natures… and he reveled in sharing this journey with her. Someone not of his blood, not of his country… not of his world… was so similar, and so vastly different. It made him smile.
