Starring:
Hashiramako, Rise, Gyakusatsu
Date: December 4, 2010
Summary:
Final Round Robin Match for Tier 1. Was tied – Rise came out on top
"First World Ninja Competition - Trip Down Memory Lane, Rise’s Raging Fists: Rise vs. Gyakusatsu"
Peach Pit Stadium Arena 1 Ring
Hashiramako casually stood by a table staffed with two jounin as the
next match came up. "Ah, a pair of unranked shinobi. I'm sure they've grown
strong over the last few weeks of observing other combatants and their own
struggles." Hashi said idly, "Hopefully this won't become a bloodbath." She
chuckled as she picked off their names. "Ah, 'The Dark Man' how original." She
added as her eyes continued down the sheet. "Kirigakure." She rolled her eyes
and set the papers down on the table and walked over to the center of the arena.
The arena itself was starting to show some wear and tear from the
battles. There were few dark silhouettes ash on the walls from having caught
fireballs. Several boulders and spears of earth jutted up from the ground, and
even a few puddles were left behind, adding to the humidity of the hot sticky
and overcast day. This was a minor match, but it had possibly garnered the
attention of a few individuals who sat up in the stands above, enjoying what may
amount to a halftime or pregame fight before main events took place a little
later in the day.
"Welcome everyone to one of the final Round Robin Matches of this
tournament. We have an exciting match lined up for you, from the Land of Water
and Kirigakure, comes one who is known simply as 'The Dark Man'." She called out
pointing towards the man in question and waving her hand to motion him to step
out onto the arena. "His opponent today is Shirokiri Rise, she is a young genin
hailing from Kumogakure and the Land of Lightning. May this round of combat help
her grow in strength and experience." She waved towards Rise and smiled as the
girl.
When both fighters made their appearances, she looked to them, "You
know the rules around this tournament. I expect you both to abide by them." She
said calmly as the protective barriers that shielded the spectators and dampened
the damage of the actual hits themselves erected themselves around the arena
with the help of a team of advanced medical shinobi and seal masters. "Pay your
respects as you will then assume your fighting stance."
Lost. The one known as the Dark Man in this era was quite lost. Since
his last match when he was knocked unconcious by the last desperate but
successful attempt of his opponent, he has been wandering in his own mind.
Something had clicked and remained with him. A shard of himself imbedded in to
new and unfamiliar flesh. Images that made no sense, happenings that have been
forgotten for ages. Who was he? What… was he? His title, his currently name
was mentioned and he would stagger from his place, His eyes were down and he
simply was not sure why he was moving forward. He was bekoned to come, and
something screamed at him to never be at the wihm of anyone. A new voice… but
his own voice. His body was near ebon today, showing a third skin tone since his
arrival here. He slowly stood up to look forward at the proctor and his new
opponent. Why was he here? Did he have the answer he sought? What… answer was
he even seeking? Perhaps the dmage from the match was farther reaching than the
medical examiners realized.
Hours, Weeks, Maybe even days have passed since watching Setsiro's
match against Tosai, yet still…still her grudge against the oversized,
love-strucked leafer of a man has yet to leave her. Any and all attempts she's
made to try and find him while exhausting herself inbetween each search with
"special" training meant to handle all comers. In the end, her thirst was never
saited before this day. The day of her final match against none other then
another from her birthplace…
Against all odds Rise at least managed to rest up full day before the
match, and so entered the arena confident that at least she would manage to
settle one of her goals since leaving Kumogakure. Against her better judgment
the genin allows her eyes to linger over the damage left behind by other
participants. Others, that make her wonder just how much stronger some shinobi
are…and how much further does she have to go until she's on equal footing with
them. Despite the muggy atmosphere, she shivered at the thought before comming
to a stop and turning her attention briefly to the Hokage, A proctor of all
things(!!!), and then "The Dark Man". "Wow…your old. *giggles* This'll be sad
if you get beaten by a little -girl- like me!", She taunted openly without a
care. Although mainly it was to see how a man dressed in so much "darkness"
would react. Hestinatly, she at least bows before taking up a konoha strong fist
stance. "C'mon"
Hashi took a step back and blinked a moment, noticing Rise's stance.
Ultimately though, she chuckled and smiled, figuring she had picked up a few
things from the Konoha Shinobi that had helped Kumogakure in all the ways that
they did. "Combatants Ready! Fight!" she called out, allowing the first several
techniques to begin flying watching the people around the perimeter to ensure
everything for the buffer system was working as usual.
The Dark Man's heart began to beat so loudly that it became all that he
could hear. His eyes slid aroudn as he tried to understand this feeling. It was
familiar… yet he'd never experienced it before. Holding one side of his head
for a moment as one of his eyes would focus on Rise, the other would be covered
by that same hand, he would shiver slightly. Then, his racing heart would nearly
stop. Deathly calm, total focus, it was all held within his eye. "The body has
been brought to a sufficient level of oxidation and nutrient absorbtion. Adrinal
responses have prepared muscular fibers for rigorous activity. Attunment to
essence required prior to restriction release." the man would rattle off in to
the air seemingly to no one at all, not even himself. The color quite literally
began to drain from his form as he stares forward unwaveringly just before
spreading his arms wide and cracking his knuckles as his fingers spread apart.
Every crack in the turf, object natural or otherwise within the area, and the
compatants themselves seems to be drained of something overlooked by most.
Suddenly, the darkness taken from the are attacks Rise, lashing out
with grasping tentacles with vicious edges. As they lash about, the tips seem to
become very solid, though one in particular elongates in to a very strange and
unique blade that seeks Rise's form with a thrust towards her abdomen. At the
same time, the gaze seems to try to penetrate her being in other ways not so
obvious as a link probes for access.
If there was one thing she could thank a certain blond succubus who
shall not be nameds! Is that all those genjutsu attacks have finally taught her
how to detect such intrusions and break the connection before it could form.
Willpower for the win!
On instinct the moment the darkness began to close around her, Rise
took the only opening in the scenario that remained unchanged and dived towards
as fast as she could. Narrowly avoid being consumed only for a tendril to pursue
her and try to skewer her. This time she weaves to the side to let the boulder
behind her bite the big one, and without missing a beat she charges forward as
soon as she found an opening. The next thing the dark man would feel is her shin
being driven into his head, courtesy of her leaf whirlwind attack unless he
moved; followed by a circular sweeping kick to knock him off his feet.
Only a brief retreat is given to give him some breathing room while she
set herself up for an axe kick either to the head or shoulder (if he moves
again) as soon as he dropped his guard from thinking her assualt was completely.
Remaining quite stationary, the Dark Man seemed to have an aura about
him as he held a seal in place. It was natural, something he didn't tink about,
just did. This barrier disallowed Rise from taking the initiative from him in
the first attack, though the second did bring him down to the ground. However,
even with his seal disabled, the follow up blow of the axe kick would be stopped
and shifted aside by yet another force, this one was much harder to detect
however.
Almost seeming to levitate, his body would rise as blades of shadow
chaotically came from him, lashing wildly mostly to create distance. However, he
also moved forward with bodily strikes of his own. His expression was rather
blank as he did all of this. It was as if something else moved him entirely.
Once again, the mind would be where he seemed to try to take the battle.
'What the heck was—'was all she could think at the sight of her last
attack being pushed aside by something. And THEN with the dark man was
levitating of all things!? Rise could only gape in wonder for a few moments and
miss his mental intrusion once again.
A flicker of movement… then chaotic dance shadow blades growing
closer to her with his approach shakes her out of her confusion, and force her
to defend herself in any possible. A roll to the side here, somersault
backwards, or simply stop temporarily to avoid a shadow trying to cut her off
before leaping to the side once more to avoid the follow up all come within
rapid succession of herself.
"Che…this is gonna be a lot harder than I thought", She muttered
mockingly while directing a hand to a back pouch. A simple pill is grabbed and
swallowed in barely moments before the Shirokiri disappears… Then reeappears
at Dark's feet already pushing herself with enough power behind her to send a
upper kick to his chin inorder for mist ninja to have a taste of her last
opponet. Pass or fail, Rise still would try and stab him in the back one way or
another with one of ten kunai on her person.
A swirling of the very attacks that went after Rise would be noticed as
multiple forms of the Dark Man would appear. His presence was dispersed, but he
was still struck by the kick easily. It seemed odd that he would bother with
trying to make clones right before an attack as there was no subtlety to them at
all. The clones actually moved away instead of stayed to help as well. The Dark
Man was knocked around and stabbed with seemingly no effort made to his defense.
As he would fall to the ground, it would appear as if time slowed to a
crawl before stopping aside from himself, sinking into the ground and
disappearing as the world became dark. Suddenly, if Rise was susceptible, chains
would be pulling at her limbs far beyond their ability to take it. They were
popping out of place, even being ripped from her body. A tiny light would
flicker in to existence and a face would be shown. Some sort of pipe was being
smoked and the Dark Man was the visage seen. "Treat the wounds… I want more
suffering tomorrow gentleman." he would say before standing and wlaking out of
the room, leaving it in the darkness that infested it.
I nreality, The Dark Man was just getting up from the blows, his face
still strangely distracted and not there, not focusing on what was happening,
not knowing where he was or what he was doing.
Clones or no clones, Rise had trusted her instincts to guide her to
victory, and… so they did. But the moment her feet touched ground again, and
she was able to put away the kunai with mid-flight. Things rapidly changed into,
a nightmare. Chains coiled around her arms before she could even think to try
and dodge out of the way, and then there came there pulling, the sound of bones
crackling under the pressure as the chains tightened, and feeling of being
elongated in a not so pleasant fashion. The words of the man fell on death ears
because for rise all there was that she could focus on was pain. Pain from
torture, and more added on by a misplaced attempt at trying to focus on a
different kind of pain over the other.
By the time the illusion ended and reality returned to the forefront of
her mind, Rise was still holding out her arms as if the chains had been
physically pulling her as well as chewing into remains of already shredded
bottom lip. A blank apathetic expression has consumed her by the time Dark Man
would have a chance to look at her if he could. Quickly, and without a doubt it
is consumed however in a mask of Rage and Hatred. She was on him before
reasoning, focus, or anything else could bring her fully back into the reality.
A reality in which all those pent up emotions she was saving for Tosai were
being delivered in every method available to her as she tore into him with
knees, punches, jabs, headbutts, throat shots, and more just to release it all.
Any blood that may pour from any succesful attack, would only fuel her rage and
a beast that was the "true" Rise.
Staring blankly at the ground up until the moment of Rise's assault,
his body would react, making a simple seal as he still didn't even bother
looking up at his opponent. It defended against many blows, but eventually
seemed to give as he was pummeled. One of his clones manuvered to try to take
the offense off of him, but it was powered through by Rise's rather blind rage.
The Dark Man however didn't fall this time, and while his mouth was bleeding and
he seemed to have a bit of trouble breathing, he didn't at all seem to even
notice that he was just attacked conciously. "Saturation of essence complete."
he would say aloud once again to no one at all before the clones would disperse
wildly and become more of those tendrils that were used earlier, seeming to
explode gorelessly in to attacks of their own. Raising a hand and drawing it
across the open air, a blade formed of the same darkness within the palm of his
hand as his body nearly dragged him in to a combiantion of sword swipes that
seemed to defy any amount of style or ability and could easily be viewed as
posession. During this, the Dark Man would blink, and stop, holding his head
again before looking around rapidly. "Did the match… begin?" he would ask.
A red colored slate. This 'is' the only word that could best describe
rise mindset because despite her first barrage, the adrenaline coarsing through
was still working to the maximum. In case of the clones turned into shadowed
binds to lock her place, more than enough energy was put into escaping their
clutches. She did not on the otherhand have enough to dodge the ever changing
display of sword swipes made by the dark man that more often than not either
through the side of her torso or shoulder whenever she was too slow to dodge if
not had her trip over on her own feet before being forced to roll back in order
to avoid further injury. Wounded, and growing dangerously close to the edge of
fatigue, Rise used the time it took for the dark Man to look away inorder to hit
him with a sucker punch. Followed up with another rage fueled and sweeping kick
to send him back into the ground. During the leg sweep she yells, "Began and
ending now!!!"
Blinking a few more times as he over hears Rise during the assault, the
Dark Man would nod slowly. "Begin and end…" he would state. Meanwhile, his
body and the clones themselves seemed to continue to act on their own. What
exactly was going on here? As the Dark Man contemplated deeply, his defenses
would hold strong, and he would even take advantage of a mistep of Rise to slip
in a slash of the blade past her defenses. "The end…" he would state once
again as his mind wandered and he remembered…
"Fool." his voice would say as he would pull back each finger of a
downed enemy beneath his boot. "You will not take what is mine. You will not
take what i have forged as your own." He would say as he seemed to pet the
person beneath him. the person would scream out with each passing hand as tiny
little blades of darkness raked their flesh, flaying them in the most groteque
and slow, thorough way. "You will remember me, in hell." The Dark man's voice
would say once more to the person Rise would experience the suffering of. This
"Dark Man"… who was he to perform such things on anyone for any reason? And
why did he act like he knew nothing about it.
Blinking a few more times as he over hears Rise during the assault, the
Dark Man would nod slowly. "Begin and end…" he would state. Meanwhile, his
body and the clones themselves seemed to continue to act on their own. What
exactly was going on here? As the Dark Man contemplated deeply, his defenses
would hold strong, and he would even take advantage of a mistep of Rise to slip
in a slash of the blade past her defenses. "The end…" he would state once
again as his mind wandered and he remembered…
"Fool." his voice would say as he would pull back each finger of a
downed enemy beneath his boot. "You will not take what is mine. You will not
take what I have forged as your own." He would say as he seemed to pet the
person beneath him. the person would scream out with each passing hand as tiny
little blades of darkness raked their flesh, flaying them in the most groteque
and slow, thorough way. "You will remember me, in hell." The Dark man's voice
would say once more to the person Rise would experience the suffering of. This
"Dark Man"… who was he to perform such things on anyone for any reason? And
why did he act like he knew nothing about it.
Oddly, there was no drain this time, there was no side effect. It was a
shared instance, but Rise would be fine. the Dark man would raise his head a bit
and scowl at ntohing at all for a moment before walking away. "I forfeit." he
would state aloud as he headed back towards where he had come from.
Once the assault was over and Rise found room to puts some distance
between the two. The last thing she hears causes her to flinch just before the
memory played through both of their minds. While one part of her both reveled
now and endured the same pain as the memory man, the other part in vain searched
for a method to this madness. A reason for such torment delt by a shadow man.
It is all over to quickly strangely enough for her comfort, and for
once did not erase what little strength had left just to stand let alone keep
fighting. 'I forfeit.' Words spoken in an alien tongue for all they were worth,
but in response all Rise could do…was gape in confusion as the world suddenly
seemed to rise above her. In reality however it was her legs giving out on her.
"Forfa…What, the, heck!?…just, w-wait a minute! Wha-what do you mean you
forfeit!?! You can't justthis isn't!", the need for air wins before she
could finish her triade and forced her onto her hands as her lungs desperatly
intook as much air they could take in. 'Doesn't..make sense..not at all'
Unrealizing she digs her nails into the ground as she clinched her fist,
ignorant of the sweat and blood coating much of her body until some of it mixes
with her tongue when the subconcious need to wet her lips drew them to her
attention.
No expression crossed Hashiramako's face as the Dark Man forfeited.
However, inside her she thought it was a rather interesting situation. Based on
what she could tell, they were both in similar condition, but perhaps he knew
that ultimately Rise would have stood victorious. She stepped forward and looked
at the two with a cool gaze that lingered longer on Rise as she waited for the
girl to stand. Whether it happened immediately or it drew out a little longer
for the girl to pull herself together, Hashiramako calmly waited. Once standing,
she looked to the crowd as she stepped away from Rise, her hands gesturing to
her. "I announce your winner! Shirokiri Rise of Kumogakure!"
