Starring:
Date: December 4, 2012
Summary:
Sakuryu attacks Ryo. The two fight until Usagi delivers some really, really bad news for their team.
Poster's note: foul language filtered in obvious places.
"Second Promotion Exams - Ice Against Fire: Sakuryu vs. Ryo"
Shadowed Canopy
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Breaking away from the red hued mist, all things are overshadowed by the canopy..the trees above growing so thick here there is no light even in the brightest of daytime hours. In the distance the prevelent fine bloodspray mists can be seen, the marsh thickening with cypress trees vines and moss torwards the north leaving passage for only those truly determined; everything seems to be drawn torwards the thickening foliage, large tree roots rise out of the water creating a place to stand amongst a sea of shadows and watery red hues.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Contents:
Sakuryu settled herself with a sigh, she knew the end was drawing near so she needed to kick up her spirits. She gathered what tools she had left and set herself up ready to combat the next person she saw. Her eyes slowly crossed the swampy bottom, jumping from branch to branch in the leafy canopy searching for her mark looking over her shoulder momentarily to see if her new team would notice and follow or not.
Ryo had decided to return to the area. It seemed to be one of the safer spots to actually rest. He was making his way through the swamp and near the edge of the canopy when he stopped. He glanced around looking for the camp Usagi had made in the area. He was not sure if anyone had still been there or not. He did not really want to activate his Sharingan. He was going to need to chakra if he ran into anyone who was hostile.
Sakuryu grins as she spots someone so close to the camp. This was going to be a lucky day hopefully. She stands up on her branch and brings her chakra in with a hard focus soon letting her body shift and change into that new powered form. She let the power of the ice flow through her, her already downy white hair seeming to almost sparkle like fresh fallen snow now, her already white skin turning almost porcelain now, the very air around her seeming to chill as her crystal blue eyes almost glitter to life. "here we go" she says under her breath as her hands drift through the handsigns soon finishing to bring in a heavy mist, letting her chakra turn the natural occurance of the village hidden in the mist into a deadly onset for the battle to come, the mist rolling in slowly but soon consuming the area heavily.
Ryo saw the mist start. He was unable to notice where it came from. Regardless of the origin, it meant someone knew someone else was there. He moved close to the trees. He knew his Sharingan would not truly help him here, at least not yet. The boy built his chakra and moved close to the tree next to him. Now he was relying on his other senses to see if he was about to be attacked or not.
Saku grins, seems he was preparing but wasn't truly prepared for this…. she was still safe. "Time to get my honor." She breathes out before focusing her chakra into her hands, soon forming handsigns to build up her arsenal letting the water in the air solidfy into long razor sharp ice blades before she starts running, She would confuse him and throw them from different locations, letting them fly in a flurry towards him, some just off mark in case he tried to dodge
Ryo heard the sound of something travelling through the air. The ice darts hit him, well all except for one. That was confirmation enough the boy was being hunted. The young Uchiha shook his head. This was not the first time he had faced the cold ice. He was certain it was not Aoi. Soon his Sharingan activated. This would be something he was going to need. He was not looking to see through the mist yet. Instead he wanted to listen for the sound of his opponent. As Ryo heard the slight sound of a foot land, he formed some hand signs and sent a small ball of fire towards the location. It was a dangerous move. If it hit something close to his opponent, it would cause a firestorm and burn them. If it hit something close to him, it could burn him.
Sakuryu smiles a little bit hearing her darts hit. "Gotcha.." she smirks before seeing the flicker of fire, with a quick move of her hands she forms an Ice clone, none to soon either as she sees it erupt, the resulting firestorm hitting her hard, sending her slamming into a tree. "D…discus…..and this is a genin?" she whispers to herself before quickly getting back up, dashing across the treetops once more as she forms her new hand seals, sending a flurry of thorned ice needles towards him, as they hit the tip blossoms forth into a beautiful ice rose. Saku doesn't even waste a moment for him to admire her work before sending a burst of chakra to the darts and roses letting them erupt forth into a large blooming lotus made of Ice, moving to encase the uchiha boy.
Usagi walks in…with a body on her shoulder. She looks at the scene and growls softly. She yakes a deep breath, she knew both combatants, and finally yelled at the top of her libgs. "THAT'S ENOUGH!" There's a tone of anger to her voice, and anyone who stopped to look would see she's covered in blood. And Ryo would recognize the clothing of the body.
Ryo heard the sound of more projectiles as the ice flew towards him. He was quick to dive forward to the ground. As the projectiles expanded he was encased. Only moments later that Ryo poofed into a puff of flame quickly put out by the ice prison. As Ryo drew his blade and was about to attack, he heard a familiar voice and she sounded pretty pissed. "Truce?" the boy asked as he stopped his swing. The other shinobi now had the option to attack him and risk the consequences or to give the truce at least until Ryo could find out what Usagi needed.
Saku turned her head hearing Usagi yell. "Hmm? Yeah truce." She sighs before breaking the jutsu and returning to her normal form. "I take it from Usagi's reaction that you are Uchiha Ryo?" She chuckles a little bit and hops down from the tree landing near them with a soft thud of her feet. "Sorry didn't know it was you and I really wanted to get a scroll, almost a life or death situation ya know." She chuckles.
Usagi places the body down on the ground face up, making it obvious that Senju Ryuunosuke is dead. The blood on her is his, and she stares at the two of them. "He's dead" She states flatly, though she's trembling slightly. "He's dead…" She lowers her head and grits her teeth, hoping that she could hide the tears. And she was trying to keep her emotions in check.
Ryo follow Sakuryu down. "That I am. Do not worry about it. No harm no foul. It was a nice shot with the i…ce" Ryo finally noticed the body through the clearing mist. He heard the words. Soon he became choked up. He was unable to swallow at the news. This was not what the plan had called for. Ryo was suppose to be protecting them, not letting them die.
After a moment of thought, Ryo knelt down beside the body and placed an open hand on the cheek of the Senju. "Forgive me Ryuunosuke. I…" Ryo closed his eyes a moment and shook his head. "I am sorry. Rest easy." Ryo then stood up and turned around. He was fighting the tears that welled up in his eyes. His fist remained clenched.
Sakuryu nods a bit with a grin. "I can get pretty deadly with it and I would have won, if it wasn't for that fireball." She says with a chuckle before looking over at Usagi. "Hmm? Whose he?" She asks curiously just walking closer to look him over slowly. "Oh is he another one of your team mates?" She asks with a frown looking them over slowly. "I am sorry for your loss."
"Isato has fallen as well" This time there's a crack in her voice and emotional mask. She quickly turns away, fist clenched, but body trembling. Her hair obscures her face for now, her teeth still grit. She shakes her head slowly, body still trembling. "…I'm dropping out….and taking Ryuu home"
There is a quiet nod of the head from Ryo as he hears Usagi is dropping out. He did not blame her for not wanting to be around. So far the young Uchiha had proven he was not capable of protecting those from his village let alone his own team. It was best that she left to a safer place. Isato had died as well. That was bad news for the village. Even worse news for the Senju clan. Two of their up and coming shinobi were no more.
"The name?" Ryo asks. His voice is cold and his fist is still clenched. He turns around and looks towards Usagi. Though the two clans had a form of hatred between them, Ryo's loyalty was to the village and his team.
Sakuryu looks between them with a frown. "Don't." it's said rather bluntly and she lets it settle a moment before resuming. "Would your team mate, a dedicated shinobi to their village and their cause, one willing to lay their life down for the honor of claiming the rank of chuunin want you to simply give up because of a casualty? Death happens, it is what we are told from the time we are children, we must work through many hardships to become shinobi including the loss of a team mate. I am not saying to not mourn your loss, all I am saying is that you should do it once your mission… their mission has been completed. " she takes another moment. "If anything I would say it's more reason to go on, to carry their names upon you as your pride and why you fight, with their spirits behind you and the rest of your team I am sure you will go far.. The proctors will collect straglers and bodies, do not worry. Since it seems I will be losing here I will watch their bodies if you wish." She has a pained expression once she says she will lose, theres obviously deep pain in admitting defeat for the proud girl.
"Risu" Usagi pauses briefly. "She didn't kill Isato outright…he attacked her for her scroll, and failed. He managed to retreat, but his wounds and the mists claimed him. She searched and found the body and took the scroll. So far as I can tell, Ryuu was challenging for scrolls, but when he found out Isato had died, he didn't back down, even after she offered him both scrolls to leave her be" She turns to Ryo. "She is going to be haunted by this…and she had not a mark on her from either fight, that I could see" She nods, moving to pick up the body again, heading for the entrance. "I do not leave for fear. I leave so that our genin can be honored by their clan, and be told of what happened" She does pause, taking a moment to take Ryuu's headguard and wrap it around her left arm. She nods slowly, then turns to Ryo. "I leavr this choice to you, as you are second in command of the team. Stay or go"
Ryo did not speak while the others spoke. He remained quiet as his blood began to boil. The anger seemed to be driven by the guilt. At the moment it also seemed to keep the guilt at bay. Ryo was not sure if the weight of the guilt would be too much to bear. He wanted vengeance. But even he was unsure if his motive was vengeance for his own failure or for the loss of a life that meant something to him. In the end it was perhaps the former driven by the latter. "Everyone has a choice. If Risu was strong enough to fight him without recieving a wound, then she was strong enough to get away from him without taking his life. She could have broken a leg and left. Instead the heat fades from his lifeless corpse."
Ryo then looked directly into Usagi's eyes. "I feel foolish and angry. I swore to protect you both and now he's dead. You need to leave the exams. When you are capable of protecting yourself come back." Ryo then lowered his eyes. How was he going to explain this to Taiki?
Sakuryu just looks away. "Fine, I guess I lose a useful ally, I was looking forward to us crossing the threshold into the exams together but now." She sighs. "I hope to see you again when you are well and stronger. If I do not die from these exams, or from the loss of honor." She just looks away coldly before clenching a fist hard. "I am sorry for your loss again…." She says trying to make it seem like she cared, it's not that she didn't, she just had her own death to deal with."
"Understood" Usagi nods, shifting the body slightly and turning back to the entrance. She isn't even bothering to clean the blood off. she does pause long enough to say "Both of you….please be safe" She looks at Ryo especially. "And do not seek vengeance….it is a cycle that breeds only pain and loss" She continues on now, taking a fallen comrade home. "We will meet again, Sakuryuu…and I was too" She closes her eyes, but continues on.
