Starring:
Date: January 15, June 30 2013
Summary:
The deciding match of the Legendary Cup has FINALLY been completed! Two Kumogakure jounin with very similar styles duke it out for the title.
"Second Promotion Exams - Lightning Round: Kasuya vs. Jon"
Dammed Arena - Floor [Kirigakure]
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At the foot of the great march of bones that dams this tall canyon of blue-gray granite, under the shadows of the stands: the Kirigakure arena. Rivulets of water still escape the base of the dam and dampen the gravely bed of the dry river. The length of the canyon is limited by a raised platform at the south end featuring the referee's post and a large display board announcing the details of the match.
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The crowd in the stands is strangely sparse. It's as though many have lost interest, seeing that the final match will ultimately have a winner from Kumogakure. Or maybe they find a match between two genjutsu users boring. But somehow it most seems as if people have waited too long…as if they've somehow gotten bored and gone. As if the two combatants just made people wait too long…But no, that can't be. Hmm
Nevertheless, both of the combatants are raring to go. Kasuya is out of her bandages and speed healed from her last match…against a man from her village. Is this some cruel trick, that she has literally fought against no one from another nation? She came hoping to be matched up with a few people she was less than friendly with. And now she is fighting against people she is friendly with. But Kasuya can't, or perhaps because of it, make a farce of this. She'll fight to win.
The proctor waits as the two Kumo nin take the stage. Kasuya arrives on the dot, and of all things does a few stretches before she stands still and waits with her arms crossed.
Well, here it is. Final match of the so-called Legendary Cup…and both of the finalists are from Kumogakure. Well, at least that should help get across the 'We're capable of trouncing you if you give us trouble' part of the message Jon was trying to send by participating. X) Just hope the domination doesn't cause sour feelings. At any rate, nothing can be done about it at this point, so best to just give one more good show before heading home.
Jon walks out into the arena in his accustomed composed manner. Scruvo glances around at the stands in disapointment. "Aww, I thought there'd be scads o' fans an' pooh-bahs an' cheerleadahs fer th'final match. Would it be too much t'ask fer even one line o' pretty gals wearin' shirts wot spell out 'Go Jonny-boy!'?" :P Jon chuckles. "I'm glad there isn't, because you'd have told Amaya-chan about it when we got back. Better get going now." Scruvo flaps off to the sidelines while Jon steps up to his mark and bows. The referee glances back and forth at the contestants, then gives the signal to begin!
Kasuya gives Scruvo a look like she's considering roast crow for dinner. Or raven, whatever he is. It's only a glance though before she focuses her attention back on Jon. Then, she gives him a slight smile. "Sorry, but I made a promise," she says. "I'm going to have to beat you. Though I'd be delighted to find someone whose better at genjutsu than I am in the village." Then she's gathering chakra in massive amounts, so much that the loose dust around her is blown as if in a wind. Instead of radiating an oppressive atmosphere however, a stillness surrounds Kasuya as if she's completely relaxed, yet aware. However as soon as Jon has gathered himself she sends a crackling shot of lightning through the air. It's not a massive assault, more like she's testing him. She's never fought against Jon before that she can recall or even seen him train.
Jon tilts his head. "A promise, you say?" Jon shifts one leg back into a ready stance as Kasuya's lightning balls shoot toward him, and lifts his arms to defend. A brief snap of lightning chakra around Jon's forearms deflects each of the balls. "I didn't make any promises to anyone, and I'm just here to perform. If you win, you won't get any hard feelings from me." Jon puts his palms together and concentrates. "But I'm guessing that making it easy for you wouldn't go well with your promise, would it?" Jon's own chakra swells, and his brain unlocks some of its unused potential. "As for genjutsu, well…we'll see, but I was thinking of giving the audience something a little more visceral this time."
Kasuya watches with half lidded eyes as Jon easily blocks her attacks. Then she darts forward swift as a flash of lightning to strike him with a lunging kick. However, at the last second her form would loosen then burst apart in an explosion of electricity, zapping him. To his right a little in his blind spot Kasuya seems to be keeping her distance. Her next attack is smaller, lighter. Instead of striking him more externally the ball of stunning lightning would fill his body and paralyze him. She says, "I'd sooner find people stronger than me in the village than keep my promise. There will be no hard feelings on either side."
Jon's staff sweeps through Kasuya and she bursts apart in a poof of white steam. She's nowhere to be seen. Is she behind? To the side? Nope, she's up in the air, sending a rain of lightning discharges down at him. It'd be harder for him to dodge since above is often in people's blind spot. They have enough force to burn the ground underneath, turning it from grass and dirt into blackened areas. She lands lightly, and says, "Hmm lightning against lightning. We'll see what that comes to." She gives that half smile. She'd give it whether he was unharmed or fried actually. It seems even genjutsu users need to have some damaging attacks, and both of them have plenty of lightning at their command.
Yep, dodging would be tough under these circumstances. He'd either have to look up, throwing off his sense of balance and speed, or dodge randomly. So he opts for a defense that doesn't involve movement. He charges his rod up with more lightning chakra and uses it to deflect the incoming electrical bolts. Looking up is still a little awkward, but at least he doesn't have to take any steps while leaned back. :P Once Kasuya lands, Jon tucks his rod behind his back with one arm and holds the other hand out palm open in the stereotypical defending-with-my-hand-even-though-I've-got-a-stick martial artist pose. "Yes, we shall. Although some of us more than others." A sudden very brief but strong discharge of lightning arcs between Jon's fingers, attempting to blind Kasuya like an obnoxious camera flashbulb. Looks like the showy pose was a pretense! X) Jon lunges in and gives a couple of powerful swings with his rod.
Kasuya frowns as Jon steals her thunder. (Sorry). She rubs the back of her neck with a sigh. Most of the time, her opponents don't know her ninjutsu is much inferior to her genjutsu, but this guy might just push her lightning skills to the limits. As she's sighing over this however it creates an opening in which Kasuya is not only blinded but drubbed by Jon's following attacks. Or so he thinks. This time, he'd get no dramatic build up or warning of chakra. Kasuya's mirage decoy winks from existence when it's hit and she flicks back into view behind him, aiming a blade thrust right at his heart followed by a florid, smooth cut that'd slash him from shoulder to thigh. And then a sharp right jab.
Jon blinks as his target turns into nothingness. Well now, that's a bit more impressive. Jon takes a quick look around and spots the real Kasuya coming at him from behind. c.C He tries to move his rod into position to block her stab, but only succeeds in preventing it from being OMGlethal. x.x Sheesh, sister, it's a tournament, watch where you poke that thing! XP Fortunately for Jon, he is able to deflect the next couple attacks. "Ngh…score one for you." X) Jon spins around with a sudden burst of chakra from his soles, whipping his rod violently into the motion. Then he projects the illusion of steel bars springing up from the earth all around and a concrete slab slamming down on top of them. Of course, he's still inside the illusionary cage with Kasuya for the moment…
"With you I have to aim high to score low," Kasuya says. "It'd be much easier if you held still." His staff whips straight through her once again. When the illusion of bars descends around her, Kasuya flexes her chakra and dispels the mirage. But she looks surprised and then pleased. Kasuya even smiles. "A genjutsuist," she says curiously. "And quite the skilled one." Her genjutsu would come more gradually. Jon would feel his body getting heavy as if he were being drained completely, and he'd find moving quickly impossible as if he were trapped in one of those useless, clumsy dreams. It wouldn't be helped by the fact the ground has turned almost sludgy, trying to suck him in like a bog.
The audience wouldn't be able to see the nature of the illusions, but the fact that they both are standing still should give a hint to what's happening. Then Kasuya makes a seal to focus her chakra between her palms. It comes together, into the form of crackling, hissing lightning. They form into balls which Kasuya hurls at Jon, with a motion of a pitcher flinging an actual ball. Upon impact they'd not only explode but also interfere with his muscle reflexes, making it harder for Jon to move freely thereafter. Kasuya is pulling no punches whatsoever in this fight. In fact, her hair seems to be standing even more on end from the electricity discharge in the arena.
Jon takes in a deep breath and focuses. What he currently feels, is not true. How his chakra is currently flowing, is not right. He needs to set the flow right, without relying on what he feels. He needs to imagine, not experience, the correct surge of chakra to break the hold of the foreign influence. Closing his eyes, he pictures the break taking place.
When he opens them, he's free — but more fun stuff is heading his way! X) Jon brings up his hands into seals and surrounds himself with an intense electric field. The exploding lightning balls send tendrils of lightning around Jon, but do not come into contact with his flesh. Jon stands after the attack, unsinged, but panting slightly. This is turning into more and more of a workout!
And that's the match. Wait…it isn't. Kasuya almost growls in frustration when Jon manages to throw off his paralysis and repel her attacks. So he's going to come out of this without getting beaten up, hmm? Then she'll just have to drain him dry so he can't move for a week. Yet she's also found this battle hasn't exactly gone easy on her energy either. So as he takes the moment to recover Kasuya is drawing on more chakra, so much that the dust is rippling out around her as if caught in some warm breeze. "Where are your manners, throwing those attacks at me?" she asks flatly. "If you're going to defend seriously, attack as well. Or do you think either of us can't take it?"
Jon chuckles lightly as he catches his breath. "Y'know…I'll bet you could've ended it just now, if you'd pressed your advantage." Jon straightens up, the chakra amassing around him as well. "I don't know how far down your reserves were, but I didn't have much usable chakra left. I would've had a hard time defending against more genjutsu." Jon collapses his rod and puts it back in its holster. "Of course, that would've been a pretty anti-climactic end to the match for the audience. Let's give them an exciting conclusion now, shall we?" >:)
"Why didn't you tell me that before?" Kasuya asks with a slight smirk. As he's gathering chakra though Kasuya is already preparing for that climatic ending which he spoke of. There's no visible changes to her physical appearance, but a genjutsu user as skilled as Jon may sense that her aura is shifting, in an almost uplifting aura. Her next attack would hit him with a sharpness and suddenness incomparable to her attacks from before. And it'd come in the form of the ground spinning around in a full circle, turning on its head to dump Jon into the sky. The wind roaring past him, the disorientation, would be sapping at his strength as he hurtled towards the sun in an illusion as convincing as it is absurd.
Jon was expecting more genjutsu. It's been her most effective tactic so far, why shouldn't she continue using it? And of course, it's no trouble at all discerning when it starts. :P "Well, that's plenty exciting for me," he remarks, feeling as though he has to force the air from his lungs to speak, "but what about the spectators?" X) Despite knowing full well what's going on, Jon finds he can't break out of the illusion this time. Scary, this lady's command of genjutsu. "Okay, that does it then. I'll concede this match to you, Kasuya-san." Hope she lets go soon, that burning sun is starting to feel awfully close. -.-;
Once again amidst the crash of thunder and melee weapons, all goes still once more. And that's exactly how it ends. Jon quietly surrenders and the audience is left to ponder this strange ending. Not only was it unusual to end on such a soft note, it came from Kumogakure. Weren't these guys the brawlers of shinobi? Kasuya releases Jon from the illusion and says with a smirk, "Kumogakure excel and surpass any style of jutsu. That was a good match, Jon-kun."
