Starring:
Date: Unknown (log received July 9, 2010)
Summary:
None given
"Reasons: Kureno vs Tosai Guest starring Rain"
Unknown location
A calm day over the Land of Fire; What Kureno was doing here so far from home is anyone's guess. But it was a fact that he heard where the big guy came from. The Land of Fire. Maybe he was looking for him?
Anyway, the long grass parts around the man as he exits the Miati Forest; wandering idly and humming a tune to himself.
And the funny thing was? Tosai, was there. Patrols had led him to this place often. Ya never know what was in these woods, especially in cases that involve foreign nin treading where they don't belong. Tosai would have been quite funny, about this sort of thing. He would walk through, obviously knowing that something familiar had been around. He could smell it. But who was this? Someone he had known, for sure, even recently met, but who. He would reach trees, at the edge of the forest, staying in the shadows, but not making much of an effort to hide. Really, it was more of to peep them out. The grasses had been enough to hide any form who wished to cross over into the earlier borders of the land undetecte, so who knows what the large oaf would discover.
Kureno thought he heard something for a moment; but it turns out it's just a squirrel. He chuckles to himself as he continues to wade through the sea of grass, looking left and right. Well, hopefully he was gonna run into some indication where the village hidden in the leaves is. After all. It /is/ a hidden village.
'Kureno? Ugh.. what the hell he doing here?!', would be thought out in his head in disgust, as he would sneak up, and down the grass, thinking about what would have been the entirety of this things. Tosai was not impressed with this at all. Why would a Suna nin bother going into enemy territory, alone, no less. Tosai hadn't want this, not at all. If the Suna nin had been caught, by anyone else, it would be something of hard thing, questioning, jailtimes, all the really dumb stuff. Guess that meant Tosai had to get to work. He would sigh, and with that, flash behind the nin, pulling him deeper into the grass, before asking, "What the hell are you doing here? You know, this the Land of Wind no more, right?"
Kureno raises his eyebrows as Tosai jumps in front of him; "Oh hi." He says as he listens to him. "Yeah, I know. I thought I'd stretch my legs a bit." He says unphased by the suspicion in Tosai's eyes. "And how about you? How are you doing today?"
Tosai's eyebrow would twitch for a moment, as he would facepalm, and proceed, in dragging the Suna nin by his collar, and flicker to a location, back across the border. Tosai would look around, and say, "I am not well this day, dude! Don't you have any idea of what would have happened, if any other patrol would have caught you? It wouldn't have been a buddy-buddy scenario, thats for damn sure." He would say to the nin, "Besides, helluva long walk , just to stretch your damn legs. A statement like, just begs for a beatdown, Slim.", a poke from Tosai being shoved into the smaller nin's ribs. He would look to the coast, and say, "Follow me..", before he would flicker out of sight, hoping that the Suna Chuunin would follow. They would only go to a clearing further away from the border, where Tosai would come to a seeing nearby.
Tosai would land in the area, to stretchout, and then he would say, "Besides, I could smell you coming from a mile away. You need a bath dude..", a hand being waved in front his face to get rid of the smell. The statement was said joking, but at the same time, their was a bit of truth to it. He would say, "So.. I guess you came looking for that spar then. Like I said, a helluva long way just for something so simple."
Kureno would follow Tosai indeed; a smirk on his face. There was something strange in his eyes, betraying that he is pre-meditating something.
"I didn't come all the way here just to spar you." Kureno would admit, "But, since you do mention it. I'll make you a deal. If you beat me, I'll leave. No questions asked. If I beat _you_ though, you'll tell me where I can find.. hmm.. that waterfall that everyone is talking about." Says Kureno with a smile.
Kureno must have really thought that was Tosai was dumb to take a deal like this. Tosai wanted to duel him, no questions asked, but Tosai didn't like betting. He would look to the nin, and chinrub, before saying, "We can fight, but giving you a map of the Land of Fire, to a Suna nin, is happening over my dead body. Last thing I heard, giving information to you guys, is a bit dangerous." Tosai would then stretch abit, fluxing chakra through his normal pathways, and looking to the Suna nin, as if he had now been an opponent, rather then a buddy from a lunch date. "I suggest we get this over with. I don't have much time before I have to report in to my patrol head, and lets just say that being away to long, might prove to be a bit dangerous, especially if they see me fighting a foreign nin."
Kureno shakes his head. "I never asked for a map." Says Kureno, smiling, his hands clapping together, index fingers extended. Suddenly, he exhudes an aura of confidence and threat to say the least as he focuses his chakra. "I could use someone to show me the way and keep me company." Kureno says, and he sounds pleasant as he says that. He doesn't give the 'from a once hostile village' feel, more like 'friendly neighboor'.
He than gestures with his hand as he drops into a stance, "Go ahead. I'll let you go first."
Not thinking that Kureno had gotten the point the first around, Tosai would sigh, and say, "Ugh.. this is getting annoying… Just shut up and fight!", and with that Tosai would have came in hot at Kureno, speeding in rather quickly, especially for a ninja of his..size. And within his first approach, it would look as if Tosai had been attacking Kureno head on. A bullheaded strategy right? Well, be it as it may, Tosai wasn't that predicatable. Before Tosai would even seem to connect, the nin, would flicker, into nothing but dust, only to come in hot, from behind! Rushing in first with a shoulder charge, he would be attempting to knock the legs of the Crystal Style user, from beneath him, only to launch an upward kick, into the back of the ninja, inorder to make a pop fly, into midfield.
Kureno keeps his eyes on his opponent, a bit taken aback by Tosai's answer. He felt that he somehow offended Tosai and he didn't like it. As Tosai comes in quick, Kureno stops the ground, channeling chakra through it as a barrier of earth raises to meet the charge; And Kureno wasn't dumb either, he expected that sooner or later Tosai would try to come from another direction. It's only in the Shinobi Combat 101 manual.
Kureno quickly turns around and claps the earth barrier with a shoulder, as another one raises to meet the kick;
And than Kureno kicks at the wall Parkour style and jumps to the top of it, clapping his hands together as two jolts of electricity shoot out towards Tosai!
"Nice try" Kureno would say.
It is assumed that a man who lives in another mans shadow learns nothing of himself and everything of that man. It is known by a very few to be partially correct, for there is a difference between the actual act and the lesson to be learned of finding your own way. As the shadows within the trees drops down into a heap beside Rain, slowly rising to it's full height, Rain would nod slightly. "To the south east." the strangely bass tone of the living shadow would speak from it's alabaster visage. Rain would be hundreds of yards away himself, unable to see anything in the dense wilderness that resembled a whole person. "Very good, Shie." he would state as the lanky shadow would bow before merging with Rain's own shadow once more.
The crimson glare of Rain's power would flash to life, allowing him to see the more powerful life forms down range quite a bit more easily. "It seems that keeping an eye on the boy has paid off." Rain would say to his silent company before he would begin to slowly walk towards the heightened. While every tree, insect, bird, ect had it's own amount of chakra, Rain was able to identify two pulsating levels of chakra. No natural being beyond a shinobi was able to reach that level of chakra on it's own. "It appears that he has entered another conflict. And their chakra is evenly matched so far."
Tosai was quite impressed with this.. Ninjutsu. He would smile as the earth rose, and deflected his physical attacks, with plenty of accuracy. It was as if the ground itself, had physically denied him. The man he fought, was alot more than he seemed. Tosai knew well that his testing tactics, had proved quite well in revealing at least one strategy, as well as a common quality about themselves.. The two shared an affinity.. "Hehe.. that was pretty good!", would be said just moments before he would find himself dodging… a lightning bolt!!
Multiple elements. The shock would wake him some, and leave a nice bruise, as Tosai would find himself, bounding away, a smack with an enlarge hand to the ground below, sending hims flying to the air. Tosai would then seem to fade out of focus, when airborne, out of sight for a moment, before Kureno, would all of sudden, feel two enlarged hands, pounding squarely into his side. And if that hadn't been enough… Tosai hadn't even noticed the presence of prying eyes, making the spar they now had, a spectacle for a viewing audience.
It seems Kureno's tactic to use a clone has payed off; many times over. While he hadn't expected that someone so big could be so stealthy, he still prepared a clone just to throw off Tosai; and the two combatants seemed to have had the same idea.
Peeping through a hole in the earth wall, his eyes suddenly turn up as his clone on top of the Earth wall 'POPS' when Tosai mauls him;
Kureno blinks, surprised. "Oh nice" He said out loud as he performed a set of handseals and than tapped the wall with his hand, sending a spike of earth after Tosai.
Than Kureno would wait a moment so Tosai can dodge before he says, "Nuh, uh, I am not done yet." And than his hands come together and he exclaims, "Crystal Style: Crystallization Technique!" And than the spike of earth that was aimed at Tosai would crystallize and explode into crystal shards flying towards Tosai.
"This is so fun!"
Based on the movements of the chakra and the body that encompassed it, Rain raised a brow slightly. "The red chakra is an Akimichi… thus Konoha is involved with this boy some how." Curious, but not unexpected in the end. What was more curious was the violent shade that the Leaf Shinobi's chakra had taken… was there darkness in this ones heart? Purely speculative… but certainly possible. Chakra reacts to the wielder of it, it is not simply random. As the fight progresses and he gets closer to the action, Rain is able to see a few jutsu for what they really are. "Excellent." he would murmur as he continued to advance.
Watching himself repeated beat a clone, was no fun at all, for the Akimichi of the two. In fact, it had gotten a bit annoying. He would look to Kureno, as he would have been out of sight for a moment, expecting an attack any minu-… there it is!!! A spike of earth would come out just intime, to skewer Tosai almost mediocrely, like shish kabab.. Wouldn't happen. Tosai wouldn't even move as the spire would come out at his size, completely facing the other direction, as a hand, in the blink of an eye, would then be enlarged, to about the size of a small truck, and placed in the way of the sharpened earth, smashing it into bits and dust. Tosai would then blink, as the spiked earth would then began to… crystallize? Crystals!! Thats it!
An opposite arm, would be throw and enlarged into epic proportions, as he would launchi it in the opposite direction, grabbing a nearby boulder, and yanking him into the opposite direction, out of harms way.
Landing rather softly, Tosai would smirk, and say, "Seishukuni… It all makes sense now.. Now I remeber how I know that name! You guys research combinations of elements! Man… ya'll were plenty trouble in the Clan Wars!!! Its was like hell." He would walk toward the nin, rather solemnly, the whole time, a smirk would slowly grow upon his face, as he would then began to grow… and grow… and grow… nearly a story high, before he would then say, "I can't go easy on you then." And with that, Tosai would then stance, and with a hard swing, reach out and touch Kureno, with a might palm, enough to grab him hardly, and toss him…. After he had tossed the nin in a certain direction, it would then the nin would reach both hands into the ground in from himself, and yank up earth, in way way would manage to produce a wave, might enough to send the Crystal user up and away.
Seriously, has Kureno dropped his guard when the Akamichi approaches him? "Yeah, we are full of surprises really. And well, can't say I didn't expect you growing to that size." Kureno performs a set of handseals to protect himself with an wall of crystals. "But I have prepa— Oh crap!" He yells as he is picked up, his defense not fast enough to defend him; Kureno tumbles and rolls as he is thrown, and seriously, this stuff hurt.
After he comes to a stop, Kureno slowly stands up. "Uhh. I guess that's it, eh? We are not holding back anymore."
Kureno smirks to himself as he says that. "Fine by me." And than after a set of handseals Kureno sends a sharp spike of crystals this time after the Akimichi, using this attack to hide another one.
The Akimichi may not notice that the area is suddenly showered in Crystal Petals; or he may, and notice that these are powerful mediums for Genjutsu. "Don't drop your guard though."
Smirking at the comment, Tosai would have probably showed Kureno more than he can tell him. And if that hadn't been enough for the nin, who he had been sure, was not going to like taking the brunt of that attack, he now had to deal with a showere of more crystals, this time, coming at him more in a shower than he had ever seen. He would try to evade fast, but shard would catch his form, in a way that he just didn't get.
Tosai would not like this one bit, as they would slash him arms, enough for blood to drip quite evidently. But the nin was tough, and Tosai, ion his enlarged form, was even tougher. He would see the petals come around, him, and smile. He knew well, that Kureno was preparing something, but what, would elude him. No matter. Tosai couldn't let hims do anymore. Tosai would push his palms about him, even in his enlarged form, and then place them in a from of prayer, they would enlarge once, then twich, then three times, as Tosai would have his eyes closed off. And then he would open them widely, and then he would flicker.. with pure speed, right behind Kureno, the same palms, now enlarged to the point where they had been twice the size of the smaller nin's body, and with a large brunt of sound, the crystal nin, would probably find himself smashed, in between two walls, called hands.
A sense of camaraderie forged in battle, even one that did not stake ones life against another. This was a principal that Rain more than understood. Their chakra levels had dwindled to being merely vibrant now, and he also saw that at this point, the battle would turn either in to a contest for victory, or go beyond even that level. Focusing his gaze on to Tosai, he would announce, "It seems that this skirmish has reached it's height. While i have no intention to rescue anyone from their fate, i do have intention in seeing that this young man is able to walk from here under his own power." While they would not be able to sense it with their abilities, Rain's focus suddenly, subtly, and sharply inclined with nothing more than the intensity of his gaze being a reflection. "Beyond that caveat… feel free to continue as you were."
Seeing that his attack had indeed caught Kureno off guard, Tosai would release his clap, knowing well that the if the impact of his hands hadn't slowed the nin down, then the ringing ears Kureno had, as well as the dizziness he felt, would. But then a voice would come from nearby, as he then looked to where it came from. It was one he hadn't heard before, not in a long time. And while Tosai, would have no idea that he had been being linked by genjutsu, the nin chakra, would probably have been fluctuating madly by the power of Rain's Sharingan. Tosai would smirk in the direction of the voice saying, "Hmph.. while your concern is noted, it is not needed at this point, stranger. It was merely a spar.. nothing more." He would then say, "In fact, with Kureno-san, seeming proned, I think it would not be wise to go any further."
This being said, Tosai would say, "You want to keep goin? Cause as I see it now, I could attack even harder, and at this point, it might be lethal, Slim.", a smirk being said, as he would then maintain his guard, Kureno, probably still probably fighting to will himself out of his rather stunned state of mind.
Kureno doesn't stop struggling against Tosai's grip and when the grip is loosened, he still finds himself unable to gather the composure to actually mount an valorous attack. But as far as his unholy valor goes, it is still there, "Bah.. you can't stop.. me.. from seeing the waterfalls.." Kureno manages, his hand pushing weakly against Tosai. "So why.. don't you.. give me your.. best shot." A smug smirk hangs on Kureno's face as he refuses to give up.
Rain seemed to grasp Kureno's head, making sure that he had no trouble looking at his poonent as Rain did as well. "I do not find this to be adequate. It seems that the boy wishes to earn his way to what he wants… and perhaps while doing so…" Rain's glance became a bit sly, "… show someone whom has had everything handed to him and his security and life style given to him simply because of the place he is in what it means to suffer for the right to get what you strive for." Oh how the darkness twisted things that are revealed into the light. Releasing Kureno from more than merely his grip, rain would side step out of the way. "Of course i could be wrong… and he may merely want to throw words at you that lack conviction."
Looking to where Kureno had been, the voice now coming from that way, Tosai would look to Rain, as he now appeared, holding the boy's, and talking what sounded like the fanciest way of trash talk, Tosai had ever heard. Tosai would laugh at it. "Yeah.. well I am sure that me being working for Konoha now, had nothing to do with anything I did during the war at all.. Yeah.. really presumptuous of you indeed." He would then come to a rest nearby, and say, "And I suppose that you probably think, that just because I am strong now, means that I was never this way, before the founding of the village." Tosai would sigh, and when he had rested enough for a moment, he would say to Rain, "I got nothing to prove, to anyone, but myself. Kureno, in my mind, has earned nothing but my respect with this fight. I couldn't ask for more if it had been available."
He would look to the well dressed man, an eyebrow being raised, at who had been the same in Fuuma Alley. He would smile to Rain, and say, "I like what you did for the geezer back there. Don't know if it was for appearances or what not, but hey, if it was or wasn't, it was commendable." This man, had to be someone dangerous. Tosai could sense at least that much. He had seemed of status in someway, and like all the guys Tosai had managed to work for in his former days, seemed to have everything at his grasp, without much work. "Besides, if I had been any more unfair, I'd say that by the looks of your own dress, you haven't had a bad life of your own. But then again, I am not that unfair of a person. Its a natural fact, that hardship, accompanies, life. That is true for my life, as much as anyone elses.", a somber look accompaning his statement. A look of regret.
Kureno is forced to look at Rain, his teeth gritting together. "Grrrh.. I do not… lack conviction." He says, his hand instinctively trying to fall down and relax. "I lack… focus.. at the moment." Commendable effort at trying to make a joke when all he is seeing are stars.
"Really." He says, "You should take this chance; or else, when I come to, you're gonna be in a.. world of trouble." He pauses for a moment, "I have to earn my vacation, right?"
"You assume that i speak of you… the boy assumes that he spoke of me. Everyone seems to know it all… in this age." Rain would smile slightly at that. "However… Leaf Shinobi… what i do know is that what you have now is not the result of your past efforts. What you have now, is the result of you trying to attone for those past efforts. Your strength is nothing compared to what it would be without the notion of… regret… is it?" Did rain read his mind, his face, how he carried himself? Or was he simply lucky? What ever the case was, he pegged a particular trait of Tosai. "Ah… i believe i understand. Your affiliation.. your actions… your words. Do you seem redemption? Forgiveness? What if the world continues to hate you for what you were and even more for what you have become? You seek to forgive yourself… for doing what? For doing what you are trained to do? For doing what you are talented at?"
Rain's smile left him a moment before he would look towards Kureno. "You have good reason to be lost, from what these eyes can see. It is up to you whether or not you wish to find the clarity to move forward without…" he would thne side glance Tosai, "… turning towards regret."
Laughing even louder, Tosai would look to Rain, quite amused. "Haha.. so that is what you get from me? That I get strong, cause of what I regret? I got to admit, you are right about one thing. I do regret working for guys like you back when I was a whole lot dumber." Tosai would say, "And no.. your wrong. I learned along time ago, that for a man to even began to become strong, all earthly cares have to be shed. Otherwise, they'll only serve as a stumbling block, in the path of the same." Tosai would look to the man, adjusting his reading glasses a smidge, before saying, "When it comes down to it, I rather be the man searching his way up to valor, then to be an envious prick of the top dog." Uh oh… Did Tosai just pick on a trait of Rain's? He would look to Rain curiously, his question seeming to be quite on the dot. "Yep.. I do. But you ask this, when you already read me. Not al the time does a ninja, need to do the unreasonable, to prove his worth. That is the only thing, that I do regret."
When the comment would be said to Kureno, Tosai would furrow his brow. This man, had been making him more and more angry, his chakra seeming to flood his body, and senses, even in his enlarged form, just because of such. He would look to the pompous Uchiha, with contempt, knowing full well that if he let this man get to him anymore, that a fight would be something he just would regret causing. This guy, talked as if he hadn entire army just waiting to attack. Tosai didn't like it. Feelings at war with the better of his judgement. If only Tosai could just lay one smack to him… just to shut him up…
Finally, Kureno's eyes focus, and his chakra burns up suddenly, like a bonefire; "Tch, you had your chance." He said to Tosai. "My words do not lack conviction. My mind does not lack focus. My techniques do not lack purpose."
He straightens up, his hands clapping together as all that chakra begins to vent; "But my heart lacks companionship. It lacks hope." He growls. "But even an heart devoid of hope or companionship can be a heart one best avoid; For it hungers things deemed illogical."
He than looks at the two, performing a set of handseals, "But even this heart barren of positive thoughts is filled with unholy valor and conviction; And I won't give up. I am gonna find my reason why I came here; And it will either mean I'll return to Sunogakure, or leave it forever." His hand than slams into the ground as Crystals begin to surround Kureno's body. "I'll be back in a minute to show you what I can really do!"
Rain simply shakes his head. "I never said you get strong because of what you regret. Quite the opposite. I said that you become strong because you lack regret. You do not lack regret, but i imagine there was a time you did not hold to your regret as a reminder to hold yourself back from your impulses. As far as working for guys like me…" Rain would smirk slightly, "… you have no idea who i am. No one works for me, they work for themselves. I am a man without regret for i do not sell or purchase or do anything that is against my vision of the future. The fact that you were weak enough to follow someone else and do something that was against your nature is why you have regret. Before you caused yourself regret, you had the power to pursue anything you desired. Now that you use that regret as your reason to do what you do now, you hold yourself back, on purpose, so that you may not make another mistake like that again. You have learned only to limit yourself."
Rain would pay attention to Kureno now as he shouted his convictions into the air. Only time could tell if his words had any true merit, but he appeared to understand himself and what he wanted. "The boy however, does not hold himself back. Whether his path is bright or darkened by his actions, he does so without regret, or atleast he claims to. Are you capable of such a thing yourself… or are you stuck in the mind set that you are some how… above that train of thought now that you have found purpose with the Leaf and the collar that they adorn you with for your obedience?" Rain of course was able to see that Tosai was getting more tense as time went on. However, witnessing an eruption was certainly not against Rain's "vision of the future."
The man was sure right about one thing.. Tosai was holding himself back, but not because not just because he didn't want to repeat past mistakes.. That was a given. He didn't want to go down a road, that he couldn't control. Chou Battousai was a mass murderer, a killer for whom most would agree, deserved nothing more than death as a reward for his accomplishments. Tosai, wanted life. "Yes. There was a time. A time where my own, peace of mind, was lacking. And truth enough, I do hold back, because that way of life, was unnecessary then, and its unnecessary now. I can get all that I want, without anyone dying." He would peer harshly at most of the man's claims of people working for him. "Hmph.. you got a real screwed up view of obediance. I don't have anyone playing tricks with my mind, with words on the tip of a snake's mouth. This conversatio goes nowhere, as long as your point of view leads to nothing but your ambitions."
When the man would make more questions, Tosai would chuckle once again, and say, "You know what, when I do answer that question, finally, I would like you to be around. I am sure that you would like to see the result of such.", knuckles being cracked, as he would peer at Rain, feeling nothing but utter curiousity of who this man really was. Then, for the last of moments, Tosai, would finally get a look, and then it would all appear to come to him. Nothing of an identity, or a name, but, of a lineage.. Sharingan Eyes, which would be rather hard to make out from where he stood, but with them being as red as they were, they couldn't be that mistakable.. Tosai would freeze, for a moment, before saying, "Hehe.. no wonder you act like you own the world.. Those eyes… An Uchiha."
"The only one here who has mentioned death, is you. Since you do not know my ambitions, but you do know i have no regrets, or at the very least, claim to have none, you assume i am selfish. Perhaps you are right. But perhaps… i am not. You believe i am playing tricks with your mind? Why … because you resist your own feelings? It seems to me that the only one playing with your mind… is yourself. Perhaps even the village your work for. They define what is right and wrong for you to do, and you choose to follow those beliefs whether it is because you agree… or because they sound as if they will keep you away from your regrets… is up to you to decide. But since you have mentioned death… i will clarify one thing for you. Death is necessary. Killing… may not be… but dying certainly is. As far as the world… it belongs to no one, not even the Uchiha. It is vast beyond imagining and encompasses all that we may truly ever grow to understand. It is not for anyone to own."
Turning to his side slightly and looking away from Tosai, the Akimichi may find himself feeling an increadibly intense aura from the Uchiha that he was speaking to. Something palpable yet invisible, like gravity itself was exuded from the man's quiet intensity. "Just because someone can play with your mind and manipulate you in to doing something you do not desire, does not mean that they choose to do so. Konoha teaches many things… and one of them is to assume that they have everyones best interest in mind. I for one… do not go by mere words." Should he be able to, he would move fro mthe area without a second thought to the matter. Kureno would survive and find his way if he could, and TOsai, if he was under the influence of Rain's power, would have no choice but to take time to reflect for better or worse, on this Uchiha.
The crystal coccoon around Kureno begins to fracture; and than slowly they shatter around the man, as he stands upright; ready for battle. Only to find that his opponent may not be a opponent.
"Do I still get to see the waterfalls?" He kinda mutters to himself, not having counted on this turn of events.
Muttering to himself, he considers going eastwards to find the 'falls. But as he recalls what happened, he figured; "Oh well. He would have won anyway." And than heads back, towards Fuuma Alley.
